CD: Hindsight

Carpe Diem ~ Prophecy

ancient runes foretell
life centuries ahead
no one lives to know

dVerse: Chew Toy

dVerse: OpenLinkNight

of all the things
i've ever been
known and unknown
the one thing i hadn't been
was a chew toy
yet that's what i've become
to our new puppy

advice abounds
about how to stop
puppy biting
brace the neck
tweak the nose
hold finger under her tongue

regardless of technique
as soon as i release my hold
she lunges at me
sometimes i'm a sheep
to be herded
and i have the bruises
on my calves to prove it

friday comes the dog trainer
to train me
to be alpha dog
my energy is off
nothing i do works
am hoping this
dog whisperer can help

my birthday christmas puppy
makes me laugh every day
and is a wonderful joy when sleepy
her tazmanian devil side
when she zips around in circles
at the speed of light
is fun until she lunges

all i want for christmas
is for my puppy to understand
"no bite"
and continue to be her sweet
sassy feisty self
preferring toys instead of
my flesh and blood

Photo by Brian Beam

CD: Unknown Angel

Carpe Diem ~ Hando's "Footprints in the Sand"

Write a haiku in the same sense, tone, and spirit as this one:


footprints in the sand
to here and there and nowhere
and the gull flying

(c) Hando

My inspired haiku:

reflect on broken life

you carried me so many times

then unknown angel

 

dVerse: She Shatters Self

dVerse: Poetics ~ Alice

Alice falls into a hole
and several of her land
one too small
one too tall
true blue pinafore...just right

one way through the looking glass 
i say she shatters self
and off she goes
several ways at once
in search of "this way out"

along the way she meets
a scattered hare too late
a cat with hookah high on quips
a knight in full daylight

joined at tea by hedgehogs
and other hedgerow critters
comes the odd Mad Hatter
of all the ones in wonderland
he's the one who seems to matter

though he might be mad
he leads her back
through the looking glass
where one cannot truly see
back home she finds herself
but does she have the
memory?


(This doesn't flow well and my brain just isn't working. My main thought was that Alice split when she landed but returned home whole again...similar to my path in life.)

CD: Poppies & Lavender

Carpe Diem ~ Ashes

life to death to ash
sprinkle me among poppies
and lavender
south of france or italy
to dance ever after

CD: Hues

Carpe Diem ~ ''In Light and Darkness''

in the dark too long
so much to see with bright light
colors intense

CD: Turbulence

Carpe Diem ~ "Pagan Metal" (Music Inspiration)

through war and peace
drums the beat of turbulent life
clouds drift by

CD: Living Our Dreams

Carpe Diem #340 ~ ''Beautiful Dreams''

  

 

Photo by Grace Beam, Cinque Terre, Italy

some only imagine

dreams we have lived together

beauty of europe

CD: Listening

Carpe Diem #65

Hando''s ''Listening With Another'' 

 

Write a haiku in the same sense, tone, and spirit as this one by Hando:

listening with another
to the music of the mountain stream;
there is no other

(c) Hando 

My attempt:

watching him listen

to the sounds of nature

my soul soars

dVerse: Bumps in the Road

dVerse ~ OpenLinkNight

my world changing
zap by zap
opening up new avenues of joy
a christmas spirit to embrace
instead of repel
mind relaxing
body having issues
joints swollen for a week
but should subside soon
(due to a new medication)

hobbling along
is not how i want to be
moving more with puppy
is supposed to be healthy
not hurt so much
feel like i'm being bitchy
when i point out the problems
"my puppy" means my job mostly
and don't want husband
to be disappointed

disability equals feelings of guilt
for finance contributions
struggling right now but didn't know it
found out by accident
married less than a year
must maneuver the issues
in a healthy way
laughter, love, and puppy
pave the path we mostly traverse
the bumps in the road
my achillles heel

CD: Celtic Path

Carpe Diem ~ Crann Na Beatha (Tree of Life)

Celtic Music by Adrian von Ziegler

travel celtic path
magical mystery tour
faeries and dragons

***

tree of life
sometimes with gnarled branches
leads us to ourselves

 

CD: Renewal

Carpe Diem #337, Kanpai!

 

drum in the new year

celebrate what has been good

life holds renewal

 

dVerse: Rose Toes

dVerse: Poetics ~ Rose Toes

 

 

Photo by Grace Beam

no shoes is my preferred foot wear
with rose colored toes
a pedi from my favorite spa
the polish shade found in 2008
though a different rose shade
adorned my toes in Italy 2005


2007 led to numerous surgeries
but I never entered the OR without
my pretty toes
it became a kind of good luck charm
and something to cheer me up
poking out of hospital sheets

married with pretty toes last year
followed by a honeymoon to France 
a few months later
with a new pedi

the pedis stop when too cold for sandals
but still am barefoot indoors
bare feet go into my boots
after a polish-free season
my toes were painted
for my sojourn to Sedona in March

my feet might not be made for walking
but i want them to be pretty
rose toes go with me 
to all places important 
my personal tradition
sole to soul ~ my happy feet

dVerse: Daytimers to Timeless

dVerse: Poetics ~ Calendar

growing up oblivious to time
pushed along in childhood by
school bells going from class to class
later to break times at work with
time either flying by to my astonishment
or moving agonizingly slow

as a therapist for almost four years
my life driven by my hourly daytimer
name and arrows
reminding myself before and after
each appointment of what was to come
often having to glance to
remember new names

now "retired" i regress
oblivious to day and time
wednesday feels like saturday
phone alarms remind me of life
outside my home
puppy licks tell me when to get up
and eyelids tell me of bedtime

happy to be without a daytimer
and go with the flow of the day
or the needs of my bouncing puppy
trying to figure out how to find time
to write

Just Another Day

birthday just another day
anxiety and nightmare free
puppy joy and self contentment
brain with loose connections
but not minding
the big three "holidays"
finally okay...neutral
disconnect to past trauma
gift of brain reconditioning
and puppy kisses
not for any special day
adding to life
making a life
instead of existence

dVerse: Ch..ch..ch..ch...ch...changes

dVerse: Open Link Night

in the blink of an eye
my world has changed
puppy chaos and laughter
scattered brain syndrome
which may be from lack of sleep
or ongoing neurofeedback

internal changes continue
anxiety decreasing
joy increasing
health is good
except for aches and pains
some go with age
some with not moving
after many surgeries
six years ago

puppy got me moving
surprising myself
getting through each day
watched a scary movie
by myself
and wasn't scared
a miracle i wanted to watch

all is changing
no time and/or focus for writing
neurofeedback messing with
brain connections
in a good way
missing haiku and twitter
embracing real life fur baby

dVerse: Late Life Childhood

dVerse: Poetics ~ Childhood Toys & Games

two sisters but mostly alone
my favorite toy was a stuffed bear
christmas present when i was 3
living in germany
military father
Steiff...the cadillac of stuffies
age 5 near Boston
dolls that could walk
mom took me to pick one out
but i never played with it
always the bear
upset mother
i spent hours outside
on the swings...alone
or played hopscotch...solo
hour after hour
as older child
father taught me strategy games
chess, bridge, cribbage
angry if i didn't do it right
games not fun
until i was a therapist
having learned play therapy
working with children
found my favorite books
and kept them in my office
began to have dolls
collectible So Truly Real
anatomically correct
at first in the office
then a few dolls at home
an act of self nurturing
since i had other parts of me
healed to become therapist
but healing continued
in therapeutic ways
as i worked with others
my toys are new and treasured
a moses basket filled with stuffed animals
from when i was healing
and parts identified with them
now that i'm whole
they are my tribute to who
once was me

Photo by Grace Beam

CD: Eucalyptus Down Under

Carpe Diem ~ Tan Renga Challenge

Complete the haiku with two seven syllable lines to create a tanka.


the eucalyptus
captures the iridescence
in the morning fog

(c) Steph


koala bear savors the leaves
breathes penetrating fragrance

dVerse: Daylight Puppy Time

dVerse: OpenLinkNight

bleary eyed & achy bones
matters not
when bounding puppy
greets me early a.m.
ready to play.
second night
husband takes the 3:30 a.m. shift
i relieve him at 7
fix myself tripl3 espresso
watch Today Show
(flashback to 2007)
a floor chair saves my back
while playing on her level.
she won't sleep unless
next to one of us
tho she loves her playpen...
just not with the doors closed.
my body hasn't moved so much
the past year
as it has the past two days.
her licking my face
and snuggling on my lap...
the best bandaid in the world

First nap (with toys) - Photo by Grace Beam

dVerse: Life Changing

dVerse: Poetics

Photo by Legin's Havanese

i've known of the puppies
since the day they were born
i chose my favorite from
the weaning line up
the fawn colored one
before i knew having her
was even possible

now ten weeks later
the golden fluffball is mine
ready to bring her home
in three days
my life will change
our home life will change

i'm in love with this puppy
since first glimpse
cinched with first touch
and her first kiss on my face
all awaits her arrival

my five years of non-movement
are about to change
just preparing has me moving more
relishing when she will play
with her new toys
and snuggle with me
on the sofa

i'm so attached to my computer
and that will change drastically
will miss my writing
but will have more living
more to be inspired to write
when that time is available

today i had an invitation to join
january's mindful stone writing month
that's what got me back to writing
last year
the blog...this blog...i started
for my stones
has been my sanctuary

thank you to all who have visited
become my cyber support and friends
i will join when i can 
know you have all touched me
in a deep and wonderful way
the way the world should
treat each other
am honored to be part of this beautiful
online writing community

♥

Photo by Legin's Havanese