My Great Grandmother was a wild card. She was a hair dresser and used to cut people’s hair on her front porch - so I have been told. In my imagination I envision the porch painted turquoise and one of those old time hair dryers snuggled in the corner. Her name was Wanda. She went to Las Vegas for her 70th birthday with a red fanny pack surrounded by my family members, there is a picture I can still see of her on some trolly bus with my mom, my Grandmother and my Great Aunt Kathy and Great Uncle Gary. A lot of sequins were glued on shirts in that printed photo.
One day at the mall, she snuck me into the candy shop and bought me a ginormous yellow lollipop with a sweet circus-y lion’s face painted in icing on one side. It was actually heavy in my small hand but I would never show it. I honestly could not believe it! I still can’t believe it.
The indulgence,
the whimsy,
the sneakiness,
it was all magnificent.
Here is my 8th haiku collection to share:
Untethered.
When I lose my ground,
I start to float out to sea
A salty like womb.
A Good Question
What matters to me?
I ask myself this often
to design my life.
To Bear Witness
I reached through the screen
And held her virtual hand.
I said, “I see you”.
Dear Body
I neglected you
in a time where you needed
mutual respect.
How Do I know I Exist?
Sleepy eyes look up
with a thrill and profound love
She says, ‘mom, you’re here!”
Still Me
After all these years
I am still impatiently
wishing myself patient.
How brave and beautiful to try something new and explore the poetry as an avenue of expression and connection to the artist within. Guest poets submit with permission to publish:
Our Purpose
by Justine Sobczyk
What is the point when you see so much despair?
When you feel like you are drowning and cannot come up for air.
What is the point to do the same thing every day?
To have a job just to earn some pay.
Just so we can buy some stuff to do it all again?
It’s a vicious cycle that never ends.
The point is in the moments in the middle,
The moments you cannot see,
Unless you open your heart and allow your mind to be free.
Our purpose is not to work a job every day until we retire;
Our purpose is to live every day and enjoy the moments in between that transpire.
Our purpose is to seek joy on a daily basis;
To find joy, peace and love in all of the hidden spaces.
It’s not easy and there will be tough times;
But we lean on each other for love, support and sometimes wine.
Just know you are loved by so many;
Focus on finding the joy that is a plenty.
The world is cruel, this is true;
But when we stay present and grateful for the good moments in life,
love and joy will always shine through.
These are really thought provoking!