PROMPT: These are the days…
These are the days of long wearing pajamas
of empty coffee cups
and dried tea bags sitting on saucers.
Of worries, fleeting
whispers of wondering sometimes doused with fear.
These are the days of sunlight pushing through clouds
wet shoes, quick walks between rain squalls
puppy kisses, the potty bell
Frolicking through tall grass,
the tip of a shovel seeking out puppy poo.
These are the days I practice being alone
the house quiet, the road empty
the phone my lifeline to unexpected laughter.
A joke that may not be funny in another time.
These are the days of hot soup
frosted meat from the bottom of the freezer
and long talks with my daughter.
A phone call from my son asking if tornados travel far,
and if they are strong enough to uproot a brick building.
These are the days of promises
air kisses, warm hugs through a simple text
few words, too many words
Netflix filling my mind in hopes of crowding out the news.
These are the days of gratitude,
of searching for meaning in spilled milk, a gust of wind
the hooting of owls
and tiny red buds on my apple trees.
Sending my love,
Kristin
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Kristin Jarvis Adams' story of Andrew and Frightful is a beautiful and remarkable journey through medical mysteries, a reliance on a superhero chicken, and ultimately, a transcendent faith that ushers in hope when all else seems lost.
Lovely Kristin as always! I am doing similar things here in Oregon but oh! How I miss that writing group of women! I am grateful you are now part of the fun/laughter/tears and sharing life together. Keep writing…keep laughing and loving and sharing the tears and life.❤️ Breakfast…that’s a new twist! Love it!.
These are indeed the days. Beautiful my friend.
These are the days of a full house.
Little feet run down the hallway, followed by many larger feet.
Squealing, yelping, laughing, crying.
The feet dance, rest to read, run in the sunshine, roll on the trampoline.
The feet are loud.
Quiet is a distant memory.
Yet what I hear is BETTER then silence, it is LOVE.
-Mom of 5 blessings
Beautiful, Monica! I am so glad you sent this! I will make a point to send out more musings about daily life so we can all look for the beautiful things around us.
These are the days of a full house.
Little feet run down the hallway, followed by many larger feet.
Squealing, yelping, laughing, crying.
The feet dance, rest to read, run in the sunshine, roll on the trampoline.
The feet are loud.
Quiet is a distant memory.
Yet what I hear is BETTER then silence, it is LOVE.
-Mom of 5 blessings
You are a joy.
Hello Kristin from the east side mountains. Thank you for sharing your beautifully written thoughts. We, too, are safe in our home…but it is a chore to keep my social butterfly hubby grounded. He says to keep using ZOOM since he bought stock in the company. 🙂 Sending warm, loving, safe (((HUGS))) to you and yours. Cheers from June and Mr. Fitz
Beautiful! These are the days for me to spend mostly in rented recliner in a rented house in Lyndonville,VT where I lived for over 25 years before moving to Bellingham in 2013. Why? Because on March 9 while on my annual winter treck back to VT to ski with friends I fell on a bluebird day on a perfectly groomed trail and broke both legs. After 10 days in the local hospital I am now here for the foreseeable future. Fortunately my wife was able to fly from Paine Field and with her help and the support of many friends I am doing very well. But I miss and worry about family and friends back in Bellingham.
BTW my memoir will be published in August. Take care and stay healthy.
Oh my! Sounds like you are having quite the adventure. So glad for your wife and the support of many friends with you in your hometown. Please keep me updated on your book launch. I want to be there to celebrate with you!
Kristin….we are joined by the thing that is COVID 19. News today tells us that Alabama has the fastest growing number of confirmed cases and looks to be on task to overtake NY in number, making us the next epicenter. Not a comforting thought. Mostly due to ambivalence and ignorance, it has been allowed and encouraged to spread. One of only two drive-up testing stations was closed this morning due to lack of available supplies.
We are in the heart of the bible belt. Many believe God will save them all…so they avoid the rule and meet anyway. Not my church, for which I am grateful, and truly appreciate technology to connect with them as often as I like.
So, now it becomes the everyday little things, even annoying things, things that typically barely get a notice, like scooping up puppy poo, that become the poetry of our lives. And we see them as if for the very first time, and with much affection…because the alternative is, well…scary and depressing.
I’m prepared. I have volumes 1-14 of Foxfire. (How many of you remember the Foxfire series…came out in 1972 by Elliot Wigginton) Volume 1: The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining, and Other Affairs of Plain Living….just to give you an idea. My husband says I will need these. He foresees the Zombie apocalypse (too much Netflix for him!)
But writers write, and write we must, no matter the situation. To share; to feel normal; to get it off our chest; to make it pretty; to empathize; to normalize, to quantify, to justify; and in the lines you wrote; to beautify, edify, and amplify the rhythms of our lives. Your poetry is something we can travel along on and feel like we are going someplace with you on the whisper of gratitude.
Looking forward to applesauce…
Lovely words, my beautiful writer friend! Please take care and know I am thinking of you. 🙂