inner turmoil
charging waves swell with passion
into waters, spill
deafening – rapids roar
echoes of my rumbling soul
searching inner peace
seagulls squeal
harmonize, my soul’s refrain
puffs over current
OctPoWriMo – 9 How the elements affect me – water – By the river rapids, I feel all stress dissipate slowly dripping into the water, flowing with the current.
She felt so many regrets these days, not remorse, but regrets. Was it the weather, approaching “le mois des morts”? Perhaps. November creeps up so fast. Was it Thanksgiving in a few days that makes her wonder of what she is thankful? That would be something to concentrate a bit more on, she keeps arguing with herself today.
There are some things she would never change and the obvious would be her grown children but what else? She looks out at the darkened sky, oh so much earlier than a month ago! Going back to university to get her degree was something she would never regret. She couldn’t. She took the long road to get there, true. Nine years while raising a family and working at two to three part time jobs. But that road gave her goal more purpose. It allowed her to be who she was born to be …the labour of her birth was just a little longer.
Each day she walks to work in the fall and feels blessed to see the sunflowers still standing strong in October. How resilient those roots must be to push through the concrete on that city street!
sunflowers hail
standing strong despite a slow start
blessing late bloomers.
Change is one thing that is inevitable whether we want it or not. It is one thing we can always count on. Wildlife seems to simply follow nature’s course without as much drama as humans however. Once we can get passed the sorting, waiting, processing some more, and hopefully support, we eventually find the courage to make that change and there, we feel such freedom.
Before change
caterpillar stops a spell
safe and sound
building courage – carpe diem
freedom grows in silken wings
butterfly flutters
on blossoms – sips sweet nectar
budding promise
In her youth she had many plants in her home. Begonias, African violets, dieffenbachias, spider plants, cactus and ivies. Oh! how she loved them! Those years trying to have children, she treated each one like her baby. Each plant had different needs… watered once a week, some twice, some once a month. All had their special personality, some shied from the sun, others rose with the sun and her prayer plant that folded at night reminding her always to say her prayers before going to sleep. Now she had her mother and this plant to remind her.
One year she adopted a beautiful fern that she kept in her bedroom where it was cooler and visitors might not rub on it. And then, she had babies which took up all her attention. Most of her plants left for foster homes.
Her family moved to a home in the country, where there was room to run and play and plant a huge vegetable garden. She planted marigolds around the vegetables to protect them from unwanted visitors and petunias and begonias in the front flower bed.
That was long ago. She’s moved since then; the children grew up and left. She and her cat look out at her humble herb garden and a mother-in-law tongue sits in the dining room. Now the plant serves her, wagging its tongue and purifies the air.
On her walk home, she listened to Deva Premal, she had purchased three mantras last night…yep, three of the same mantras chanted differently. It gave her energy to start her shift and blessed her when she came home at the end of her long night.
She reached her home minutes after midnight; she gave her loyal feline friend a cuddle, then fired up the laptop. She must have touched a button she was not used to with her new Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge NEWS popped up with the first article shocking her. “All my babies are dead”…her hand hesitated on the mouse for a split second and then she clicked. A tragedy! Preventable, unnecessary… drunk driving tragedy. It was as if the weather of that nice evening walk home in the cool brisk air had changed dramatically. This was why she no longer had television. This was the reason she stopped purchasing newspapers 14 years ago but the internet still bled bad news.
home at twilight
sits with a midnight snack
and, then the storm broke
prays for those who’ll never rest
grieving for their babies
We meditate on the glory of the Creator; Who has created the Universe; Who is worthy of Worship; Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light; Who is the remover of Sin and Ignorance; May He open our hearts and enlighten our Intellect.
Tournesol dans un Jardin 
