The weather forecast calls for a break in the heat (accompanied by thunderstorms, of course.) I’m looking forward to a few days of relief.
It seems the cats are eager for a change, as well. Perhaps I have been a bit too aggressive with the thermostat, these last few days.
Publication note: My poem “Custody” appears in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Melusine, or Woman in the 21st Century.
Our dog telegraphs her every emotion, announcing her moods with a range of vocal cues, facial expressions, and overly-dramatic body language. The cats are usually harder to read.
Usually, but not always. Here, for example, the message is clear: “Don’t bother me, I’m mad at you…”
Publication note: My poem “Waking” appears in the new issue of Willows Wept Review. The issue is available in print (by order) or as a free digital download.
The robin family has moved on, as families tend to do, and the yard feels empty and quiet. Almost eerie, after such a whirlwind of exploration and clamor.
Maybe I’ll fill my empty hours with the manuscript that has been molting in my office, shedding pages all over the floor, sprouting new subplots and dialogue as it matures…
I wonder if the hoverfly thinks about beauty. Are daisies lovely, through its eyes, or simply another field of nectar? If your life’s work is harvesting nectar, does sweetness turn dusty and tired, soured by toil and necessity?
My mother’s family took photos. Lots and lots of photos. Mother always meant to organize and scan the pictures. She wanted a digital archive that could be saved and shared, one of the many projects left unfinished when she died.
I’ve been making slow progress with the photos, which is fascinating, frustrating work. Most are not labelled, so scanning is the easy part. The hard part will begin later, when I try to match names and faces, to reunite families and trace their paths through time.
Rae Spencer 