Category Archives: Essays

May 21, 2017

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 21 May 2017

By Kat Myrman


I’m not sure what to make of this week’s ReVerse. It started out so sweet, twisting into darkness but in the end, a glimmer of hope.

It’s rather like looking into a mirror. Sometimes our best intentions go awry. Sometimes when we think we’re doing the right thing for all the right reasons we realize the reasons become more important than the right thing.

I apologize if all this seems a bit nonsensical. I don’t mean for it to be. One thing I do know for certain. There is always hope. No matter how dark things get. No matter how bleak the prospect of overcoming the impossible seems, there is hope for healing and restoration.

And if things don’t eventually work out as you hoped they would, there is grace in tiny doses to help you through your dark night of soul. There is always grace.

We are complicated beings. It’s true, we sometimes appear to be one extreme or the other…good or bad, dark or light. I suppose the honest truth of being authentic means recognizing that we have the propensity for both sides. It is the stinging stark reality of looking in the mirror and seeing ourselves as flawed that leads us to the greatest revelation of all. And eventually to grace, forgiveness and healing. Not from some ethereal other, but from ourselves. Only then can we find it in ourselves to love others truly, unconditionally. Only then.

Peace, love and healing to you this week. Be gentle with yourself. ❤️

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 21 May 2017

She cares for us always
Pure Love feels like this
She glanced at the glass of water
la femme bête noire
nested they, in great arch-trees
when you are at a crossroad
…it was bedlam
Something sweet, but not too sweet.
leave mothering to others
fools with no conscience
always open to healing

~kat

A shi sai or ReVerse poem is a summary poem with a single line lifted from each entry of a collection of work over a particular timeframe and re-penned in chronological order as a new poem. Unlike a collaborative poem, the shi sai features the words of one writer,providing a glimpse into their thoughts over time. I use it as a review of the previous week.

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Shi Sai, Week in Review

May 19, 2017

Purloin-Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

By Kat Myrman

Today’s word of the day from Dictionary.com is Purloin. It “entered English in the 1400s from late Middle English purloynen, from Anglo-French purloigner “to put off, remove.” “ In our present usage it means to take dishonestly; steal; filch; pilfer and to commit theft; steal. The Merriam-Webster dictionary adds another element to the basic definition: appropriate wrongfully and often by a breach of trust.

In my usual google search I found that it is a popular word, used in poetry, literature and journalism. My favorite newsie headline is this tidbit from KWCH News:

Topeka man accused of trying to peddle crate of purloined steaks at hookah bar.

…and this one from USA Today:

A simple game about flinging fowl at purloining pigs, Angry Birds carved itself an astounding niche in mobile gaming but it’s not the only game in town.

Speaking of birds, I found the quintessential example of purloiners of the avian variety. Nasty birds, called parasitic brooders who pilfer and overtake the nests of other species, often tossing the original eggs or even eating them, in order to deposit their own. If that is not horrible enough, these shady breeders then abandon their eggs and leave the raising of their chicks to the nest owners. If host bird’s chicks do happen to survive the initial scourge of egg destruction, they often find themselves fighting a losing battle against their larger, ravenous, foreign sibling at feeding time, eventually starving to death. Some brood parasites include the cuckoo and the brown-headed cowbird. Read more HERE.

Of course birds are not the only species that purloin, but I’ll leave those other examples to your imagination! Here are a few Haiku.

Plagiarists purloin
inspiring words as their own
fools with no conscience

Cuckoo bird mothers
leave mothering to others
purloining their nests

~kat

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Essays, Haiku, nature, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Word of the Day Haiku

May 14, 2017

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 14 May 2017

By Kat Myrman

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It is Mother’s Day in many parts of the world. If you are a mother, I wish you a wonderful day. You deserve to be loved and honored. If you are missing your mother I wish you warm memories, healing, and grace. And if you are a child or mother whose relationship is fractured, I wish you hope and reconciliation.

Life is complicated isn’t it? So complicated and so fleeting. How many minutes, how many hours do we spend each day worrying, working to survive, taking up space, wasting time? How many breaths do we consciously take…how many moments do we savor?

I am woefully caught up in the whirlwind of life’s distractions. I spend most of my days in a an oblivious, vapid haze. My existence is a breathless blur. Each day is like a bulbous speck of mercury colliding into the blob of previously squandered days. But it doesn’t have to be.

Being present is hard. Sometimes it’s painful. But it is also what frees us from the blur. A single moment of mindfulness can open the door to wonder, gratitude, peace, and healing. It is balm for our fading souls.

Of course, when I get to thinking about all this I always resolve to do better, to be better at being present in the moment. I’ve been through this head-talk enough times to know that even my intent is a fleeting wisp of hot air. But every now and again a moment catches me unaware and I am captivated. Another memory blooms from the sludge.

I know I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. As for myself, I need reminding…

Breathe in deeply, slowly; savor the moment. Smile at your incredible fortune to be alive right here, right now. Exhale even more slowly. Let go. You are magnificent. You are a miracle. You are living proof of grace. This moment is everything.

And here’s the thing. There is nothing stopping you from having another moment and another. So go ahead. The cares of the world can wait. You know you want to…breathe…

Love and Peace to you…

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 14 May 2017

dawn rustles beneath
when the heat is on
some find comfort in it’s warmth
fleeting as a blink
but dreams die hard…
…and i smile though my heart is sad
needing no imprimatur
draw me like one of your French dogs
don’t ask me why.

~kat

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Essays, Life Lessons, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Shi Sai, Social Issues, Spirituality, Week in Review

May 7, 2017

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 6 May 2017

By Kat Myrman


It’s the first weekend in May after a busy week on the world front. Sometimes I wish I could live each day blissfully oblivious to current events; wrapped up in friends, family and fun stuff. You know, the everyday normal that is possible because you know you have elected good, decent people to be in charge of managing the workings of our government, and the details that make our society civil.

Occasionally I do have weeks where I can do that. Where no one has gone over the edge, taking innocent people with them, where my job is secure, where everyone close to me is happy and healthy, no drama, where I actually manage to get some sleep at night.

This was not one of those weeks. I wish I didn’t care, but I do. The people who voted for this are likely not paying attention. Their engagement ended the minute they cast their vote. But for those of us who feel compelled to be involved and part of the process, who take democracy and “we the people” seriously, this was not a good week.

In times like this I need to remind myself that we, the collective we, have survived other weeks like this; darker times than what we are witnessing today. But even if I post happy pictures, flowers or kittens on social media, even if I smile and wave at the neighbors, even if I laugh and engage in happy conversations, never crossing over into anything deeper than the weather, my mind is burdened with truth and reality’s heavy presence and I know that I am lying when I say, “I’m fine.

I’m not fine. Things are not fine. But no one wants to hear that. So I post pictures of flowers and kittens and smiley faces.

Have a great week. Not lying. I really hope you do.

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 6 May 2017

forget the pain | and hopefully,forgive ourselves
it’s the magic of poetry
one moment, she’s warm and bright
Making all that racket, crapping everywhere!
the elusive missing link,
verdant roots planted in soil
a beautiful sunset spoilt
embrace with your heart
dreams of girls aching

~kat

A shi sai or ReVerse poem is a summary poem with a single line lifted from each entry of a collection of work over a particular timeframe and re-penned in chronological order as a new poem. Unlike a collaborative poem, the shi sai features the words of one writer,providing a glimpse into their thoughts over time. I use it as a review of the previous week.

7 Comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Essays, Life Lessons, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Shi Sai, Social Issues, Spirituality, Week in Review

May 5, 2017

Abrazo – Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

By Kat Myrman

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the word of the day is a Spanish from dictionary.com…Abrazo! Dictionary.com defines abrazo as “an embrace used in greeting someone. Spanish abrazo and Italian abbraccio, both meaning “a hug, an embrace” come from the Latin prefix (and preposition) ad- “to, at, near” and Spanish brazo and Italian braccio “arm” both come from Latin brachium. Abrazo entered English in the 17th century.”

Sadly, though abrazo was added to the English vocabulary, you’ll not get any points in Words With Friends or the English versions of Scrabble. It’s not recognized as a word. Sorry to rock your tile tray, my wordie friends. 😟

Still there is something to be said for the concept of the abrazo. Modern society is quite averse to physical contact between acquaintances or strangers. Egads! Don’t invade anyone’s personal space without being invited or asking permission, or you might find yourself the defendant in a nasty lawsuit.

This makes socializing a bit awkward for a hugger like me. Though I don’t typically ask permission, per se. I simply declare that I am a hugger upon meeting someone and take my cue based on their expression as to whether I proceed. A smile means “go”. “Deer in the headlights” or a step backwards is a definite “No”. The “no’s” will generally reach for a handshake. But the smiles? I love it when I find another hugger.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “She hugs on the first meet?” I do. I wish we all did more hugging. There is nothing like a genuine abrazo to lift one’s spirits and connect one human to another. Might even change the world if we weren’t afraid to hug. Just sayin’.

May your life be filled with peace, love and lots of abrazos! Here’s this week’s Haiku.

embrace with your heart
give abrazos, full-frontal,
side hugs are for stiffs

kat

6 Comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Essays, Haiku, Life Lessons, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Word of the Day Haiku