Category Archives: Essays

July 8, 2016

Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

By Kat Myrman

selenotropism

Today’s Dictionary.com Word of the Day is Selenotropism. It’s a whopper of a word comprised of six syllables. This presents quite a challenge when tasked with writing a Haiku! I decided to use the adjective form giving me another syllable to work with and I also opted to take further creativity liberty in the application of the word. Selenotropism is a Biology term that refers to plant growth and movement in response to moonlight. The word entered English in the 1880’s and comes from the Greek “se”ēnē” for “moon” and trópos which means “turn”.

A bit about the biological term…

Most of us know that plants will lean toward light. If you place a plant in a window, you will find that you need to turn it every so often to keep it from leaning to one side. This phenomenon is called “heliotropism” (helio referring to the sun). A biologist by the name of M. Musset, intrigued by the  heliotropic movement of plants decided to conduct experiments on the influence of the reflected light of the moon. He chose three nights in February of 1883 to test his theory, exposing young plants to direct moonlight from 9 pm to 3 am. Almost immediately the buds of the plants bent the stalks in the direction of the moonlight and remained in a leaning position until the moon disappeared from view. He coined the term selenotropism, a nocturnal counterpart to the established heliotropism to name his discovery.

Source: Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, Ser. II–Vol. III, 1883)

So now that you have a new bit of random information to log away in your brain, I am going to take this word on another twist. I propose that our dreams are inspired by the cool light of the moon. At least when I saw the Greek influence of the word, that is where my mind went…a “turning toward the Moon” and the way that moon glow influences our subconscious thoughts as we sleep. I suppose I’m taking full advantage of artistic liberty and freedom here, but then I am also prone to coloring outside of the lines too. Blame it on the moon!

To Dream Selentropic 

Adrift in sleepy
selenotropic currents
dreams flood the gray void.

kat ~ 8 July 2016

9 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Essays, Haiku, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Word of the Day Haiku

July 5, 2016

If we were having…

By Kat Myrman

There is this writing prompt here on WordPress that I see every now and again. It starts with the phrase, “If we were having coffee…”

Um, okay, I’m gonna stop you right there. I’ve been limiting my coffee intake, so I hope you don’t mind if I take a bit of artistic liberty here. 

Let’s start this again…I like herbal tea by the way…with honey…unless it’s Earl Gray…then I like my tea with cream and a bit of sugar. Where were we? Ah-hem…

“If we were having tea…um…I forgot to ask. Do you like your tea black? I think that’s the right term for it…or I could ask if you are a tea purist…Or…oops…you might actually be okay with having coffee. Cream and sugar? With your coffee? I hope you don’t use those artificial sweeteners…they are sooo bad for you!

Hot Chocolate, you say? With marshmallows? That works too! 

Back to the beginning then. This is the great thing about being an artist…the possibilities! Here we go…

“If you were having coffee…oops sorry, I have coffee on the brain right now. Do you think it’s possible to go through coffee withdrawal? Forgive me…Let’s start over. I got this. Okay.

“If you were having hot chocolate with marshmallows and I was having jasmine tea with honey…” If I’m being honest here, and I think that is the point of this exercise, tea really doesn’t cut it for me. It’s basically watered down leaves with no kick, but I do feel healthier when I drink it…I do like it I suppose. I love teapots. I collect them. Hmmm

One more time. I’m sticking with the program this time. (Deep breath)

” If you were having hot chocolate with marshmallows and I was having jasmine tea with honey…”

I think the goal of this writing exercise is to write a conversational dialog. Maybe we could talk about current events.

What is that? You make it point not to talk politics. You don’t watch the news? Well okay, I get that. 

Maybe we can talk about…oh…thanks for letting me know. You don’t talk about religion either…and you don’t believe in airing your family’s dirty laundry? Uh, I’m okay with that. We can pass on those topics. 

So…what do you think about all this rain we’ve been having? Yep crazy. You got that right!

Is your coff…uh hot chocolate cool? I can nuke it in the microwave for you if you’d…ah, you have an appointment? 

Well, thanks for stopping by. Good talk! Have a great day. We’ll have to do this again…soon. Or maybe not. Busy busy. I get it. 

(Sigh) I think I’ll drop the “if” or “we” this time. I am going to have myself a coffee with a dram of Irish cream. Ahhh!

I think there is a reason I’ve been avoiding this writing prompt! 🙂

~ kat ~ 5 July 2016

14 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Humor, Random Thoughts and Musings

July 4, 2016

Hello Snail, Fancy Meeting You Here!

By Kat Myrman

Hello there Mr…er…Ms Snail. Actually snails are both…hermaphrodites that is. How cool is that? And they are quite self sufficient, carrying their homes with them wherever they go. 

I did a bit of research on my little visitor this evening. When a Snail shows up, it’s a reminder to be patient. Check! 

They might also show up when things are moving too fast. Check that!

It also may indicate that things are a bit stagnant. Okay okay I’m listening! 

A Snail is associated with the moon and connects earth and water elements. Mmmm…Elementally speaking, for this air (Gemini)/water (Pisces) with water  (Cancer) rising girl (me)…I get this too. I am feeling slightly grounded right now and not in a good way. 

Did you happen to notice the baby snail tagging a ride on the bigger one? This sparks a bit of hope in me! 

I think there is a final message for me on this misty Independence Day from my friend the snail and her tiny sidekick. 

Don’t lose hope. Slow down, be patient…You’re not there yet, but you’re sure to get there ( yes, I do have a few goals in mind…😊). Pay attention. You might be overlooking the obvious. And finally, steady and slow is the key.

Check, check and check. 

Thanks for the chat my friend. I’m glad you stopped by when you did!

~kat – 4 July 2016

Do creatures ever surprise you, showing up in close proximity begging your attention? It’s not necessarily a random thing. The ancient and tribal civilizations found great truth and meaning in nature. If an animal or creature crosses your path, pause to consider what they’re saying to you! You might be surprised.

8 Comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Life Lessons, Random Thoughts and Musings, Spirituality

July 3, 2016

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 3 July 2016

By Kat Myrman

Its Independence Day’s Eve here in the US. When we are young being independent is our ultimate goal. Some of us start very early on our path to independence with our first words, “me do it!” How satisfying it is to accomplish things all by ourselves…when we are young.

But a lifetime has taught me that even though I am quite capable of doing for myself, thank you very much, there is something to be said for having a bit of company on the journey. It’s ironic I think. We are born with a fierce instinct for independence only to realize after a lifetime of surviving that we are inescapably bound to one another. For better or for worse. 

How freeing it is to admit that I need you…collectively, globally, individually. Independence is not all it was cracked up to be. But I suppose I had to live it to realize it. And realizing it is like coming home. 🙂

————————-

This week’s Shi Sai is a bit odd. I suppose there are times when things are simply not meant to make sense. Like this past week actually…so much if it didn’t make sense. 

At any rate, happy Independence Day and all that jazz. As for me? I still have a few of those cookies left from last weekend. Care to join me?

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 3 July 2016

I don’t have sweets around…
Hope’s gleaming promise…

Prayers for Instanbul

In the summer heat
when you can’t hear the music
It wasn’t enough…is it ever?
They’ll journey from the safety of the shore
Oft’ forgetting why

Earth bleeds crimson

Embodying all I am
It was just a stupid accident…or was it?
~ kat

The Shi Sai, (formerly known as a ReVerse) is a form created by Kat Myrman in April 2016. It is a poem created by taking one line of verse from several poems of an author’s own collection. The shi sai is done as a review of a series or collection of poems and therefore, each line should flow in chronological order of the dates the poems were written (from oldest to new). The lines chosen should be the author’s favorite from each poem. This form works best if the author resists the temptation to read the full new poem before all the verses have been added. (It helps one to resist the impulse to change a line to make it “fit”)

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

July 1, 2016

Churrasco – Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

By Kat Myrman

Churrasco is today’s dictionary.com word of the day. I find that these daily words often seemed contrived to coincide with current events. It’s probably no coincidence then, that many of us will be barbecuing this weekend. Hence today’s word. Wikipedia gives an expanded definition:

Churrasco (Spanish: [tʃuˈrasko], Portuguese: [ʃuˈʁasku]) is a Spanish and Portuguese term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a prominent feature in the cuisine of Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Peru and other Latin American countries. The related term churrascaria (or churrasqueria) is mostly understood to be a steakhouse.

A churrascaria is a restaurant serving grilled meat, many offering as much as one can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto the client’s plate.[1] This serving style is called espeto corrido or rodízio, and is quite popular in Brazil.

This weekend, here in the US, we will be celebrating Independence Day. Like most holidays many of us will spend our time oblivious to the true reason for the occasion. For some the day will simply be a much needed respite from work. For others it will be an occasion for gatherings where spirited beverages flow freely and everyone gathers around red hot pits sizzling with churrasco (aka: roast meat), stuffing and drinking themselves into sleepy stupors. Many of us will ooh and ah at colorful firework displays in a tradition reminiscent of our country’s first Independence Day celebration where “In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.” (From Wikipedia)

On this Independence Day, may we pause from our celebrations long enough to remember the price many paid for our freedom. 😊

Back to my challenge. Here then is my haiku about roast beast…

Holidays are spent
Feasting ’round churrasco pits
Oft’ forgetting why.

kat ~ 1 July 2016

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Essays, Haiku, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Word of the Day Haiku