Category Archives: Essays

day 142

now that the other shoe has dropped

are you surprised?
it felt so good to win
to own the libs,
back then, didn’t it?
to have every wild
conspiracy theory
you warned me about
validated by your guy…
your guy, who escaped
death, miraculously healed
only days after his brush
with a sharpshooter’s bullet,
with not even a scar
to boast about…I have to admit
it was quite a show
and now, five months in
reality has swung the sickle
your way…tariffs, government
services shuttered, rising costs,
mass layoffs, history wiped out,
innocent people disappearing
from the streets, rights revoked, retribution is the theme of the hour,
with access to the spoils of this coup reserved for the highest bidder…
cruel atrocities too numerous
to mention, but this is
what you voted for…right?
and so I wonder, are you surprised?
and if you are not, if you are not
even the least bit dismayed
by what is happening
to our beautiful country, then
I am surprised…
and pissed off…
but most of all, sad to think
I never really knew you

~kat

Gonna let today’s poem have the last word today. It’s been a rough week here in the USA. So sorry world.

But…thank goodness for glimmers. My little friend Mr Bean always makes me smile. I hope you too have a reason to smile today and every day.

Much love, peace, and daily glimmers to you!

~kat (and Mr Bean)


day 141

secrets haunt their keepers
remember this when
someone whispers in your ear

~kat

I have known a few secrets in my life. It’s a burden that should not be entered into lightly. Today’s poem was inspired by the Magnetic Poetry -Poet’s kit.

And…did someone say glimmers? After a long work day, the sight outside my window did my heart good and reminded me that at least for today I am so fortunate to live where I live.

Today, and moments like this are everything! Tomorrow will keep.

Much love, peace, and glimmers to you!

~kat

A few snapshots of today’s glimmers…


day 140

what goes bump in the night
(a cleave poem)

part 1

the air is heavy
just before the storm
raindrops ride the wind
dusk drifts into night
the darkness provides cover
as a fearsome interloper
steals bits of food
from the least among us
the wrens, the phoebes, the finches
destruction in its wake
the feeder stands mangled
seed tubes ravaged
what good are a few seeds to
massive beasts when
to the birds they are everything

part 2

they assembled
in hallowed halls
the murmur of opposition surges
as they spin their evil plans
the big beautiful lie, while
an unconscionable act Is executed
enriching the wealthy
over the stunned masses
the poor, the old, the sick
survival of the richest
as democracy dies
sacrificed for greed
these gluttonous monsters
hoarding more than they need
leaving the people to perish

part 3

the air is heavy | they assembled
just before the storm | in hallowed halls
raindrops ride the wind | the murmur of opposition surges
dusk drifts into night | as they spin their evil plans
the darkness provides cover |.the big beautiful lie, while
a fearsome interloper | an unconscionable act is executed
steals bits of food | enriching the wealthy
from the least among us | from the stunned masses
the wrens, the phoebes, the finches | the poor, the old, the sick
destruction in its wake | survival of the richest
the feeder stands mangled | as democracy dies
seed tubes ravaged | sacrificed on the altar of greed
what good are a few seeds to | these gluttonous monsters
massive beasts when | taking more than they need
to the birds they are everything | leaving the people to perish

~kat


Last night a huge storm swept through the hills. When I woke up and took a walk around the property looking for downed trees, surveying any damage that might be left in the storm’s wake, I discovered a disturbing scene at both of my feeding stations. Something strong and very big came through destroying the feeder stand and the see tubes. i recall seeing a few roust bucks on the property at dusk, it it is also likely that we were visited by a black bear.

Meanwhile on another hill in our nation’s capital congress huddled in committee at 1 am hoping to ram through a so-called big beautiful bill. The vilest of this crowd called in the big gun, namely Trump, to threaten the end of life as they know it if the holdouts didn’t vote to pass this atrocity. As I write this post, they are still at it some 17 hours later with no end in sight. Major sticking points include cuts to every little safety net that most people depend on to give massive tax breaks to the filthy rich. The people be damned

I couldn’t help seeing the similarities between a brown bear destroying feeding stations, and the maga politicians destroying our democracy, many because they fear the wrath of a selfish bully. Of course for this theme only a cleave poem would do. So called three poems on one the left column is one poem…the right, a second and the grand finale read in left to right for a third.


You know I have a glimmer for you… a few turkeys found love on the back end of my property! Baby turkeys are so cute! But it was the courtship that makes me laugh! This is how it went!

I noticed this Jenny hanging out inside the fenced part of my yard…
…enter a very excited tom who was pacing along the outside of the fence line. he did his darndest to woo her for a little tryst, but she wasn’t having it!
I walked to the back of the house to get a better look, only to discover that she was no longer there. But I did notice old tom hunched over something rocking back and forth you guessed it! Moments later she emerged, feathers disheveled scurrying away indignant at his indiscretion. I mean, imagine it! He had his way with her right out in the open! (I didn’t happen to get a photo of that! 😄). Countdown to turkey chicks! Can’t wait! 🥰

Anyhow, that’s my glimmer for today…the cycle of life on full display while I worked on a presentation for tomorrow.

much love, peace, and lovely glimmers to you!

~kat


day 139 ~ a penny for your thoughts

For years I have trained my eyes to detect heart-shaped things…leaves, puddles, watermarks, tea leaves, tree bark, and stones. Especially stones. Once my mind was on task, a heart-shaped something could stop me in my tracks, giving me a warm feeling inside and a smile on my lips. In that moment I felt seen by the universe, by nature…I felt loved. 

So I started collecting them, rocks shaped like hearts. I had boxes of them. Seems there is no shortage of love in this troubled world if you know where to look. And I started giving them to people, random strangers even in a grocery store checkout line, hoping to lift their heart, as mine has been all these years. 

Rocks shaped like hearts in particular are especially precious and unique. Even a “heart” like the one I am sharing here, smaller than a penny, may have started out as a great boulder. It takes time, and sometimes great adversity, the shedding of dross, breaking, being crushed, becoming smaller, to attain the perfection of heart-ness. Perhaps that is why the simple gesture of finding or receiving a heart-shaped rock resonates with us. Those of us who have lived through hardship and adversity know the process well. A tiny rock is a reminder that even after all this there is beautiful meaningfulness and value in the familiar shaped shards left behind. Reminding us too, that even in our own brokenness we have value and the capacity to be a light for others. 

I think it’s time for me to start collecting again. To carry a few nuggets of hope in my pocket, so that I can part with them when the time is right. Especially now when so many of us feel powerless and invisible. It’s the least I can do after these little gems have done so much work to be noticed. 

light beings

each soul has value
the capacity to hope
to glow with a light
that glimmers through brokenness
to extinguish the darkness

Much Love, peace and heart-shaped glimmers to you!

~kat

day 136

trickle down autocracy

to make America great again
deals are sealed with sharpie pens
exploiting fabricated mandates
to fuel the desperate masses’ hate
as promised cruelty is delivered
at breakneck speed to make us shiver
destroying the hope of immigrants
and quashing voices of dissent
they laud the vilest of the vile
forcing birth, ignoring the child
rights are for sale if you have cash
“great” depends on who you ask
die hards tow the maga line
you know it’s just a matter of time
before the carnage hits their door
and shows them what they voted for

~kat

It’s distressing to know that people close to me voted for this madness. When I ask what they think about all that is happening, they tell me they just don’t watch the news anymore. It’s like a blow to my heart by a drive by voter who never looks back to see the destruction left in the wake of their patriotic malfeasance. Before the election. They didn’t want to hear my concerns…and after, well it’s time to move on. They won they think. They don’t realize we all lost something precious that cold day in November…

I can’t leave you on this note of gloom. You and I both need a glimmer or two, so, here you go… mourning doves mourning the empty feeders, fighting with the squirrels over the last morsels, and our resident rodent being quite dramatic, especially when he noticed me peering out the window…rest assured the feeders were replenished to the brim after this performance!