Tag Archives: essay

a belated day 205

a series of lunes amidst a mercurial retrograde
(3/5/3 words or syllables)

when the ink
on history’s page has dried
future plagiarists repeat

just because
the sun has risen
there is joy

consider your story
every detail, good and bad
to find yourself

tell me lies
because truth scares me
I need bliss

many things
offer us a choice
choose wisely

I stopped counting
stars, for there were many
and cruel acts

let us join
the revolution
compassion

I stopped listening
the moment you started speaking
listen to yourself

dawn’s first light
shines brighter than at midday
we grow complacent

memories of ago
should be dwelled on sparingly
life is now

~kat

Once again I ran out of daylight yesterday and missed my midnight glimmer deadline. You shall have two today. This belated offering and my weekly reverse. 

When I was younger I was quite the night owl, able to burn the midnight oil and often most prolific in the wee 3 am hours when only shift workers and witches frolic under the stars. As I wind down toward the end of another decade I am finding myself drifting off mid-verse.

It’s a lesson that I am coming to terms with. Waiting until the end of my too busy schedule to write is less doable. Dawn has become a fertile time for me now, forcing me to shift my clock a bit. The inspiration is much more coherent after I have slept on it. 😴 I am learning to embrace this new season…as my blond hair shimmers gray, my body softens and slows down, and the lines on my face grow deeper; a sign of many, many smiles. That girl in the mirror is an old lady now, but her eyes haven’t changed. That spark shines brighter than ever. 

Much love, peace, and glimmers to you…

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨


For today’s…or rather yesterday’s glimmer, I give you a glimpse into the convening of our resident artist’s consortium…nap time for me (I’m finding I need more of that on weekends these days) and next to me Frankie vigorously pruning herself…no doubt working on her next furball creation! Clearing inspiration is bubbling to the surface! 🤣🤣🤣 Life is good here in the foothills! 😊


day 202

what would their grandmas think?

grandma always said that we should never tell a lie
she spoke with wisdom, so we listened and obeyed
the truth always comes out, she’d say, don’t you even try
grandma always said that we should never tell a lie
you can spot a liar, they won’t look you in the eye
eventually you’ll find you can’t believe a word they say
grandma always said that we should never tell a lie
she spoke with wisdom, so we listened and obeyed

~kat

The lies are overwhelming. It’s all lies now. And the liar in chief is telling his followers how to deflect questions seeking the truth by repeating the latest fabrication. It feels chaotic and crazy for those not deceived by this common snake oil hawker looking to line his pockets from the suffering of others.

I didn’t think it was possible, but it does appear that the chief liar is running out of lies. When everything is a lie, people stop listening and start paying attention to what is happening in reality. They realize that they are not immune from the consequences of bad, cruel, and destructive policy. Policy that sounded good, that they voted for when it was directed toward other groups of people. Truth eventually comes to light. I learned this when I was a child. It is stunning to witness this in real time. To witness a liar drown in the overwhelming power of truth rising.

Speak truth to power. It’s never been more important.

Much love, peace, and glimmers of truth to you!


When my soul returns generations from now I would like to inhabit the body of a pampered dog…like my Gabby. She had a rough beginning, but boy did she hit the jackpot.


day 198

Today’s post starts with a glimmer. Every so often we like to treat ourselves and our pup Gabby to a run by a popular fast food joint. Gabby is particularly fond of the chicken bits in nugget form. She knows the routine well. She recognizes the sign out front as we approach, and when we pull up to the order kiosk and that happy voice from beyond welcomes us…she starts dancing in her seat and licking her chops. In mere moments some nice person will be handing us a bag of lovely smelling goodies. It’s the best possible outing ever. After lunch she settles down for a long afternoon nap, content and happy.

It made me wonder. What things in life make me happy? What, if I had a tail it would be wagging, feeds my soul…gives me bliss?

Honestly, I had never given it much thought before now. I love shopping in book stores, especially used and vintage books. I love everything about it down to the dust and the smell of aging pages bound in hard back. I love writing and reading and learning new things, I love figuring out the names of things in the woods where I live, be it a tree, a flower, or an insect or animal, and learning more about them. Oh…I love cheesecake! And a tall glass of tea on ice in summer, and a good cuppa hot with honey when I need warming up or calming down.

I know I should do more of these types of things…actually make time for them, not as an afterthought or merely when I can fit it into my schedule. It is not really treating oneself, but rather, self care to do the things that feed our souls. My wish for you this weekend is that you have the opportunity to spend some time doing something you love…oh and baking things… that’s another one. Thinking I should make a nice pound cake this weekend. It’s been a while!

Much love, peace and happiness glimmers to you…Gabby stopping by the fast food window on a car ride happy!

simple pleasures

it’s not luxury
to indulge in happiness
it is essential
self care, not as afterthought
but as blissful time well spent

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨


Today’s poetry form is the Tanka. Five lines, syllable count: 5/7/5/7/7 

day 197

well bless your heart

invisible people have privileged gray lives
they never get angry or give in to strife
everything’s rosy, yes, everything’s great
they’re quick to admonish those battered by hate
who dare to feel angry at those who don’t care
dark souls who surrendered to king yellow hair
not enemies, they chide, we’re all the same
treat all with compassion, there’s no one to blame

but I have a feeling that they’ve never known
the sting of oppression, of hate in their home
from people they loved who don’t seem to care
that the vote they cast hurt family somewhere
forgiveness is bitter for those now denied
simple compassion and the right to live life
we don’t want to hear it, your lofty ideals
til you walk in our shoes and know how it feels
when half of the world thinks you shouldn’t exist
the audacious preach virtue in ignorant bliss

~kat

A rant today. I read a well-meaning post on social media that struck me the wrong way. It had a long-winded “why can’t we all just get along” vibe. Heart-felt and a tad naive, its message was also condescending to those of us with bullseyes on our backs. Those of us targeted as other, undesirables who, if the powers that be had their way, would be disappeared from the face of the earth or at least from this country. Condescending…because we’re not allowed to be angry or hold those responsible for this dumpster fire accountable. Admonished to keep the peace. To get along. To forgive and and show compassion to those who would point us out in a heartbeat if it meant finding favor with the powerful in the hopes that they might reap the benefits of the coup they helped fuel. It’s convenient to forgive and forget when you’re not living in a nightmare.

So I wrote a poem…therapy that rescues me from responding directly to such blather. I’ll crawl back under my rock now, and tuck myself in behind the closet door, hoping the monsters don’t find me.

Much love, peace, and glimmers of hope to you. As it happens I was visited today by several mourning doves. Often seen as a symbol of love, hope, peace, and new beginnings, I think mother nature knew I would need some encouragement today. ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨

~kat

A little love, hope, peace, and the promise of new beginnings…today’s much needed glimmer.


day 196

as the crow 

we have good neighbors here…we rarely see each other, but
if we need them or they us, we’ve an open border policy
where fences are for leaning while talking about life and the weather

~kat

Living in the hills is a breath of fresh air (literally). Unlike our urban friends whose homes are packed tightly into neighborhoods, with walls and windows mere feet apart, artificially lit by humming street lamps, the scent of exhaust fumes and hot rubber settle in the air, the rural space I call home are green, our neighbors, acres away, rarely seen but occasionally heard on crisp quiet nights when sounds carry in the mist…blips of muffled conversation, laughter, the sound of tires crunching gravel driveways.

It it understood, that we look out for one another. Not in the creepy, peer through shades, nosy neighbor way, filling one’s head with juicy gossip to share at the quick stop. I may only see my neighbors these days a few times a year, but we are community.

Isn’t that what we all want after all? A place to call home, to live out our pursuit of liberty and happiness in peace. Somewhere in this devolution of our humanity we’ve lost our way. It’s ironic to me that living so far from civilization makes me feel less alone than I ever felt in the city. Here where scarce neighbors are neighborly and kindness is an unspoken code.

much love, peace, and glimmers of community to you!

~kat ✨✨✨💚💚💚✨✨✨


Sijo

A sijo is a traditional Korean poetic form, characterized by its three-line structure. Each line typically contains 14-16 syllables, resulting in a total of 44-46 syllables for the entire poem. The first line  is introduces a theme or situation, the second line develops it, and the third line introduces a twist or unexpected turn, providing the poem’s conclusion.