We do not remember days
We remember moments
Cesare Pavese
July has been my staycation month, which has been great!
From beaches to garden spaces
From tourist spots, to less known beautiful locations
From bustling to quiet…
Sharing time with a friend is a gift.
The moments of the last few days have provided many memories.
Time spent with friends is refreshing to the soul.
Finally
Sitting in a quiet space
My senses are settling down
Sifting through the exposure of this trip.
After landing in the historic, multi-cultural metropolitan area
Sights, sounds, smells and flavors all came together at one time.
In one place…
Constantly
Traffic never stops
Sirens punctuate the air
Music blares, escaping various doorways
Colliding with the sound of those performing in the street.
People walk these streets
Holding hands
Carrying drinks
Smoking
The smell of marijuana hangs heavy in the outside air.
Honing my senses to look beyond the surface
I find buildings designed in days gone by.
Some proudly display hanging baskets and planters overflowing with flowers
Set against decorative metalwork balconies and entrance ways.
Others, covered with graffiti often host for-sale signs
Hoping to lure someone into the neighborhood.
Many small shops emit strong fragrances from within
Tobacco from the cigar shop
Conflicted florals from candle shops or body works shops
Rivaling savory or smoky fragrances from the plethora of eateries
All compete against the backdrop scent of overflowing garbage bins and pot wafting through the air.
Cuisine is as varied as everything else in this city
Showcasing the multiple cultures that settled and blended here.
Surprising
Delightful
And, so enjoyable!
I ate my way through the city with each meal awaking different taste buds.
The people who lived or worked within the city were friendly
They genuinely wanted you to enjoy your stay in their city.
They were proud of their heritage
Sharing stories of their history and the culture’s survival through time.
A few more days removed
I recognize how much new historical knowledge I gained while there.
Given the opportunity, The Big Easy could awaken something in you too.
Daffodils make me smile and remind me another season is coming. This piece was first published in Clouds, Dreams and Fantasy Copyright © 2023. (available on Amazon).
I seldom date my pieces. However, the spring of 2020 was the beginning of the Covid Pandemic and all the changes it brought to the world.
Happy Spring! Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Between Life and Death
Spring 2020
by Linda L. Flynn
I cut my first
bunch of daffodils
before Easter.
It snowed during the night.
The blooms left for later
bent under the weight.
Buds not yet open
succumbed to the
morning snow.
My bunch of daffodils
in the living room
brought sunshine and the promise
of spring to come.
I’ve enjoyed this
bundle of blooms.
I’ve watched
the petals on these beautiful blooms
first become paper thin.
Still beautiful,
but the truth
of their fragility
is now evident.
A few more days
and the edges of those paper blooms
are dry and wrinkled,
some have turned a darker color,
others just became more fragile.
How like us.
We bud and bloom,
bringing sunshine and promise
to those around us.
Our lives bring beauty to some.
Like these blossoms,
we don’t even recognize
the gradual process
of becoming more fragile.
Our bones are
more brittle,
muscle strength
steadily disappears,
our skin becomes
more translucent,
and our hair thins.
Like my daffodils,
we often fail
to recognize
these changes until
something happens.
Last night brought one
of those happenings.
I feel like
I should howl
and be in dissent.
Today, I’m weary and wonder,
what is this time all about?
During the day’s reflection, I pondered the completion of another trip around the sun and found myself standing on the threshold to another decade. It’s unfathomable I’ve moved through so many years. Yet, here I am.
…and the adventure continues!
Taking chances
Isn’t that what life is about?
Another journey around the sun.
Out with the old, In with the new
What does it mean to you?
The sun is shining, lighting up the land around me
Blue sky intensifying the colors of the day
A light breeze blows beckoning me outdoors
Just as the new year beckons me to throw aside caution
And enter with wild abandon into the unknown future
The future –
…another year older
…deeper understanding
…new challenges and adventures await
…refining or honing skills
…giving up unrealistic expectations
…savoring the gift of another day
…tenderly holding precious memories
…valuing relationships
…acknowledging more, the power of God’s love
…and learning how to walk more in this love
It is all a chance.
A chance I take willingly.
Out with the old, In with the new
What does it mean to you?
Traditions
Just the word evokes many thoughts
Different for each of us
Impact of these thoughts is equally dissimilar
Some individuals become melancholy
Others upbeat and joyful
The word suggests something one can count on
Yet in truth, traditions reflect change
My granny baked an abundant assortment of cookies
Enjoyed by all, with each of us having our favorites
I took my favorite and ensured it was made every year
Thus, my children were introduced to my favorite for the Christmas season
Then their children delighted in these same little delicate sweets
Each of these children have carried some traditions from my home to their own
Adding new twists and turns creating something unique for their families
No littles at my house for the holidays
Yet these little green trees still get pulled from the oven to be enjoyed by others
An adult grandchild, with children of her own
Requested her gift be a box of these cookies for her family
I smile
How my granny would be honored to know
These little gems she so readily baked
Are still being enjoyed five generations later
A tradition continues.
Drag containers from storage closet.
Items stowed away from last Christmas
Lie wrapped in tissue, carefully packed in these boxes.
Fire is crackling and flames dancing
In preparation of merriment.
With the opening of each box and the unwrapping of each item
Memories spring to mind.
All those years of exchanging ornaments reveal remembrances of friends and family.
I smile, as peacefulness fills my soul.
This tree during the holiday season represents my lifetime.
And what a lifetime it has been
Crossing oceans, living in multiple communities, moving more times than I can count.
Memories abound from each of these locations.
Yet it’s the friends which exist in all those habitations,
And our camaraderie that fills my life with encouragement and joy
Which I savor the most.
Ah, friends.
Years and physical distance may have us parted
But this evening you are here with me
Celebrating another holiday season.
Packed and prepared to leave
Blurry-eyed I grabbed my purse
Sat and buckled in.
Relative quietness hung upon the town.
Entering the freeway
Ribbons of white or red lights
Streamed down the roadway.
Who would have known so many
Would be on the road long before light?
Dawn presented first signs of the day to come.
Heavy clouds hung on the mountain tops.
Light peaked through revealing the foothills
beneath the shrouded peaks.
Spots of pink adorned the clouds.
Traffic intensified.
At times its pace was a crawl
Resembling more of a parking lot than streamers.
Drawn back to the coast—
We stand on the rocky shore
Listening to the crashing waves
Watching sea lions bob and play
Surveying crumbling walls
Succumbed to an earlier hurricane.
The air, the light, the beauty of the sea
on such a day as this.
To town we travel
Where we traipse from one art shop to another.
Early dinner on Main Street, then off to the lodge
Where we enjoy a hot drink, a fire and live entertainment
With other guests of the establishment.
We fall into bed, drifting off to sleep.
Morning comes.
Opening the shutters, I find the marine layer
And local ecology all decked out in preparations for
Halloween.
Allow me to celebrate with you, my friends…
You will have to click on the link to be taken to the poetry on The Galway Review.
Thank you for taking the time to read, and to leave your comments.
…about friends
I’ve found myself often thinking of friends and recognize how much I appreciate them.
Friends, you are a blessing to me.
I saw this posted on a board at an art gallery. There was no name associated with it. The words ring true in my life, and I hope they will in yours as well.
Journey to the Heights 