Time Together and Alone...

What a lovely weekend it's been! Family time and a bit of solitude. I watched Case Histories, a British crime drama starring Jason Isaacs. I started reading When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks, a good read so far. Four boxes were filled for donation which Paul dropped off for me at the Idaho Youth Ranch. And at the moment, I'm waiting for the clothes in the dryer to finish so I can put the next load in. Why I waited until late Sunday evening, I can't explain. It just been one of those days, full, fun, and also relaxing.

I was reminded how much I love spending time with my family. There is nothing so precious as being with people you love, who also love you. The value of time alone is not lost on me either. In every love relationship, whether it's romantic or family, you need to find time to nurture yourself. In doing so, you have more to offer the people you love. With that in mind, I wrote the following poem.

just me, not you
someplace of my own
a hideaway, a nook
an island of self imposed
seclusion
to rest
reflect and reimagine
to rediscover
then emerge, myself again
with you

© 29Apr2018 ajjahner

Poetry Month, Blogging, Springtime...

I've really been missing my blogging friends, so this weekend I plan to visit a few of them. Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels like Facebook, Twitter, and such have replaced blogging for many people. For some, it's a financial decision because their blogs were an extension of their online business. For others, it's just a matter of setting different priorities. For me, life has just been busy and complicated, so I don't sit down to write much.

In Idaho, we're finally getting some warmer days. Today is a mix of sunshine, a little rain, and perhaps a thunder storm moving in later. My white tulips just opened up, the red are already gone along with the hyacinths. Each morning there are bird songs to enjoy. One of my favorite sounds is the call of the mourning dove.

Poetry month is coming to a close soon. I feel uninspired today, so here is one I wrote a few years ago. Perhaps it will bring back memories of your childhood. I hope it at least makes you smile.

Taking Flight

My feet push against the earth

Higher, higher

The swing takes me up

To blue sky and then back again

Toes striking the soft, dusty brown earth

Pushing, pushing

Reaching for the sky

Imagination taking flight with the seagulls,

The robins, the wild geese

Grandma calls, “Dinner”

Releasing the chains I fly through

The air for an instant

Then feet connect firmly with the ground and

I go running back to reality and the mundane

© 11JAN2010 ajjahner

Until next time...

Princess of the Corn Fields...

Memories triggered my poem for today. I grew up in the countryside, between farms, in our home on a quarter acre lot. A lot of farm kitties passed through my childhood, my favorite was our old mama cat, Thomasina, a calico. Another favorite is the subject of this little poem.

Orange and unique
Among the greys and the tuxedos
Soft voice, white feet
Gentle, like her calico mother
Farm cats with a touch of sophistication
Little Tiger Lily
Princess of the corn fields


© 16Apr2018 ajjahner

The In-Between

On the Today Show, they were talking about mental disorders like Bi-polar and anxiety. A little while ago, I read a Facebook post by a family member who struggles with depression and how she handles it. I've struggled most of my life with unseen disorders. They sometimes pull you apart until you don't even recognize yourself anymore. While lost in thought, the first line of this poem came. It's an incomplete work in progress, but since it's poetry month, I decided to share it as is...

There is blood coming down the rafters
from places unseen
Pain and confusion. Desolation
and isolation collide and
implode into heartbreaking
shards of doubt and frustration

There is light reflected on the rafters
from the deep
Faith and communion. Affirmation
and illumination collide and
explode into expanded
stars of hope and exaltation

She stands in the in-between
pulled from one to the other
Praying the light will be
bright enough to save her.

© 11Apr2018 ajjahner

Poetry Month Offering...

Image shared by Dawn of The Feathered Nest

I haven't participated in poetry month at all this year, so I looked up an old post and revamped one of my "work in progress" poems.  Here it is:

I hear the ducks sound off loudly

feuding over females or seeds

I hear the mourning doves call

comforting sounds through morning breeze

I hear the chickadee, the robin, the sparrow

voices raised in song, harmonizing with ease

I hear the traffic sounds, cars and trucks

inches from nature, progress speeds

I don't know if this will be the final version, but I like it better than the original, found here:  Working on Poems...

My writing muse seems to be on an extended vacation, and I've become preoccupied with so many other things in my life. When the time is right, I know it will come rushing back. Until then, I'll enjoy putting my focus on different areas of my life.