Thursday, December 29, 2011

Response to "Gravity"

I'm so excited! 

I wrote on a Psychology Today web article comment thread that was discussing grief and humor.  Read the article here.  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-grief/201107/twinkle-mirth-in-mourning  I shared my "Gravity" poem with author Cheryl Eckl, author of "A Beautiful Death: Facing the Future with Peace" and here is a link to my original poem and her comments:

http://braincloudmusings.blogspot.com/2011/07/gravity.html
(Background info - I lost my husband in April 2008 suddenly.  I am an engineer and new to poetry to help me process grief, but never considered myself any good at writing.  I was mentioning to her that maybe I should journal too.)

Your poem is exquisite.

"Her left hand weighs heavy with absent gold rings..."

So very powerful. I still look at my left hand or feel the absence of the gold ring I finally realized had to go...  I am convinced that the natural impetus to grieve and the natural urge to create are sister emotions that carry us through to whatever new normal eventually emerges from the process. For me, writing has been and remains my life-line.

You inspire me to become more poetic. I've needed to journal to gain more clarity. The engineers I know are very clear people already. To me, your poetry reflects a beautiful depth.

There are no "shoulds" in grief or creativity. Follow your heart in whatever mode it chooses at the moment. The key, as I have come to understand it, is to continue in the flow of expression because it is in that ongoing movement that we find healing.

Christmas morning

Java dreams wake me
Sparkly lights, mountains of gifts
Spell Christmas morning!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Corvallis

Grey skies misting down
On green mossy branches and
Kin forlorn and blue