Finding Peace

"Finding Peace"

Surrounded by chaos

I search for peace.

It cannot come from outside,

but must be found within.

I do the usual—

prayer, laughter,

yoga, breathing

meditation, reiki,

Ayurvedic herbs—

OK, perhaps not all

that usual—and this helps.

But not as much, I find

as a cup of good, well-brewed

tea, taken from a china pot,

sipped from a thin porcelain

cup with saucer, all adorned

with my beloved violets. Sitting

in a quiet room, watching

rain pour down, turning the

tiny creek behind the house

into a rushing stream, while

surrounded by cats and a dog.

There, in the quiet stillness,

gazing on the green lushness of

Spring in the rain, surrounded

by uncomplicated love, enjoying

a perfect cup of tea,

I find peace.

It fills me up, pushing out

the stress, the worry,

the complications that fill

my life.  The depleted tank

of compassion is refilled.

I think of Love, of Art,

of Poetry, and am calm.

Peaceful. Healed. Restored.

Ready to once again face the world,

give of my time, my knowledge,

my love. Making the world better,

more peaceful, more loving,

until once again, it is time

to retreat to my tea, my quiet,

my companions and find peace.

“Carson-Newman College, Summer ‘78”

I have missed over a week thanks to a challenge at work, and even tonight, I cheat. I wrote this for Napowrimo  4 years ago. But today's march for science made me remember this girl.

“Carson-Newman College, Summer ‘78”

Once upon a time, I was a girl who wrote a paper on

“The Effects of Triacontanol on the Total Lipid Content of Wheat Plants.”

Triacontanol, a fatty alcohol, C₃₀H₆₂O.

Once I could even draw a picture of its molecules.

Cutting edge research back then. Something new to help food yields.

National Science Foundation, Summer Science Training Program.

Working in a team, we each took a component: protein, lipids, carbohydrates.

But first we grew the wheat from seed, carefully applying different concentrations.

On the roof of the science building, a greenhouse hot as blazes.

Plants needed nurturing: watered twice a day, fed, measured, protected.

Mice loved to eat the tender green shoots.  Dr. Naylor killed one with a broom.

One hard thwack and no more mouse.  His glee at its death shook me badly.

Then harvested, ground, lipids extracted. The hood fan was off;

I entertained lab mates with half-mast eyes and slurred speech.

Gas chromatography to do the counts.

Preparing the plates for the reading took a day. Palest blue polymer gel.

Who was that girl? Just reading the specs of a chromatograph today

Leaves my eyes glazed.  What happened to her? She loved being in the lab.

Loved using the words that sounded so smart because deep down, she was, too.

But rarely got the chance to show it.

That small Baptist school in a little Tennessee town ironically liberating.

Her first taste of what it was like to be one of many instead of one alone.

That once upon a time girl retreated to the comfort of words.

After a scientific start, majored in English: a 180° turn occasionally regretted.

If honest, more often than occasionally lately. The humanities will kill you.

Today I am a woman who tells students, females especially:

STEM, the only way to go. Science, technology, engineering, math.

If you want a job, remember STEM. I am glad to be that woman.

But where was she when I needed her to remind me

Of the joy of donning a lab coat, goggles and gloves?

Mouse's Song

You don't actually realize how bad my poetry can be. To give you an example, the "song" I "wrote" for Mouse during tonight's car ride. It's better set to music, believe me.

Mousey Dousey
Mousey Dousey
Mamma's good boy
Mamma's good boy-ee-oo

Mousey Dousey
Mousey Dousey
Pretty boy
Pretty boy

Good boy-ee-oo
Pretty boy-ee-ooooo
Ride in the car
Mousey Dousey boy!

State of the World

This isn't saying all I want it to, but I am already behind in my poetry production, so I wanted to get back on track.

Sadly, and happily, a true story.

"State of the World"

This morning, before breakfast,

I learned that gays were being tortured in Chechnya,

poor women are now legally denied preventative health care,

and a doctor in America was performing FGM on 7 year olds.

All this inside my head before I even got out of bed.

But then this morning before breakfast,

I sat on the ground in the warm sun with my dog,

and listened to the birds in the trees all around us;

smelt the new growth as spring starts its yearly arrival,

then gazed on the violets and dandelions dotting the

grass in a riot of contrasting colors.

The world around me is a constant source of grief:

tragedies, injustice, cruelty and stupidity

vying for my attention, clamoring for me to do

something to make things better. At times I think

I can take no more. The insanity has gone too far

and all hope is gone.

But then the earth itself reaches out—

A dog’s love and affection given freely;

Birds careless of human strife.

Renewal, fertility, the cycle never ending.

This is why humans have always celebrated

the arrival of spring—a healing so powerful that it

has been a goddess or the dying god returned.

Has there ever been a time when humans did not

rue the state of the world? Did not know, instinctively,

that both nature and humans are

tragic, unjust, cruel and stupid?

Life is uncertain, so the only sane response

is to love and be loved,

and rejoice in the power of renewal.

A Poem in Honor of New Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch* (SATIRE)

A Poem in Honor of New Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch*

*in imitation of his style

_THE LARK, while she her Gratitude to prove,

Lauds with her sprightly Notes, immortal Jov

Shuts not his Ear against the SPARROWS Lays;

Whose tuneless Pipe can only chirp his Praise.

Thus I, tho' Learned Bards before have strung

Their sounding Lyres, and most divinely Sung,

Fear not the Dictates of my Soul to own;

The less of Art, the more of Love is shown:

Vouchsafe, Great Justice, to hear my humble Muse,

And let my Zeal my Want of Skill excuse.

HAIL! Hero born to rule, and reconcile

The fatal Discords of our American Law!

When round the Continent the Trump of Fame

Did America's Glory in your Right proclaim,

Tyrannick Democrats, as with Thunder scar'd,

Sent up their Prayers impending Fates to ward;

Whilst RUSSIA's LION brav'd his threaten'd Chain,

Rowl'd his Glad Eyes, and stretch'd his Paws again.

BY your fam'd Justice, and your prudent Sway,

WOMEN shall be taught to Love, or to Obey.

WELCOME great Guardian of our American Law;

Receive the Court rescu'd by thy Hand.

A wicked Race of Men, for private Ends,

Had rais'd her baffled Foes, and sunk her Friends,

Dispers'd her Strength, and Republicans betray'd:

When Heav'n, in Pity to those suppliant Few,

Who own'd its Power, and kept their Vows to YOU,

Came to our Aid, revers'd our low'ring Fate,

And by thy destin'd ARM retriev'd the State.

Finis

OK, so this entire poem is plagiarized with a few changes of country and so on, from Susanna Centlivre’s poem “A POEM. Humbly Presented to His most Sacred Majesty” written for George I in 1714.

Not that I’m making a political statement. Nope.

I’m just too lazy to write my own poem today. And the overblown style of this one just matches my feelings so well. And it has the word Trump in it, already capitalized. I mean, kismet.

Wait, plagiarism is wrong? Who knew?

“Ah, Bartelby! Ah, humanity!”

“Ah, Bartelby! Ah, humanity!”

“I would prefer not to,” said Bartelby,

much to the despair of the Lawyer.

But I can tell you, those are some of

the best words in literature.

I would prefer not to much of the time.

Prefer not to be underemployed

Prefer not to grade papers

(I love to read them, but not grade.)

Prefer not to care about the state of politics.

Prefer not to be responsible.

Prefer not to smile in the face of stupidity.

But there are things I would prefer to do.

Prefer to sleep until I wake naturally.

Prefer to snuggle with my cats and read.

Prefer to sit in the sun with my dog.

Prefer to write not just in snatched moments.

Prefer ease and leisure and peace.

But that is not the lot of the common woman,

or man, either, to be strictly fair.

So instead, we prefer not to, but only in our hearts.

And unlike Bartleby, we do, do it all, every day

Because not all of us can turn our

faces to the wall and die.

For that way, madness lies.

Backyard Nemesis

I just couldn't write something sad or political today. I actually didn't think I'd be able to write anything but I managed to get some words down on paper. That's a win in my book.

"Backyard Nemesis"

Long and sinewy,

winding through underbrush,
hiding, subtle,
catching the unwary
unaware.
 

Grabbing, tearing

clothing or skin
Indiscriminately.
War wounds of
Backyard adventure.

But these aren’t weapons,

But guardians of the precious:
blackberries, roses, firethorn,
bougainvillea, raspberries,
and more.

Is it truly summer without

a run in with a stately or
sneaky or surprising
pricker bush?
Spilling blood, giving to the soil.