Category: Just Jot it Jan

Storm Broken

Peter from Australia in Meeting the Bar: Critique and Craft urges us “come on poets, join me at the beginning. Let’s find that best first line:

  • see if you can hook yourself a new reader with upfront vivid images and unusual word use

Storm Broken

The storm left me broken
as it swept through my life
like August thunder leaving only
the discordant buzz of cicadas
the whine of a distant trimmer
the static discharge of lightning
that singes my lungs and eyes
tears fall as I await the rain
but none comes
to quench the shattered spirit
only the distant roll of thunder
as the storm moves on
leaving me dry and broken

Linked to JusJoJan # 28 Storm

Til next time ~stay trippy hippies ~JP

The Alchemy of Acceptance

I find that when I accept my circumstances, feelings, pains, health, finances as they are right now, a subtle alchemy of spirit occurs. I stop fighting and start seeing all the blessings I do have, my vibration changes, I relax, and I once again tap into the positive energy of the universe.
Then, my T-Rex eats your sparkly vampire.

For JusJoJan and One Liner Wednesday – Vampires

Til next time ~stay trippy hippies ~JP

Against the Storm – a quadrille

clouds gather in Wyoming

For dVerse Poets Pub quadrille 119

Against the Storm

Windows tight against the storm
curtains straight, nothing flutters
it is the way of storms to blow
wind pounding against shutters
leaves to fall and scatter
winds of change wash over me
as raindrops fall and splatter
cleansing my spirit my soul set free

Linked to JusJoJan # 26 “shutter”

Til next time ~stay trippy hippies ~JP

Sunday Stills – Storm Cloud Blessings

For Sunday Stills — Fog and Clouds

and JusJoJan – Specs

Storm Cloud Blessings

Winds from the north,
fog blowing in
changes are coming,
it’s about to begin
Winter blows in
with his terrible might
the sky up above me
is soon blocked from sight
specs of light from behind
now the clouds sweep away
rainbow breaking through
blessing me on this day

Nephology weirdness out my back door. Some of the cloud patterns we have here in South Dakota defy identification.

Mountains peeking out from an ethereal layer of fog and cloud taken from the beach in Kaikoura, NZ

And of course no discussion of fog and clouds should overlook the bizarre manifestation that is frozen fog. A couple of bushes up the street covered in fog crystals

closeup of frozen fog phenomenon

And no compilation of clouds would be complete without a flamboyant sunset (or sunrise). This was taken out my front door a few weeks ago

“It’s clouds’ illusions I recall, I really don’t know clouds, at all”
— Joni Mitchell – (saw that coming didn’t you?)

Til next time ~Stay trippy hippies ~JP

Spoonie Retirement – Life, love and immunity in the time of Covid – part 2

For our JusJoJan and SoCS prompt: Your prompt for #JusJoJan and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “close eyes and point.” When you’re ready to write your post, open a book, a newspaper, or whatever is handy and close your eyes and point. Whatever word or picture your finger lands on, make that the basis of your SoCS/JusJoJan post. Enjoy! “Advantages”

One of the advantages of retirement is the extra time you have to invest in those projects you’ve been putting off. Of course, that’s also the greatest disadvantage of spoonie retirement, all that time stretching out before you, time to study subjects long ago forsaken in the name of “making a living.” Time to tackle the lifestyle changes and projects you have planned to do for years but hadn’t the time. And, naturally it also gives you lots of time to lament that spoonie reality of now having time but lacking energy, strength and resources to perform those studies, projects, and lifestyle changes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining (well maybe a little *sniffle, sniffle*) I’m happy with my lot in life, although not particularly energetic.

I took some time measurements this week and found out that it takes me every bit of 1.25 hours every morning just to deal with basic medical treatments of a variety of the manifestations of my disease(s), all of which are repeated again at the end of the day. So that’s 2.5 hours out of my day right there. Needless to say anything that can save me a few steps (or a few bucks) or increase my energy level even a bit, I’m game for a try.

Last week I mixed up a batch of immunity tea blend and this week I brewed up a pot, added a touch of manuka honey and used it for an immunity boosting tonic. I cannot really say as to the effectiveness of it but I haven’t gotten sick but I do seem to be recovering from multiple minor injuries better than I expected and hey it tastes good, has no known side effects what’s not to like right? I say bring back the hippy dippy teas of my childhood! Now for those of you who lack the energy or resources to make your own tea blend, there are lots of immunity boosting teas on the market. I don’t generally use them because many include echinacea which I don’t use (autoimmune diseases …. duh). Whether using this blend or a store purchased one, always make sure there are no contraindicated ingredients based on your particular spoonieness. With that said, here is Farren’s “Immunity Tisane” recipe. Yes … Farren is a dear and yes it’s a tisane since it doesn’t actually contain leaves of the Camellia Sinensis (tea plant).

Farren’s Magic Immunity Tisane

1/4 Cup dried hibiscus flower
1/4 Cup dried elderberries
1/4 Cup rose hips (I buy whole and crush them with the flat of a knife)
1/4 Cup dried apple bits (very small)
2 Tablespoons finely chopped crystalized ginger (is what I had on hand but unsweetened dried will work fine)
2 Tablespoons dried orange peel
2 Tablespoons dried cornflowers

Place all ingredients in a 2 Cup glass jar (I use a wide mouth canning jar), replace the lid and shake until ingredients are well disbursed.

To brew: use 1 Tablespoon of tea per 12-16 oz boiling water, steep for about 5 minutes. Use more or less tea, and/or add sweetener to taste.

Til next time ~Stay trippy hippies ~JP

JusJoJan – A Little Limpy

Post Knee Surgery – 42 external sutures

For JusJoJan #22 – limp

Limpy

I was, back then, rather limpy,
friends just called me “gimpy”
I kept on hiking all the same
til I could no longer bear the pain
these days I look forward to
all the hikes and trails yet to come
all the things that I’ve longed to do
now that I have knees made of titanium

til next time ~stay trippy hippies ~JP