Oh, Theatre! Thou art my true, lasting love
You’ve stood beside me, steadfast, all these years
Methinks that thou were sent from hea’en above
To grant me laughter and some humble tears.
Expression is something we humans need
To find our truth and look it in the eye
Good theatre happens then, I feel, indeed.
It’s not just “who, what, where” or “how” but “why”
For when I saw thee, it was not enough.
I had to have experience with thee
You’re not the stage, the lights, or other “stuff”
You’re the connection betwixt them and me.
A good relationship is give and take
And ours has both. I thank thee, for art’s sake.
A Sonnet for My Love
7 03 2012
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Tags: art, love, poetry, sonnets, theatre, words
Categories : Uncategorized
Did you read your label?
28 01 2012YOUR LIFE 
Special Care Instructions
The life you have is unique. Because it is made of organic materials, natural variations in color may occur. Any irregularities are not to be seen as defective. Imperfections only increase your life’s natural beauty and individuality. Please handle with care. Turn life inside out before assuming you know everything. Tumble high and low. Do not use chlorine bleach. Do not dry clean.
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Tags: care instructions, life, life is good, poetry, words
Categories : thoughts
Judgement in Every Drop
27 01 2012So, anyone who’s been reading my recent posts on this site knows that I’ve been sick this week. Really sick. I thought that I’ve had a really bad cold, but now that I’m starting to finally feel better, I’m ready to admit that I most likely had the flu. Ugh. It knocked me out. I’ve been the kind of sick that when I stand up, I realize that was maybe a mistake and I should just go lay back down. I’m way better now, of course…but still feelin’ it.
I’m a huge fan of Ricola lozenges. They are awesome. But because of my congestion, I also got some Halls. Halls are like my old standby. They are comforting. That’s what my parents used when I was growing up. Ricola was something I found later–my coming of age cough drop.
Halls has done something new with their packaging. Have any of you seen it? On the outside of every drop’s wrapper, they have little sayings–”A Pep Talk In Every Drop!” they’re calling it. Here are some of the phrases I’ve seen:
Go get it!
Dust off and get up.
Get back in there.
Flex your “can do” muscle.
Impress yourself today.
Buckle down and push forth!
Now, I don’t know about you, dear reader. But when I am the kind of sick where I can’t breathe through my nose, I’m headachey, and it’s exhausting just to make myself a bowl of oatmeal, I don’t want some pushy cough drop wrapper telling me to “push forth!’ Screw you, cough drop wrapper! How can you come off all high and mighty?! You don’t know how I feel! Stop tellin’ me that all I need to do is just “get back in there!’ Geez. The nerve. Maybe my “can do” muscle needs a rest. Did you ever stop to think about that?! No? I didn’t think so.
Maybe you should reconsider your campaign, Halls. And I’ll help you. (Contact me via the email address on this website to find out where you can send my check.) Here are the types of things that should be written on cough drop packages:
Be easy on yourself.
Don’t feel well? Stay home and watch a movie!
Take a break.
You look really cute under that blanket.
Close your eyes and relax.
Embrace your bed!
See, Halls? It’s not that difficult. Less judgement, more validation. That’s what we all want–especially when we’re not feeling well.
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Tags: being sick, cold medicine, cough drops, encouragement, halls, healing, judgement, ricola, words
Categories : thoughts
bad with names
21 11 2011Oh! I know her.
what’s-her-name
What’s her name?
starts with an ‘S’
no….
…has an “s” sound in it
Somewhere.
What is her name?
If she smiled more, she could be a Bridget.
Oh, is she one-of-those ends-in-a-”y” people?
I can’t stand those people. (except for the people I love whose names happen to end in why)
Because I know Amy’s and Emily’s and other-y’s that are great–but it’s because they always had ease. They didn’t add the “eeeeeee’s” on later to cuten themselves up.
Dangit. What IS her name?
Oh! Aaaaaaah…
Lots of vowels. I think it’s a vowel-ish name.
Alanah or Layla or Laila or….
no…..
too many l’s
Man, what is her NAME?! It’s right on the tip of my tongue. I know it. I know I’d know it if I heard it. It’s driving me crazy! If I could just think of…..
Oh! I know him….
what’s-his-name
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Tags: names, poetry, thoughts inside my head, words
Categories : thoughts
Sometimes…
11 11 2011Sometimes, I think I take myself too literally.
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Tags: self quotes, words
Categories : thoughts
Vacation Day
13 09 2011wind chimes, morning times
and
just enough sun, gentle almost-fall sun 
so
I did and didn’t do things. I did some things I shoulda and somethings I shouldn’t uh
but
the only thing worth mentioning… ah…
is
over the sand, past the green, on the stones, near the waves, under the sky
ah
or, actually:
Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh (not the screaming aaaahhhh but the post-massage aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh)
sublime
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Tags: chicago, lake, life, life is good, nature, poetry, words
Categories : thoughts
not a poem
7 07 2011This is not a poem.
But it has words.
The kind that are efficient in their sitting, pencil shading on the side in the 75% post-consumer recycled content sketchbook. Graphite words that I smudged with my hands–the smudges of honor still visible when I ordered tea at that place down the street with the quiet, lonely strangers plugged into the walls. I didn’t wash my hands ’cause I was hoping someone would notice that I am an artist. I’m not an artist. I am. But not that-kind-of-artist. They noticed (that I am messy).
I am not a poet.
but I love words.
The kind of words that can cascade out of your mouth like that waterfall in the mountain stream where I went hiking all alone because I am so independent and love nature and needed to think (or to not think) and oh yeah, also I’m not really seeing anyone (but wouldn’t that be a great place to take him once I am?). Refreshingly satisfying words–saying ‘em is like takin’ that last bite of chocolate cake. It takes up every part of your mouth and each syllable has a different taste.
So this may not be what it’s called.
But it is what it is.
Which is possibly your projection of what you’ve always wanted it to be–that singular moment when you read a phrase and everything lines up for you. All the answers are there like in an old classroom when you’re young and writing the answers on your paper (properly spaced) with the smell of chalk and pencil erasers and that sawdust they use to cover up the throw-up from that one kid who you don’t know very well ’cause you don’t understand him (but you don’t understand yourself either and first things first, right?). You look down at your paper and are nervous that you don’t know the answer, but then you look up and realize that the teacher has posted it on the bulletin board opposite the windows–it was there all along. It’s always been there–all you had to do was look around.
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Tags: poetry, words
Categories : thoughts
