Closing Out The Journal

A new year has begun, and so I must here report the last bits from last year's journal.
Not a whole lot of poetry, actually, just short observances.

12/28/16

Travel on,
Fair Princess
You have the guts
And the humor
And the intelligence
To win over the very stars
In the heavens.

Your lady mother follows -
She died of a broken heart
We who remain will not
Forget your gift of laughter
Or her gift of song.
Thank you both for the memories
And the upbeat melodies
To help us along the way.
Hope to see you again
One day.

12/31/2016

I am being haunted
By Leonard Cohen
I don't know why
But So Long, Marianne
Will NOT stop playing
In my head.

To appease the gentle spirit,
I have ordered a book
Of his poetry
And his song lyrics
To be the basis
For my writing study
In the year ahead.

Why are you haunting me,
Leonard Cohen?
What does my suburban, mundane
Library lady life have to do with you?
Is it because I've been known
To dabble in poetry, too?

But why So Long, Marianne?
Why that one?
Why not Anthem?
Or I'm Your Man?
Or Hallelujah, even?
Why So Long Marianne?

Is it because we're saying so long
To this annus horribilis
When we had to say so long
To you,
And so MANY, MANY others?
Is it because we lost
Our princess, and her mother,
Who died of a broken heart?

We've had to say a lot of
So longs this year.
My Mom, you, David Bowie,
Our national dignity,
So much loss.
Please sing a song for our
Princess and her lady mother,
And remember those of us
Left with this world of struggle
If you really want to hang around,
I don't mind
I could use a little help
Now and then
With my Muse.

Our lives these days
Are full of anxieties
Not just the time honored worries
Like am I too fat?
Or will I have enough to retire on?
Or such as that,
But
Will anyone see my witty post?
Will anyone respond?
Am I important
To anyone
In that vast digital pond?
Sometimes
Feedback is good-
But just being able
To say hello to the whole world
Is pretty cool-
Even if they don't hear you.

Another year
Just about gone
Day after day
Time moves along
Dragging us nearer
To the end
With a laugh, a song,
A tear
And fences to mend
More hugs given
To old friends and new
Have I remembered
To tell them
How much I cherish then?
Cheering each other's successes,
Helping bear the losses-
Friends are necessary
As life's waves toss us
Here's hoping
The New Year
Brings more joy than pain
More love than hate
More compassion
Less fear
We are all on this rock
Together
No matter what we believe
Or how we look,
When you get down to brass tacks
All any of us has
In this immense universe
Is just all the rest of humanity.
Good or bad,
Light or dark,
We belong to each other
And we succeed,
Or we fail
Together.
We had best remember that
Especially
When the rich and cynical
Seek to divide us.
We cannot escape
Each other
And we need each other
To survive.

I kissed this sad year goodbye
With one last drink
A nice, refreshing cocktail
One I learned to mix this year.
I lift my glass to those who have left us
And pray they are at peace.
I lift my glass to all of you still here with me,
And I pray we are granted peace
And joy
And light
And love
Always love
The can't take that away.
Love is stronger than death.
Love lives forever.

Be well and filled with light in this new year, my dear readers.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this blog.
May you know every good blessing in the year ahead.

Trying To Hear The Muse Through All The Noise

It's been one hell of a week.  I will be honest, I am disappointed with the election results, and disappointed in the stories of racially motivated violence I have seen.  We should be better than this, America.  Remember the Golden Rule.  It applies to EVERYBODY.  Don't be hateful, and don't stand by and let someone who is vulnerable be intimidated or possibly injured.  Be the real American, be kind, stand up against injustice, and remember that everybody is your neighbor, and you may need their help one day.
On top of all that goodness, Leonard Cohen died.  I know, he was 82, and by all reports, ready to go.  Still.  He was a poet and singer/songwriter of immense talent.  Not always the most pleasing voice, but an important one.  His words are often wafting through my brain.

11/9/16
By C.K.Armistead

And through this land of sorrows I stumble,
Lost, cowed, and humble
Wondering where to turn in my trouble
For God seems so far away
And it is dark
Though it is day.
And added to this grief I bore
Was the news that the troubadour
 Is no more.
And though the night seems endless long
I find myself surrounded by his song.
Its melody rises over the din
And through the cracks in my broken heart,
It lets the light of hope shine in.


Good night, Mr. Cohen. May light eternal shine upon you.




11/14/16

I weep not for you who have gone from this life,
I weep for those of us left behind
To try to make sense of a world without you in it.
So much loss.
So much pain.
So many cracks
In this broken heart.



On the upside,
The weather has finally begun to cool,
 The days are crisp
And the skies are blue
But not many leaves have turned
For all that they are starting to fall.

And my own music has worked out better than I thought it would.
My voice, though a bit strained, worked well.
Recital was successful.

Life must go on
We must be aware, though
Of those among us who feel
Vulnerable and as though
They are hated.
We must never let a few hotheads
Define all of us.
We must stand for justice
And mercy
For kindness
And inclusion.
Because there is enough in this land
To go around.
 If we work together
If we share
There's enough for all of us
And there is more than enough love
If we allow ourselves to feel it
Love is the only thing that multiplies
The more you spread it around.
So please, my fellow Americans,
Remember love.


That's about all I got right now.