Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Green Lake


(I wrote this poem because I've been told that writing poetry helps you become an overall better writer. I entered it into a library city poetry competition so that I would have a deadline to finish a poem. It is so cliche, it's a little hard for me to read and a lot hard for me to publish. But it's a record of my writing and my family, so it goes on the blog. Also, it won a place on an interactive city poetry map and I will link to it here if the map ever goes online).


Winter dusk, like a cloud of lead hits
My boys, their chestnut eyes and moppy-heads  
dressed in various layers of flannel and fleece

One son walks with me, hand in hand
The other trails, beating his own drum

One child recounts his day to my ear in low, intimate tones
The other, voiceless, kicks up rocks on the trail, avoiding dogs like ghosts

We pass runners of olympiad stealth and grace
Rickety, reminiscing elderly couples clasp hands, while
a snowy pelican looks into the eye of the lake from its bare-limbed perch

The abandoned swimming area begs for warm summer days
And the public library stands matronly from afar
A lone kayak strays in the water, a dot on a sheet of blue

All have come to the water's edge to seek its effulgent refuge

Monday, May 15, 2017

Wanderlust

There was a period of time after we moved back to the PNW when I was happy to stay put. I wanted to plop myself down in the trees and just be.

Perhaps it was because of our crazy drive back from DC to Portland. I've experienced fits of anxiety since that period of time that I think might have been triggered by the stress of that move. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that before last month, I hadn't left the West Coast since our move.

But now, the anxiety has mostly subsided. My boys are older. Ed and I are only getting older. And my old and familiar wanderlust ways seem to be making a comeback. I never want to be home. Working from home each day is a monumental struggle.

We spent Spring Break in Southern Utah, exploring the national parks. It was a great week for our little family! So much sunshine and red rock! We visited Zion, Bryce and Arches. We hiked 10-12 miles a day when we were in the parks. We spent a day on the Colorado River white water rafting. There were a few challenges with NoĆ©. Keeping him fed is always our biggest issue. He often goes on a hunger strike when we are traveling.  We were up early every morning, which isn't his favorite thing. He ran into the residence of our AirBnB in Provo and drank water off of someone else's table at a restaurant near Zion. But for the most part he did really well, and we wonder if we might be up for something more daring next vacation. Maybe something that requires passports.

In the meantime, I'm trying to take what I can get. I'm on a train right now from Seattle to Portland. Not my first time, but it is a scenic trip. I'm only going to stay with my mom for Mother's Day weekend, but at least I'll be out of my house. I plan to spend some time with her, do some reading and writing, and sneak in some exercise. If Kelli and I can talk her into a drive to the coast on a rainy Saturday, we'll do that for the day. Wanderlust Lite for the busy momma with a job and a side business and two kids and a calendar full of speech therapy and Ultimate Frisbee games. It's okay, there's always a time and season. I'll keep looking for fun opportunities that satisfy the 'lust just a bit.