time – Treat Yourself to a Journaling Adventure

earth friendly, journal prompts, time, Writing for healing

Soul Scenery

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Susan Rowland

Every day the images return

to strengthen a faltering resolve.

Maybe it was the scent of woods or faint hint of ocean droplets

over the ridges,

beyond pines and redwoods…

nothing is the same.

As I grasp for some semblance of hope,

any kind of resolution, for a song, a feeling,

I pick up your memory, falling into your arms

and begin again.

You were the only one who understood.

Discussion: For me, nature is the same as having a steadfast friend. I am never bored with landscapes. Each tree, each sunset, every bend in a country road or building in a neighborhood becomes part of life. I feel landscape is a part of my soul.

Journal prompt: Write a poem to your favorite landscape. Does it make you excited and wanting to dance? Peaceful, stormy, angry, powerful? What emotions would you attach to your favorite landscapes? Add photos, drawings, or collage to your journal entry.

animals, poetry, time, Writing for healing

Let Happiness Return

Posted on August 9, 2014August 9, 2014 by Susan Rowland

Journal entry from 1979

Journal entry August 8, 2014, 8:01 pm

In the long quiet heat

the pinto pony stands in his postage stamp corral at the end of the road

near the mailboxes.

Some new people have moved in.

I feel so sorry

that such a lovely animal is trapped in a small space. I wonder

who rides him

if ever?

There is no room for him to run, no space for kicking up heels.

So perfect, so lovely, and so alone.

He waits each day for fresh hay and when I go by the house I never see people around.

Where are the children who run out to greet such a beautiful creature?

I call it pet slavery.

Maybe I am wrong.

Just maybe,

I am wrong.

Journal prompt: Go through your past journals and pick something that you’ve written that you like. Then write about what is going on in your life right now. Take a ‘snapshot’ of one feeling, one incident, and write a poem or a few brief paragraphs about it.

earth friendly, inspirational, journaling, stream of consciousness writing, time

Quiet Times and Grandfather’s Monsoon Song

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Susan Rowland

In times of quiet
the low hum of air conditioning units on tiled roofs and bungalows becomes an invitation before the morning call of dawn bird.
The spirits are free to come down from the woods out of the Great Mountain. Softly they might appear on the deep desert floor.
You might just catch a glimpse of a winged one
when time stops.
A bounding shape-shifter leaps into the long evening.
Mesquites guard a shadowy panorama-what was that?
Songs of the ancient ones.

Hush my child, your guardian is ever near

in the glistening mid-day sun and underneath your eyelids at midnight.

Reach out with your fingers, I am here.

My shoulders are strong and you may rest your head between them

as you are still young-no bullies live in our neighborhood

where mixed skin tones and gathering souls honor the four directions, the four colors.

I am telling stories before you dream.

There now, you are safe.

You are a reverie

born to the peaceful ones.

blog challenge, celebrations, current events, Gratitude, inspirational, memoir, stream of consciousness writing, time

Antique Browsing for Modern Dummies

Posted on June 12, 2014June 12, 2014 by Susan Rowland

Hello readers. If I haven’t responded to each of one of you, it’s because I’m not organized. Forgive me! I’m not ignoring you-it’s really a case of AES, aka eyes, aka aging eye syndrome.

I want to say thank you for being there and, to my FB family, I’m overwhelmed by all your kind birthday wishes. It’s not my habit to make a big deal of the birthday thing, but this year I am going to enjoy it by talking about “it.” One of my indigenous teachers reminded us years ago to thank our mothers and fathers on birthdays. Sounds good to me. Any chance to be festive is fine and dandy. Speaking of dandy, a term nobody uses much anymore, here is the blog challenge.

Antique antics. What’s the oldest thing you won-toys, clothing, Twinkies, Grecian urns. Anything’s fair game. Recount its history from the object’s point of view.

A sense of what is current
I give you stories and knowledge,
the ads are fresh for this season-it’s nothing new-
topics listed-summer styles to better digestion,
food prices, tools for the handyman, salves, potions, ointments,
spices and flavors, garden seeds, dates for events.
I give you
articles on weddings, cures for baldness,
calming hysteria for women, easing tension, games for children,
conversations on building self-confidence, catering and career.
Mysteries, muscles, chocolate truffles,
I am the latest magazine now faded into gingery paper
selling you thrills and ideas, bidding, counting, recruiting…
it’s current where I live in 1890.