She carries pain In a designer handbag Minds are left bound in a trap I hated the hatred I felt one night Deceived by superficial beauty Beauty of Cynthia
She cuts through guts To her, we’re hers She dines on Our vulnerable meat
What a surprise
Under porcelain skin hides
A foul and gluttonous sin Sin of Cynthia
In a pricey restaurant
Red wine dripped down Seductive, blood red lips With the wipe of a napkin She stood up in black heels
She flew off and she grew Smaller and smaller
There was no trace left Left of Cynthia
The curse of the witch Left my trembling hands with a wish: To stab evil with my dinner knife But, I’m not like her
She’ll sleep tight—she is free To wake up and hunt prey so naive Check paid, I went home
Trying to forget the night
Night of Cynthia
Earlier this week, I found myself drifting off in space. Just another one of those sudden occasions when I don’t purposely zone out but, rather, catch myself after the fact and wonder precisely how long I was away. Suffice it to say, I was not in the tiny town in which I currently reside during my respite.
Handsome buildings stand tall, lining either side of the streets, in many of my favorite cities. When I came back down to earth, I so yearned for my shoes to be frolicking down the sidewalk in one of these magical places, rather than resting on the dull carpet under my desk. The eye-catching sides of the buildings were calling my name. Louder so than usual.
I started feeling uncomfortable and wondered how I could shake the feeling. So, I started Google searching (a common habit of mine) ways to stop missing a person, place, or thing. One of the suggestions I found was to not try to squash the feelings and to simply let them stay a while. Playing a certain song or finding the perfect station on Pandora, associated with the memories, was recommended. I took the advice.
An idea shot in my brain — I can use Google Maps to look up a place where I would like to be and then zoom around from there. Like walking! I went to three locations in my cities. I so enjoyed meandering about, albeit digitally. Although the smells, sounds, and tastes were absent, I had the images right there in front of me. Just a click of the mouse and I was happier.
The experience felt nice and helped me to be more in-the-moment. The walls of my room didn’t seem as painfully unlike the impressive buildings with the beautiful sides. A sadness lifted a bit. Although I can never be in more than one place at a time, there is comfort in knowing I can type in an address and at least see the places I am missing. Virtual bliss.
Finished circling the drain He released all his pain To the ground he’d been seeking To be horizontal By the creek
The flowing of the water Tickled his pointer finger Thinking I am not a salamander It’s no wonder I’m not squirming Gonna listen to the sound— I was here and laughing Running, flying by Just like time
A strike of lightning In a darkened sky Sudden falling of rain He found no need for rushing At the moment Regardless of weather Here was the best place
He could ever be
A beetle scurried up His bare foot—makeshift bridge Sought the imminent safety Of the bottom of a rock
Quite a scene to be seen There spread out
Upon the ground Soaking wet, simply loving The reflections on the stream Head rested upon his shoulder He lay there By the creek
So many dreams Held so very tight Headed to the future Floatingtoward light But one day, He looked down A bowl now empty Wondering where to go Thanking God He still had feet Hold still for the photo Smile big— They all said Peeking around each corner Listening to every sound Tasting all the moments Waiting Painfully waiting For a new dream To be found
Recently, my Grandma gave me an envelope full of postcards from the early 1900’s. Most of them are from her side of the family. The photo above is a spread of them. The penmanship, images, and every crease or rip are just so exciting to me. I love moments from the past and a postcard is a beautiful piece of mail from a person saying, “Hey, I’m somewhere on this planet — thinking of YOU.” Kind of a lost art. But, I have to say, these are a stunning argument to bring it back.
Below is my absolute favorite of the bunch. I had so many feelings when I held this particular one. The man walking away is such a powerful image and I stared at it for quite some time. I believe these postcards carry messages worth keeping.
Without the darkness Would we ever see light? How can we love day Without loving the night? Good guys and bad guys— The wrong versus right— Visions only lucid With linear eyesight
The air outside my office has been filled with the smell of Jasmine
To conclude my retrospect of the vacation Liz, Jon, and I undertook, here are some pieces of my Amsterdam experience. I quickly realized there are fewer photos from which to choose and gave it some thought.
We spent the most time in Amsterdam! I was very surprised. But, the truth is, I really had the most fun there. Not only did we stay in our friends’ super posh apartment, but we were so busy laughing, biking, eating, and drinking most of the time. I planned on doing some writing and certainly on whipping out the ol’ camera way more than I did.
But maybe, just maybe, when and where we are least likely to document our experiences is where the best moments live. Anyway, I am going to use that as my excuse for not having more photos.
Below are a selection of our experience in Amsterdam— A place to truly be.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam-Noord; A random shot taken on our bike ride. So very sexy.A creature from Oosterpark who was totally determined to pose for the camera. Work it, buddy!
To continue my sharing of our adventures in Europe earlier this month, I am sharing some of my photos from Berlin, Germany. Carrie and Leo, two of my amazing friends, and their baby live there. Carrie is a South Georgia native who moved there a few years after college. I have always been in awe of her decision.
Berlin is a great place to walk around and enjoy the sights. Liz, Jon, and I were told we brought the wonderful weather in our luggage. You could see the look of gratitude on the faces of the locals as the sun beamed down.
RAW-Gelände, a former train repair yard. Now, a playground of art, bars, and cultureEast Side GalleryRiver Spree
The final photo is what I discovered when I looked over the railing at a beer garden called Café am Engelbecken regulars. I am a huge fan of turtles and I was very happy. As I said, the weather was marvelous. I actually recall having one of those moments where you just sorta tilt your head back and wish there were more moments in life like these.
As promised, here are just a few of my photos I took during our trip to Paris. The past week has been one filled with such a desire to go back.
View of Porte Saint-Denis from our Air Bnb window in the 10th arrondissemontThe most wonderful view of Paris, from Sacré-Cœur, located in the neighborhood of MontmartreSacré-CœurView of the Seine River
ZACDAQ 