Monday Morning Musings:
Brilliant and Broken
Do the stars remember their songs
before they vanish into black?
Perhaps, not voiceless, they are infusions
pulsing light
through a dark heart,
a broken heart—again–
scabs picked from patched veins
the once aberrant and taboo ooze–
but we detach, too tired
to clear clouded eyes.
Instead, we strew hope and prayers
like seeds cast into a field
without thought or preparation,
waiting for flowers to bloom,
and turn their heads to the sun.
I think of stone soup—each adding. . .something,
some celery perhaps?
Would it satisfy? Hinder the hate?
Like Mother Trees, could we connect, share
and nourish?
Fresh Summer Produce–Cooking, Trying to Heal
But there’s another storm,
the caliginous sky, a rolling dark sea encroaches,
a fast and furious tide, a flash,
and gone—a recess for
the scent of petrichor and honeysuckle to play,
throwing a blanket over me, filling my senses, and
I hold the moment close,
perfect seconds pass—loved ones, sunshine,
wine, and cats, the pre-dawn choir–
Was that gunshot? A shiver down my spine.
Yet I celebrate the brilliant blush,
the wild blue, the bird-voiced morning,
and if I embrace the ghosts
the laugh that travels
through an unopened window—
reflections on the glass, I know
the future does not skirt the past.
I generated a random word list yesterday, and I used some of the words in my musings today. I also used a couple stanzas that I cut from my Oracle poem on Saturday.
We had our second booster shots on Tuesday. Tuesday night I couldn’t sleep, and all-day Wednesday I felt tired, but not sleepy—just heavy and off. It suddenly lifted Wednesday night. We had severe weather alerts on Thursday, but we managed to get in a little bit over an hour at the first Vino and Vibes of the summer at William Heritage Winery. Saturday and Sunday were simply gorgeous, perfect days, as far as the weather. There was another mass shooting. This time in Philadelphia, on South Street, an area full of people enjoying a beautiful Saturday night. I know the area. But on Sunday, we went into the city to see a play at the Wilma Theater, Fairview. It’s a play that’s difficult to describe. It begins like a sitcom and turns into something else. As the director, James Ijames writes, it is “ a sitcom that trips on a wrinkle in the rug and tumbles into the uncanny, the sublime, and the truth. .. Jackie’s play asks us all to imagine together what it means to choose a different path. To practice empathy.”
We walked through Philadelphia’s Pride Celebration, and at Tria, we got great seats for a drum show.
Just before 4 AM today I heard something—it sounded like gunshots. I didn’t imagine it because the sound woke my cat, too. (Not my husband.) People set off fire crackers, but at that time?
Merril’s TV Club: We watched the new season of Undone. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed the first season. Time travel, mental illness—it’s totally unique. We started the new season of the Danish series Borgen, an excellent political drama. This is a return to the series after many years. The first woman prime minister is now the foreign secretary, and the plot concerns the discovery of huge amounts of oil in Greenland. Greenland is still under Danish control, so there is a conflict over climate and environmental concerns and the autonomy and prosperity of the people in Greenland.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Your musings are like a loosely formed cadralor, with the thoughts all coming together at the end. Not surprisingly, there are some very strange similarities in our poems, the sense of disquiet (a gunshot or the river roaring?), seeds/trees, but more surprisingly Mother/soup.
Thank you. Yes, that’s how I thought of it, a loosely formed cadralor. I’m glad you thought it came together at the end. It was a challenge. 😊
I’m off to read yours now–intrigued!
It reads more like a poem than your musings usually do. They’re more like a prose poem, a flow of words to describe chronological events. This is more profound, but not in a pretension was. The thoughts seem to have more layers.
Thank you!
That’s interesting.
The first stanza is from the Oracle–except she anticipated infusion in the random word set. Everything’s connected. 😊
Your days are so full, and you illustrate them beautifully in images and words. I love especially the robin. They often stop to catch my eye.
I’m keeping the wordlist in mind for something this week.
I live on the same block as a police precinct now, so my streets are pretty quiet. But I remember the sound of gunshots in the middle of the night, especially 30 years ago. (K)
Thank you so much, Kerfe. That’s a lovely comment.
It was so weird. I still don’t know what I heard. We live in a generally quiet neighborhood. People do shoot off firecrackers, but not at 4 AM. All I could think was that it was one of the crazy MAGA folk. . .
People with guns like to shoot them.
That’s true, unfortunately.
beautifully strung Merril and that food.. so yummy!!💖
Thank you so much, Cindy!
Summer produce is so yummy!
Lovely, Merril. You made good use of the random words. My stomach growled a bit as I looked at your food photos 😉 I love the Pine Street window.
I can’t tell gunshots from firecrackers, except when the firecrackers are very loud. Unfortunately, we do hear gunshots, not often, but more often than we did when we moved here. Most of it is gang-related (so they say) which is weird to me. I can imagine gangs in a city named Miami but not a city named Tallahassee. I know, the names of cities aren’t relevant, but Tallahassee? How can anyone take a city with that name seriously? Well, maybe that’s part of the problem.
Thank you, Marie.
Summer produce and beautiful weather!
I guess it wasn’t gunshots I heard, but I still don’t know what it was.
I don’t get your name thing. I think Miami is sort of funnier sounding (like MY ami) than Tallahassee. I assume they are both from indigenous words, but I don’t know the meanings.
Maybe I watched too much Miami Vice and so always associate Miami with crime and drugs (well, Miami wouldn’t exist without drug money). And didn’t the Beach Boys have some silly song about Tallahassee? I don’t think there’s any data to support my name thing … I’ve lived in the South too long 😉
Hahaha. So funny.
Miami Vice–there’s a throwback! I thought more of Dexter. 😏
Actually, my grandfather lived in Miami Beach for many years and my uncle and aunt and their children lived in Miami, so I have very peaceful childhood memories of the area.
I bet when you were a child, Miami was very different from the way it is now. My husband grew up in Hialeah, in the Miami metro area, and it has changed radically since then. Of course, all I really know about Miami is what I read or see on TV. I flew in and out of Miami once, decades ago, but it was a work-related visit. My supervisor and I stayed at a run-down motel, so … meh 😉
I’m sure Miami was very different then. It’s a long time since I was a child! 🤣
lol … that really makes me laugh because it was Greg’s sentimentality (in part anyway) that brought us here, not realizing how much Florida had changed since he was a young guy in college.
That is funny!
Beautiful musings today, Merril. I love that window, too! The flower box is amazing.
Thank you very much, Jill! 😊
Always a delight to read your musings and yes, I agree with Jane, this does feel like a loose cadralor – I really like this form.
You two are always doing stuff – so nice!
Thank you so much, Dale. That’s so kind.
We have so many things set up for June, but nothing for the rest of the summer. 😊
And yet… 😉
??
And yet… Something tells me your calendar will fill up!
Oh–I thought you knew something I didn’t know. Yes, I’m sure. It just happened that we have theater tickets to a bunch of shows in June, as well as some other events.
Hahah! Right! 😉
Stunning photos, and the food looks amazing!
Thank you so much! 😊
There is so much abundance here, I’ll focus on just one thing: the new word “caliginous” you added to my vocabulary. I also noticed the re-appearance of another word you are fond of “petrichor,” which I’m not noticing after our rain today because of the humidity. Once again, lovely poetry and pictures. Thanks, Merril.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Marian.
I’m pleased I could add a new word to your vocabulary. 🙂
I haven’t seen a reference to stone soup since I was a child. It was good to see it again.
I hear gunshots on a regular basis where I live. Some idiot thinks it’s a good idea to shoot off his guns in a residential neighborhood. No city ordinence against it, as long as he’s 300 feet away from anyone’s residence.
Thank you, Liz. I saw the words and thought of the story!
That’s scary and horrible that you have gunshot around. When we first moved into our house, there was a man who sometimes shot his gun–and before we had moved in, actually put a hole in our kitchen window.
You’re welcome, Merril.
When the gunshots began, my husband and I were going to report them to the police. We were incredulous to discover that there was no city ordinance against shooting guns in a residential neighborhood.
That IS hard to believe.
One of the disadvantages of living in the “Live free or die” state. 😦
I was thinking that, but I didn’t want to say it. 😏
You can say it; I won’t be offended. I live here, but my heart’s in Vermont.
🙂
You have some beautiful lush green scenery where you are, Merril 😊 I can understand your nervousness on hearing what might be gunshots. I hope we hurry up and heal ourselves and the world before it is too late!
Thank you, Ingrid. Yes, it is very green here. We’ve had lots of rain and sun.
I hope so, too, Ingrid!
Thought provoking. Years ago when we lived in Soho we heard the IRA bombs in Oxford Street. The continual tension created by waiting for guns to go off is nevertheless unimaginable.
Thank you, Derrick.
That must have been a scary situation. Right now, it seems the whole US is like that–schools, supermarkets, churches, synagogues, the streets. . .
Yes. Ours was nothing in comparison
First your musings give me a shiver. Then they awe me with beauty. Then hunger kicks in. (A bit of cheeky there!)
I’m sure you thought that you heard gunshots. With all the crazy gun stuff going on in the USA, it’s a natural jump to conclusion.
Merril, I just realized that I have never heard a gun shot, in my entire life.
Thank you very much, Resa.
I was going to say that I wasn’t sure if I have heard gunshot for certain, but I remember last fall (?) hearing hunters while I was out walking. I was not happy.
Aww, hunters kill animals. For what? Dinner? Trophies? Thrill? It’s archaic. I’m sure you were not happy. I’m not happy just hearing about it.
😞