Locust spins and sings its heart out before the wagtail takes its share. The squirrel climbs fast down a tree stops and sniffs a baby rabbit nibbling tender twigs without care. A family of crows, father perched on a pine branch vigilantly watches as the mother feeds the chicks. Not to be outdone, finch takes over for some birds are poets. And this a seasonal rhythm in my garden.
note: These are images from my backyard. Now that it’s summer, I enjoy sitting on the balcony while sipping my morning coffee. I’ve been following with keen interest a family of crows parked right under my window.
Listening to the rhythm of nature, even with the urban noise around, is precious. It’s like a meditation; finding peace in the midst of chaos.
I recently revisited Ray Bradbury’s classic Fahrenheit 451 in a movie form; an HBO adaptation. Even though the plot is slightly different from the book, I’ve enjoyed it immensely.
2. Guarding my space to read
I’ve started with the Summer Reading Challenge. If you’ve been reading me for long, you already know that I treat reading with the same respect I do writing. This also means being absent from social media this summer, except for a random post once in a while. So, to you my reading friends, you’ll mostly find me here.
3. The appreciation for people who give poetry their time…
Lara Trace Hentz, one of the bloggers I follow, has wonderful things to say about poetry, and as she reviews three books. Find her musings here! Also, if you’re searching for a poetry book to read this summer, you might want to try these.
4. Show me the kind of love that begins with SELF!
Last year, I answered to a call to write a poem about self-love; a poetry contest hosted by Yecheilyah Ysrayl on her blog. That poem, inspiration and thoughts on self-love feature, among other works of talented poets, in the magazine pictured below. This year’s contest is an extension of the theme. You can find more details by clicking on the link. If you are poet, please consider entering. The benefit for me was not the rewards but the happy feeling after purging. NB. If you’d like a copy, you can grab it here.
LitMag for Poets
5. Sports fans can teach us a lot about celebrating small victories
This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of watching Finland vs Norway rugby game. What is remarkable is not the fact that rugby has gained momentum here, but how Norwegian fans supported their team.
Finland dominated the game, which they eventually won. Anyway, it had already advanced to the double digits and a huge gap, when Norway finally managed to score their first 3 points from a penalty kick. It was a delightful spectacle to watch their fans go wild with excitement and popping a bottle of champagne in celebration.
The lesson here is that they didn’t wait for an impressive try score or a big number on the score board but instead rejoiced for that small contribution as if it was the only that mattered.
So, what about you? Are you the person who celebrates small victories? Or are you waiting to land that big contract, cushy job with a title, fancy car, a husband (or wife), two-and-a-half kids, etc., before you celebrate?
Occasionally, I share five random things I’m reading, watching, doing and thinking about.You’re most welcome to join the conversation.
