Michele Lee Sefton's Blog, page 22

Thank you, poet

As many of my fellow bloggers and readers know, I love highlighting the work of other creatives in this space – poets, writers, photographers, artists, and former students. One of the poets, featured twice on this blog, passed away recently. She was an early reader and supporter of this blog and an incredible human who I was fortunate to call friend.

Although I attended a gathering today in her honor, I still can’t believe I won’t be receiving another email from her or that I will never see her again. Well, in this life anyway. Like me, she was a former high school English teacher and when she and I saw each other, you can imagine how many stories we had to share about teaching and about books. During her teaching career, she attended Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English in Vermont (and Oxford), which is an intensive summer master’s and continuing education program for teachers. For several years now she has been forwarding me their newsletters, rich in literary content, and doing her best to talk me into attending.

After a successful and long-term teaching career she became a well-respected public servant, with a legacy of leadership and accomplishment to her name. She leaves behind a loving family, too. Her community benefited from her intelligence, persistence, work ethic, compassion, and kindness. She was also feisty and direct. I loved that about her.

I was honored to share two of her poems on this blog, written in response to my own. I am doing so again as a tribute to her and to publicly thank her for taking the time to share her creativity and passion for poetry. The links will take you to the previously published poems:

“Letters Change Hearts” (written in response to my poem about writing letters)

“She Walks in Beauty” (written in response to my poems about conversations I had with two homeless men)

She loved traveling to London and in that spirit, I selected a photo of a woman walking in the rain, in London. Coincidentally it rained today and as a beautiful bonus, the Sonoran skies displayed a rainbow after her celebration concluded. She would have loved that. She loved Arizona’s diverse desert landscape – another topic of discussion between the two of us. Thank you for reading and joining me in honoring a gracious soul and a talented poet. Michele

P.S. Comments are off because I am off to sleep, however I do encourage a visit to her poems by clicking through, and if so inclined feel free to leave a note on those posts, or just read. She would love that! Me too!

featured photo by pcruciatti / my sunset photos taken after a long drive home

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Catch a Glimmer

To catch a light
at the precise moment
when it ceases to be
is extraordinarily
thrilling
and profoundly

                        quiet

No applause
No promotion
            just absolute perfection

The first shimmer of daylight
switches off the streetlamp
            creatures of the night settle in
            birds stir and from their nest, fly

During the darkness, I turned
toward the vastness
catching the final sparks
of a blazing star traveler
my “wow” orchestrated
with its final flicker

I wonder when my final glimmer will be

When I will cease to be
in this life
in this body

I wonder if my poems will be preserved
or burned

Either way
it won’t make a difference to me
soaring with the birds
my spirit will be

I don’t write for posterity
attention or fame
In this journal, I write for the same reason
I wrote as a five-year-old, filling up my diary pages –
to have a conversation with my spirit, infinite
mostly I just listen and do my best to interpret

Fleeting thoughts disappearing
as fast as the sun is rising

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for some Sonoran sky viewing and reflective journal writing, from my early morning. Warm regards. Michele

my sky photos were taken last night and this morning (golden sunrise through the trees, morning moon with pink clouds, birds flying, and last night’s cloudy moon scene) / my dancing selfie was taken on July 21, when the summer heat was intense enough to melt away human concerns and waken the wild within

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Sunday River Ride

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”
― Hans Christian Andersen

“Canals are made of flat water, and flat water is difficult stuff to get hold of. It is expensive. You use locks to keep it flat when you go up hills. Sometimes, you have to take the water under hills in tunnels in order to preserve its flatness. Canals were not cheap to build.”
― Ian Marchant

“May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke

My photos were taken during the spring, while traveling down a canal in Amsterdam. A relaxing ride that had me dreaming about how lovely it would be to spend a (cooler) summer writing and riding along these waters. I learned many things from this trip, about both the places visited and myself, including that I can travel for two weeks with only one small suitcase and my backpack. I also noticed how different the natural lighting appeared. Let me explain… the Sonoran skies are mostly sky blue or a richer hue, if it is golden hour. The frequent white or gray skies of Europe also offered learning while looking through my telephoto lens – trying to find the right light balance. A wonderful learning experience of traveling and living.

Thank you for taking a lazy Sunday river ride with me. Wishing you a pleasant week ahead. Michele

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Warm Honey Delivery

My Honeysuckle Heat proof copy arrived yesterday afternoon. A whirlwind of emotions I am. More to come with this passionate project that stretched me as a writer and a woman. The process and the story also taught me in some surprising ways, as it goes when you bring dynamic characters into the world and give them a voice and vivid settings in which to interact and grow.

Now I have the editing task of meticulously reading my second novella, noting and revising anything that might need a little more tender loving care before I let this story fly free. I will also be dancing through the emotions swirling through me. Thank you to everyone who has shared a word of support over the last several months regarding this endeavor – the encouragement has been most helpful, and I am most grateful. The comments are turned off for this post so that I can catch my breath and take this all in before I dive in.

Photo notes: Last night’s waxing gibbous was brilliant! A glowing orb that lit up the night sky with occasional iridescent clouds floating by. Made for an enchanting scene and lovely light for a moon dance. As I was photographing the moon, a nearby lamp post, with a similar golden glow, caught my attention. If you look closely at the photo, you might notice the only other framed subject that my camera captured was a small cloud. The surrounding trees blended in with the dark of the night. As for me, the lady taking a selfie, holding the book she wrote wrapped in a gorgeous cover designed by artist Sammi Lee, it has been eleven months since I last cut or colored my hair. Go silver me! [image error] Pardon my shine; it was 107 degrees when I scooped this special honey delivery off the porch. A heat that increased when I opened the package. [image error] Thank you for visiting and reading. Kind regards. Michele

One more important photo mention… the vibrant painting behind me was created by artist Tiffany Arp-Deleo. If you’re not familiar with her blog, I highly encourage you to give her a visit (clicking her name will take you there). Her work is infused with creativity and energy.

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Uncomfortable Words, Breathtaking Steps

Uncomfortable, I am, writing about moments
I have not lived, or topics I know little about.
Unless seen with my eyes or felt with my skin
how can I bring imagery and details to fruition?
The answer is obvious if one chooses to listen.

All truth seekers, writers or not, can observe and ask
difficult questions that are often silenced and passed
from the first hand, then edited and shuffled, for the masses.
Writers can also create entire worlds with their imagination
but some details should not be altered or fabricated unless
it is to create a projected future where love and acceptance reign.
A future that will be only a fairy tale if unasked questions remain.

Even so, uncomfortable questions and difficult conversations
only go so far … a lifetime of asking could yield an understanding
but never provide an absolute knowing of what life is like for
7.8 billion (minus one) reflections and souls, not our own.

Isn’t that how it should be; isn’t humanity’s greatest gift, diversity?
Isn’t there profound beauty and mystery in the not knowing, the discovering?

7.8 billion unique heartbeats, 7.8 billion reasons to embrace individuality
If only this belief was humanity’s default setting, not one of constant reaching.
…………………….

Thank you for visiting and reading. In honor of my five-year blog anniversary, I am sharing a few previously written poems during the month of August. This poem, “Uncomfortable Words, Breathtaking Steps,” was first published on June 6, 2020*. I am sharing the first half of my poem – yes, it is a long one (with more to the story). The original post also includes an audio of the poem. As one of my first audio shares it is a bit rough, but hey ho we learn and grow. Wishing you pleasant stepping this weekend. Michele

featured photo of a busy intersection on 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, NYC by Ryan DeBerardinis / my two photos of people walking along the Mosel River in Germany, taken from a boat

Manhattan photo note: although different stories with different characters, both my novellas include the setting of Manhattan.

*minor changes made to original poem (mainly capitalization and punctuation)

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Top it off

A driver can’t get anywhere
on an empty tank
except stuck
on the side of the road
swatting flies
and watching buzzards fly
as time ticks by

I was taught to keep my tank topped off
and never, ever, let my fuel level drop
to the danger zone

and driver beware –
of those who sneak and creep
in the middle of the night
armed with a short hose
eager to siphon what’s yours
into a container of their own

There are countless roads and destinations in this life, though none can be traveled down or found if your tank is empty. Thanks for stopping by and taking a little road trip with me! I would also like to thank Joy at Nuggets of Gold for surprising me recently with a mention of my first novella, Her Coastal Cottage and to Claudia at Humoring the Goddess for mentioning my blog yesterday in a most delightful way. With great gratitude, I offer a hearty thank you to these two creative and generous women!

There is still time to read my first novella before I release my second, Honeysuckle Heat, however the time between the two Tumbleweedspirit releases is growing shorter… after months of creating and crafting, followed by several days of formatting and uploading, I ordered the paperback proof last night. With an eBook ready to go, fingers crossed the paperback arrives soon with limited or zero modifications needed. A labor of love this project has been that began in 2021 with a flash fiction piece that flowed into two more before being written into a fully developed story.

A few classic driving tunes: When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin, Metal by Gary Numan, Little Red Corvette by Prince, Moving in Stereo by The Cars, All Right by Free, Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty

featured photo of pondering woman pumping gas and second smiling woman pointing at a map by SunKids / my Sonoran photos taken while traveling to various desert locations, including The Lost Dutchman State Park

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Sisters and other Stirring Spirits

girls picking melons
covered in Sonoran dust
sweat scrawling down skin

the perfect golden
plucked from the vine, cantaloupe
sold on the corner

under a tall tree
legs swinging from the tailgate
watching and waiting

The same strong wind that moved me along as I traveled further from home this morning, pushed against me when returning. Not in a malicious manner – I do know what that feels like. This intense dawn-colored wind was purposeful – testing my strength, to see if I might be a suitable companion for its ever-changing direction and whims. I am. My reward for having leaned in a little closer and peddled a little harder, was a rush of desert messages, speaking of change, delivered by vigorous spirits, stirring.

My poems are submitted for Fake Flamenco’s August Poetry challenge, subject: sisters (triple haikus). My only sibling is a brother; however, I do have dozens of cousins, and several are more like sisters. One joined me at a dance class not too long ago – that was very special! My submission is inspired from a childhood memory of picking and selling delicious cantaloupe with a sister-cousin. Thanks for stopping by. Warm regards. Michele

If you’re interested in listening to the sounds of the Sonoran Desert, you might enjoy this share: “Birdsong at dawn in Arizona Desert” by Amadeus Just stumbled on, I’ve been enjoying while writing. All wonderful though my favorite part is the whiz of the hummingbird wings. [image error]

featured photo of two girls holding hands, looking at a golden horizon, by AZ Content / my morning photo of rising sun seen through blowing Palo Verde tree

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Tattered Poem

A poem she held, deep within
no one else could see
where all her secrets lay hidden

words never shared with anyone
for fear of what others might say

the lines she let dance
through her mind
but the words were never said

she remained quiet
afraid a word or two might slip
through sealed lips

stuffing the words down, down, down
into their place of hiding

She carried on this way–
living a life lacking in depth
and void of color
dismissing and ignoring
the poet, hidden safely away

then one day…

She could no longer contain the words
bubbling and bursting to the surface
like fire from her pen, they did fly

on the street corner, she stood
holding a page, ripped from her notebook
shouting her lines as loud as she could

She looked around…
afraid of what she had done

She watched people pass
no one had noticed,
as busy as they were

with her eyes closed, she tried again
shouting even louder
than she had done before

She opened her eyes and realized
again, no one had heard the words
once buried deep inside

She sighed, then tossed her poem
into the wind, watching
her released words float by
back to her life she went

She passed that same corner
many times, remembering
the lines she had cried

She laughed at herself
for being so foolish
to think anyone would care

then one day…

She noticed the streets
once crowded
had become scarce

She wondered
where everyone had disappeared
they must be living in fear

while walking the streets alone
the tattered poem
back to her had blown

scribbled on the bottom of the paper
now tattered and torn
were words written by another hand, in another pen

I was feeling so alone when your page blew my way. Thank you for sharing this gift that I want to keep to myself, but I am tossing this tattered poem back into the wind, because these lines, that appeared at just the right time, may help someone else, feel less alone today.

The first version of this “Tattered Poem” appeared on my blog on March 14, 2020 – seven months into my poetic journey. To honor and celebrate my five-year blog milestone I will be sharing previously published pieces throughout the month of August. This poem, written at the start of the pandemic, has been modified from its first publication and includes an updated photo. Thank you for stopping by. Wishing you a wonderful weekend! Michele

featured photo by Everett Collection / my morning sunrise shot

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Less formal formalities inform more

I used to pack lunches,
with handwritten notes tucked inside

Now, I feed hummingbirds fresh sugar water
and write poems, read by friends
I’ve never met

the absence of formal introductions
does not diminish a heart’s fondness

I would like to graciously thank writer and blogger, trE at acorneredgurl.com, for surprising me again with a review of my Being a Woman – Forthcoming chapbook. This third and final Being a Woman collection celebrates the voices of women who have experienced life, including a poem about the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and like my first two, this collection also features illustrations by artist Sammi Lee. As a woman who has also experienced some life, I am finding that in many ways my life is just beginning. Thank you for stopping by. Kind regards. Michele

Featured photo of woman smelling a sunflower by Sjale / my photos: hummingbird, stones & fish in lake, recent sunrise

Photo note: the “stones & fish” photo was taken during a recent morning ride at the same spot where I took the photo featured in the post, “Art, Rubbish” earlier this year. This spot skirts a manmade lake that I sometimes pass; this time fish, not “rubbish” caught my eye. While paused to take the photo (shared), I met a walker, who I see from time to time walking early in the morning. Now when I whiz by my “Good mornings” include his name – Douglas. It is nice to formally meet people, yet knowing a person is much more than shaking a hand and learning their name.

© 2024 MyInspiredLife

Strolling through Edam

“Words come easily on route. Physical movement frees the mind, stirs up thoughts and this leads to a brilliant insight or two.”
― Duncan Minshull, Sauntering: Writers Walk Europe

“Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.”
― Steven Wright

Weerstation – Weather Station / Touw droog (rope dry) – Zon (sun) / Touw nat (rope wet) – Regen (rain) / Touw wit (rope white) – Sneeuw (snow) / Touw slingert (rope swings) – Wind / Touw stijf (rope stiff) – Vorst (frost) / Touw weg (rope away) – Gestolen (stolen)

Funny stuff! I hope I’ve translated from Dutch to English correctly.

Thanks for strolling along. Wishing you a wonderful week! Michele

my spring photos taken in the lovely city of Edam, North Holland, Netherlands

© 2024 MyInspiredLife