Michele Lee Sefton's Blog, page 35

A moment

Noticing nature’s morning light, a certain way, can change the course of your thoughts and day.

Thanks for sharing the moment. Best to you. Michele

my morning photos, dance class flowers and raindrops on petals with rising sun as the backdrop

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

True North

Small talk in a crowded room
bores me to tears –
leaves me searching for a plausible excuse
and the nearest exit

Big talk with one –
now you’re talking

Two songs just came to mind – two perspectives of this post: Talk Talk – Talk Talk and The Church – Under the Milky Way Enjoy. Or not.

To those who understand what I am talking about – I count my blessings and stars. Thank you for visiting. Warm wishes. Michele

Photo 1: True Touch Lifestyle Photo 2: Will Pedro

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Moon Meditation

Silver slivers slip
through the darkness
securing loose strands
of a racing mind
flirting with madness

Thoughts shooting like rockets
whizzing in a thousand directions
an observer powerless to stop them

Thoughts gently gathered and secured
by the loving reach of a loyal companion
quietly inviting me to join him

I give in and step into the twilight
alive with his reflective brilliance
turning the wispy clouds around him
into Mother of Pearl oysters

I nod and instantly understand
my dreams were not lost–
they were just on pause

Suspended dreams captured and saved by him
now ours to experience together
in the quiet perfection of a mystical morning

Dark circles drawn by his powerful pull
under his glow and spell, erased

A silhouette sinking into the cool earth, a poet whose crown is beginning to mirror the silver above, I sit in awe and release my thoughts to the early morning Beaver Moon. Thanks for stopping by. Warm wishes to you. Michele

my moon photos, before and after meditating

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

The show must go on…

Dance fundraising is a wrap. For now. Saturday morning rain forced a change in venue from the great outdoors to an inside location in Tucson. The rain also halted my sunrise plans to venture out with my camera. Disappointed but not heartbroken, I didn’t mind staying in bed a little longer and enjoying the sound of falling rain. I did get a head start taking a few photos after arriving the night before – just in time for one sunset photo before taking a few more of the moon.

The location change required us to modify a few details related to our dance routines, but everyone was gracious, and it all flowed smoothly. Before three other teachers and I led a vivacious and loving group of women through several songs, a poetic prayer was read for those in harm’s way, and a candle was lit. Then we danced! A delicious lunch followed. Fundraising efforts were fruitful with money helping victims of the war.

Thank you for reading my wrap-up and thanks to those who have expressed interest and encouragement in regard to this venture. Kind regards. Michele

Photo 1: last stop before I left Tucson after fundraiser Photo 2: me and my dance teacher Holly (since 2008) – what a joy to teach with her on occasion! Photo 3: jazz hats Photo 4: leaving dance location Photo 5 & 6: Friday night sunset & moon above cacti, taken with my cell phone just after arriving

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

A glimmer

Under the covers I want to remain, sleeping and dreaming. A rhythmic cycle that would feel oh so good repeating. It’s tempting. I know I must rise, for the day and the occasion. Polishing steps for tomorrow’s humanitarian fundraising. Stepping up for others who’ve had their freedoms stolen. I know enough to know many have lost much more. Hopefully hatred and violence have not destroyed sanctums of hope. I know I must rise and join a dancing desert tribe, far removed from war and strife. Efforts not grand enough to swing war’s tide – this I know; however, I believe small steps taken in the Sonoran will travel the miles and touch a few lives.

Morning light dancing on the leaves is my encouragement to settle into the silence and find strength within.

My post, “Creative Steps,” first mentioned the dance fundraiser I will be participating in tomorrow as one of the teachers. An honor for me, not only to help others, but in anticipation of the smiles and shimmies I will surely see tomorrow. No doubt, tears too. The morning light that caught my attention and put a little (needed) pep in my step was amplified after reading the news of released hostages and made me consider how our fundraising efforts might help a few families. Small steps taken by many can make a difference, I believe.

Thanks for stopping by. Warm regards from the cooling southwest. Michele

my photos, morning sunrise (11/24) and historic church (window) in Tucson mountains (11/19)

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Giving Thanks

“Jazz is the only unhampered, unhindered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country.”

― Duke Ellington

Link to Liquid Paradise by the Speakeasies’ Swing Band!

photo by FotosDo

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

“Man Hesitates but Life Urges” (w/audio)

Man Hesitates but Life Urges
D’Arcy McNickle

There is this shifting, endless film
And I have followed it down the valleys
And over the hills,—
Pointing with wavering finger
When it disappeared in purple forest-patches
With its ruffle and wave to the slightest-breathing wind-God.

There is this film
Seen suddenly, far off,
When the sun, walking to his setting,
Turns back for a last look,
And out there on the far, far prairie
A lonely drowsing cabin catches and holds a glint,
For one how endless moment,
In a staring window the fire and song of the martyrs!

There is this film
That has passed to my fingers
And I have trembled,
Afraid to touch.

And in the eyes of one
Who had wanted to give what I had asked
But hesitated—tried—and then
Came with a weary, aged, “Not quite,”
I could but see that single realmless point of time,
All that is sad, and tired, and old—
And endless, shifting film.

And I went again
Down the valleys and over the hills,
Pointing with wavering finger,
Ever reaching to touch, trembling,
Ever fearful to touch.

Poet D’Arcy McNickle from Poets.org:

“William D’Arcy McNickle, born on January 14, 1904, in St. Ignatius, Montana, was a novelist, short story writer, poet, anthropologist, and Indigenous rights activist. A member of the Salish Kootenai Nation, he is the author of multiple titles, including The Surrounded (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1936) and Wind from an Enemy Sky (Harper and Row, 1978).

McNickle was affiliated with multiple Indigenous rights and culture organizations throughout his life, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the National Congress of American Indians, and the Center for the History of the American Indian at the Newberry Library. He died on October 10, 1977.”

My photos are from Safford Peak, NW of Tucson, where I spent Sunday in the mountains with twelve other women. We danced (Bollywood style), spent quiet time writing, and had engaging conversations led by Integrative Movement Psychotherapist, Kiran Easwarachandran. In the latter part of the day, we ventured out on a solo hike. It was during that time that I took these prickly photos. The first photo, the purple flower, was taken at the end of the day.

Thank you for visiting and listening. Warm regards. Michele

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

My friend, Mignonne

Do you ever have so much to say that you end up saying nothing, because you aren’t sure where to begin and the task feels too daunting? Yeah? Me too.

I shall just dive in and hit the high notes, maybe a few lows. In April of 2020, at the start of the pandemic, I submitted a few poems for consideration to Arizona State University’s Piper Center for Creative Writing to (hopefully) have my work included in their yearly poetry anthology. A few months later, I was informed that my poem, “Buried Roots,” was selected for inclusion. I was excited about the news and the opportunity to participate in an online launch party (we could not meet in person due to Covid restrictions). I was honored and enriched by the experience. I have never shared this poem on my blog, and I will. Someday. Before I share the poem in its entirety, I would like to share a few lines that I wrote for and about my friend Mignonne and the healing impact they had on her. A surprising and beautiful impact and the most cherished part of this poetic experience.

I will share the ASU prompt that my poem addresses, the lines written about my friend, then I will provide a brief backstory.

ASU Prompt #4 – The Place I’m From:

“Home is a complicated subject for many people, whether they’re writers or not. Referencing Gil Scott-Heron’s “Home is where the hatred is” vs. Elvis Presley’s “Home is where the heart is”, today’s prompt asks you to reflect on the place you consider home. Write a poem that answers one of these two questions: how do you feel about the place where you grew up? Or, how does the place you grew up feel about you?”

Featured lines from “Buried Roots”:

……………………….
These things and more I remember about the house on the corner,
next to a school, named after a poet, but not all things I miss

I don’t miss swimming in the neighbor’s pool without another
friend who was not allowed in because she had darker skin

I don’t miss the childish part of me that chose to dive in
instead of standing up to the man who chose hurtful prejudice
……………………….

Brief backstory:

Between Mignonne’s home and mine there was a “special” house – a house with a pool. Another little girl lived there. We were friends, the three of us. We played in the playground across the street. We played in a nearby field that had a community treehouse (built by us kids). We played tag and hide-in-seek in the streets. But what we didn’t do together, the three of us, was swim in the other girl’s pool. I (alone) was welcome anytime, sure, but I began to notice that when Mignonne and I showed up together, at this girl’s door, the welcome was less so. Mignonne and I carried on and would find other ways to entertain ourselves during the hot summer months, like listening to Jackson Five albums in her bedroom or disco songs, like Won’t You Take Me to Funky Town, in mine.

I wanted to play with my friend Mignonne, and I also really wanted to swim. Following my hunch that something was “off” when Mignonne and I showed up together, I privately asked the other the little girl why she turned us away when Mignonne was with me. She told me her dad wasn’t comfortable with black people. I did not know how to respond. I still don’t. I was confused and conflicted by this situation. I remember thinking, how could anyone be uncomfortable with a child, especially one as sweet as Mignonne.

Life carried on. I moved out of that neighborhood after my parents’ divorce. Mignonne lost her mom to cancer just after high school. She and I shared an apartment for a short time following her mom’s passing. It was a very difficult time for Mignonne. I attended the wedding of my other friend, years ago, and that is the last time I saw her or her parents.

I shared my poem with Mignonne a few months after it was published. What followed was an unlocking of sad memories and missing pieces for Mignonne, meaningful dialogue between her and I, and ultimately, healing. This is what I am most proud of regarding the publication of my poem.

Mignonne is an Associate Professor of African American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. I am so proud of her and all that she has accomplished, and I am grateful to her for trusting me to share this story. Thank you for reading and for holding this post in an honoring and understanding light. Michele

“Don’t use the phone. People are never ready to answer it. Use poetry.”

― Jack Kerouac

Photo 1: by Long-lasting studio Photo 2: Mignonne Note: Unfortunately, I do not have any childhood photos of Mignonne and me – the featured art photo I selected feels like her fiery energy and beauty.

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Sonoran Splendor

“A large drop of sun lingered on the horizon and then dripped over and was gone, and the sky was brilliant over the spot where it had gone, and a torn cloud, like a bloody rag, hung over the spot of its going. And dusk crept over the sky from the eastern horizon, and darkness crept over the land from the east.”

― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

Last night’s desert rain made for a misty magical morning. A rare occurrence, both the rain and the morning mist. A delight to be out in it. My morning bike ride took a little longer than normal for all the stopping and appreciating of nature’s beauty and wonder.

Thanks for stopping by. Warm regards. Michele

Photo 1: Sonoran sunset Photo 2: Sonoran sunrise

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Roads, the highs and lows (sing it sister)

“Take the high road,” is what we are often told.

Having traveled this road most of my life, I know it quite well.

An approach to life that is well-intentioned; however, a lifetime of taking the high road can leave one gasping for oxygen.

Laughing and singing out loud, I am! This more serious contemplative post took a left turn somewhere. Apologies to your ears and to the talented professional singer, Grace Potter, but being spontaneous is a win for me and since my post is about speaking up for yourself, others, or anything that matters, why not sing out loud!

I really do love singing, so much so I would delight in joining a Friday night jazz band. I’ve got the sway down, but my clarinet needs dedicated practice, and my singing needs a skilled voice coach. In the meantime, I will keep dancing through life and making mediocre music. If you’re wondering how I achieved this masterful mix, I will tell you… I sang directly into my phone with Low Road playing in the background.

If the video does not load, click here for the song I couldn’t not sing this morning, Low Road by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

Thank you for visiting! Warm regards. Michele

my photos: first two Ireland, second two Oregon

© 2023 MyInspiredLife