Michele Lee Sefton's Blog, page 41

Aqua Shadow

A slow-moving fragmented leaf
            floating along the water
                        casting an aqua shadow.

Absolute perfection
            contained in
       a meaningless moment.

my image

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Seven Summer Sunsets

August 5, 2023

August 6, 2023

August 7, 2023

August 8, 2023

August 9, 2023

August 10, 2023

August 11, 2023

A lifetime, a day
            the seconds that make up a final breath

Is there a distinguishable difference between these three human measurements
in a universe that gives birth to solar systems –
            that expand from violent collisions and eruptions,
not from newborn lungs drawing in a first breath

Bodies measured by mass and rotation, not by birthdays and identification
Bodies impressive, but never free to roam, make love or decisions

Bodies that can disappear into a black hole in the time it takes
                        for the setting sun to burst brilliance before its disappearance
            in the time it takes
                        for a body, breathing to exhale a final breath

Humans are invisible in the grand scheme of the vast universe
yet our kind acts and contributions can ripple for generations

This beautiful song, with a melancholy tone, found me Wednesday night when I was snapping a sunset photo. Feels right. Thanks for visiting, viewing, and listening. Be well. Michele

Song link if video doesn’t display: All My Days by Alexi Murdoch

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

hold Her in your hands

His love and attention, that stripped her of false living and woke her from the slumber of barely existing, might be the very thing that drives them apart. Tasting love made her hungry for authenticity. She was now ready to thrive. Not just when they were together, but as an individual capable of sharing this grand discovery with the world. Love had revealed this much.

Excerpt from, “Her Coastal Cottage – Where Truth and Love Rise” ~ Now available as a paperback!

Eight months ago, I set out to turn three sensual poems into a story featuring two intriguing characters who find each other when neither was looking to be found. I wanted to write a dreamy story with descriptive scenes, real-life conflict, and deep emotion that could be felt, beyond the words. Along with weaving in a few story surprises, I believe I accomplished these writing goals.

With the paperback now released, it is time to let this lyrical love story go… let others hold it in their heart and hands. This novella is best consumed in one lazy afternoon, either beachside or curled up in a comfy chair.

Readership and connection to other creatives on this blog are grand rewards for me. My recent four-year blog anniversary gave me reason to pause and fully appreciate this truth. Should you choose to preview and purchase my novella, I would be most honored and of course, reviews are greatly appreciated. Clicking cover will take you to story preview. Thank you for being here and supporting this story journey. Michele

photo by JKstock

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Finally!

Monsoon clouds finally formed above a thirsty landscape. Heavy clouds clashed causing a thunderous explosion, waking the gods of rain, asleep for so long some, in the Valley of the Sun, began to question their existence.

Lightning bolts were hurled, the wind swirled, and colorless blood was spilled, waking the desert with their high voltage vengeance.  

According to several sources, one bolt of lightning can contain up to a billion volts of electricity.

A supercharged dance, that would be!

Nothing delights desert dwellers (including the thirsty critters) or revives resting plants like a proper drench.

Thanks for watching! Michele

Video note: Tucson, south of the valley, has already seen some serious storms. The gods of the sky finally made their way north.

my early morning image and video

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

The everchanging tide

from, “A Writer’s Dream,” a poem I wrote in 2020 that evolved into three sensual poems – the poetic inspiration for my novella
…………
Then
on a day that began like every other day
something felt off; something was amiss
it was her – she had lost her way
the halls, the dining, and the heels
had consumed her inner bliss
distractions losing their allure and their appeal
the joy that brought her there was no longer found
on the sprawling and enchanting ground
where roses charmed her with their scent
capturing her words when she released a breath
spiraling down stems into the earth, stories left unsaid
waking the worms and turning the next bloom into the most vibrant

she kicked off her heels –
no longer needed where she was going
she snipped a charming dozen
before hitting the road

Then
she traded in her mansion key
for a just-right
writing cottage by the sea

The proof for my novella arrived late yesterday! I was not expecting it until today, so that was a nice surprise at the end of my day. A grand thank you to those who expressed interest in a paperback. I had not intended on a paperback version, but the interest from readers pushed me to move through many challenges to get to this point in the project, including having mom-sized patience with my cover artist, Sammi Lee, who started working on a mural project just before starting work on the back cover of my book. How rude. Teasing! The restaurant mural she completed is gorgeous and collaborating with her was worth the wait!

Exactly four years ago today, August 5, 2019, I posted my first blog post. It took me a few days to work up enough courage to publish my first post after starting this site. I am certain other bloggers can relate. I talked about that fear in my video: Feel the fear and keep writing. No matter how experienced or evolved a person might be, fear and self-doubt seem to be part of the human experience, but great growth is found when we learn to dance with those shadows!

I’ve been spending time reflecting and writing about what I have learned about blogging, writing, people, and myself over the last four years. I could fill up another book with the lessons! I expect some of that dribble drabble to drip drop onto the page in the form of poetry, flash, and articles over the coming months. Thank you for being here! I am grateful for the encouragement, support, and connection I find with other creatives and readers in this space. Cheers to creative pursuits! Best wishes on yours! Michele

The eBook is currently available. Click cover to preview. I will share an announcement when I release the paperback, next week.

my image, Pacific Ocean, California

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

unTangled

“Let’s swim to the moon
Let’s climb through the tide
Surrender to the waiting worlds
That lap against our side.”

~Jim Morrison, Moonlight Drive

Thursday night dance with my expressive sisters did empower and enchant. It also helped release a few tangles. Twirl it out. Write it out. Shout it out! Sing it out. Breathe it out. Let it out, then breathe in the brilliant essence of you!

Thank you for visiting. Enjoy your Friday! Michele

first image by Cozy Home (not me)

my moon images: tangled shots (July 30), Sturgeon Full moon (Aug 1)

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Something beneath the Nothing

The Sonoran spirits welcome all weary travelers. They do have a few expectations in exchange for shared wisdom. They demand a shedding of layers and pretenses and a willingness to breathe in their fiery intensity. If one can endure the itchy and prickly discomfort, they will be drained of excess and be rewarded with a rekindled core – creating the ideal situation for a thirsty mind, body, and soul.

My return to desert living has been a thorny one, but I am making peace with the fiery spirits and breathing in their gifts. I have hydrated thoroughly and discovered that the book, Anam Cara – Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World by John O’Donohue is an enriching way to refuel mind and soul. I stumbled on O’Donohue’s book in a small bookstore in Sneem, Ireland. I highly recommend the book. Every page is rich in inspiration and sage wisdom. This passage stood out from my recent reading:

“In a vast universe which often seems sinister and unaware of us, we need the presence and shelter of love to transfigure our loneliness. This cosmic loneliness is the root of all inner loneliness. All of our life, everything we think, and feel is surrounded by nothingness. Hence, we become afraid so easily. The fourteenth-century mystic Meister Eckhart says that all of human life stands under the shadow of nothingness, the umbra nihili. Nevertheless, love is the sister of the soul. In and through the warmth and creativity of love, the soul shelters us from the bleakness of that nothingness. We cannot fill up our emptiness with objects, possessions, or people. We have to go deeper into that emptiness, then we will find beneath nothingness the flame of love waiting to warm us.” (pages 32-33)

The desert finally saw some rain on the last evening of July. Not exactly a desert drench, but worth staying up for. Hopefully the Valley of the Sun will see a few monsoon storms before the season ends.

Thank you for visiting and reading! Be well. Michele

my images, Sonoran Desert and Sonoran sunset

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Strolling Man

Along the pier in Waterford, I watched him walk. He looked to be from another time. He carried a cane and a calm confidence. My mind immediately began to create life scenarios for him. Histories and characters, love affairs, broken hearts, celebrations, and slipped dreams. I imagined his beginnings and his endings. I romanticized him. I wanted to walk and talk with him. To learn his story. To hear his voice. I did no such thing. I just stood quietly and let the inspiring moment unfold.

Fragments of a story written (in my mind) without a keyboard in sight. He walked on. I left the scene.

I began to draft one of these stories after a photo of him captured my romantic heart.

Then I stopped
            myself
            and decided to
                        let him
                                     be.

Strolling

I had not planned on another Ireland “post,” minus a random Sunday photo share here and there, but I found these two photos on my cell phone yesterday and the words spilled out. It is more about the strolling man than Ireland. I took these photos on a pier in Waterford. Enjoy your weekend. Maybe go for a stroll. Michele

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

Wilde Walls

My Irish virtual tour ends in a quiet place. It did not hold the overwhelming emotion of the Titanic Museum or the wild windy weather of the Cliffs of Moher, nor did it drench to the core like the Giant’s Causeway. It did not draw a crowd, but giants still walked there. My virtual tour ends where my Ireland tour began, in Dublin, in the childhood home of Oscar Wilde, Irish author, poet, and playwright.

I have never been impressed with celebrity status and dropping names does little for me, but my poet’s soul was fed when I stepped lightly along the Irish oak floorboards where Bram Stoker and John Butler Yeats once stepped. To name a few. To hear the creak in the floors where Oscar may have paced while noodling stories, to smell old books that he once held, and to gaze upon his view… that will do. Away from the crowds, meandering along Wilde’s walls, yes, that will do.

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

~Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan

There is an interesting story behind Oscar’s facial expression in this statue, across the street from his home. His face displays a smile on his left and a frown on his right – a reaction to two smaller statues in front of him. I will say no more; I would rather you go and discover on your own.

Thank you for joining me! I wish you the best in your life and your own explorations, whether they be through travels or otherwise. For years I displayed this quote (orange fabric) in my classroom. It now hangs in my office. I encourage you to read it twice; my students did. It reads: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness” by Mark Twain. Indeed, it is. Thank you, Mr. Twain.

I would like to offer a thank you to two fellow bloggers and acknowledge a third. First, I would like to offer Selma Martin a grand thank you for posting a review of my novella. I was quite surprised and honored by her recent mention. Please view her post to read her review and my response. A second thank you goes to Bartholomew Barker for inquiring early in my Irish postings if I would be visiting Oscar’s house. I did! Lastly, if you are interested in reading a bit more about Oscar Wilde, including a story excerpt, check out this Oscar Wilde post by lampmagician.

my images, Oscar Wilde House at One Merrion Square, Dublin

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

English Style (w/updated video)

Eleven days of nonstop Irish activities. During our busy schedule the group was given one free day. I was most delighted to spend my free time riding English style in Killarney, following a morning carriage ride. At the Killarney Stables I was given a helmet and a pair of riding boots, then I was paired-up with Rae, a beautiful blond Connemara who let me know early on he had a hearty appetite. He was gentle but there wasn’t much relaxing with him because I had to keep reminding him, with a pull of the reins, that it was not snack time. His last attempt at the sweet stuff made me laugh… he charged into a large leafy green bush. A buffet for him! I steered him back to the trail then he calmed down after that.

I had the pleasure of riding with three ladies from Greece, three ladies from Ireland, and two guides. The only stressful part of the ride was learning along the route that we had to cross a busy street. My worries were unfounded because one of the guides went first; wearing, a neon crossing-guard style vest, she stopped traffic, allowing us to safely cross. It was a dreamy afternoon with on and off sprinkles and deer sightings. Most interesting, the bunnies we passed were not in the least bit startled by trotting horses. I suppose they’ve seen their share of horses, without any consequence. The jackrabbits in my neck of the woods bolt at the slightest provocation, but unlike the bunnies in Ireland, they are hunted by coyotes.

Something happened after our ride that further convinced me I must spend more than two weeks in Ireland next time… while waiting for my taxi, a lady, and who I would guess to be her daughter, approached me and asked me if I needed a ride somewhere. What gracious hospitality! Kindness toward tourists was a theme across Ireland. Courteous people with witty tongues. A place where I could happily blend.

I learned that one can apply for citizenship if they have a grandparent born in Ireland. I would give it a go, but my last native-born grandparent left a few generations ago. Darn!

Carriage ride through part of Killarney National Park (video updated from original post):

The driver was a funny one. Another common theme across Ireland. I sat up front with another lady (she on the right and me on the left). The Driver said he couldn’t sit in between us; he’d get too excited. She scooted toward me, then whispered, you’re safe now. We both had a laugh. Later, when I asked him what his favorite thing to do in Killarney was, he smiled then said, “Drink two pints.”

Except for random Sunday photos, I am nearing the end of my virtual Irish tour. Thanks for joining! Michele

Click cover to preview the first of my Being a Woman Collections, featuring my poem, “My Curves.”

my video and images (Kylemore Abbey horses and Muckross House carriages, Ireland) / photo of me taken by stable guide

© 2023 MyInspiredLife