Elizabeth Rawls's Blog, page 10

#poem inspired by The Falconer series

“What Could Have Been”

A sad smile as the snowflakes fall
Is all that I’m left with as he turns to leave,
As he drifts into the shadows
And the darkness swallows him whole.

What could have been
What would have been
If we’d had a chance
If we’d had a longer life to share
We can never know.
The world is falling apart around us
And we must make a sacrifice to save it
Forfeit our lives so that others may have a future.
And though I am willing to do this
For all those I hold dear,
I can’t help but...

A Little Healthier, 3 Things I’m Doing In 2018

I can’t believe 2018 is already here! And what better way to start it off than with healthy tips that will make us feel better and more energized? I know I sure need it after dealing with the whirlwind that was 2017 and the loss of four dear people in my life. So, without further ado and to steer away from sad topics, here are three healthy things I’ve learned and that I’ll be doing this new year!

How the Bottle Tricked Me:

For years I’d been wondering why extra virgin olive oil made me feel...

In Remembrance

Another loved one has departed this year, just after Christmas, my grandma Nancy. This is dedicated to her:

“In Remembrance”

Sweet and thoughtful,
Always there to give an encouraging word,
Never harsh, even to those who were unkind
But wanting peace and love for all peoples.

A lover of nature,
When she looked out the window
She saw the beauty of God’s creation,
The good and wonderful things of His world.
The birds and squirrels she loved to watch
As they played about the yard.
She’d tell me s...

The Story Behind Gingerbread Houses, and Tales of the Gingerbread Man!

Gingerbread has been around for a looong time. We’re talking way, way back to the days of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, where it took on a different form and meaning than it has today. Back then it was used for religious practices, baking the tough bread into various shapes and symbols of their culture’s religion. Later in 992, when an Armenian monk brought the idea over to Europe, people began baking gingerbread there in the shapes of saints and other Christian symbols. But it wasn’t unt...

Frozen Garden by E.E. Rawls – Day 11 Advent 2017

Today I’m a guest over at Solveig Werner’s blog, as part of her annual Advent Calendar! Every day in December there is a new blog post relating to the Christmas season and winter-time. My contribution is this poem.

Solveig Werner

Frozen Garden by E.E. Rawls Day 11 Advent 2017

“Frozen Garden”

I stand in the snow
In the garden that has turned into a world of white.
All is silent
No birds, no singing crickets
Nothing but the tiny bubbling of a frozen creak
As its waters battle to flow beneath t...

The #Writing Ritual Tag

The lovely Galit Balli tagged me to answer this series of fun questions related to writing habits. Thank you, Galit! Let’s dive in!

When do you write? (time of day, day of week)

So far it’s been a few hours in the evening and several more in the night. The house is calm during those times, creating the right atmosphere to concentrate. Also, the fact that it’s dark outside the windows helps keep me from being distracted.

The Dead’s Mistakes #poem #flashfiction

I pause on the little stone bridge
That overlooks the brook.
The water passes beneath the arch of stones
Gurgling over pebbles and bubbling past weeds.
I listen to the voice of the brook
A voice that has lived much longer than I have,
A voice that has witnessed days of gladness
And days of sorrow
Times of celebration and times of horror,
A long history in the town of Salem.
I watch as dappled sunlight dances across the brook
Like sprites made of spun water and air,
And I wonder what stories i...

The Handwriting Challenge

To be honest it’s been a long time since I’ve put pen in hand to write anything longer than a note. I’m a type-everything-on-the-computer gal, so my pen writing skills need some brushing up on!

Thank you to Nandini over at Unputdownable Books for nominating me for the Handwriting Challenge! In this blog hop, participants write down the answers to a series of questions on paper, then take a photo of the paper and share it on their blog post for everyone to see what their handwriting looks like...

The Science Of Sleep, from the NPR Fresh Air Podcast

I always knew Mother said to get enough sleep. But other than to avoid being cranky and drowsy like a zombie the next morning, I didn’t get what the big deal was. But the reason our bodies need sleep is more complicated than just a matter of having energy the next day. In fact, it’s a very fascinating and complex science.

Did you know that when you sleep, your brain picks and chooses which memories it’s going to keep and which ones it will throw away?

Did you know that your brain has a sewage...

#poem “Can There Be A Way?”

I look out a window at the tree that grows too close to the power lines
A gorgeous oak tree, vibrant and strong.
But it must be cut down,
Because of this increasingly claustrophobic, industrial world
There’s little room for nature to grow.
Pavement replaces soil
Streetlamps replace trees
Stars are blinded out by false lights
Trash collects and grows in place of grass
The wonders of nature are slowly replaced by unfeeling, dead things.
I look for the berry bush where the robins used to nest
I...