into the deep

Happy New Year! I rang in 2012 by writing, which is—for me—the most auspicious way to start the year. I was actually annoyed by the thunderous fireworks in the nearby park and had to remind myself that not everyone craves silence on new year's eve. How was I keeping watch? Coldplay was performing live on PBS; I had watched Afro-punk earlier in the evening. I finally set the computer on my lap and got down to business: Nyla's story is tentatively called The Deep; like Ship of Souls it will have fifteen chapters and about 30K words. Right now I've got nearly 6K words written; I've mapped out the chapters, named my cast of characters…I'm on my way!

Finally, I wrote these words back when I used to make my own Xmas cards; last year I posted them on my blog and that post has been getting a lot of hits as of late so I thought I'd repost this wish today:

May you have

a resilient spirit,

and a compassionate heart,

the desire to heal,

and the will to forgive.

May you never exhaust

your capacity for kindness.

May you always find peace

in your home and in your mind.

May your eyes be awake

to the beauty all around you.

May your ears be tuned

to the hush of falling snow.

May your arms always be ready

to embrace those needing comfort,

and may even the simplest blessings

fill your heart with gratitude.

I wish you joy, health, and prosperity—

for this season, and for the new year.

~ ZE