Haiku My Heart: Storm

Haiku My Heart

"Strong Against the Storm" © 2017 Meri Arnett-Kremian/MeriMagic

like a sentinel

she stands, feet firmly planted

strong against the storm

Nail Biting

Some experts claim that nail biters suffer from anxiety

and that the act of biting your nails reduces anxiety levels.

Others think it's just habit.

And that could be. . .  because for me,

it's so ingrained that I rarely realize I'm doing it.

I've tried painting on the nasty tasting stuff.

Getting artificial nails.

With the fake nails, I just start picking at any loose spots

and eventually strip them all off,

taking the top layers of my nails with it.

The few times I've fought the urge

and finally grew them out to the ends of my fingers

(or even beyond), my nails are really soft

and tear and break so easily that I give up

and go back to the raggedy, bitten look.

Whatever the etiology,

maybe it's not something I'll change in this lifetime.

What intractable habits bedevil you?

Haiku My Heart: Insight

Haiku My Heart

butterflies alight

resting on her heart, eyes, hands

integrated sight

Graffiti Urges

I know it's a scourge to property owners

who are often required by local laws

to cover it up at their own expense,

but I have to admit that well-executed

and imaginative graffiti intrigues me.

But I express my urges

in a nice, polite, digital form.

Love Stuffing

I must admit that I think I've drifted

to some far, far shore

in a Land of Lovelessness.

When I hear the "Be My. . . " part

of Be My Valentine,

I just think of Mr. Rogers

and "Won't you be my neighbor?"

I think somewhere along the line,

all the love stuffing 

got pulled out of me.

Wonders of Nature # 1

Isn't Nature mind-blowing?

Full Moon

It might have been the full moon

and the penumbral eclipse

(which I couldn't really see 

because the eclipse was too close

to moon rise here in the Puget Sound region,

so the moon was still dallying behind 

a curtain of Douglas firs)

that had me remembering

my first trip to Paris.

Springtime in Paris.

A lover's dream.

I've celebrated Midsummer's Night

in Paris.

Not much interested in winter in Paris.

I'd rather winter in Provence.

But October in Paris. . . .

that sounds lovely.

With a side trip to Burgundy and Champagne.

Haven't seen those regions yet.

Let's raise a glass to exploring

old and new places to love.

Art Journal Pages: Hope and Love

It must be the incipient arrival of Valentine's Day

that makes me hopeful and thinking of love.

Its power. Its ability to inspire.

Its steadiness.

Art Journal Page

Two important messages.

They might be related.

Wow.

This Woman Believes No. 1

Compassion.

Kindness.

Seeking to understand.

All these flow from love.

Abstract No. 42

"If I choose abstraction over reality, it is because I consider it the lesser chaos." 

-Robert Brault

Stuck in the Middle

  Stuck in the Middle with You

Could U.S. politics get any crazier?

I hope not.

Overwhelmed?

Regroup.

Recharge.

Redirect, even.

But keep on keepin' on.

The world needs your energy,

your vision, your dedication.

Abstract No. 43

I'm drawn to this color palette. . . 

soft blues and greens,

punched up with some hot pink, peach, and yellows.

And then bold black/charcoal for a counterpoint.

Abstract No. 43

Digital Abstracts

On those rare occasions that I paint these days,

I'm drawn to abstraction.

(Notice I didn't say I drive myself

to distraction.)

There's something about the power of color

and form and line that has a purity 

that's somehow diminished

by introducing representation into the mix,

at least to my way of thinking.

I've been drawn to creating abstract pieces

on Polyvore lately, as well.

Here's one such piece.

I called it

wait for it. . . .

You are Art.

I hate being predictable.

More to Follow.

No Going Back

There comes a tipping point

for every individual

when they've committed themselves

to speaking out

to doing what makes them a little fearful

to shining their divine light

into the darkness of complacency

or ignorance or willful blindness

and there's no going back

to the safety of the cocoon.

More Art Journaling

I bought Rebecca Solnit's book
Men Explain Things to Me
for my Kindle.

That little digital marvel
is making the time I spend 
on the Octane exercise bike
go faster.

Not very far into it,
but I know what she means.

Too many men feel compelled to explain things to women
(us poor addled creatures that don't know nuthin)
even when they don't have the foggiest idea
of what they speak
and we may be experts on the topic.

Did I mention
I rarely date?

Roses

At Judkins Park during the pre-March rally,

there was a young man with cloth bags

full of long-stemmed roses of all colors,

some even multicolored.

He was offering them to people who went by.

Most declined. Not all.

Some carried these little works of beauty with them.

Don't know who he was, but thanks.

It was one of the moments of delight I experienced.

And that's no small thing.

Narya Marcille poster, available on etsy.
Just search for the Women's March poster.
I just bought one.

The Day After the Women's March

The Women's March in Seattle.

January 21, 2017.

On a beautiful January day in the Puget Sound region.

People inspired to work for change 

on issues near and dear to their hearts.

People willing to be the change

they want to see in the world.

People who believe in compassion, inclusion, stewardship of the earth, that black lives have often not mattered as much as they should in this society, that health care access and affordable care

are essential in modern society, that different doesn't mean diminished value, that love between two adult people should be honored and their marriage legal even if they aren't a traditional heterosexual couple, that diversity strengthens our country

because it offers new perspectives and ideas.

No every marcher subscribed to every opinion expressed.

But there was room in the protest tent for expression,

honoring the person even if not agreeing with the message.

Seattle's a city that somehow encourages expression 

and giving new ideas sturdy legs.

And when women come together to plan a demonstration,

it's most likely to unfold without violence,

with no arrests, just as yesterday did.

Above all, I hope it's a city

where demonstrators understand that

this is just a beginning.

Pick an issue.

Get to work.

Recipe for Creating Change

I'm supporting the Women's March for Change

in D.C. and cities around the country.

I think it makes the good old boys nervous

to see women who are angry

and saying no to power.

But marching isn't enough.

It may have put pressure on the US government

to end the war in Southeast Asia

decades ago

(that, plus the fact that by the mid-sixties

almost everyone in the country had a television set

tuned to the nightly news

showing reporters embedded with troops

and presenting a less rosy picture

than the official government blather).

Times have changed

in the intervening decades.

 Spending a day marching isn't enough.

The sophistication of Tea Party tactics

must be co-opted and used to promote

a different, inclusive agenda.

One that says

we won't put up with policies

that promote the 1%

and leave the rest of us adrift.

What we need is targeted,

effective action.

Lots of it.

Day in and day out.

Not for four years

or eight years,

but until those of us who marched

in the 60s

are all dead and buried.

Educate yourself on what works now.

Find allies.

Collaborate.

Work hard,

but don't forget to dance

and laugh and play.

You need to recharge your batteries

so you don't lose power.

And remember to follow this

recipe for creating change.

Hippies, Peaceniks and Activists

Access to health care is threatened.

Social Security and Medicare are under attack.

Whether or not you voted for Mr. Trump or not,

these issues affect you or someone you love. . . 

a parent or grandparent, 

a college graduate who hasn't found a job.

Someone with a pre-existing condition who will be

uninsurable, like before "Obamacare."

Like someone who's had a catastrophic health crisis

and has incurred equivalent medical costs

so they've max-ed out their lifetime limit. . . 

which the Affordable Care Act did away with.

You may worry about climate change and the obliteration of species

after species and the climate change deniers who are now holding

the reins of power.

You may be adamant about protecting water,

banning GMO's, taxpayer-funded corporate handouts,

the plight of the homeless.

The dismal state of education.

The cost of college tuition.

You may be non-white, or non-straight, or not native born

and worry your rights will be abridged in this climate

of "us vs. them."

All legitimate concerns

given the rhetoric of the alt-right.

The folks that believe that equality is relative

and might makes right.

For everyone gobsmacked by the election outcome -- 

stop spending your energy ranting.

I'm not telling you to get over it,

I'm saying it's time to get on with it.

Staying stuck in fear and grief

immobilizes you at a time

our country is threatened by inaction

in the face of goings-on that threaten your values.

Pick an issue, educate yourself

 on what actions have positive impact,

 find and mobilize allies,

 and get to work. 

That's how we become the change

 we want to see in the world. 

Yes we can!

Haiku My Heart: Pomegranate

Haiku My Heart

a pomegranate

symbol of fertility

bursting with ripe seeds

Of Course

Art Journaling # 7

When I created this piece last night

and wrote

"into every life a little rain must fall"

I was thinking metaphorically.

Little did I know that when I went to the mailbox

this morning to retrieve the books that I'd ordered

I'd be totally soaked from driving rain.

Dripping!

Drenched!

Took a half hour of dryer time 

to correct the situation --

coat and shoes both.

But hey

I still stand by the claim that

Love is the Only Rule.

More Post Secrets: Cautionary Tale

Sometimes we can only learn the hard way.

We ignore red flags.

We minimize stinging comments and say

"He/she didn't really mean it."

But guess what.

Being alone isn't so bad, 

as long as you don't take up

where that other person left off

in the emotional abuse department.

More Art Journaling

You may feel lost

because of the state of U.S. politics

and all the chaos and confusion.

Don't worry.

There's plenty of inspiration.

Your story isn't over yet.

Detours

We all find ourselves confronted
from time to time
by detours in our life.

We think things will happen one way,
but reality is something else altogether.
So we're off down an unfamiliar road,
griping about what isn't
as much as what is
because we were really attached
(and still are) to the outcome
we imagined.

Learning to love what is
seems like one of the hardest things
a grown-up has to master. . . .
but it's all a matter of realizing
that 
you can't believe everything you think.

Haiku My Heart: Venice

Haiku My Heart

gondolas rocking

vaparetto passing by

Venice awakens

Up, Up and Away

Have you ever been up, up, and away

in a beautiful balloon?

Once

long ago

in a galaxy

far, far away

my spouse

arranged a hot air balloon ride

and champagne picnic afterwards.

The couple that went with us --

 a business client and his wife --

we kind enough to not tell us

that they'd been on a hot air balloon excursion previously

and that they'd crash landed.

We touched down with only a jolt or two

and the chase car was waiting 

to transport us to our feast.

Somewhere in my memory box

there's a small photo album to commemorate

that birthday.

That spouse is now planning parties

for wife # 3.

That's my story.

Follow Your Heart

As for

"Just Give Me Time and I'll Get Over You,"

yes, and no.

Getting over someone who blew your little heart to bits

isn't just a matter of time,

it's a matter of forgiveness.

Not because he or she deserves it,

but because you do.

And you deserve to forgive yourself, too.

For loving someone that cheated,

or took advantage,

or walked away.

Consider it exercising your heart muscles

and find someone who deserves the love

you have to give abundantly.

As for 

"Follow Your Heart,"

well. . . .

that should go without saying.

Use your brain, your powers of thought,

to figure out how to move yourself

to where your heart beckons.

I have a special mug

with the phrase "Listen to your heart"
written on the inside lip,

so I see it when I sip my morning cuppa chai.

It's a replacement mug,

as someone accidentally broke the first.

It was out of production when that happened

and it took me a year of scouring the web

and discovering a couple of shady vendors on Amazon market

(who Amazon has since dealt with)

and continuing to persevere in spite of that

and finally,

finally

I found an online vendor not too far from home

that brought this ceramic chalice to my door.

I guess you might say

I followed my heart to the "oh, I missed you" mug.