A Poem a Day: a Series – Day 40

Day 40: “Feelings of Happiness”


The fall feels like Christmas to me

which feels like happiness

so does watching “You’ve Got Mail” any time but especially at Christmastime

and so does watching “Practical Magic” in October

and “One Tree Hill” and “Gilmore Girls” in September through early December


New York City when I was younger felt like taking a full breath

and strutting down the street

in a rom com

after you met the love of your life

now, it still feels that way but less naive

like the end of “How to Be Single” when she tells the taxi driver she wants to go home and he says, “I don’t know where you live, lady!”


Reading on a rainy day

listening to the thunder and seeing the lightning

feels like summer growing up

and like watching “Twilight”

and like reading “The Hunger Games” for the first time

and then watching it for the first time in theaters

jumping when the mutts chased Katniss and Peeta through the arena toward the cornucopia


A sunny morning walk

feels like Sunday

making pancakes

and cuddling

a trip to a coffee shop

walking by a park filled with dogs

like listening to “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson

and “A Sunday Kind of Love” by Etta James

and “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5


Watching snow fall

feels like being a child again

beautiful

peaceful

like listening to “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones

like I’ll get to miss school tomorrow


Those are all things that make me

unbelievably

and irrevocably

happy


I love that feeling


I wish it was the fall

Don’t you just love New York in the fall?

A Poem a Day: a Series – Day 39

Day 39: “Manifestation”


When I was 8

my ex-stepsister (at the time she was my stepsister, but she’s not anymore)

had a stuffed cat that was curled into a sleeping ball

the cat was brown with black markings

and when you put batteries in it,

it breathed

its stomach would rise and fall

and it would purr

I loved that thing


When I was 9

I heard a kitten crying in our tree out front

I waited

and finally

she ran out from under to the house next door

she had beautiful black markings

part bengal, we found out later

I fed her and my ex-stepdad (he was my stepdad at the time, but he’s not anymore)

said we could keep her


Now she’s 14

living with me and my partner

when I feel lonely

I cuddle with her

and lay my head on her stomach as it rises and falls with her breath

and she purrs

that’s what peace feels like


then she gets annoyed with me

and gets up to leave me

but first,

I hug her

and kiss her

and tell her I love her

A Poem a Day: a Series – Day 37

Day 37: “Stuck”


Grieving the living

Is its own kind of fuckery


A younger me

Remembers the good

The fun

And how to survive

How to placate

How to not cause problems


The older me

Has had the veil removed from my eyes

Knows the ways he affected me

Knows the pain

Can label the fear


But can hear his voice

Invalidating me

And the way he affected me

Making me the bad guy


But the scary part is

Part of me believes him

A Poem a Day: a Series – Day 35

Day 35: “The Me’s That Are Me”


There’s sleepy me

And awake me

Not to be confused with tired me

Or alert me

There’s the me that is happy

The me that is sad

Not to be confused with excited me

Or melancholic me

There’s ready me

And planner me

Go go go me

And steady me

There’s upbeat me

And nervous me

Not to be confused with positive me

Or anxious me

Right now I’m sleepy me

I wonder what me I’ll be in the morning

A Poem a Day: a Series – Day 32

Day 32: “A Formula for Networking”


Hi

How are you?

*shake hand*


[Wait for response]


My name is [insert name]

And I work for [insert company]

We are a [talk about company]


[Wait for introduction]


It’s so great to meet you!

What are you thinking of the conference so far?


[Wait for response]


Me too!

I really enjoy [input new tidbit here]


[Wait for response]


So what do you like about your job?

[Or] how long have you worked at [insert company name]?

[Or] what are you working on?


[Wait for answer]


[Continue meaningful conversation]

[Continue meaningful conversation]


*Conversation fades*

*Turn around*

*Spot someone new*


[Repeat]

A Poem a Day: a Series – Day 31

Day 31: “On Feeling Misunderstood”


Everyone hates feeling misunderstood

Why?

Why is it a collective experience?


An inkling of confusion

Sets off your temper

Annoyance and frustration

Seep into your tone


In a snap

A question

Becomes a curse


When I was young

Sitting at the family dinner table

Everyone would talk and talk and talk

And if could get a word in

No one was listening anyway


I felt unheard

Misunderstood

Undervalued

Unworthy


I guess I know why I hate feeling misunderstood

It takes me back to a feeling of not being listened to

Not worthy of being listened to

Not worthy of being understood


But that can’t be everyone’s experience


What’s yours?