12.31.2013

Restoration


Tomorrow I’ll post my favorite Christmas bread recipe! Just a few end of year thoughts for now. 


1/6/13
Epiphany. Stripping the house of colored lights,
Christmas tins nestled among tissue,
the last of the candy canes crushed or eaten.
Presents unwrapped and stockings folded
the past year slides off gently
the bright egg still smooth, still whole.

1/28/13
sometimes it’s easier to write about
the brilliance of nothing.
the missed connections
that out of the blue feel fatal.
mary oliver, send me a bright parrot
with your words held in its mouth,
write the melancholy for me
so I can speak only of the light.
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Resolutions…I know we’re all familiar with writing them! What is it, an average 8% success rate or something? I definitely don’t have any claim on resolution keeping – the only one I remember from last year was a lofty (!) goal of a poem a day. That happened for January and a some random days in-between (above).

Honestly, I think often we’re too hard on ourselves. Resolutions are usually black and white always this and never that/this many times per week/overarching life changes. Embracing small is something I know I’ve struggled with this past year.

So I’m proposing life restoration practices for resolution starters this year. Just a few I'm thinking on...I want to restore my relationship with writing – restore being active more often after getting over an injury – restore and strengthen eating mindfully & restore taking more time to breathe and be slow.

Happy, happy New Year’s everyone!!
xoxo
Jenny

2 comments:

  1. Oh, amen to all of that--especially the writing part! Reading and writing much more. Academic texts are all that I seriously write lately and that's something I really want to change in 2014.

    My other resolutions also include mindfulness and just more unplugging in general, turning things off and appreciating, then just being. Also, when I *am* plugged in, I'm going to start watching anything I can with Swedish subtitles--the easiest, laziest way to improve your language skills!

    Have the very best new year, Jenny!

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    1. Hallelujah. It's so refreshing to tap back into poetry writing after so many essays! I love the unplugging idea. I might have to try the subtitles thing too :)

      Hope you had a fantastic new year's too Jenna!

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