Happy 21st Birthday Alex

" If you carry your childhood with you,

you will never become older."

by Abraham Sutzkever

January

Yesterday the sun was out

and it was bitterly cold.

I sat at my art table

feeling the sun warm my face.

Today it is up to 20 degrees

but it is very grey.

I mean very grey.

It is the dreaded " cold in your bones "

grey that New Englanders know all too well.

Even the dogs don't want to go out.....

A tufted titmouse flits about

on the branches of the birch tree,

pecking away at the branches.

For what? Bugs?

How could little bugs survive

in temps plummeting well below zero, I wonder.

It is hard enough for these tiny little birds,

their feathers puffed up against the cold.

What must it be like for anything smaller?

These are the thoughts of a lucky girl

living a life in a warm house.

Today I do not wish I were a bird.

Though flying somewhere warm doesn't sound bad.

I do not wish for anything in particular.

Well actually I do.

The sun would be good.

Goldens in Winter

Orchid in a winter blizzard

I watched you fall in love

I watched you fall in love

on a cold and cloudy day in January.

I knew the awe that struck you

the quiet that overcame you

the stillness in your heart.

I watched you stand transfixed

on the top of that dune

your eyes feasting on the colors of the winter beach

inky blue, wheat, slate grey, grey blue

and the yellowy pinks of the sun setting in the winter sky.

I watched you fall in love

and as I watched you

I received a sacred gift.

I love you sweet boy!

Falling in love

Communication

The other day as I was leaving the library I ran into an artist acquaintance; she rode toward me on an old fashioned bike wearing a stylish beret. It was frigid out yet she seemed impervious. She looked healthy and chic and alive. We chatted a bit and both agreed it would be great to get together for coffee. I told her I would email her and she said " Oh no, I hate email! Why don't you just call me." I chuckled to myself. Lately I've been thinking about how easy and how complicated reaching out has become. One friend likes email, another only replies to texts, my friend from school replies to facebook messages and never returns phone messages. Texting is the best bet with my beloved boys. Most of my ex students will respond to fb messages and when I asked a group of Alex's friends most agreed phone first and then chatting on fb. With so many ways to communicate it's hard to keep track of who likes what. I still like the phone . It's the most personal. After that texting as it's fast and gets the best results with my boys.

Now my pups, Teddy and Jamie don't like any of the above. They're easy. All I have to say is "Want to go for a woodsy ?' They always answer with a big smile, wild wag and then they bound for the door. I like that, it's easy!