Waking up
To darkness
Filled the day with dread
Sombre
Contemplation
Filled her living room
Thoughts of tomorrow
Same ol’, same ol’
Hope too far to see
Thankful
For digital distractions
Turning minds to mush
Breaking the numbness,
The sun began to rise
Oh! So round and bright!
One hundred & eight
Minutes of glorious sunshine
…phonecall from a friend
rays of true friendship
always pierce november skies
set her heart aglow
© tournesol ’2021/11/13
Daily Moments – November 13 2021 November rain
untold futures so many changes, scent of decay necessary losses autumn leaves waving like there’s no tomorrow… unknown destinies.. are they really? darkness looms ever so cunning coloured leaves giving notions of joy, and yet, life’s on pause… trees shedding life- one by one… on a sheet of rot children unaware seeing only beauty prancing, giggling jumping into piles staring at the sky until they’re all packed stuffed in paper bags carted off -- interred some buried in their gardens rest through the winter bringing life to earth in the spring how I love the different shades this bittersweet season the freshness of the air and yet, the scent of death pierces my soul my joints scream my heart is heavy… wondering if spring will ever come again… ©cheryl-lynn 2021/09/21 Daily Moment Muse – Free Verse
Daily Moments - September 21 2021...the wind was blowing and the curtains were covering my screen and this is what my muse picked up. wind in my face ~ Troiku a new form of haiku created by Chevrefeuille at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai flaming Flamenco dancing feverishly my lace curtains flaming Flamenco filled with heat and seasons summer loves end dancing feverishly like the last race to the finish line my lace curtains waving faintly adieu © Tournesol 2021/09/21
Yellow lines forming
leaves of the elm tree
autumn’s warning
yellow lines forming
open to a new season
falling leaves
leaves of the elm tree
shading my living room
holding my secrets
autumn’s warning
bare branches will soon
colour me naked
© tournesol’2021-09-03
(Troiku is a new form of haiku created by Chevrefeuille at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai)
Nature weeps – (free verse and haiku)
written after reading the untruths of Rhéal Forest in Manitoba – a man of the cloth
…and I cried
I listened with apprehension
to a man of the cloth
not! a man of God
because a man of God
does not judge
a man of God loves
unconditionally
and I listened
my mouth agape
this man filled
with self-righteousness
callous and vindictive
defending other men and women
of the cloth
and the more he professed
his twisted truths
I cried…
and the more I imagined
those who do not want to believe
and judge and blame the victims
I cried…
and the man of the cloth
spoke with a twisted tongue
filled with venom
like a snake…
and I cried…
for the first brothers and sisters
of their native land
who have nourished this land
and taught us how to survive
where grand-maman fed my mother
where my mother fed her children
and where I fed my children and their children
I struck my chest
with my fist
again and again and again
and I cried…
for the untruths
from this man
of the cloth
who is not a man of God
and I cried…
© cheryl-lynn ‘2021/07/30
(troiku) a new form of Haiku
leaves flutter
gentle breeze underneath
blossoms shudder
leaves flutter
speaking softly
fledglings nestle
gentle breeze underneath
vibrant colours
sway
blossoms shudder
nature
cries softly
© Tournesol ‘2021/7/30
Daily moments July 30 2021
On the 2nd day of summer, a baby girl was born. I wonder why they did not call her Summer but of course it did not translate well in French. And so, Colombe (Dove in English) was born. She was planned, so I hear from stories from my GrandMaman, on one Sunday afternoon. How did they manage to have the house to themselves and what on earth was on their minds, coming from Sunday mass?
My grandparents had a flat on the 2nd floor of City Hall at the time, because my grandfather was Chief of Police.
My grandmother often said that out of all the children there was always one that was chosen to take care of their parents in their old age. My grandmother used to call Colombe, “Mon baton de veillesse’’ (old aged stick…which really means ‘old age crutch’.)
But you must remember in those days in 1925, good Catholic families prohibited from family planning…this baby was planned. GrandMaman used to say a baby planned on a Sunday was ‘’un bébé d’amour’’ …I am not sure love child means the same thing.
And so June 22, 1926, Colombe was born…the fourth child, the middle child of seven. Of course this was a small family compared to other good Catholic families back then. My grandmother was fortunate to have learned young, as a midwife, when a woman ovulated…and so she found her way to plan her family despite the sin she may have committed.
I wonder how they spoke about this plan coming home from Sunday mass.
Mother: I think it’s time to plan for a child that will take care of us in our old age.
Father: Okay [with a twinkle in his eye and skip in his step.]
Mother: Yes, this afternoon would be a good time while the children are at the cottage.
Father: I aim to please, my love.
I don’t know if she carried her to term of 40 weeks, so I imagine this discourse took place sometime in September or early October…oh my! I wonder if it was on my Grandmother’s birthday, October 13th….[rushing to check 1925 calendar…okay, so let’s add a bit of imagination to this story]
On October 11, 1925, GrandPapa asked his spouse what she wanted for her birthday October 13th. And that was her present! I bet GrandPapa wished he could gift her like that more often…[chuckles]
Colombe certainly became a special “baton”…when her little brother was only one, he had TB and she had to quit school having completed Grade 9 to take care of him for two years while he had a body cast.
From there she later went to Montreal at Hairdressing school at Morgan’s (The Bay). She stayed at her sister’s who had a baby and a toddler and became a live in Nanny when she was not in school because her sister like to wine and dine with the rich and famous and her husband.
She never really got to live life on her own freely…and when she met my father, who was auditing a company in her small town, they married six months later.
I’m glad she did because I wouldn’t be here today .There is a story to tell on that day forward but suffice to say the best part was having moi and my sister, right? [smiles]
She was an amazing daughter, friend, spouse, sister, mother and the most loving and fun Nanny as well. I am so glad my children have fond memories of her.
Happy Birthday, Mom. Even in heaven, I bet there is some heavenly celebration you so deserve.
autumn love sowing seeds in fertile ground June blossoms thrive autumn love embryo warm and safe winter womb sowing seeds in fertile ground praying for a good harvest faith, hope and love June blossoms thrive Creator’s love in abundance reaping virtues © Tournesol ‘2021/06/22 P.S. Dear Mom. Please sprinkle your magic down here tonight so the Montreal Canadiens can beat the Vegas Golden Knights. Daily Moments – Happy Birthday Mom - Troibun
at the seashore wind of summer through my hair the shortest night © Chèvrefeuille At the seashore Roar of rolling waves Squeals of excitement Wind of summer through my hair Toes quickly turning blue Summertime in Maine The shortest night after honouring fathers summer solsltice © Tournesol ‘2021/06/20 Written for Carpe Diem 1845, a troiku about summertime.
Today was the big day!! Yep, my daughter was kind enough to take time off her busy work day to pick me up and drive me to get my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. It’s done! I feel fine and so grateful it is over…thankful to my daughter and every person working or volunteering in this project.
Okay, that is now but last night I was worried. I had a sore throat for the past two days and a sinus headache last night. I have chronic rhinitis and some allergies so all this is NORMAL but when you are getting an important vaccine, your mind plays tricks on you…especially if you are a worry wart.
So I got up at 4am and called the health line and the nurse said I should be fine. I mentioned that I heard you are not supposed to take Tylenol the morning of the vaccination and asked if I could take Advil…she had not heard about this but mentioned that Advil has more side effects and did not recommend it. I took care of my throat and sinuses with salt and a good rinse a few times, then honey/lemon drops. Yeah, that worked! I know I was being silly but the mind does what the mind wants sometimes.
By the time I got to the centre which is an old Loblaws (grocer) building, I walked in the building and waited my turn at the gate. There were 5 lines. I never saw so many old people in one spot….haha, yeah, it was like looking at me, times 500. There were more single people than couples. I mention this only because a couple told me a few weeks ago how they were shocked about this. I had never really noticed that. Of course it depends where you are in your own life.
As I waited at the glass door for my turn to get through the glass door and register, I saw all the stations, and rows and rows of people…my heart started pounded, my throat tightened and I struggled to breathe. The more I paid attention to what was going on in my body, the harder it was to breathe. I quickly scolded myself…telling myself, “Okay, stop it! Now count 5 things you can see…keep looking at what you can actually see!!” I never got to what I hear or smell…just grounding myself with instructions to myself to articulate in my mind each item I could see and my breathing returned. Nothing like trying to practice what you preach…and it works!
As I entered, I was told to remove my mask and with cooking thongs, the person gave me a new surgical mask. Then I was told to get in the line and follow. I was relieved to see there were markers that were 2 metres apart. The couple behind me kept moving closer…I looked over my shoulder a few times and they got the message…well, okay, the last time I did look, I gave them “the Mother Look”. Haha, I think the man got it and told his partner. I realize when you are with another person, chatting, you can lose track of the distancing. But let’s face it, we still have to be careful, and I think I will remain a bit strict in that area for a long time to come.
One of my pet peeves pre-pandemic times are people who hover too close to you standing in line especially at the cash register when I am paying. It really irks me! I would turn my back to them in the past…now I have found the courage to say, “Could you back up please” and if they stay put, I will add, “Back up! have a little respect for others. My space is also protecting you.” I guess this is one thing the pandemic has taught me, to assert myself and when that doesn’t work…be a bit little aggressive. Before I would sigh out of frustration or once on my own, cry and be sad that there are some people who just don’t care about others.
I realize that is a generalization and that some are just so covid fatigued, apathy has instilled and depression…so I know I need to be aware of that when asking to respect the 2-metre space.
By the time I got to register for the actual vaccine, I asked the gentleman which one was I getting and he ticked off “Pfizer”…yay!! then I moved on to another person to answer questions about my health etc an in no time I was sitting at the station. A lovely lady introduced herself giving me her name and profession…she is a pharmacist. I asked her questions I was concerned about and she was patient and did not rush me off. Then I moved on to the section to sit and wait for 15 minutes. During that time a gentleman came over to ask for my vaccination“receipt” and added the date of my next vaccination in July…and voilà! As I waited the 15 minutes, my daughter texted me to ask if I was ok. I love her so much for caring and bringing me here and waiting. I know she is very busy with her work as a manager and teenage boys, but she did not complain. I texted her to tell her I was going out to wait and the sun was glorious! Many people were sitting waiting for their rides and the man next to me had pulled down his mask and was coughing…hmmm, not too bright…so I moseyed on away from him a good 20 feet!
I feel so fortunate having adult children who care…taking time away from their busy schedule to drive Mom around for something like this. However, I do look forward to my 2nd dose so I can jump on the bus, rent a car and get around…drop by to visit them rather than they coming to pick me up. Covid has aged my habits by a good 15 years, meaning, no longer driving (since I do not own a vehicle) and afraid to take public transit to get around and taking the bus to the car rental place. I say aged because I know my kids worry about me due to my lack of mobility as well for my health.
I have spasms of weeping for a few seconds most days worrying about our future but they are short lived. I can talk myself out of negativity. Talking to a few friends and of course family and virtual chats with my grand-daughter uplifts me all the time. I find myself closer in many ways to my children and have grown even closer to my friend/soul sister 650 kms away. It IS so important to connect with a few people who you can laugh, bitch, cry and laugh with, at the drop of a hat.
I have indulged in too much screen time but watching so many medical shows that are American, I feel so fortunate to be living in a country where we all pitch in to pay that little extra on our paycheques so we can benefit with free health care no matter who you are. Sure a few private clinics have surfaced due to the high demand but people who have insurance and/or can afford this …fine. I know I can walk into a hospital and not worry about being charged anything except for a private room maybe but other than that, I do not have to put off getting medical attention because I don’t have a better insurance coverage or am not wealthy. I never had to wait until I was 65 in order to get any kind of health coverage. So, yeah, I feel blessed living here.
I am thankful I still can work part time from home, eat well, (well, maybe too much these days) and live in a comfortable condo with all the amenities I need in walking distance.
I can’t wait for things to open up so I can slowly prepare for retirement…to explore more passions where I can volunteer…maybe find one or two places for diversity. I am not ready to stop until I know I can stay active.
plants forming buds others are late bloomers still… feel the movement life is slowly awakening beauty once again © tournesol ‘2021-04-08
Waiting My new specialty Tic toc Waiting Filling time With joy My new specialty Sending joy to special friends Homemade greeting cards Tic toc Go with the flow… And heartbeat © tournesol ‘2021-03-17
Wishful thinking or curse?
Are there times in your life you felt that years were passing you by and you just wished it would slow down? Ah yes, I too remember those days.
Wishing time To stop for a while So you can catch up Watch out! Be careful what you wish for Corona reruns © Tournesol ‘2021-03-09
Tournesol dans un Jardin 