Fireflies in a Jar

Kerry over in the Imaginary Garden gave us a beautiful prompt.  We are to write a poem based on prose or poems we may have collected that move us.  Kerry keeps her in what she calls a Firefly Jar. 

 © Kerry O’Connor

I use to gather quotes and write sentences that moved me, tuck them in my journal. I even saved  fortune cookie sayings, too.  I collected words that made me sigh and gasp with wonder, words that  touched me so much, I wanted to captured them, contain them. Yes, like Kerry said, "fireflies in a jar that have the power to shine in the dark." 


  One year, as a poor college student I made a gift, such at this for a few close friends.  Two of them were like me and got it-loved it.  I put collected words and thoughts in  special tins.   I also included fragments of things they loved, lavender, lace maybe a sample of their favorite perfume, memory cards and recipes.    I do think a lot of our memories are sensory.  One friend had tucked her tin in the basement.  I remember the day I saw it and how sad I felt.  She saw my eyes go in that direction and gave me this long spiel about how her Mom had moved it.  I didn't believe it, but what saddened me most was she really didn't get it. If she had opened the tin and read the poems, the fortunes and the notes, she would of treasured it.  I had cut out cards and attached sentiments. I had stapled  tickets, ribbons,  little keepsakes or tokens,  on note cards.   I wrote on each card  "remember when..."   She never opened it.  It wasn't just words I had collected,  I had collected memories we had shared together. 

Here are a few of my firefly snippets that inspired me and I will write a few words about them:


"It is lived out in words, and spaces between the lines are like breath, a life formed as one word comes up behind the other, joins sentences that curve and change and turn back to face me on the page." in the book:  The Keepsake by Kirsty Gunn

What do you think of when you read this?!
I think of writing and how a memory will appear and change my words. It will grab hold of me and shake me...

Memories touch me

some days are calm and serene like the rested sea

others like volcanoes erupt for no reason

The people who get me are

 my ebb n' flow(most of you are online)

they keep me calm and are quiet in my thoughts

their waves touch my own and soothe me

I attempt to wave back and wonder

did I touch them? ~eEe

(I'm skipping the fire n' the acid
we all know what heartburn looks n' feels like~)



 Love is space and time measured by the heart.-Marcel Proust


 

Boundaries and barriers change

when the landscape of love appears

mountains move and the sky is pure blue
it is as if the stars twinkle brighter
the world is more vibrant

true love never dims the view.

It may fade as time marches on

but never goes away....

like a dull dime

one can polish n' shine~eEe

Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners.

William Shakespeare

What do you tend your soul with?

Words perhaps illuminate your view

when there is a drought

when  the flood gates open

do you allow your seeds to breath
adjust your vision
to grow

and transplant 
when needed....~eEe

And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.   -Anais Nin

 

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Diabetes came and put me in a coma

Thyroid came and put in a fog

Surgery came from a car accident

Cancer came and gave me courage

Hope was found in blogging

 Art(mixed media, poetry, music, writing, painting, photography)

 held me together and kept me sane ~eEe

�The journey of a thousand miles must begin
with a single step.�  -Lao Tzu

Find your path and make plans for detours, 

there will be many!

Follow your GPS: Gifts, Passion, Spirit

  it will guide you~eEe

The Prosperous Heart: Creating a Life of "Enough" by Julia Cameron and Emily Lively

"You can incorporate adventures, big n' small, into your everyday life."-Julia Cameron

 

embrace the quiet

see what direction

your soul

leads you in

 and go...~eEe

 

Today, hubby n' I went to go get Iced coffee. We frequented our favorite home improvement store. I bought cleaning supplies, so he thinks, lol. Ok, some for cleaning, most are for crafting ...ssssshhhh!  Don't tell!

We ran a few other errands and he said he was getting hungry.  I suggested we go get picnic like foods and sit at the waterfront.  I went to our favorite grocery store. I bought drinks, a Chicken Panini for him, a Buffalo Chicken wrap for me, some Summer coleslaw and Granny Smith apples. Summer slaw is your basic Coleslaw with minced Green onion n' Cucumbers diced fine. I grabbed some plastic forks from the salad bar. As we approached the waterfront- was happy, because it wasn't busy. 

There were 16 sailboats on the water, with just enough wind to glide them along. It was beautiful like a ballet performance on water.  There were two other boats guiding them.  It was a sailing school having a lesson.Seagulls sat quietly on their posts at attention.  Two other people approached the water's edge. I hoped nothing loud would show up. It was a beautiful blue day and the breeze reminded me of being back home, by my bay.  The two other people had found their spots.  The young gal was sprawled out on a park bench. She was journaling and listening to her Ipod. The other soul, a man carried an old Bible. He sat overlooking the water, deep in thought.  I shut the radio off, I wanted to embrace the quiet stillness of the moment. Let my memories dance and glide, like the sailboats.  They tilted, turned and spun around-one almost tipped over.  I wished I had brought my camera, but we did not plan to do this. I  know if I had, I would have wanted to take a lot of photos. I like to do this alone or with my daughter who embraces my art dates.  The art of taking a deep breath, let your attention go, like a kite to where it wants and be free to see things in a new way.  I am thankful for this moment as I knew the others were, too.  Time out for our souls-do you add adventures into your everyday life?   


Do you have certain quotes, phrases that you collect and save?  You know the ones that touch you....
I would love to know!  I have many, but these are the ones that I found first, when I was looking. Do you keep fireflies in a jar? 
  

Thank you Kerry! I love this prompt~