Holding My Breath

The surf lies with its rhythmic sensuality

The ebb and flow gliding smoothly

Hiding gloomy coral and biting rocks

The caress of water on sand

Lazy eddies swirling promises that aren’t kept

The seagull’s macro view asks:

Waiting? For what?

What answers can be found in the soothing sway of liquid lies?

The seagull’s cawing, an alarm clock of mocking laughter, jeers:

There is no friendship in the water

It’s glory lies in the chase, the back and forth of its waves

The seagull warns:

Enjoy the water’s languid limbs wrapped around your body

But don’t breath in.

©️iido 2022

Inspiration finally returned in these last days of 2022. I’ve taken an unwanted hiatus from all types of writing these past few months, a potent combination of pessimism, anhedonia and general life busy-ness. Functional depression is a thing!

So easing in to 2023…much thanks to Patrick at Pix to Words (#330-338 included in this poem)! I had a streak going and plan on getting that back!

Wishing all my WordPress Family a great start to 2023!!

©️ 2022 iido

Valentine’s Day – A Poem in the Style of a One Line Story

I am digging through the trash

For the tiny red heart you

Drew on a post it note right before

The marker dropped from your hand

And the line made that annoying long beep sound

And the doctors and nurses rushed in

And pushed me out

But not before I saw them toss

Your heart in the trash

And CLEAR it, CLEAR it out of the way

So they can see the clock

That records the Time

And now I’m left looking for it

In the pile of this is unfair bullshit garbage.

I “borrowed” this picture from my friend, Loriann B‘s FB page. I’m not sure if she took it or if it was from someone else. If this is your image, please let me know do I can give you proper attribution. Thank you!

This poem was written in a one sentence story style suggested by Amaya/Gospel Isoceles for her D’Verse MTB Challenge. It doesn’t truly meet the challenge because it doesn’t meet the parameter of the story to be odd/whimsical and true however I do think it describes an event that can be considered “the end of the world as we know it”. Alas, I missed the link up, however this was defiantly a challenge that I will try again.

I also missed Patrick’s prompt #218-Tiny for last week but am “early” for his deadline on prompt #219- Dig for this week. I am totally on a streak for Patrick’s Pic and a Word Challenge – I hope this one still counts! I really loved Patrick’s poem for “tiny” – he is truly a glorious writer and photographer!

I did not get to do any celebrating for Valentine’s Day unless you include being able to sleep without a sick child on your chest a celebration. Having all your kids sick on the same week is really hard! And they all had something different! Thank goodness for my parents who stayed to help me this week. Today, everyone was up and about so hoping we have seen the last of whatever nastiness invaded our home.

I was able to get a much needed 10 mile run in today! Not that I needed 10 miles, but I needed to get out of house and be with (healthy) adults. The ladies I was with from my She Runs this Town/Moms Run this Town chapter were totally cool and chill, like “Yeah, we’ll just run this trail back and forth a couple of times and yeah, we did 9, let’s round it out to 10!” Seriously – we just chatted and did our intervals and next thing you know…BOOM! 10 miles done!

Check out our strong legs and cute sneakers!

This brings me to 69 miles for the Taji100! And we are just starting week 3! Between being sleep deprived and covered in throw up and feverish kids, and having this awesome run and keeping up with my miles – this week actually wasn’t the “end of the world.”

©️ 2020 iido

Tygpress is NOT Authorized to Reprint My Blog Content

This post is a follow up on my previous post about Tygpress (hosted by Digital Oceans). They continue to scrape my blog as well as others’ blogs. We have lost one blog (maybe two) because of this issue and that makes me very sad.

Fandango created a badge that he kindly allowed other bloggers to use. I am going to be using this badge on all my posts going forward.

Also, check out this post at Renard’s World. He wrote a thoughtful article about this issue with some excellent explanations and suggestions about how to further handle this issue.

I hope you are not affected by this issue, but if you are – know that you aren’t alone and that there is something you can do about it. As for me, I will continue with my posting and and my brand new badge while continuing to explore options to shut down this unethical website.

©️ iido 2019

Please Read – Your Blog May Have Been Harvested!

Fellow bloggers/writers –

It has come to my attention, via Gina’s post @alifelesslived (click the following link: Attention all! Please read), that a website called Tygpress has been harvesting posts from various bloggers and posting them without consent from the original writers/bloggers. This website is being hosted by Digital Oceans.

I found my entire blog on this website (I’ve attached this here as proof). I have filed a complaint with their web host (the link above for Digital Oceans goes right to their “report abuse” page) under the DMCA (Digital Millennium CopyRight Act) as there is no contact information on the Tygapress Website to contact someone there directly. I’ve looked up a few of the blogs that I follow and have found many of my favorite blogs on this website.

While this may be an issue for those bloggers hoping to someday publish their work (in a book, magazine, etc.), even those who aren’t thinking of publishing should be concerned. Reposting someone else’s work without their consent is stealing content. Writers work hard to create their blogs. We have the right to share our work with others however if others want to share our work, they should be getting our permission and not just attributing that work to us. Some people may have different Creative Commons Licenses on their blog however if your work is copyrighted, then this website has definitely infringed on your work (check out the link prior and this one for information on copyright infringement). These types of unethical practices should be addressed to prevent further copyright infringements.

I’ve done research on this issue and filing the DMCA complaint is fairly easy. Feel free to comment or message me for details or help.

©️ iido 2019

 

 

Writers Anonymous Manifesto – A Collaboration

12 Steps to Never Recovering from our “Writing Addiction”

Step 1:

Admit we are powerless to fight

Against the need to write

Step 2 :

Admit that we are together not to cure this affliction,

But to continue with this addiction

Step 3 :

Vehemently believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

Why we swear upon a thesaurus and/or a dictionary

Step 4 :

Keep the fire to write burning bright

stoking it with humour, insights and candour alright!

Step 5:

Admit that writing is in our blood

It has always been our first love.

Family and work, we  take care of you

But writing is the thing we prefer to do.

Step 6 :

Let all our characters have many virtues and some flaws

Alphabets in inky soup are our allies for moments when inspiration withdraws.

Step 7:

And if that ever happens to anyone of us,

The others will rally around without any fuss.

Step 8:

If we go a day without rhyme or meter

It doesn’t mean our voices have petered.

We commit to finding inspiration

Even if it takes all our perspiration.

Step 9:

When you don’t hear me, see me or smell me,

I am still here,

Just hidden under a pile of words,

Beneath an avalanche of poetry and prose.

Worry not, fear not I will emerge….when?

Nobody knows.

Step 10 :

For reading is what keeps me sane

Free from fears, holy and profane!

And then gradually as I inch towards writing

I can hear your cheers, warm and inviting.

Step 11:

My words break free and release my soul

If I don’t let it go, it will exact a toll

So join me in this wonderful condition

Allow life’s dilemmas to bring words to fruition.

Step 12:

We strive to live by these principles.

We commit to carry this message to all who hold sacred the trysts of paper and pen.

Let this love affair never end!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the USA, a time for remembering and appreciating all the wonderful people, experiences and material blessings that we have in our lives. This year, I am especially appreciative of the connections I have made through this blog in the WordPress Universe – the other bloggers and my readers! You have all made me a better writer and poet! Thank you!

This post is a collaboration with Gina and Punam, two talented poets who have greatly enriched my life with their inspired writings. We had a conversation on the comments section of one of our blogs (I’m forgetting which one it is now!) about how writing is like an addiction for us – something we can’t live without, that (at times) takes us away or takes precedence over our families/work, that occupies our minds when we are not writing – but how we wouldn’t want to be cured from this addiction, but would want others to join us.

This piece is not intended to take away from the gravity of substance abuse or other behavioral addictions such as gambling. Addictive thinking can center around many activities. Even if the activity starts of healthy or benign, the addictive intention can turn it into something unhealthy.

Cutting through the denial, I really enjoyed working with Punam and Gina on our manifesto! They are profound and prolific poets and really pushed the quality of my work. As women wearing many hats (mother, worker, lover, friend), writing allows us to let down our hair. So let us write to our hearts content…because, really, we can’t stop!

Not a Humble Brag

Nope – we don’t play those games around here!

This post is about some pretty cool things that have recently happened…much cooler than keeping my kitchen island clean!

First, I recently received a “Notable Mention” on the nature themed haiku I submitted to Vita Brevis. I am over the moon about this because Vita Brevis showcases some really beautiful poetry. And to know that they actually thought my haiku deserved a shout out…I’m seriously so proud and honored!

I told my parents about the Notable Mention and my mom wrote back this haiku for me:

<tears> My mom was so proud of me that she wrote a beautiful haiku despite her admission that she doesn’t even like haikus.

<still crying here> <heart overflowing>

Second, I’ve admitted – out loud – several times – to different people that…I want to be a “real” writer. And by “real”, I mean someone who spends time during the day (or night) to write something, anything with purpose, and then sends it out into the world in hopes that at least one other person (who isn’t their mom or other family member) finds their writing worthy. And by “worthy”, I mean, that after reading it, the other person can say, “I’m glad I spent the time to read that”.

Hopefully, that’s what you, my dear readers, say to yourselves after reading my posts. Am I right? Can I get a “like” in here?!

Since making this admission, I’ve joined a writing group at my local library. I met with this lovely group of writers tonight and was blown away at the amount of knowledge and insightful critique imparted. While I throughly enjoy the connections I’ve made on the blogosphere, meeting other writers in real life is a necessary experience for me. It’s just like needing to meet other mother runners in real life to run or needing to drink coffee around 2 PM or always needing to get fries with that.

Thirdly, I finished typing up a “back to work” resume. It seems that being a mother runner writer is not really making the big bucks (note to self, if you’re thinking about that career choice). So, I’m in the market to do something where my interpersonal and creative skills, coupled with my expensive…I mean, intensive schooling, can make a difference in some type of (paying) organization. This is definitely one piece of writing that I hope someone will find worthy enough.

Lastly, I’d like to brag about my awesome family who has supported me and continue to support me through this chapter in my life. I realized after I wrote this last post, that I really would not have been able to get those things done without my husband watching the kids while I ran or my mom (who was visiting) helping to clean up after the kids or even my kids who have started to consistently bring out their dishes (it only took all summer to get into that habit!). I am surrounded by some super wonderful, loving people and I just want all of you to know that!

Well, that’s it. I’m turning off the spotlight and putting away my jazz hands…at least, for now.

It’s official…

Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy Chanukah to all my Jewish friends!

This post was supposed to go out in October however it didn’t. Blame it on my continued issue with being distracted (also called “4 kids syndrome”). Blame it on the outcome of the presidential election (also called “proud to be a snowflake because it means I am a caring human being” syndrome). It’s been an exhausting two months and running with my MRTT group has been one of the few things that has helped recharge me. 

As the new year approaches, I am again re-committing to practicing self-care through running and writing/blogging.  No more hiding out and using other people’s words to speak my truth. 

It’s official….
*****************

I ran my first race in PA last weekend (*meaning back on October 16, 2016) – the Hershey Half Marathon. That means I am officially a Pensylvanian Runner!

It was a hilly course, but getting to run through Hersheypark and having kids from the Milton Hershey School cheer us on was totally worth it.

I wasn’t too fond of the sections where we ran through the parking lot around the stadium (especially towards the end – that was like the Sahara Desert of parking lot runs!). But overall the course and the course support was pretty good. 

I did 2:1 intervals the entire race and it felt really good! I have become a true interval convert – I haven’t been injured since doing interval running and I feel great and energized at the end instead of feeling like I am dying! That’s a good thing right? 

The one disappointment at the end was the non-chocolate chip cookie. We got a great lunch bag with other goodies, but when I bit into the cookie and realized it was oatmeal raisin – what the what??!!  This is HERSHEY – the chocolate capital of the world! I don’t care if oatmeal raisin is a better “recovery cookie”….I want my chocolate!! Maybe next year they can make it chocolate chip oatmeal raisin? 

Pretty please with a Hershey kiss on top? 

(Above image from Quotesgram.)