Mason Jar Warriors

One scorching, burning light infernally infusing every corner

On a deep southern evening

Finally releasing its grip and melting into  

Pulses of cool, bright light

Beckoning the barefooted, mason jar warriors

From their air conditioned perches.

Sweaty, grimy small fingers grasping gently the glow of their prey

Expertly captivating their brightly, pulsing game into glass prison lanterns.

Clamp, clink, screw.

Prisoners are secure.

A temporary lantern throbbing constantly and

Desperately.

A Bright call for love goes unanswered

And finally begins to fade once held.

ROBES: A POEM

ROBES

On my doorstep was her robe. 

Just her robe and not her.

She was gone…..the last one.

The robe stayed.

She did not.

That old path of pain

Like that song I can no longer bear to hear beating against my

Emotions.

The rush of images long forgotten coming alive

Against my will.  Here and now.

I did not chose it—for the robes to stay while their owners

Turned to ghosts

And left me to grieve.

I would not have chosen for the robes to lose their

Warmth—to lose their owners.

Yet here they are.  Remaining.  Remains.

Folded up mirrors of the people who once found solace and comfort in those

Pieces of cloth—those warm colors and silky layers.

Fabric bodies with no form,

Just laying there, still.  No more breath.

Yet still carrying vestiges of perfume and shaving cream.

Somewhere in the past they spring to life moving, staying up late, talking, laughing, Crying,

Solving the world’s problems.

Bringing an accent to the snuggle in a grandfather’s arms.

Getting ready to celebrate.

Losing the fight.

Finally sleeping.

Do I wear the robes?

Do I throw them out?

Do I put them in a closet out of eyesight left there to die slowly? 

None of them stayed.

They all went away.

They are all gone.

Robes are here and so am I.

Sticking with the Program

It’s February, 2012.  I started a plant-based diet on October 15, 2011 based on reading the book The China Study and watching the documentary Forks Over Knives.  Over the past four months, my health has bloomed, I’ve lost weight, have more energy and can think more clearly. My journey to health began in October, 2010 when I started attending “Yoglates” classes at Yoglates II South.  At that time I was plagued with so many aches, pains and illnesses that I could barely move.  Yoglates II relieved me of most of my symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic pain from herniated discs in my back and neck.  Then, once I started the plant based diet four months ago that includes a very rich diet of all vegetables and fruits of any kind (no meat or dairy), all of my gastrointestinal pains and symptoms vanished, my energy increased and those last remnants of fibromyalgia disappeared.  It seems too good to be true. Actually, I haven’t felt this good since before I had my first child in 1990!!!!  Is this for real?  Needing only 6 or 7 hours of sleep, I can sleep all night and feel refreshed when I wake up! 

            This lifestyle, however, is not a quick fix.  Rather, there are small changes over time that add up to huge benefits.  For instance, the first three months that I started Yoglates, the aches and pains sometimes increased as my body fought back.  However, I kept telling myself that Yoglates was my last chance at feeling better.  (I had exhausted all of the modern medical alternatives available to me.  I had seen all of the doctors and taken all of the pills—those didn’t work.) So, I kept pressing forward.  When I started practicing Yoglates, I made a commitment to myself that I would “stick with the Yoglates program” for a year.  After that, if it didn’t work, I could resign myself to a life of misery, but not before!!!  Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead….I kept pressing forward.  After that first three months, I began noticing subtle changes in my pain level, energy level, etc.  Once the year was past, I realized that Yoglates had become my medicine that I could never go without.

            When October, 2011 rolled around and I realized that a year had passed I was ready for the next level of health.  Voila!  The plant based diet is another commitment that I have resolved I will not give up for a year.  The first four months have been incredible.  I am not giving up.  I’ll let you know in October, 2012 my final analysis.  In the meantime……

            I am penning this blog to keep a log of my progress and remind myself how far I have come.  My plant-based diet along with practicing Yoglates has been an incredible journey opening up avenues of health that I thought were out of my reach at the age of 45.  I think I’ll stick with the program.