Winter Sunrises

  • Winter Sunrises

    Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.

    Winter Sunrises

    By Elizabeth Beechwood

    On the darkest days

    The glorious sunrise shouts

    And still we persist!

    Winter solstice marks the beginning of our journey around The Wheel together. It’s a mysterious dark time here in the Northern Hemisphere, when Nature challenges us to turn inward. Inward to our homes, inward to our bodies, inward to our minds and thoughts.

    In my part of the Pacific Northwest, winter is marked by long stretches of blustery rain punctuated with cold, clear breaks in the weather. Many people find comfort in starry winter skies, chunky knitted blankets, and twinkling lights. But it’s during these breaks that I find comfort in something different: the winter sunrise. The sunrise is especially glorious on these mornings; the sky is banded with robin’s egg blue, house finch blush, and warbler yellows and greens. The bare branches of the birches outside my window are strikingly dark against the fleeting colors in the sky.

    What is it that makes sunrise so special at this time of year? Besides the fact that more of us are awake to witness it? It has a magical quality not matched during the summer. The bright colors sweep steadily through the cold air. The chickadee’s morning greetings ring out like bells through this liminal moment. Our spirits are lifted as we witness Nature and all her features persisting, doing what they know to do during this cold time.
     
    As we head into this darkest turn of The Wheel, look for those glorious winter sunrises and remember to persist in all that is important to you. 

    Elizabeth Beechwood:

    When I write, I start with regular people with regular lives … but then something strange happens. Whether it’s fiction, fantasy, magical realism or genre-bending, you can count on something just a little peculiar from my stories. I’m also a certified Oregon Naturalist, so the natural world and its many aspects pop up in my writing frequently. Please join me on The Wheel, a quarterly newsletter, as we take another spin around the sun and explore the seasons. You can sign up on my website: elizabethbeechwood.com.

    Marlene C

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  • Courage . . . Prompt #818

    Today’s Writing Prompt: Courage

    Just Write!

    Marlene C

  • Getting Older . . . Prompt #817

    Image by Freepik

    Write about getting older.

    #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter

    Marlene C

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  • Oldest Friend . . . Prompt #816

    Write about your oldest friend or oldest relative.

    #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter

    Marlene C

  • When is writing done?

    When is writing done?

    “Even after a poem has hardened into print, it may continue to represent a risk, a chance, a surmise, or a hypothesis about itself.”

    — Mary Kinzie

    Mary Kinzie. A Poet’s Guide to Poetry, U Chicago Press

    Thank you, Sonoma County Poet Laureate, Dave Seter, for letting me know about Mary Kinzie.

    Dave’s response to Mary’s quote:

    “What this means to me is, a piece of writing is never truly ‘done’ so instead of worrying so much about whether it is ‘done,’ we should share our writing with each other even when it feels a little raw, because there is power in the original idea and sometimes it takes time for the words to catch up with the idea.”

    #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter

    Marlene C

  • A special person . . . Prompt #814

    My grandmother (Nana) making noodles with my sister and my niece, circa 1974.

    Write about a special person in your life. The person can be alive or no longer living. It could also be an animal.

    #justwrite #iamawriter #amwriting

    Marlene C

  • Loss

    Guest Blogger Sharon Ziff writes:

    I lost my gloves—the ones I bought in Venice last year. I loved them. LOVED THEM. How could I love a pair of gloves? They had a soft, fluffy pompom on the top. I liked to stroke them. It was like petting a kitty. Sadness. And upset with myself for losing them.

    So I lost a pair of gloves. How could I feel this deep emotion for a pair of gloves? It’s the attachment to my experience in Venice and my love for the friend I was with.

    Loss is a recurring theme in my writing. At times, I struggle to manage the intense feelings that accompany loss. There’s a burning sensation in my belly that I want to go away. I find myself thinking, “No, no, no,” while tears begin to flow. It’s not about the lost gloves; it’s about the impermanence of life.

    To cope, I have established a gratitude practice, focusing on appreciating the little things. Friendships are crucial in supporting me through my feelings and creating a safe place for expression. I have friends with whom I can laugh after the tears have flown.

    Meditation and journaling help me process my emotions and provide a calming effect. I also have a favorite playlist that serves as a therapeutic outlet, allowing  me to reflect and connect with positive memories.

    Change and loss are a part of life. Aging brings about losses with a decline in health. You may slow down and cannot do everything you did when you were younger. Retirement brought changes. You are adjusting to a new routine or lifestyle you may not have anticipated. Give yourself time. What are some of your passions that can still provide you with a fulfilling life? Focus on them.

    We can be prepared for change and build resiliency as we age. Prepare for the practice of accepting what is.

    As Frank Ostaseski writes in “Five Invitations,” Welcome everything, push away nothing. It doesn’t mean you have to like it. Then focus on what you can do.

    Embrace the joys. As the song goes, “Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and don’t mess with mister in between!”

    Sharon Ziff, RN, spent twelve years as a Hospice Nurse where she learned about end-of-life issues and the importance of the preparations to die with dignity.

    Sharon is certified in the “Authentic Presence: Contemplative End of Life Care Training,” a specialized program, and is committed to providing the Community Education Project called “Let’s Speak About Death.”

    Links to The Write Spot Blog posts about loss:

    How to Write About Your Loss

    Healing Starts When You . . .

    Writer Wounds and Scar Tissue

    “The Write Spot: Writing as a Path to Healing” contains lists of valuable resources, including the restorative power of putting uncomfortable memories to paper.

    Marlene C

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  • A Brick Path

    Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page.

    A Brick Path

    By Douglas Newcomb

    I often tell the children that they must be afraid before they can be brave.

    Courage doesn’t travel alone, aimlessly,

    And doesn’t just drift anywhere it pleases.

    It follows fear and despair

    Quietly.

    I had courage enough to roar once,

    but was interrupted,

    and forgot what it was I was there to say.

     Now I don’t remember how I got here, or which direction I was headed.

    Out here the road stretches left and right as if arms unfolding.

    Douglas Newcomb lives in Petaluma, California, and grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

    Marlene C

  • Halloween: Fun or a trickster? Prompt #813


    pexels-photo-1480861.jpeg
    Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Pexels.com

    It’s Halloween week.

    Does this mean anything special to you? Or, ho-hum, just another day/evening?

    Did you go trick-or-treating as a child? With siblings, cousins, friends?

    If yes, where did you go?

    What was that like?

    Describe your favorite and least favorite Halloween costume that you wore.

    What clever or interesting Halloween costumes have you seen? Where did you see this?

    Is Halloween week a fun time for you? Or is it a trickster, something you really don’t like?

    If you worked with children/students, what was / is Nov. 1 like?

    #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter

    Marlene C

  • Did you wear a uniform? Prompt #812

    Did you wear a uniform for work or school?

    If yes, describe the uniform.

    What were your duties while wearing this uniform?

    Worst part of the duties and uniform?

    Best part of the duties and uniform?

    OR:

    What is your reaction when you see somebody in uniform?

    Marching band, sports uniform, law enforcement, firefighter, doctor (white lab coat or scrubs), prison inmate, postal workers, FedEx and UPS employees, private security guard, housekeeping staff, life guard, food delivery person, etc.

    Marlene C