- Published on
This is Australia Calling
Vicky left Australia when I was 10
Every time she called was an Event
It cost a fortune to call long distance back then
("In the late 1900s," as the kids now say
*eyeeee roll*!!!!)
It was always so special to hear her voice
The phone would be frantically passed around
"Hiiiii! Aunty Bicky! How are you? We miss you! We love you!"
And now I live on the other side of the world
And tonight my sister called me
And we chatted for 5 minutes while she walked to her car
She filled me in on what she was buying everyone for Christmas
And the call was free
We could have chatted on video if we wanted to
And how extraordinary that in my lifetime
Computers have gone from being giant hulking blocks
To tiny machines that fit in our pockets
That allow instant communication from New York to Sydney
And I so rarely feel homesick
But this year Christmas is different
It's my first time without my husband
Because he's not my husband any more
And I miss him
And everything has changed
And no amount of technology can bridge the gap in between
Every time she called was an Event
It cost a fortune to call long distance back then
("In the late 1900s," as the kids now say
*eyeeee roll*!!!!)
It was always so special to hear her voice
The phone would be frantically passed around
"Hiiiii! Aunty Bicky! How are you? We miss you! We love you!"
And now I live on the other side of the world
And tonight my sister called me
And we chatted for 5 minutes while she walked to her car
She filled me in on what she was buying everyone for Christmas
And the call was free
We could have chatted on video if we wanted to
And how extraordinary that in my lifetime
Computers have gone from being giant hulking blocks
To tiny machines that fit in our pockets
That allow instant communication from New York to Sydney
And I so rarely feel homesick
But this year Christmas is different
It's my first time without my husband
Because he's not my husband any more
And I miss him
And everything has changed
And no amount of technology can bridge the gap in between
- Published on
How to hold all these disparate parts of myself
The self that wants to be a performer
And sing on the Broadway
And go to dance class
And take singing lessons and piano and flute lessons
And heck learn to play the fiddle
But who also wants to watch all the musicals
Live, filmed, and filmed live on stage
And do all the research
And learn about all the movie musicals in chronological order
Write a book about the history of filmed live musicals
Write a novel about human existence
Write plays and short stories
And also cosplay as a faery in the woods
And also run away to the woods
And grow vegetables and write poetry
And be in tune with nature
And live by the cycles of the sun and moon
But also be social and connect with all the wonderful humans
From Sydney and London and FoCo and New Milford and NYC
And also travel and discover new places
And eat amazing food
And swim in oceans and pools
And play in the snow
And see the aurora borealis
And run marathons
And do yoga on the beach
And go on a meditation retreat and see if I can be quiet for 10 whole days
And read amazing books
And be fluent in foreign languages
Spanish, Italian, Danish, French
And hold all this against the intense desire to just crawl under the duvet and binge Grey’s Anatomy or British Bake Off
And scroll through social media
The self that wants to be a performer
And sing on the Broadway
And go to dance class
And take singing lessons and piano and flute lessons
And heck learn to play the fiddle
But who also wants to watch all the musicals
Live, filmed, and filmed live on stage
And do all the research
And learn about all the movie musicals in chronological order
Write a book about the history of filmed live musicals
Write a novel about human existence
Write plays and short stories
And also cosplay as a faery in the woods
And also run away to the woods
And grow vegetables and write poetry
And be in tune with nature
And live by the cycles of the sun and moon
But also be social and connect with all the wonderful humans
From Sydney and London and FoCo and New Milford and NYC
And also travel and discover new places
And eat amazing food
And swim in oceans and pools
And play in the snow
And see the aurora borealis
And run marathons
And do yoga on the beach
And go on a meditation retreat and see if I can be quiet for 10 whole days
And read amazing books
And be fluent in foreign languages
Spanish, Italian, Danish, French
And hold all this against the intense desire to just crawl under the duvet and binge Grey’s Anatomy or British Bake Off
And scroll through social media
- Published on
Lincoln Center
You come out of the subway at
Lincoln Center
And you hear singing
And you realize it’s live
And there’s a quartet of acapella carolers
Singing gospel covers of Christmas tunes
Beneath trees adorned with strands of glowing lights
And even though it’s freezing
You sit in the middle of the street
In midtown Manhattan
To soak up their joyous singing
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But inside your heart’s delightful
Later in the restaurant
A little girl
Hair in pigtails with red and white bows
And a gorgeous pink and red party dress that is perfect for twirling
White stockings and black shiny shoes
She has made friends with the older couple at the next table
When they go to leave
She hops up
“Are you going now?! Byeeeee!”
Who said Manhattan is hard?
And you go to the opera
Which is always such a delicious treat
On the way home, a man is sleeping on cardboard next to the turnstiles
A rough woolen blanket wrapped tightly around him
How can all of this exist at once?
Lincoln Center
And you hear singing
And you realize it’s live
And there’s a quartet of acapella carolers
Singing gospel covers of Christmas tunes
Beneath trees adorned with strands of glowing lights
And even though it’s freezing
You sit in the middle of the street
In midtown Manhattan
To soak up their joyous singing
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But inside your heart’s delightful
Later in the restaurant
A little girl
Hair in pigtails with red and white bows
And a gorgeous pink and red party dress that is perfect for twirling
White stockings and black shiny shoes
She has made friends with the older couple at the next table
When they go to leave
She hops up
“Are you going now?! Byeeeee!”
Who said Manhattan is hard?
And you go to the opera
Which is always such a delicious treat
On the way home, a man is sleeping on cardboard next to the turnstiles
A rough woolen blanket wrapped tightly around him
How can all of this exist at once?
- Published on
Reciprocity
Reciprocate
From the Latin reciprocus
Meaning "returning the same way”
Giving back
Going back the way you came
But the path is different now.
From the Latin reciprocus
Meaning "returning the same way”
Giving back
Going back the way you came
But the path is different now.
- Published on
The Concert
The delight of beginner musicians
Earnestly counting
Tapping their converse and sneakers
Remembering how to move their fingers across the keys
Over the strings
Connecting the dots on the page
To the sounds of their instruments
Each. Note. Played. With. Equal. Importance
(Phrasing a skill yet to be mastered)
The enthusiasm of their teachers
Look how far they've come!
Earnestly counting
Tapping their converse and sneakers
Remembering how to move their fingers across the keys
Over the strings
Connecting the dots on the page
To the sounds of their instruments
Each. Note. Played. With. Equal. Importance
(Phrasing a skill yet to be mastered)
The enthusiasm of their teachers
Look how far they've come!
- Published on
'Tis the Season
'Tis the season for maker's markets
And being inspired by the craft of local artisans
'Tis the season for fairy lights
And enchanted trees
'Tis the season for sharing a beverage with a dear friend
And warm bread sticks dipped in cheese
'Tis the season for holding sadness in your heart
And lighting pine-scented candles to burn away the pain
'Tis the season for reflection and sharing and warmth
And being inspired by the craft of local artisans
'Tis the season for fairy lights
And enchanted trees
'Tis the season for sharing a beverage with a dear friend
And warm bread sticks dipped in cheese
'Tis the season for holding sadness in your heart
And lighting pine-scented candles to burn away the pain
'Tis the season for reflection and sharing and warmth
- Published on
C is for Cookie
The delightful fun of the cookie exchange
The rush of the sugar high
The satisfaction of late night Hungry Jack’s
The rush of the sugar high
The satisfaction of late night Hungry Jack’s
- Published on
Polvoron
Toasting flour
Mixing in icing sugar (called confectioner’s sugar in the US)
And powdered milk
And melted butter
And pressing it all into the mould
Thinking of Abuela
And remembering Christmases past
And sharing the taste of home
Mixing in icing sugar (called confectioner’s sugar in the US)
And powdered milk
And melted butter
And pressing it all into the mould
Thinking of Abuela
And remembering Christmases past
And sharing the taste of home
- Published on
The Kelly Clarkson Show
I love the warm-up guy
The fun of
“I can’t hear you!
Let’s try that again!”
The silly fun of audience participation
En-masse laughter therapy
With a room full of strangers
Watching the stage hands
Quickly and quietly moving set pieces
The strange smallness of the set
Which looks so much bigger on tv
The cameramen (and they are all men
Though the rest of the crew is more balanced)
And the way they peer through their viewfinders
Framing the scene
The prompter
With her oversized binder and clipboard full of notes
It looks like theatre, but different
And then
Kelly singing
O Holy Night
A joy to behold.
The fun of
“I can’t hear you!
Let’s try that again!”
The silly fun of audience participation
En-masse laughter therapy
With a room full of strangers
Watching the stage hands
Quickly and quietly moving set pieces
The strange smallness of the set
Which looks so much bigger on tv
The cameramen (and they are all men
Though the rest of the crew is more balanced)
And the way they peer through their viewfinders
Framing the scene
The prompter
With her oversized binder and clipboard full of notes
It looks like theatre, but different
And then
Kelly singing
O Holy Night
A joy to behold.
- Published on
Morning Run
When you wake up in the dark
And you’re not sure if the western sky is still black or stormy
And slowly the sun ascends
And the sky turns from black to grey to pale blue
And it turns out to be a gorgeous morning
And you head out for a brief brisk run
And it feels good to feel the chill of the air
In your lungs
And the warm sun
On your face
And you’re not sure if the western sky is still black or stormy
And slowly the sun ascends
And the sky turns from black to grey to pale blue
And it turns out to be a gorgeous morning
And you head out for a brief brisk run
And it feels good to feel the chill of the air
In your lungs
And the warm sun
On your face