- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
The Club
Entry to the club
Is non-discriminatory
You can be admitted
At any time, any age
Race is no barrier
Nor is gender
Or wealth status
Or occupation
And once you’re in
You’re in for life and
You find this extraordinary community
Of people
Who have faced their mortality
And survived
And post-treatment
In the magical land of
Remission
You swap stories
And share your experiences of
Chemo and radiation
And transplants
And side effects
And exhaustion
And fear
And where you found joy
And where you found love
You write the names
Of the lost ones in your heart
And hold them close and
Miss them
And feel fury that they’re gone
And feel grateful that
Despite it all
You had the chance to meet
And you reach out to the other survivors
And hold them close
As you navigate the world
Together
Members of a club
No one chooses to be a part of.
Is non-discriminatory
You can be admitted
At any time, any age
Race is no barrier
Nor is gender
Or wealth status
Or occupation
And once you’re in
You’re in for life and
You find this extraordinary community
Of people
Who have faced their mortality
And survived
And post-treatment
In the magical land of
Remission
You swap stories
And share your experiences of
Chemo and radiation
And transplants
And side effects
And exhaustion
And fear
And where you found joy
And where you found love
You write the names
Of the lost ones in your heart
And hold them close and
Miss them
And feel fury that they’re gone
And feel grateful that
Despite it all
You had the chance to meet
And you reach out to the other survivors
And hold them close
As you navigate the world
Together
Members of a club
No one chooses to be a part of.
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Birthday
Remembering
Twenty years ago today
When my baby sister
Was born
Remembering
How I raced as fast as I could
To the hospital
And was her first visitor
And the way she snuggled into my shoulder.
Twenty years ago today
When my baby sister
Was born
Remembering
How I raced as fast as I could
To the hospital
And was her first visitor
And the way she snuggled into my shoulder.
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
The Weird and Wonderful World of Opera
A friend wrote
A four-part series of shorts
About opera
For children
It is delightful
It makes you laugh and
Makes you smile
And makes you fall in love
With the art
All over again
A four-part series of shorts
About opera
For children
It is delightful
It makes you laugh and
Makes you smile
And makes you fall in love
With the art
All over again
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Drive My Car
What a luxury it is
To have a car
And a license
And the ability
To get yourself
From A to B
While blasting show tunes
And singing at the top of your lungs.
To have a car
And a license
And the ability
To get yourself
From A to B
While blasting show tunes
And singing at the top of your lungs.
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Listening to the Heart
When you tell a friend
You’re having a hard time
And she sends you
A beautiful card and
A knitted heart
And on the same day
A student doctor
Listens for heart sounds
With her stethoscope and
Steps back and says
“I love being able to listen
To people’s hearts”
Your heart glows
You’re having a hard time
And she sends you
A beautiful card and
A knitted heart
And on the same day
A student doctor
Listens for heart sounds
With her stethoscope and
Steps back and says
“I love being able to listen
To people’s hearts”
Your heart glows
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Magic To Do
The satisfaction
Of ticking off
The to do list.
Of ticking off
The to do list.
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Blue Sky and Moon
Today
The sky was gloriously blue
The kind of blue that makes
You catch your breath
And wonder if it’s real
The depth of it
The hue of it
And then tonight
The moon was full and bright
The kind of full that makes
You catch your breath
And wonder if it’s real
The orb of it
The glow of it
The sky was gloriously blue
The kind of blue that makes
You catch your breath
And wonder if it’s real
The depth of it
The hue of it
And then tonight
The moon was full and bright
The kind of full that makes
You catch your breath
And wonder if it’s real
The orb of it
The glow of it
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Greetings
Whether you’ve been gone
An hour or a day
The way your puppy
Greets you
Like you’re the best thing in the world
The way he does a down dog at your feet
Wiggles his tail
Covers you in kisses
Stays by your side
To make sure you can never leave again
Is the best feeling
In all the world.
An hour or a day
The way your puppy
Greets you
Like you’re the best thing in the world
The way he does a down dog at your feet
Wiggles his tail
Covers you in kisses
Stays by your side
To make sure you can never leave again
Is the best feeling
In all the world.
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Light Leaders
Since moving to the US
I’ve struggled with
American Work Culture
And its lack of care for employees
(And customers for that matter)
And the promotion of profit
Over everything
No matter the cost
The inflexibility of management
The low wages
The gig economy
The idea that if you want to earn
A decent living
You have to all but
Sell your soul
And so when you come across
A manager
Who cares for their staff and
Believes their staff should be paid fairly
And that the work environment
Should be safe and inclusive
And actively works to make it so
You want to kiss their feet
And clear your entire schedule
So that you can work for them
All the time
And when that person is also
An extraordinary educator
Who is passionate
And fiery and fun
Not only do you feel
Relief, your faith in
Humankind is restored and
You are inspired
To keep going
And keep learning
And keep showing up
To pass on the light.
I’ve struggled with
American Work Culture
And its lack of care for employees
(And customers for that matter)
And the promotion of profit
Over everything
No matter the cost
The inflexibility of management
The low wages
The gig economy
The idea that if you want to earn
A decent living
You have to all but
Sell your soul
And so when you come across
A manager
Who cares for their staff and
Believes their staff should be paid fairly
And that the work environment
Should be safe and inclusive
And actively works to make it so
You want to kiss their feet
And clear your entire schedule
So that you can work for them
All the time
And when that person is also
An extraordinary educator
Who is passionate
And fiery and fun
Not only do you feel
Relief, your faith in
Humankind is restored and
You are inspired
To keep going
And keep learning
And keep showing up
To pass on the light.
- Published on
luminescence: the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated.
LuMinEssence: the mission of finding light in the dark.
Part of the Whole
The satisfaction of
A job well done
Of making a difference
Of being a part of something
Bigger than yourself.
A job well done
Of making a difference
Of being a part of something
Bigger than yourself.