Canon in Dark

The rain pommels the air conditioner

like endlessly-draining faucet. 

Lightning scores the sky in a white-hot scar. 

Thunder growls threateningly, boding I don't know what.

The elements are partying hard. 

Bewildered cat looks fearfully for the demon causing this tempest. 

Neighbor dog sits puddle-glum; the rain prevents his play

Big-tall husband bang-congs his head on a too-low bean, it's that dark. 

Cars slink by, skrishing through a sluice of rainwater. 

My lazy teen sleeps blissfully in the soporific storm. 

The only light is the glow-worm of my computer screen. 

Where I hunch hermit-like at the monitor

eking out shekels from syllables

like Poe's Raven, evermore penning, penning

Is there a metaphor here?

Some cosmic truth I'm supposed to extrapolate from this weather melee?

Does nature's trifecta simulate an existential battle?

If so, it's lost on me.

I'm just thanking my genius loci for the foresight to buy a battery-powered laptop. 

How to Write an Awesome Graduation Speech Students Will Remember

It's that time again: time for cap and gown, pomp and circumstance. Time to bid farewell to the graduating seniors. Do you have to write a graduation speech? It's a great honor, but it can be intimidating, too. Here are tips to write a graduation speech that leaves them speechless (with admiration, that is).

Remember K.I.S.S - Keep is short and simple. Whether you are a professional speech maker, seasoned veteran speaker or novice senior making giving your first public talk, use this rule of thumb. Make your point. Don't belabor to fill time. With graduation speeches, less is more and more is boring.  How to Write an Awesome Graduation Speech

Iambic Pentameter to Mary-Therese Sachteleben, Born and Died 1/5/2000

her eyes, green-gray still waters, do not cry
not mirror nor window of soul's
dark spaces,
guardians hold prisoner, secrets shy
in soft tranquil deep and twilight traces
her skin, like dogwood blossoms translucent
rose petal fair and water-lily pale
heaven-bound as nimbus, storm-cloud spent
fresh as a lamb, nested quiet in vale  (read more at Waterlily Rose Maiden)

A Happy Freelance Writer Moment

Freelance writing, like any other profession, can feel thankless and go-nowhere sometimes. Negative feedback from online trolls, lonliness from work-at-home environment, scrabbling for assignments, having to write stultifying content for word mills, forgoing work in the magnum  opii, in lieu of writing for less-interesting, paid jobs--I've done all these. 

 Sometimes I feel ashamed for not pursuing my higher writer calls. But then it might just be that it's a grey gloomy day and I miss when kids were little. At any rate, we all get our little celebrations and I got one this weekend. I write a regular beat about local events in a major nearby city. I'd included a symphony orchestra chorale. I was delighted to be contacted by a PR rep asking me to cover an upcoming concert and offering me complimentary tickets to the event. 

It's to be hosted at the magnificent Detroit Symphony Orchestra hall. My husband, daughter and I will be able to visit with our son who lives there and take him to the ensemble production as well. I love these kind of exchanges--arts and culture for my work. And it honors and humbles me to know my work is read and appreciated and that I'm getting a name in the journalism field. It just reminds me that if I'm passionate about what I do, if I do it to the best of my ability, if I cast good bread upon the waters, sometimes it comes back ten-fold! Blessings to you in your endeavors!

Al-Anon Slogans for Coping with Stress: Easy Does It

I just had a major meltdown the other day. When I was a younger mom, I had them more frequently. I'd been doing so much better and it makes me mad that I had one. But I know now to look to the source of the problem. And I found it--pushing myself too hard. After talking to husband and kids (and apologizing profusely), they all said that I didn't rest enough. Which was kind of them to empathize but I still feel badly. But maybe it's also time to start forgiving myself and letting up a bit, too. 

I'm trained as teacher but can't find a job, so I write online. Since I started this job we've been able to dig out of debt, thanks be the higher power I choose to call God. I'm glad we don't owe and I'm terrified of going back there. So I push myself--hard. As my oldest says, my reward to myself for a day of work is more work. Not good. I cracked. So I went back to my AlAnon roots to see where I went wrong. Alanon and AA, or Alcoholics Anonymous have wonderful and witty slogans that I use to guide my life.

For coping with stress, worry and tension, I remembered 'Easy Does It'. Another version of this slogan says, 'Easy does it does it Best." If I'm constantly driving myself to achieve more, I'm hardly taking it easy! So writers, let's meditate on the wisdom of "Easy Does it" so we don't drive ourselves and everyone crazy, but most importantly so we can learn to say "well done" instead of "damn you, lazy person! You're a failure!" (those are my old self-messages--perhaps you're familiar with them. It's time you and I started being nice to ourselves, right?