Posts
Sextional
This is the poem I performed live at the Portland Poetry Slam this past Sunday. In many ways, it encapsulates the transition I went through this past April – moving from who I thought I wanted to be into more of who I actually was. – Guys, I have a confession. When it comes to…
Anything is better than apathy
We are so careless with one another. We inflict words without remorse, unthinking of the lasting impact that will have. I’ve heard religious people who believe in an afterlife say in reference to how we treat one another that we walk amongst gods. I’m not so sure if that’s true, but it certainly is poetic. Poignant.…
You don’t have to hold it all together
This time last year, I was in a show playing a 1950’s ingenue. The script was total shit. Ken Ludwig basically vomited cliches and poorly written characters into a half-baked, feel-good story built for community theatres like the one I was performing at. But the costumes. Sitting backstage curling my hair and clipping on vintage pearl…
Revisiting your tiny box of truth
How often do you deny yourself what you want because you’re afraid of it? Afraid of what it says to the outside world about who you are? Afraid of what even wanting it says about you? We repeat the opinions and things we’ve said for years simply because we want to be consistent. (It’s a…
Defining ekstasis
In the ancient Greek, ekstasis means “to be or stand outside oneself, a removal to elsewhere” from ek- “out,” and stasis “a stand, or a standoff of forces”. It also translates as a “displacement of the mind” or as we would call it, astonishment, amazement, ecstasy. I was introduced to the term through Karen Armstrong’s…
How To Be A Woman
Practice bathing like it is an art. Run a bubble bath. Add rose hip essential oil. Accept that fresh flowers are a necessity. Pour a glass of Malbec and get a dark chocolate salted caramel. (Better make that two.) Say what you’re thinking. Let the pieces fall where they may. Turn on jazz radio. Let…
When You Don’t Recognize Your Reflection
Today, after dropping off my son, I walked briskly home to start work. If you have never walked with me, you should probably know when I say walking, what I mean is I keep up a pace just short of a jog, as fast as my long legs can handle on autopilot to carry me swiftly to my…
When the clothes no longer fit
You find ones that do. For awhile, maybe you try to make it work, donning clothes too big and baggy that you look like you’re trying hide inside of. Perhaps you’ve outgrown your clothes and now they feel constricting and uncomfortable, your growth making it all too apparent that you have noticeably changed. When your…
What happens when you ask for what you really want
December is a dead zone in a lot of ways – it makes it great for planning. I love choosing a theme for the year. It tends to change about half way through, but regardless, I think it’s a fun lens to view the year and my choices through. So I ask a question. What do…
A brave new world
I woke up this morning to the sun peering through the windows. It’s the kind of morning that refuses to be ignored, warming you and reminding you that you live in Oregon, so you better get out and enjoy this while it lasts. I lingered another moment under the covers before crawling out of bed…