beliefs

Black Bicycle Tires

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At sixteen
(almost seventeen)
I wrote in my journal:
“Busiest street in the city
a solid two days in a row
you crossed it in between
rushes of cars, slow uphill
in gray breath-spilling morning,
heated gasps down the slope in the afternoon.

‘God is sending me miracles!’
you scream out, because
nothing moves as quickly
as black bicycle tires
when it’s almost summer.”

At thirty-one
(almost thirty two),
I write in my journal:
“Silver or magenta,
mountain or road,
black bicycle tires
erase the pain
before and behind me,
a majestic blur of
rubber on pavement,
a remedy for adolescence,
adulthood,
life.

One Day

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Some people call me a hippie
not realizing
they’re being complimentary
because I’d rather be a hippie
who loves the earth
than a “conservative”
who does the opposite of conserving
the water that our children
will one day thirst for,
the ecosystems
that will one day
destroy the earth in their absence,
the (now demolished for mining) mountaintops
that one day inspired our ancestors.

Yes, I think a “dirty hippie”
whose feet carry the dust
of garden soil,
whose heart yearns for freedom
(our planet’s freedom)
whose soul aches to conserve
whatever it is we have left,
will one day be an admirable term.

Parenting

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with prime rib (though it’s not a holiday)
the Riesling I love
three kids who eat their dinner
(for once)
a conversation that is multifaceted
and has not a hint of anger,
I am happy (so happy)
for the family that I have
for the family (though at times
I feel plagued by them)
that I love
(the parents who stayed
together through the tough times,
who buy and cook whole foods
who don’t force their beliefs upon me,
who love my kids,
who raised me to be strong,
to be the parent,
the best parent, that I can be).

Heaven on Earth

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Dedicated to the Glenwood Canyon Bike Trail

the sky here is always blue
(clouds sneak in each afternoon
but the mountain air chases them off)
and in the morning you just might see
(you just might, if you find the soul of God)
a herd of bighorn sheep
(brown now, September leaves golden)
startled by you
and the dawn that tickles
their grass-eating lips

you can stop your pedaling
or keep going
(keep going)
because the beauty doesn’t end there—
you will breathe it into your lungs,
the light heaviness of
the red rock canyon,
the perfectly laid path that winds
along the river that
has carved out this magnificence
so you
(you, them, everyone)
can taste for these delicious
high altitude moments
Heaven on Earth.

Stuff (or, Ode to Consumption)

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flashing before me is the feed
that calls my name as if I need
the crap that comes across the screen
but I know what they really mean

the story of stuff is a frightening tale
that bends and breaks without fail
our morals, our love, our time on earth
are deteriorating with every thing’s birth

how can we stop this sick disease
that they tell us is all we need to please
ourselves on a planet being destroyed
swallowed by corporations’ void?

stop, stop, stop, at every door
of every store that sells you more
of every item you really don’t need
so that our future will take heed

your families, your faith, are on the line
you can make a difference with this design
hug your kids, buy things used, go to the park
but never say that I left you in the dark

Shape

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What—or who—formed this shape?
am I a trapezoid trying to be a triangle
or a triangle trying to blow myself
up into a cone?
not sure

pokey though
pokey and prodding,
peeking out and stretching
my angles as far as they will
s    t   r   e   t   c   h

it could have been her
with all the no’s
it could have been him
with all the passivity
it could have been me
a round ball in the beginning

but I bounced back,
eventually
finding the format that suits me best
(I may have been fourteen)
I’d had enough

and now I stand
angular as ever
unable to fit into the
cookie cutter they’d imagined

instead
looking up from one edge
and down from a corner
I see myself, the perfect
unnamable shape,
formed by my own desires.

20 Rules to Live By

/ lovizmytrio / 1 Comment

For myself and my daughters.

1. Enjoy life. It’s too short not to.
2. Set goals for yourself. Put them in writing so you’ll follow through.
3. Choose your dreams wisely.
4. Motherhood is the most important job in the world. Remember that when your kids have been bickering all day and you just want to shove them in front of the TV.
5. Be open-minded. Accept people for who they are and don’t waste your time trying to change them.
6. Eat healthily, but enjoy treats. Life needs a bit of sweetness.
7. Make time for yourself and your personal pleasures no matter how much else you have to do.
8. Honesty is always best. Two-faced behavior is atrocious.
9. Exercise regularly. You might not get sick all winter. Or all year.
10. Be a leader for the next generation.
11. Protect the earth. It’s the only one we have.
12. Give your time and money and clothing to charity. And not for tax purposes.
13. Sleep at least seven hours every night.
14. Reflect on your mistakes, but don’t dwell on them. Change who you are because of them.
15. A good marriage can keep your life on the right track. A bad one will shove you off into the ditch. Marry the right person.
16. Don’t force other people to believe what you believe. Just listen. And share.
17. Education is never ending and is the best way to keep your mind open.
18. Love should be the focus of all you do.
19. Travel. It will open your eyes to more than you could ever imagine.
20. Keep your friends close and be for them everything that you want them to be for you.

Rays of Light

/ lovizmytrio / 3 Comments

It doesn’t matter to me what you believe
as long as you don’t try to make me believe it
because I am from my own hollow in the world
already formed like the giant maple of my youth,
my limbs outstretched and searching for my own answers
and your stinging, howling wind
will only make my leaves fall too soon,
leaving me barren,
unable to create the saplings of my convictions
that could grow thick and strong
in the rays of light between my branches.