I haven’t put my feet on the floor yet but have been awake awhile. I can hear the birds singing and it makes me smile. My grandparents went birding together all over America. Birdsong is soul balm this morning. Singing a happy song.
March 29, 2015
kitchen mouse
“Hello little mouse.
Welcome home to your house.”
Words I said to my youngest son as we met at the top of the stairs.
He’d just returned home from an overnight with friends.
He was walking up.
I was about to descend after starting a load of laundry.
He was almost to his bedroom with a twin pack of Little Debbie snack cakes in his hand.
He hadn’t gotten there quite fast enough.
He replied with a grin and attempted a Jedi mind trick with the words, “You didn’t see anything.”
Oh, but I did.
The pantry is self serve and holds a plethora of goodies.
If only the food refilled automatically…
Though from his point of view, it does.
Gradually, when favorites are “disappeared” from one too many mouse raids, the children are learning to recycle the empty boxes and tell me if something is nearly or completely gone.
[creak of pantry door]
[tip toe tip toe away]
[crinkle of the wrapper]
[mmmmm so yum]
NOTE TO MOUSE: Throw the “evidence” away.
*squeak*
March 15, 2015
This conversation really occurred at the top of the stairs around 10:30 this morning. Afterwards I checked the pantry and there is at least one unopened box of Little Debbie snack cakes remaining. My oldest son calls this particular flavor, “Heaven Bites.” They must be really, REALLY good!
puppy love
New girl on the block, Daisy, is crazy for Blue.
ooo la la
woof
*nose touch*
Then me, dragging him away from her fence, after he tugs me to hurry up and get there.
They don’t feel the cold.
Must be LOVE.
That’s amore.
Puppy kind.
woof
February 19, 2015
[Weather Note: at 10:00am the air temperature is 3*F, but “feels like” -15*F in central Illinois.]
chasing rainbows
I have a prism hanging in my dining room window. The heat vent underneath the window is making the prism swing gently from side to side. It is an east facing window with morning light. Blue dog is chasing rainbows in the living room. Well, more like light swatches at the moment, that move across the floor to the furniture, walls and back to the floor again. I knew he liked chasing the cat’s laser light, flashlight beams and the sunlight glint from his collar tags. Now rainbows via prism light. Blue also stops to smell the flowers, takes me on startlit/moonlight walks and woofs to go out in time to catch the sunrise/sunset. May you have a blessed rainbow chasing day. Woof.
February 17, 2015
Tuesday Art Discovery: at the day’s end
My poem, “at day’s end,” is paired with one of Karen Glosser’s photographs for “Tuesday Art Discovery” on Nutmeg Chatter. I am honored to be part of this collaboration. Thank you, J. Timothy Quirk, for promoting the Arts. ~Janean
The Nutmeg Chatter Tuesday Art Discovery is a portion of Nutmeg Chatter curated by editor-in-chief J. Timothy Quirk. The Discovery highlights a specific work, whether a poem, photograph, visual art, short story, video or song and the creators of the work do not have to be located in Connecticut to be considered.
Today’s Art Discovery merges the work of two distinct creators who reside in different states. The poem was authored by Janean Baird in Illinois. The photograph was created by Karen Glosser in Western New York.
Janean Baird is an artist, poet and daydreamer residing in central Illinois; her work has been exhibited in murals in Uptown Normal, Illinois and Bloomington, Illinois. Her artwork is available through the Main Gallery 404, Inc. in Bloomington, IL and by contacting Janean directly with commissions accepted. Baird’s poetry can be found on her site TURQUOISE TANGLES and her popular Tumblr site: Tuquoise Tangles tumblr blog.
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at day’s end
the moon is full
the stars are bright
fresh snow shimmers
on a winter’s night
a rabbit waits
a dog barks
the woman walks
brrrrr shiver
February 4, 2015
getting unstuck
Sitting at my kitchen table
Still in pjs
Drinking coffee
Blue on guard in the backyard
[quietly]
Boys voices drifting up
[talking over video game sounds]
I took a long hot soaking bath with a light book yesterday
Had a good day but was tired and fried
That helped
A lot
I’ll do it again
I forget to
Best of all woke up early [4:40a] but fell back asleep until 7a
Bliss
[PAUSE]
Dog woofed
He jumped the crooked bent ineffective wire mesh garden fence and got stuck
Out of leash but also the leash clasp was caught around the edge of the fence
Stuck
Unclipped him
Bent fence down enough he could jump
Loved him
He scared himself
For today anyway
He followed me in
Muddy paws which he hates having touched
Got a layer of dirt off
My house is nowhere near spotless
Ever
A little garden dirt won’t hurt
Poured the last of my coffee
Not rushing anywhere today
I am so thankful for lack of rush
October 26, 2014
A diary of my Sunday morning moments that occurred between 8:18a and 8:51a today. I can pinpoint the timing so exactly because this is an excerpt of an email reply I sent to my cousin. On a wild whim decided to share this snippet from my life here too. I’ve been quiet in my public writing spots. Have needed to be. Still do. ~Janean
in my backyard
sitting in the sunshine
a ladybug lands
upon my shoulder
hello little ladybug
I’m wearing green
Do I look like a tree?
my hair blows
in the cool breeze
mere moments pass
the ladybug flies away
a crow calls
from above the rooftops
doggone dog barks
a squirrel has been spotted
beyond the reach of his leash
time to drag the dog inside
don’t want to be bother
babies are napping
a woman is reading
two actually
myself and another
goodbye sunshine
goodbye ladybug
good riddance crow
hello library book
I’m going to read you
just a little bit longer
in my cozy love seat spot
missing celestial warmth
October 8, 2014
supermoon
Dear La Lune,
There you are.
It’s been awhile.
You’ve been obscured
by cloud cover.
Caught a glimpse
a few nights ago.
Crescent shaped then.
Saw a half moon by day.
Leading up to tonight.
When you are full
and beaming bright.
It’s been awhile
since you made me smile.
Shining with your celestial light.
I fell asleep penning this poem to you.
Stretched out on the living room couch.
Moonlight shining in the window.
Eyes shut tight until 2am,
when I moved myself to bed.
You greeted me as a new day dawned.
The dog and I begin our walk.
You met us in the morning sky.
Honey hue of nighttime gone.
Darkness faded yet you remain.
Glowing white come daylight.
Until you disappear from sight.
I’ll look for you again this night
and admire your changing shape.
Waning now.
Love,
Janean
August 13, 2014
routine maintenance
The firefighters just flushed the hydrant in front of my house
Little unexpected excitement
Blue heard Jake barking while they did the hydrant around the corner
We had to go investigate
Saw the water spraying but stopped by the fence for the dogs to say hi and didn’t go around the corner
Saw three young children and their parents splashing in the street
Smiled at their happy
Then here came the truck to park by our curb
We watched from the sidewalk across the street
‘We’ being two dogs, three adults and the three hopeful children wanting to splash some more
This hydrant not making as many puddles as before
No splashing after all
Parting ways with, “Have a good day” and “See you later”
Blue and I cross for home
Staying dry other than bare feet through the puddles in the street
My boys slept through it
Had it not been for my dog I’d have missed it too
July 5, 2014
A snapshot of a moment from before 9:30am. My oldest woke up right after the dog and I came inside. The youngest will appear with some prodding before noon. The lazy hazy days of summertime are here.
Turquoise Tangles 