Poetry

War Anthems

"lantern" © Jenny Downing, 2009. CC BY 2.0.
lantern” © Jenny Downing, 2009. CC BY 2.0.
Preparing for war.

We never were fighters and we don’t want to go,
but there are some things you don’t get a choice in.

Winter will crash over and crush us
no matter how well we’ve prepared.

Spring will sweep us up
in a gust of wind, scattering our last reserves
of hope and energy like ashes. Continue reading →

Personal Development

Until You Learn

"Busy" © 1Q78, 2013. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Busy” © 1Q78, 2013. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
I’m scouring for things to keep my brain occupied through winter. Things that occupy my neurons without actually making me think about existence.

Ordered a sketchbook and a new set of pastels. Logged into my Codecademy account for the first time in months. Accepted an outreach position at my coworking space. Planned my running schedule and increased my weight-training days. Stay just busy enough to keep myself solid. My feet grounded. Continue reading →

Mental Health

The struggle to reach up

"Struggle.. for LIFE!" © Pemier Photo, 2008. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Struggle.. for LIFE!” © Pemier Photo, 2008. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Everything feels impossible lately.

I’ve decided to find comfort in that. If everything is a struggle, then nothing is harder than anything else. The work, the effort, the propulsion needed for anything I hope to do requires the same amount of energy.

A spacecraft charging out of the grasp of Earth’s atmosphere. Once I’m up there, I can do anything I want. No matter what follows, the force needed to escape gravity’s pull is the same. Continue reading →