Bodies of Water

On April 7, 2019April 7, 2019 By Anna EastlandIn Poetry8 Comments

The trees are so stable,

their moods have such endurance.

They hold on for months

to the bare bitterness of winter,

the silence,

the absence of even a rustling leaf.

Then the trees embrace the sweet joyfulness of spring

in a long coquettish smile,

a blossom-blush lasting months.

Afterwards, the trees sail into the smooth serenity of summer,

wearing their regal wreaths with proud satisfaction.

Even the flaming, flickering colours of fall flash across their faces for months,

the trees, with their moods more stable than mine,

for I am but a tiny body of water

wrapped in skin.

My thinly guarded surface subject to tremors of wind,

the harassment of a sudden hailstorm

or the steady pounding of rain.

I’ve been know to get icicles in my eyelashes

tears of pain frozen before fully released.

Some things are better to let go of quickly.

In all this variable moodiness,

this passionate intensity and depth of feeling,

I am not alone,

for are we not all but small bodies of water

(97% H2O)

wrapped in skin,

the tides in our hearts tugged about by not just the moon,

but by the moods of all the other bodies of water

bumping around us

in this space

that is earth.

Haiku 15

On August 17, 2018 By Anna EastlandIn Photos, Poetry2 Comments

Some days are crazy

but flowers bloom, stars shine

and the baby smiles.

Haiku 11

On April 10, 2018 By Anna EastlandIn PoetryLeave a comment

Dry corn stalks stick up–

the skeleton of summer

revealing past warmth.

Smoky City

On August 7, 2017July 2, 2019 By Anna EastlandIn Poetry4 Comments

Every day

time stands still

stupefied by heat and smog–

this strange oppressive greyness

that crouches over the city

obscuring the view.

Every morning the sun sends ruddy orange beams

through my glass porch door

like a joke played by someone

with a giant coloured flashlight

pretending we’ve woken up on Mars.

The mountains have disappeared in smoke,

the interior forest fires making

an imaginary conquest of the coast.

Even the rooftops three blocks away

have been engulfed by this grey Nothing.

My kids don’t care.

They play outside oblivious to all change

except the burning orb of the sun in the evening–

a giant fireball glowing red

a perfect sphere glaring at us

like the eye of Mordor.

“Take a picture, take a picture!” they cry,

but for once my iPad mini camera doesn’t do it justice

and we are forced to just stare long enough

to imprint the image in our memories

next to distant recollections of clear blue sky.

Haiku 7

On May 28, 2017May 28, 2017 By Anna EastlandIn Photos, Poetry2 Comments

Toddler’s summer is

dirty feet, naps, sweaty curls–

popsicles galore

Summer squabbles and the need for goals

On July 12, 2016 By Anna EastlandIn Family Life, motherhood6 Comments

It’s funny; you’d think as a homeschool mom I’d be relieved it’s summer time…time to kick back and take a break from teaching, have long lazy days of relaxing at the beach or park…but actually, it’s been more of me doing household projects neglected during the year while planning camping trips and outings, and the kids spinning their wheels and counting the days till special events.

So I’ve found it’s more challenging to be home with the kids without the structure of homeschool, than with it. Not that we are super regimented, but each day has its basic routine and learning goals and projects. Without this…we’ve had some fun play for a few weeks, but once we were home sick with a summer cold, a lot of squabbling, pettiness, imaginary insults and hurt feelings.

So today I decided that we needed to make some summer goals… something to focus on and feel good about achieving. Because I think we feel better when we achieve something tangible, than when we simply try to amuse ourselves. Summer boredom is not so much due to a lack of entertainment, as a lack of purpose.

Here’s what we came up with over morning snack today:

We’ve stuck it on the fridge with giant magnets from my recently visiting brother, so we can see it any time we need something to do. Rather than the kids destroying one corner of the house while I clean another, they can do something fun, useful and cooperative. Right now as I nurse the baby my 10 year old is playing art teacher and helping the younger ones make imaginary planets on big pieces of paper where she traced circles from plates. I haven’t had a ‘police report’ of fighting, name calling, or hurt feelings for over 20 minutes! 😊🎉🎈 For a while I thought I’d have to set up a desk and stay there all day to record filed complaints…

Of course, as I write this sentence I hear a fight brewing in the dining room over a secret being kept or something…but hey, we will keep trying! One thing is certain, that seeking personal pleasure and comfort above all is a sure path to misery, because when life is centred on yourself, nothing is good enough and everything displeases. When we instead focus on bringing joy to others, life is an adventure without time for boredom, because there is always someone whose day you can brighten.

What things do you do as a family to bring joy to others? What summer goals do you have to take advantage of your extra free time? How will you re-create yourself this summer?

Sleepyhead

On June 27, 2015 By Anna EastlandIn PhotosLeave a comment

Nothing like an afternoon nap on a hot day…sleeping is the way to travel! 😉

It’s been a day for pink lemonade and ice cream, and painting pictures inside in our cool ground level suite, rather than in the blaring sun.

Hope you all sleep well this warm evening! We had a pre-bedtime splash in the kiddie pool and have the fans going….

…This brief weather-coping update is for the sake of aunties, grandmas and other relatives worried about their little peanuts roasting in the heat! 🙂

Trumpet Lilies Rejoice

On June 14, 2015June 14, 2015 By Anna EastlandIn Photos, Ponderings6 Comments

Welcome summer! Beautiful, wonderful, summer… nothing like sunshine beaming through green leaves and white flower petals.

There is amazing strength and resilience in flowers…no matter what goes on around them, what hatred or anger floats about the air, they continue to be themselves. Delicate and beautiful.

They don’t grow spikes unless they are meant to or turn black when those around them are harsh…but continue to be ever the same…vulnerable perhaps but strong in their vulnerability, because they won’t be put off course. They follow the plan inscribed in their tiny cells, and become the gorgeous things they were meant to.

May we all learn from this to be ourselves, our best selves, no matter what happens around us to pull us down.

Playing Urban Farmer

On August 3, 2014August 3, 2014 By Anna EastlandIn Photos2 Comments

For the last few weeks I’ve been busy playing urban farmer, taking care of my landlord’s gorgeous garden while their family is on holiday. It’s kept me a bit busy for writing much, but here are some pictures of the lush green plants and vibrant flowers, and some of my summer garden elves, too!

Healthy Vegetables

Beautiful Berries

Fun Flowers

Fragrant Herbs

Water Babies

Busy Bees
They sure love artichoke flowers!

Perky Chickens

Evening Sunshine

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely summer, and after busy hot days, relaxing in the sweet evening sunshine!

Summer Evening Sunshine

On July 27, 2014 By Anna EastlandIn Writing4 Comments

Wow, it’s been a year since I registered with WordPress, and my blogging journey began. To celebrate this, I’m going to publish the first post I composed on my blog, which never made it out of the draft box until today.

Blogging has been so good for me, because it’s helped me to write so much more regularly, and to feel more confident. Writing is now easier and more fun, especially because of being connected to a great community of fellow readers and writers online. Thank you all for each word of encouragement.

I actually feel comfortable calling myself a writer now, which is new, and have even had a few short articles published in a paper. Hurrah! 🙂 It seems the more I write, the more opportunities to write come, and I’m very happy and grateful for this. Here’s a little snippet with my name in print!

I encourage anyone who has some crazy artistic idea they are afraid to try to give it a shot, because amazing things are possible. You’d never imagine what you’re capable of and what great opportunities may come unless you try.

So here’s that first post my then trembling fingers never hit publish on. All the best to my fellow writers, and cheers to all of my wonderful readers! I’m so glad you’re sharing this adventure with me!

Summer Evening Sunshine

After a long day of meals and snacks and diapers and messes, stories and games and breaking up squabbles, it is the most beautiful thing to sit in the evening summer sunlight in the garden, surrounded by bees and flowers, just drinking it all in.

My big girls are jumping on the trampoline–getting along for the moment–and the baby is sleeping. One toddler is snuggling on my lap and the other is wandering about naked, eating raspberries like a chubby, curly haired garden gnome.

Moments like this, worries of the world seem far away and irrelevant, having faded in the mellow warmth and simplicity of the summer evening.

Pausing from the endless seeming cycle of distracted multitasking, I am finally quiet enough to be aware of this divine beauty that has escaped me until now, and in this moment, feel connected to eternity.

Just East Of Crazy Land

Tag: summer

Bodies of Water

Haiku 15

Haiku 11

Smoky City

Haiku 7

Summer squabbles and the need for goals

Sleepyhead

Trumpet Lilies Rejoice

Playing Urban Farmer

Summer Evening Sunshine

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