Category Archives: inspiration

“Inspired by Something Partly Heard on the Radio” from “Frazzle”

Daily process for recording:
I wait until the house is settled for the night and the kitchen is tidied up. My husband goes to bed early and I set up my camera tripod next to our old maple kitchen table. Precariously I prop up my iPhone with a folded towel underneath to catch it if it falls. I turn on extra lights to chase the shadows and close the blinds to eliminate glare. After a few practice runs I take a deep breath and record. Originally I had a rule I had to get it in one take, but that puts unwanted pressure on me…and I was making up the rules in any case. If I am going to do this project (over a year’s worth of video-poems, one per day) it has to be relatively easy. I am learning as I go along. (Before this I had never made a video using my phone except by accident.)

Just like life, right? Show up every day. Do my best in the moment. Freely give the gifts I have to offer. Receive the love that comes to me. Heal as best I can, myself and all around me. “Start where I am. Use what I have, Do what I can.” (Arthur Ashe)

A good example of that was a concert we attended tonight by Joe Crookston, gifted singer-songwriter, performer, painter, etc. A man both intensely curious and willing to risk. A Chicago area snow storm was blowing outside and he stood calm in a beautiful temple, in front of vivid floor-to-ceiling, stained-glass windows. Next to him was his shadow on the wall, singing along. He opened us up with his songs and stories, his humor and humanness, and his invitation to sing as well. The time flew by and we all went back out into the storm uplifted. Truly, he is a healer. I am most grateful.

What has inspired you lately?

Poem 10 from Thrown Again into the Frazzle Machine: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing: https://youtu.be/mDB8ioZKQcQ

Listen to more video poems from “Frazzle”

“Floating on Sitar Notes and Drum Beats” from “Frazzle”

I usually carry a small notebook and a pen. (I write my poems in longhand and then put into them the computer.) I try not to write when I’m out with other people. It seems rude to ignore them and pay attention to my inner voices, however compelling. Sometimes the call to write is so strong I give in to it (with apologies). This poem was one of those times.

Stephen and I were out for Valentine’s Day dinner at an Indian restaurant we had often gone to. This time, unexpectedly, there was live music and a special menu. The sitar and drums and the ambiance, both familiar and altered, insisted I catch that…something…

And so I wrote during dinner putting down a line or two as we ate, still paying attention to my husband. As I observed the scene with great awareness, the smells of curry and other herbs, the vivid colors, listening intently to the music as it swirled around me, letting it shape the lines. All of it woven into what was happening in my life, my healing practice.

Consider closing your eyes and allow the scene to play out in your imagination as you listen. What does this evoke in you? Do you have any music that sweeps you away to somewhere else?

Here is your poem for today, from Thrown Again into the Frazzle Machine: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing:  https://youtu.be/po8SkL_N3Q8

Listen to more poems from “Frazzle”

THROWN AGAIN into the FRAZZLE MACHINE: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing

THROWN AGAIN into the FRAZZLE MACHINE: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing

“Meltdown”– Reading 3 from “Frazzle”

I got back late tonight from a lovely, energizing outing. Stephen and I went to a Folkstage concert (Jan Krist, who was awesome) and then a birthday dinner for a friend. Still, I am committed to doing these short videos. I centered myself and drank some water. I allowed myself to dump the one flubbed reading and then uploaded the second one. (This process has to be easy if I’m going to go the distance.)

I want to say I am grateful to Amanda Palmer, artist, singer-songwriter, performer, best-selling author and so much more. I’ve learned a lot from her about letting go of the creations you make.

So here is “Meltdown,” the 3rd poem in the video series from Thrown Again into the Frazzle Machine. Perhaps this speaks for you as well. Seems like I wrote it for today, right?   https://youtu.be/5YV70CP5ICI

Listen to more poems from “Frazzle”

THROWN AGAIN into the FRAZZLE MACHINE: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing

THROWN AGAIN into the FRAZZLE MACHINE: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing

Reading “For Lisa D’E” from “Frazzle”

Today’s poem was harder to record than yesterday when I was in the flow of energy from my fresh inspiration. It was not the subject matter, but me. I definitely had “expectations.” A part of me wanted to do it right and that is a familiar trap. I was tempted to keep recording over and over, but that is not the point of this. These poems are me sitting with you at my kitchen table, reading aloud as I’ve been doing for 21 years. A natural human connection, two real people, me and you. And so I offer Poem #2 from Thrown Again into the Frazzle Machine: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing, for our ongoing conversation: https://youtu.be/jbTen3d-s_8

Listen to more poems from “Frazzle”

THROWN AGAIN into the FRAZZLE MACHINE: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing

A Lifeboat through Hard Times: Reading Poems from “Frazzle”

What can I do to help, to heal myself and all around me? For weeks I have been sitting with this and also knowing deep inside what I needed to do–though not all the details. (See Elizabeth Gilbert’s recent post). Yesterday, in an aha moment, it came to me. So… (deep breath)…I will be reading the poems from my book, “Thrown Again into the Frazzle Machine: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing,” one per day, starting at the beginning and posting a video. Twenty-one years ago, after healing from multiple sclerosis, I began a poetic journal. “Frazzle” has selected poems from 5 of those years, 2009-2014. My original understanding was that this book was a “lifeboat through hard times.” I still believe that. And I offer these poems with that intention. So… here we go. Poem 1, “Loving Detachment”: https://youtu.be/y2-uvYyofl8

Listen to more poems from “Frazzle”

THROWN AGAIN into the FRAZZLE MACHINE: Poems of Grace, Hope, and Healing