a long sip
a deep breath
a lingering thought
a quick glance
a gentle smile
It is how we measure our time
in the company of others.
Occasions, as they happen,
make up our lives with friends
and family. Blessings.
Be thankful for the memories
and moments that come with
each occasion.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Stay blessed.
10/10/2022 j.g.l.
I can’t tell (or don’t know) if I’ll be up before dawn or if I will lay awake tonight, or any night.
I’m attracted to things going on in our skies. Perhaps insomnia has a purpose.
The night offers perspective.
The stars, the clouds, the Moon, and all those mundane and misplaced miracles (like stardust, space junk, timid teenage dreams and erotic fantasy) show us how small we actually are.
It is proportionate to our perspective.
I believe our desire to see the reality of the sky keeps our childlike curiosity alive.
I think we need things that shock and awe to maintain our sense of wonder.
Like full moons, and like tonight.
The Moon is not simply reflected light.
© 2017 j.g. lewis
It has been a rough week; hell, it’s been a difficult year (or two).
I think we have all been feeling a bit dysthymic lately.
How could it not be possible to be feeling a bit off with all this geopolitical, emotionally analytical, topsy-turvy sort of mess we find ourselves in.
How are you getting along?
If ever there was a time for self-care, it is right now.
Don’t you think?
The weekend is almost here.
Do something over the next couple of days for your self.
Get a new book from the library, play a favourite record from 1982, 2003, or 1977 (turn it up). Light a candle, burn incense, take the bike out for the last ride of the year (wear a helmet).
Do something for yourself.
You know what relaxes you, or what gives you a little boost. You know what works.
Do that.
I hope it helps.
10/07/2022 j.g.l.
It wasn’t about age; it is still about the music.
I, and an almost-full arena, took in a spectacular concert last night as The Who played Toronto.
Augmented by a full orchestra, the timeless British band gave us two hours of absolute magic; full of the sonic glory you expect from guys who have, at several points in history, proved that rock and roll is what it is.
The Who could have spent the evening simply trotting out a career’s worth of hits, but instead opened with a string of compositions from the rock opera Tommy. Later in the night we were treated to a solid set from Quadrophenia. Both albums go well back into the ‘70s.
Of course they played, and played well, the songs that many people know more from the CSI television series, but several of the big hits where left out (they did not play I Can See For Miles my absolute favourite song ever), but that was okay. Last night was all about the music.
I’ve long considered The Who to be mostly about Pete Townshend, the guitarist who wrote much of the band’s catalogue. Now, at 77 years of age, Townshend is still in fine form. But so is lead singer and front man Roger Daltry, 78, singing and screaming in a manner that defies age.
I’ve seen the band a couple of times in my lifetime, and chances are I will not have the opportunity to see them again. This may be The Who’s last tour, but then Townshend said he would quit touring in 1982.
So there is hope, and there is still the music.
10/03/2022 j.g.l.
Gardens across the city are looking tired.
The flowers and foliage have for months been growing, blooming, celebrating the glorious sunshine and making our days on this big, beautiful planet ever more enjoyable.
But, come October, even the most curated gardens and manicured lawns are showing signs of wear and tear from the dipping nocturnal temperatures, lack of rain, care, or even neglect.
The cycle from spring, through summer, and now autumn, becomes more obvious each day. Daisies, Black-eyed Susan, Echinacea, once-boastful geraniums and hydrangeas are giving into time.
I can’t even find a dahlia anywhere.
Our landscape is getting darker.
The colours of flowers we count on to fill our lives will soon only be available in photographs, florist shops, or bouquets of the day at the market. We take it wherever we can, whenever we can, but we will wait patiently for next year’s gardens to bring back the everyday joy as the cycle will begin once again.
10/02/2022 j.g.l.