i promise
more stories to come
more tales to tell

but
not today

the week has been hard
both jet lag
and a touch of the flu

so
not today

opening closed doors
releasing and welcoming
dormant feelings

assimilating
not today
 
 

 
 
 
 

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the autumn equinox
9.22.22
daytime and nighttime almost equal
light and dark in balance

heading into fall
with its cooler nights
layers and extra blankets
not much time left for
flip flops and iced lattes

witnessing summer’s end in italy
back to school
changing colors
the villa’s walls
colder to the touch

i’ve always thought of autumn
as an in-between season
leaving the sunny summer behind
anticipating the frigid winter ahead

i’ve never been a fan of in-betweens
of lingering midway, lost-in-limbo
not very clear, not very distinct
hazy and hard-to-define

this september, however, spent at villa magnolia
has provided much-needed clarification for me
an eye-opening and emotional journey
truly a transitional period

one in which quite a bit of
fact-finding and soul-searching
has taken place
culminating in a plan for the future

things that were complicated and confusing
beginning to unravel and resolve
untangling these knotty obstacles has been
both long-awaited and deeply satisfying

feeling calm and peaceful
entering the equinox

i have always been fascinated by numbers and i like the fact that this crisp new season begins on 9.22.22.

 
 
what was the first thing i noticed,
the first time i ever experienced italy?

and what always comes to mind first,
each and every day i spend in the country?

and what is my first thought,
whenever i’m away from this magical land?

we start to make plans
and then we hesitate

one thing pulls us forward
another holds us back

the old is again new
and the new is now old

a mixed-up myriad of
thoughts and feelings
swirling around and through

people and places beckon
people and places secure

experiences and memories
tether us in unexpected ways

like moving through gangway connections
on a speeding train

trying to balance without
but ultimately having to grab the rail
when the coach lurches

we’ve created more than one life
attached ourselves to both

questioning what’s realistic and true
as we step into the future

back and forth
back and forth

once more on that transitional precipice
where answers are elusive
liminal space unsettling

 
 
 
 

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the moon.
so mysterious.

lighting up the night sky, guiding our way in darkness. influencing both the tides of the ocean and our tumultuous emotions.
 
 
“don’t worry if you’re making waves just by being yourself. The moon does it all the time.”
~scott stabile
 
 

 
 
the moon.