Surfliner

Partially cloudy on a Tuesday at sixty-three degrees.  There was a dry heat that compressed us like pancakes. Simply giving into the curves of the motion as we sipped iced coffee with paper straws. The last train departing. Business class specific. We wrapped our arms around things unsettled.  Optimistic. Hoping for a view of the sunset.

Locomotives are the best way to see the country. We wished for nothing  more than being left alone.

Let’s go past what our minds tell us. To whatever is beyond.

The woman with blue grey hair smiled. She spoke to me as if we were confidants. Trains are so romantic. Shame on anyone who doesn’t appreciate the true beauty of the machine.

She waved her hand for emphasis. I wanted to ask her why? Where she came from and where she was going.

Then I thought better. The moisture on the glass reminded me we were like a caterpillar winding deep in the earth.

QT with the Pup

We saw a dead bird today. Two birds to be honest. The added irony to this was I had the dream two nights ago. A bird dead as could be lay facing up.

It’s white carcass presented itself to the sky. Decapitated. I found my dog to be hiding something in his mouth. This became a tug of war.

Each of us determined. We scuffled. And I think he gave into me while we were in the midst of this entanglement. Discovering we are not who we think we are.

 He thought it through perhaps. The manner in which he relinquished validated his predatory nature. I have not seen this side of my dog. He is still a puppy. Sometimes I wonder if he is the spawn of unnatural beasts but that is yet to tell itself.

I won eventually. I suppose. If this is considered a win. I guess.

My dog held the head of the bird in his mouth. Mind you this was his second visit to the beach.

Sometimes he thinks about the bird. I know he does. I wonder what his next target will be. It’s okay.

The summer is young still.

Sound Bath

Those white elephants. He grinned at the panoramic ocean view.

    Everything else remained thick, gray and invisible. The water was considerably more, vast and exposed when viewed from this height.

Carefully, he sorted out the variety of percussion instruments, crystal singing bowls, gongs and his precious pan drum.

    Musical tools cluttered the floor like condiments strewn out randomly.

Outside the unrelenting marine layer offered up sporadic bursts of lush greens. The dive into deep ocean. Coming up to lay on the rocks with turtles clamoring on his backside.

The bones of it. Crisp clean lines. Closed each instrument with delicate custody. His fingers moved fast. Each one laid out with precision.

A Dash of Salt

I lay with my love. He sends me promises of a motionless kiss.

There we would find a silence to the challenging matters of obstructions.

Which I craved in these dark days.

 It would be about noon when I find myself longing even with the brilliant light on green Moroccan tiles. I can’t stop forgetting a moment when it was organic.

Like the eggs. Hardboiled and a dash of salt.

It would be so much better if dairy didn’t make me sad.

Argo, I can’t develop a craving for cheese.

It would affect my palette in an unfortunate way.

Then it could be an easier way to find an exit strategy I would imagine.

I’ve been taking the wrong ones.

I only pray that this world can offer me up to you.

Because I can’t remember the kiss right now.

Nothing about this is right.

Like cheese.

Something I could do without.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.