Its Poetry Month! Day 2

A Memory

In the hazy corridors of memory, there lingers a moment from my childhood, a fragile age of four. It was a time of innocence, of tender steps into the world, where the simplest of interactions could shape the contours of a young heart.

I remember the sun-dappled yard, where laughter danced like butterflies, and the promise of adventure beckoned from every corner. My cousin, a beacon of playfulness and generosity, offered me her trike, a shining chariot of freedom. Excitement bubbled within me as I eagerly accepted her offer, my eyes wide with anticipation.

But fate, it seemed, had a different script in mind. As I skipped towards the promised trike, my joy was abruptly halted by a voice, sharp and cutting. It belonged to my cousin's step-father, a man whose disapproving gaze could pierce the thickest veil of childhood bliss. "No," he said firmly, "you can't borrow it. You break everything you touch."

In that moment, the world seemed to still. The words hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over my eager spirit. I stood there, frozen, as his words wrapped themselves around my fragile sense of self. Suddenly, the sun seemed dimmer, the air heavier, and the laughter of moments before felt like a distant echo.

Those words became a mantra, echoing in the chambers of my mind long after the moment had passed. They whispered in moments of doubt, amplified in times of failure, and colored every interaction with a shade of insecurity. I began to see myself through the lens of his words - clumsy, unworthy, and untrustworthy.

But time, the gentle healer, has taught me a different truth. I am not defined by the words of others, no matter how deeply they may cut. I am resilient, capable, and worthy of trust. And though the pain of that moment still lingers, it no longer holds me captive.

I am free to rewrite the narrative, to reclaim my sense of self from the shadows of the past. And so, I choose to remember that moment not as a wound, but as a testament to my strength and resilience. For I am more than the words spoken in a fleeting moment of ignorance. I am me, unbroken and whole.

This is not a cheerful poem it is as the prompt said a memory from my childhood. This is the first time I ever wrote down what happened that day but it lingered in my psyche for 60 years. Today I cried and released it thanks to ChatGPT taking my story and making it into poetry for me.

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July 9th & 10th

I was on my way to see GD#3 in Aurora with my son when he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Everlovin' was planning on coming down to get me that night after work. I was a little worried because it meant he would be very tired after working all day and then driving the 2 hrs to get me and the 2 hrs back cause we needed to be at the airport at 9:30 or so. My son said that Aurora was pretty close to where Everlovin' lives near the border of Toronto and Markham so he could drop me off and save Everlovin from having to make the trip. It also meant I could worry less about his heart and the fatigue he would be feeling with the time change between Ontario and Alberta. So instead of spending the night traveling dinner was provided by my MIL and I got to sit out under the gazebo and see all the pretty flowers my BIL has grown. I need to say before I go any further that I had never been on a jet before, I'd ridden in a fixed wing so it wasn't totally strange. I was beyon

July 12

Today we head to Calgary after E is done working. We packed up and checked out of the Sandman. I spent most of the day in a place called Cafe on 54. E joined me and grabbed himself a Reuban when he was done which he seem to like. I worked on the journal and drew a picture of Edmonton before we landed. Scan and add photo of art work. We had to wait for the network guy while he returned his car so we hung out at a nearby gas station though it was a bit more than that with a car wash and a convenience store. It was a long wait so I grabbed some junk food. I lost one of the things I bought but the 7 day croissant was pretty good. The network guy wanted to stop at a beach called Sylvan Beach on the way to Calgary. It was interesting, one of those lakes where you can walk out a long way before it starts to get above your knees. There was a camping area, a playground, and a small marina. I walked along the kelp-strewn beach looking for a stone or two, what I found were waterlogged wood

Perhaps I was a little hasty...

Last night all I could think about was getting out of this town and going to someplace safe and quiet. Funny enough when I went searching for safe and affordable Peterborough was actually on the list and yes the list was new as of June 2022. Kinda surprised to find that we are actually pretty safe here despite all the stuff going on. I was watching Tik Tok and this guy was jogging down a street in Vancouver, there were literally dozens of tents and homeless all along the street. Made me realize that we do have it pretty good here even with the rents doubling in the last six months. I would rather not leave Ontario but the cheapest rents are in Quebec and one of the eastern provinces, I can't remember which one off the top of my head. This is scary Maybe I'll find a way to curb the urge to run away for awhile.

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