NOVEMBER GRATITUDE

2014
Once upon a time in Massachusetts

In November
by Lisel Mueller

Outside the house the wind is howling
and the trees are creaking horribly.
This is an old story
with its old beginning,
as I lay me down to sleep.

But when I wake up, sunlight
has taken over the room.

You have already made the coffee
and the radio brings us music
from a confident age. In the paper
bad news is set in distant places.
Whatever was bound to happen
in my story did not happen.

But I know there are rules that cannot be broken.

Perhaps a name was changed.
A small mistake. Perhaps a woman I do not know
is facing the day with the heavy heart
that, by all rights, should have been mine.
~*~


2016
Today in New York City

 Our Superintendent dropped seeds into the Street side Planter in August. I'm Grateful that he has finally been rewarded with one absolutely perfect green gem.

I'm Grateful we have heat this morning, and grateful that this afternoon my Massachusetts friend Jenny, in town for a dance event tonight, was here for several sweet hours...

Grateful that my writing group was full of surprises tonight and Grateful for the dark night downtown when I emerged. A speeding bicyclist became invisible,
and so did I.

~*~