My dear friend Miss Sharon Crane gifted me with a little solar powered daisy that dances in the sunlight. I put it in the window that I stare out when I’m writing. All day long, each time the movement catches my eye, it’s made me smile. I wrote a short little poem about it.
Miss Sharon Crane’s gift to me brightened my winter scenery.
This is not Marge Swenson. This is my friend Alicia. I love this picture.
This is an abstract interpretation of the original picture, minus my friend Alicia. It was taken with my phone, so I apologize for the quality.
There she is with her cheeks shining diamond smiles
Her eyes laughing blue sparkles of periwinkle
She ripples with giggles that bubble fountain-like
Barely restrained by her excitement to honor her calling
I unquestioningly obey her request for open arms
I pull her close to me in spirit love and protection
Warmth and true affection.
“How are you today, my beautiful friend?”
She pushes me away but doesn’t release me
She looks up into my eyes declaring, “I love you, so much.”
We share mutual admiration, forever, for a moment.
I jest with her of how much I love to learn at her knee
To greet, to host, to welcome, to embrace our community.
She laughs at me as if I were the village idiot
I’m inept compared to her. She’s a Mistress of Greeters
I, her apostle.
When the torch is handed onward, I pray I can continue
To honor her beautiful spirit with jovial conviviality
That she displays with the grace of whispering breezes
The dance the spring time brings that blesses each blossom with life
In tandem with the warm embrace of the sun.
This is Marge Swenson. She’s one of my favorite people, hands down. She’s just lovely.
I don’t have to worry,
He remembers my name
He knows me by heart
And still loves me the same.
Mare Martell, 2015
Ignite your spirit with passion
We Stand (this link will take you to SoundCloud) is a song written by Laura Davis. I wrote the lyrics for it while she did all the hard stuff with the music and performing.
When we came up with the idea, we’d just attended the protest for #blacklivesmatter It was truly inspirational and empowering.
Love Thy Neighbor No Exceptions
She approached me after I wrote a poem and asked if I’d be interested in collaborating. Sure, I thought, why not. I asked what she wanted the lyrics to include and she was adamant about them declaring unity in the name of love. Done deals. And so, with pen in hand, I stared out the window, drank a LOT of coffee, and 15 minutes later, I had the first two verses set up. She pushed and verse three with the chorus came flooding through. I didn’t hear back from her for a while, maybe a month or so. After church a couple weeks ago, she asked if I wanted to hear our baby. DUH!
We went into the sanctuary, opened the grand piano, and she began to play. I admit freely that I stood there crying as if I were hearing angels singing the song of love for all my brothers and sisters in the heart of equality. We hugged like new parents cooing over our newborn anthem.
I recorded it this week in that same sanctuary using my phone, of all things, and my computer. But none caught better sound (no mics, mixing boards, autotune, or anything like that) than one particular video which, with my limited home studio, I brought this out to show you.
We Stand is performed by Laura Davis
Music is written by Laura Davis
Lyrics by Mare Martell
2014, THIS IS OURS!
The Force was strong.
The pitch of cloudy moonless nights are harrowing
Despite the switch-back trail chosen to navigate
Maneuvering childish thoughts jagged and narrowing
You said, “Bring the child back home.”
The misty breathy wisdom cites a frightened wraith
With parental patient guidance blessed wisdom
Exhuming trust, from brittle bones, from a wild-haired waif
You said, “Return the child back home.”
With coward’s yellow pungent stench un-protecting
Winter’s breath of springing fallen truths disarming
The summer child sees comfort’s spirit connecting.
You whispered, “You’re safe. Come home.”
There is no tree bedecked with lights
to push away the coldest nights
There is no ornament in your name to hang
There are no bells, their music to clang
There will be no feast to honor the sun
There will be no hours of festive fun
There will be dust and ashes upon my hearth
With saddened heart absent, a disguise worn of mirth
As the tears refrain down memory lane
with whispers of the joy that remains
etched on the holiday with stains of your haint
re-purposing, recycling you into glorious saint.
I’ll stare out the window to witness the world sing
As I dread your fair haunting that this season brings.
Solemnity spoke
When death comes knocking at my door,
bony feet with dusting robes stepping on my floor
My fleshy shell will open to allow my spirit to soar
I will no longer look at the life of the living
wishing more time for regrets and forgiving
I will return to the spirit with thanksgiving
The height of my body will no longer matter
The color of my skin no longer the chatter
The question answered, my lifeline flatter.
I will gaze with love at those who surround me
with their beautiful faces weeping around me
and I will know that my life shined brightly.
As I pass from this life unto the end
In my very last moments I will attend
to touching your cheek and saying, “I love you, always, my beautiful friend.”
I apologize for the delay in posting. For someone that likes to spend time contemplating the Universe, volunteering on the fly, putting my hands “in the dirt” when it comes to getting a project done, I have been doing just that.
On Saturday, 12/13/14, I spent a bit of time with my husband, snuggled up and cuddly which is rare in this wild month. Then I headed over to the Dollar General store to clean out their candy supply so The Red Cross would have give-away for the Christmas Parade that evening. I came up short. Not only did I come up short, but I had to put some back. By the time I got done, I had, and I wish I was exaggerating, 13 cents to my name. At 5PM, I met Miss Sharon Crane at the Red Cross and we got ready to move out and line up. It was a ton of fun. Here is a picture of one of my favorite people and me in my Viking hat made by Freddie Nechtow.
Miss Sharon Crane and me
After the parade was done, I got home a bit after 10PM. Then I had to get signs made up for the protest the following day. I posted them previously, so I won’t redo that, but you can find them here. That kept me up until 2:30AM.
On Sunday morning I was exhausted, but knowing that I’d get a million hugs at church, I got up, got dressed, and drove over to ORUUC where I attend. I gave many hugs because we found out that a beloved member of our church had passed away. The waves of sadness washed over my heart and spirit already weary from physical exhaustion. It felt heavy in my heart. My arms gave comfort to anyone who asked. I felt compelled to offer far more than usual, but the feelings were also far more than usual. It was odd.
After a brief time at home, I dressed and headed down to K-Town to meet with people I didn’t know to join them. Here are a couple of pictures from that day. My friend Laura stood so proudly on the corner. It filled me with great joy to see her courage. Although I don’t want to post her picture without her permission, I wanted to mention that I love her very much.
Then on Sunday night, I rested with my husband. On Monday, I started working with Not In Our Town to get a large donation moved and begin sorting through it to find out which agencies would best benefit everything we have assembled. That is working in conjunction with TORCH (Trinity Out-Reach Center of Hope) to provide Christmas for those who have nothing to give but want to give something. When that part is done, all donations left over will be distributed to several area agencies to help fill their coffers with goods and clothing.
So, if it seems as if I’ve been neglect of my writing, there is, indeed, a good reason for that. I’ve been a busy gal collecting ideas and experiences to translate into more stories and poems to share with you. That will be continuing until next week because I’m already signed up for a spectacular series of fortunate events next week as well.
May your holy days, however you celebrate or don’t, be filled with the love and peace I feel sharing with you these activities. May strength to do what you can to make a difference in your community be given when you feel you may not have it. May your needs be ever met with enough. May you know that you are loved unconditionally. Peace, love, and light, Mare Martell.
Today I will join in solidarity against police brutality suffered by my fellow human beings. It would seem some police have forgotten they, too, are human.
As a Unitarian Universalist it is my honor to be a pilgrim for justice and a fool for love. #blacklivesmatter #iamuu #lovethyneighbor
An Independent Nondiscriminatory Platform With No Religious, Political, Financial, or Social Affiliations - FOUNDED 2014
Life is a patchwork of moments — laughter, solitude, everyday joys, and quiet aches. Through scribbled stories, I explore travels both far and inward, from sunrise over unfamiliar streets to the comfort of home. This is life as I see it, captured in ink and memory. Stick around; let's wander together.
Hosanna High Community Burial Project
True wealth is the wealth of the soul
Daydreaming and then, maybe, writing a poem about it. And that's my life.
Life as an American poet of excellence
Epic fantasy & military sci-fi author.
Love Letters to the Tar Pit
Making Space for Dreams
binge thinking and other things in life
Mare Martell 