Toes – a haiku

Dance! Freedom in space
Go wild but careful not to
Step on someone’s toes

Introductions

I never know how exactly to start introducing myself. Of course it depends on context, I wouldn’t begin by listing my academic achievements at a friend’s birthday dinner or by detailing my family background on the first day of work. But the safe option of “Hello my name is … and here’s what I do” sounds so unimaginative.

So I thought it would be fun to come up with a list: what are some unexpected ways that you can introduce yourself?

1. State some things that you dislike.
2. Describe yourself using adjectives you wouldn’t use for dating apps.
3. Share some positive observations you have about the people around you. (How you see other people can reflect a lot about yourself.)
4. Tell the story of your most recent failure. And what you learned from it.
5. Talk about what you want to do in the future instead of what you are doing now or what you have done in the past.
6. Sing or rap your way through your spiel. Dance moves optional.
7. Be concise and engaging, but don’t mention your name.

And that’s all she could think of tonight! Trying to post daily, whatever content that might be.

Thanks for reading,
thebookybunhead

Cartwheel – a cinquain

Because
When he smiles my
Insides do a cartwheel
Tumbling off the edge into skin
Shivers

5 things I learned from the pandemic

1. You can’t take anything for granted.
   There was a time when sitting down for a morning coffee at the local cafe, dancing in the night with friends in crowded rooms, and planning travel to distant destinations were common things for a young person to do. Then it became common trying to recognizing people just from their eyes and hair, swerving from oncoming foot traffic to maintain a six foot distance, looking forward to grocery runs as they were one of the activities that changed the least. In one swift email back in March 2020, we were told the university would be closing and that all activities would resume online, including graduation. Fast forward one year and it has become a privilege to go on neighbourhood walks and to have a job that can be done remotely. Just like life, circumstances and things can be taken away at any moment, so the optimal mindset is to always expect change, while being grateful for all the little things.
   
   
2. It’s ok to chill out.
   There is only so much to do when stuck at home, and it can easily feel like not much is getting done when each day feels relatively the same. But I have realized that busyness does not equal productivity. On the contrary, to use time and energy the most efficiently during work hours requires amounts of resting hours as well. Silence and boredom give space to think and reflect on motivations and perspective, allowing for a fresh outlook and newfound creativity to inspire further work. Even though I have an itch to continually achieve and do, I am trying to also be ok with waiting for regular activities to return and enjoy the down time while it lasts!
   
   
3. I’m more extraverted than I thought.
   Thank goodness for video calls and the internet – imagine the isolation everyone would have felt even more of without them. I always thought I was more introverted, content with staying at home and entertaining myself, until I realized I was going on walks not just for exercise, but to just be around people. Social belonging is a huge factor in happiness and stress reduction, so it is easy to feel down through lockdowns. Although in some ways I have found technology has made connecting with others more convenient, seeing faces being turned on and off the screen and hearing distorted voices due to bad wi-fi just isn’t the same. And hugs! Weird to have to change greetings keeping a six-foot distance. I wonder if handshakes will become obsolete?
   
   
4. Creating is important for the soul.
   What quarantine hobby did you take up? I remember when lockdowns started in Canada, people were baking, painting, crocheting, singing, cleaning – and many still are today. I believe that every person is a creator in one form or another, with an innate drive to make something, anything – art, food, music, space… Despite being very excited to graduate, I ended up taking a UX course for fun to learn about the process of designing digital interfaces. And after feeling the vacancy lockdown after lockdown I decided to revive this blog which has been fun so far.
   
   
5. Don’t have too much faith in the government.
   Pretty self-explanatory. How ill-prepared the majority of governments of the world were to handle this crisis has made me very doubtful of their efficacy and competence. It makes me wonder about how future problems especially those stemming from environmental damage and global warming will be handled, if at all.

Not to end on a negative note, I hope everyone is taking care of themselves and finding the silver lining of the pandemic situation wherever you may be. It has been a difficult year affecting everybody in different ways, and I recognize I am very fortunate to be able to take this time to learn new things and reflect on the important things in life.

(Art by maureenkat on Redbubble.com)

Thanks for reading,
thebookybunhead

Bones – a haiku

Don’t dig up old bones
They can become skeletons
You don’t want to see

Directions to…

Illustration by Gyo Fujikawa

I know a place where the elves and the gnomes
Hide and seek among toadstools by arbor homes
I know a place where the fairies bathe
In violet waters under waterfall sprays

Bring some water and snacks ’cause it’s quite a long walk
Follow the ringing of bells to the city hall clock
Take a left at the stop sign beside the corner store
And continue on until you see the sparkling shore

Now by the beach there is an old water fountain
Circle three times and find an acorn on a button
Touch it with a twig that you’ve found in the sand
And watch the reveal of an entrance to the land

Of singing daisies and frogs that can fly
Go through the brambles of eyeball berries, don’t ask me why
Tiptoe across the chocolate bridge, careful not to wake the troll
And through the psychic forest where trees can see into your soul

When you hear the mermaids singing, you are very, very close
Keep following the path where fairy dust has gathered the most
Turn a gentle right as you reach the pond of bubbling beer
And there you have it friend, your destination is here!

Last poem for the last day of NaPoWriMo! The prompt was to write directions to any place, I chose a magical one this time around. Sad that poetry month is coming to an end, but I suppose it doesn’t mean I can’t write poems now and then. (I’ve gotten used to writing in rhyme, to get rid of that tendency will take some time!)

Black hole

Looking into the window of a spaceship
You can see the passengers on the trip
Floating around completing tasks
Pursuing the answer to a big ask:
What does one see inside a black hole?
Nothing, when they look out the window.

Poem for NaPoWriMo day 29. The prompt was to write something inspired by looking in a window. I wanted to play with the idea that a window can be used in two directions, as a way to look out as well as a way to look in.

April showers bring May flowers

Tip tap tippity drip drop
Tinny splattering on the car top
Flattened discs merging into one another
Erased by squeaking wipers as my father
Splashes through sneaky pothole puddles
Landing where earth and sidewalk muddle
Soaked, budding florets dance and sway
While we try to stay dry on a rainy day

Creation of the day for NaPoWriMo day 28.

Extravert/Introvert

In the centre of action at any establishment
Explosive spontaneity and loud excitement
Hurrahs and congrats, collective laughter sings
In this moment, she feels a sense of belonging

Near the edge of the crowd, hearing blurred conversation
Sipping drinks in company, without need for recognition
Exchanged smiles, silent interactions, gently observing
In this moment, she feels a sense of belonging

Surrounded with attention
Recluse yet with affection
From the inside projecting outwards
From the outside looking inwards
What for one brings joy, the other annoys
“I feel bad for her, she’s so alone and separated.”
“All that noise and fakeness is so overrated.”

My poem fro NaPoWriMo day 27. The prompt was to take inspiration from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows and here is the word that I chose:

midding

v. intr. feeling the tranquil pleasure of being near a gathering but not quite in it—hovering on the perimeter of a campfire, chatting outside a party while others dance inside, resting your head in the backseat of a car listening to your friends chatting up front—feeling blissfully invisible yet still fully included, safe in the knowledge that everyone is together and everyone is okay, with all the thrill of being there without the burden of having to be.

I honestly thought this definition was so poetic in itself so took the idea of “midding” as an explanation for why it might be nice to enjoy quieter, less public spaces within a gathering and made it a point for comparison to what is generally seen as the typical way one enjoys a party. Extravert or introvert, which one are you?

Sweet dreams are made of cheese

Sweet dreams are made of cheese
Gouda, cheddar, feta, halloumi
I’d travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for some brie

Short one for NaPoWriMo day 26 – a parody inspired my misheard lyrics of the song “Sweet Dreams” by Eurhythmics.