Permanently clean floors
a winter cabin in Encinitas, California
an aversion to sugar
more time
fewer hormones to deal with
a hugging shop (remember House of Hugs?)
skate skis
contentment with wanting and not having
sweet music piped into my condo every time a baby is born
a functional backpack purse. I really want a functional, simple, good quality, cute, purse.
100 dresses and boots that fit just perfectly so I never have to shop for them again.
daily massage from my amazing massage therapist
a hot tub
soft slippers
better feet
better hair
glitter and stardust to accentuate my hair and cheeks at the just the right moment
a yoga studio to move in downstairs
a vegetable garden
a lemon tree
a cat
a dog
a parrot
a sitar
a big drum
a piano
romance, always more romance
I want to be carried when I'm tired.
I want to be kissed on a perfect summer evening, whirled and twirled on a gentle, snowy night.
I want to dance and sing all night long.
a gargantuan family to go to on the holidays with lots of kids and family and music making and healthy food and cooking and merry making in a gargantuan house with high ceilings and dancing and a skylight and a piano and heck...you might as well throw in some ghosts because this is sounding a lot like the haunted mansion ride at Disneyland where everyone is having a big party
speaking of ghosts, bringing my dad back for a day
for Jude to never grow older
a younger body to make more children
to remember my dreams more often
to fly
a long table down on the the street, right here on 50th and Xerxes that sits about 100 people (and as long as across the world) who never met and never thought they would all gather and write together and realize how much they have in common and love each other
a new bike
lovingkindness
for everyone to know the love in their hearts
more time
more time
more time
to be here now
in wishing
in the gift giving that life breathes
in and out
every moment
WRITE WITH ME?
WHAT DO YOU REALLY REALLY WANT? WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST?
Ah, longing. Tis a staple in a Minnesota winter, eh Rox?
ReplyDeletedelicious stuff, reminds me of my favorite poem.
All I ever wanted was a narrow room,
filled with simple love and exact emotions,
no symbols and no dreams,
just the notion that two might survive forever,
though we will not always believe so,
for in winter, the rains come,
and hearts turn to stones iced.
Kind of a downer but I love the narrow room image. All those years in the Texas heat I would dream of living in a narrow room above a bakery in Quebec City.
And of course the Last Supper supposedly took place in a long narrow room. I've always had a thing for narrow rooms. And wide paths.
Hi Rob! Seriously... the MN winters conjure up longing like none other... longing for MN summers for starters!
DeleteFunny about space... and weather... how it shapes our psychology of longing... I appreciate narrow space. I love parallel parking between two cars, just barely squeezing in between them. It's cozy. I used to run on narrow paths in the woods... same cozy pathway feeling...
Great poem... yours?
Thanks for sharing, always great to hear from you, Rob. Talk soon, Rox
What Do I Really, Really Want?
ReplyDeletea big fluffy cloud to lounge on
a rewind button
peace in my soul
my little sister and brother sitting next to me, with me in the middle
my Dad here on earth
my own washer and dryer
soft hands
original, vintage Dark Side of the Moon album
a new pair of comfortable shoes
a new ankle
a wish for love and kindness for every human being on the planet, no matter what
a cure for addiction
for all police officers to have compassion
for all police officers to stop and count to ten
a few hundred dollars to get caught up
a new kitten
a therapy dog
an endless supply of "Jazz" apples
a clear mind
for my kids dreams to come true
a forever friend
a hot water bottle
my memoir already written
to heal from my past once and for all
to see the ocean
for the sun to shine
forgiveness
to forgive
a cupcake
a magic carpet
peace on earth
Mary C.
Oh my gosh, Mary, this is delicious and heartfelt, thank you. So moving to read and feel these things with you, for you...
DeleteI will await your journey to the ocean, knowing I will hear of it someday soon! Thank you, Mary! Hugs, xoxo
I would like the entire cast of Casablanca to reincarnate in my living room and they sing would sing La Marsaillaise and that is all I need.
ReplyDeleteJohn
that's awesome John. Coming right up. :)
ReplyDeleteMy dad's favorite movie... and CItizen Cane.
Happy, happy to you, Rox
What I really want/what I wish for:
ReplyDeleteMore moments of clarity where I know what I really want and who I really am
Fresh clean bedsheets and a made bed, silky smooth in summer, thick warmth in winter
Toes to cuddle up with
A wet dog nose to kiss
Inspiring poems & stories & songs that come just when you need them
Bright colors
Gallons & Gallons of paint
My own garage to paint a mural on
Monkeys that linger & play with me
Sticky wet yoga in Nosara
Beach moments in NC, SC, new places I’ve never been
365 days of island travel
Fresh mangoes everyday
Pina and sometimes Colada
Barefeet or flipflops, no socks
A pile of snow on Christmas after the drive
That lingers into February and then melts
A long spring with lilac & honeysuckle everywhere
The end of mosquitos
The end of disease
Peace for my family
Real peaceful nourishing rest for my sister
Long, prosperous & meaningful lives for my nieces & nephews
Big dreams & the ability to live them for the kids of the world
Bells that signal moments of silence around the world
The energy to dance everyday
Headphones that stay on & don’t tangle up
Rings I find on adventures
My lost ring from the D.R.
To realize where I am is exactly where I need to be
To Show UP BIG
To stop worrying about being TOO BIG
To stop worrying. Period.
To really be alive & awake everyday
To learn to play more instruments
A grand piano playing holiday songs
A clap-on clap-off clapper for Christmas lights
A remote starter for my car
A car without problems
Dentist visits with no follow-up
Laundry & dishes & flossing that is already done
Hugs from you, a honest talk, Hearing your laugh
What I really want/wish for PART 2
ReplyDeleteA bright white tree
Oodles of Christmas treats & no belly ache
All the lox & bagels one can eat
Daily soaks in luxurious bathtubs that fit 2
Cozy blankets of all colors & designs that suit my mood
To see the sun everyday
A catalog of sunsets & sunrises & a transport to get you there
More words to describe all the hues and colors
More words. Period.
More words to help you understand.
To be understood, to fully understand someone else.
More bliss, more openhearted tears that flow freely.
More bear hugs from everyone, long lingering hugs
More courage to do exactly as I want
To be really listened to and really heard
To ask for others to witness me
No guilt and no shame
To laugh a lot everyday
To know the shitty day will end
To always have a friend
More pens that don’t run dry
Houseplants that last
Long moments with morning coffee & no distraction
Less problems and more solutions
101 flavors of ice cream licked slowly with giggles and drips on my niece’s face
Swims in the lake, ocean, river, creek and pools
Floating for hours
Warm sand to soak my feet in
Stories of Celebrities who live
Stories of politicians with courage
Stories of good deeds
Good reads
Memoirs that make you say ‘you couldn’t make this up’
Comfort in silence
More moments with the heart
More head & heart & heat
Downward dogs without hesitation or worry about my shoulders
Clear minded shavasanas that last
Less worries about what is Right
New friends
New connections with old friends
Tears shared without holding back
Less questions and more answers
Sparkle & surprise
-Eleanor
God, I love this prompt... and what you wrote and what it brings up in people. It is sooooooooooooo felt, so full and rich. Feel such sisterhood, again, reading this from you. Yes, yes, yes, I say to all of it. Thank you for sharing these beautiful words, beautiful you!
ReplyDeleteLast night I was listening to a telecast from the Ram Dass retreat and Krisna Das was coincidentally talking about longing and how longing is where it's at... that when we feel it, we know we are where we need to be and it is a great gift... yet he asks us to consider which side of longing are we on? The suffering side or the other side. I'm still unclear entirely about the other side, though I think I understand the peace/bliss good-home feeling to mean that other side, which may be the point... Anyway, it's one of those elusive Buddhist principles, but it helped me understand why I so often encourage prompts relating to longing... because longing and wanting, etc, is the energy behind our writing, that moves us out of our stuckness and into our light, our prana... Not that it has to be big or has to be anything at all with outcome, but just to reclaim, reembody, come back home to that prana... But what do I know? I just know it feels so good to read and write these, so alive. Love, Rox
Dear Rox, Your words are so beautiful and inspired many other beautiful words from your students/friends. Your blogs are a blessing in my life. Thank you! I sent this blog to my niece who i
ReplyDeletemajoring in Victorian Lit in Chicago. She also said she loved your beautiful writing and it gave her a welcome respite from her studies. Have a wonderful time with Jude and and your friends and family this holiday season. Blessings! Pat
Dearest Pat, Thank you so much for this beautiful note. You are likewise a blessing in my life and I will always encourage you to write and share your powerfully healing stories and trust you will know where the energy is... I have been gifted by them countless times! Hugs and happiest healthiest New Year to you, Rox
ReplyDelete