2015 Poem A Day, Day Twenty Four

Prompt for Day Twenty Four:

For today’s prompt, write a moment poem. The moment can be a big moment or small moment; it can be a good moment or horrible moment; it can affect thousands or matter to just one person. Some moments happen in crowded rooms; some happen in the most quiet of spaces. Find yours and write a poem.

The road leading to my Aunt's house was, until very recently, quite rural. We used to live across the street from her in what is still my favorite house ever. Surrounded by pastureland on three sides and a kind of reclusive farmer we call the Donkey Man (he has a donkey) on the fourth, we used to see a lot of deer, roadrunners, foxes, and once, a ring-tailed cat.  

In the last two years, in spite of a report from the TNRCC stating that it's a bad idea to build apartments atop a cave formation, developers constructed a massive student housing complex across the road from Aunt Ava's house.  

I always worry about the little animals. It troubles me that they've been forced into smaller and smaller habitats. Sure, there's parkland nearby with lots of green space, but considering the acres and acres of open land they used to roam, we've left them with scraps. My brain tells me humans have to have some place to live. My heart answers with the truth: there are plenty of abandoned buildings we can refurbish closer to town. We can build up instead of out. We can be smarter and kinder at the same time when it comes to protecting the creatures with whom we share this world. 

Hello, soap box. Where did you come from?

Anyway, as I came home from my run last night, I crossed paths with a fox. There's a family of them in the empty field, and they are beautiful. This poem is for them.

Out-fox

A cutout shape:

ears and tail

you whisked

across the path

Wild and cunning,

this mother fox:

black and silver

soft and sharp

Our road,

once your

open field.

Our powerlines,

once your

stream and trees

Still you prowl,

you hunt,

and slink,

bright eyes

and starlight

And you watch me,

keen, calm, alert

You were here before

You are here now

You'll be here

tomorrow,

when we burn

ourselves out.

Operation Smoke Free, Day Four

Another long day on the smoke-free front. My Aunt admitted to smoking once per day each day we've been here while she took the dog out for a walk. But, she got an eCig today, and it seems to be helping her a great deal with her cravings.

I did not write my poem today. I did get a good run in (8 minute miles, yay!) and I wrote 1,407 words on the novel. I'm closing in on my goals on both fronts: Three more running sessions to go to make the 12 I need. I'm about 6,000 words or roughly one week away from making the 72,000 word goal I set when I started writing this novel in December.

That's good news.

I'm behind on poetry, but I feel confident that I can catch up.

Just not tonight.

Commitment

For the next two weeks, we will be moving in with our Aunt Ava in an effort to help her quit smoking.

This is our Aunt Ava:

We love her a lot. We want her to be with us for a really long time. She says she feels cigarettes are impairing her ability to live her life, so her idea is that if we are there with her through this process, she will be more likely to quit for good.

Katrina and I will do our best to keep her occupied. We are going to take walks, play games, gorge ourselves on TLC shows, give ourselves mani/pedis, clean out closets and flower beds, and watch American Idol. But our family tells us that we have to be constantly vigilant. Ava is known for being the most addictive personality in a family of highly addictive personalities. She will be like a ninja, they say, so we must always be on our guard. Luckily, Katrina has the night shift due to her nocturnal habits, and I have the day. I hope we have her covered.

I'll be posting poetry and updates from her house for a while as we commit to Operation Smoke Free. I'm working on a more clever name. If anyone has experience with helping others quit smoking, or if you've quit smoking yourself (rock on!) leave any tips you might have in the comment section.

Thanks!