Garrison Keillor and I were both awakened after a fall…

26 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

by jeannepoland in Poetry Tags: , , , ,

self_caricature_jeanne

This is not a sermon, just a fact: since I cut out alcohol 22 years ago, I’ve often awoken in the middle of the night with beautiful ideas, which is a golden gift for a writer, better than emeralds. Tuesday night, for example, I woke at 3 a.m., next to my sleeping wife, arose, dressed, slipped out of our hotel room in Minneapolis, and sat in the lobby with my laptop and started writing a book with a ten-word title about happiness. I’m a happy man, I am qualified. Last week I did two shows, just outside D.C. and in Vermont, two serious locations, and I made those people laugh so hard, they were glad they’d brought an extra pair of pants. I went to Minnesota hoping to solve a Medicare problem that I’d spent years on the phone about, listening to mind-numbing music on Hold, waiting to talk to a clueless functionary working from home, TV blaring in the background, dogs barking, and in Minnesota I went to an office, sat across the desk from a human being, the way we used to do, and he solved it in a matter of minutes. And he thanked me for my patience. Life is good.

   

I’ve been waiting a long time to become as old as I am and it was worth the wait. You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to being young again. I did dumber things than you’d think possible for a university graduate. That’s why I excused myself from the jury — paying off a porn star and claiming it as a business expense? Heck, I’ve made accounting mistakes, too. But — this is the beautiful 3 a.m. idea — you’ve got to have some disasters, the kind you walk away from, to notice the bluebird on your shoulder. My disaster was a series of falls I took while walking around Manhattan. I’m 81. I used to have a good jump shot from the free-throw circle, I have hit for extra bases in softball, but that was a long time ago. Now, as I walk through LaGuardia, men driving passenger carts stop and offer me a ride. I decline. They say, “Are you sure?”

I fell twice crossing 89th Street, once in the middle of the street, once at the curb. I misjudged the step, crashed down on my hands and knees and chin, and once I walked into a tree branch on the path around the Central Park Reservoir and got plonked on my keister, and each time strangers rushed to my side to ask if I was okay and I said I was and jumped up but now I see these falls were a turning point in my life. Once you come crashing down, there is no longer a need to have a smart opinion about everything; you’re simply part of the human race. Your job is to be a biped rather than a quad. As Scripture says, It is God who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.And so long as you can stand up and baa, you can do comedy. I have a good sense of sentence structure and my vocabulary is exemplary. Thanks to my aunts Elsie and Margaret, I speak clearly. They listened to me recite my verse in Sunday school and said, “We could understand every word.” From Ephesians and Ecclesiastes to stand-up comedy is a hop and a jump.

 

    

Life is so enjoyable once you no longer need to be cool. Once in an ER I sat in a curtained alcove in a blue gown and my undies and was closely examined by a neurologist who wrote something on her clipboard and I asked to see it and she gave it to me. It said, “Very pleasant 80 y.o. male, tall, well-developed, well-nourished, flat affect, awake, alert, and appropriate.” It described me so well, especially the “awake, alert, and appropriate” but I took exception to the “flat affect” — I felt euphoric. The embolism had landed in a rural grassy part of my brain, far from the bustling neuron metropolis, and when I considered other possible outcomes (O.P.O.), it was exhilarating.

So I feel awakened, more alert to the beauties of life, and the appropriate thing is to write about them. I don’t need to fall down again or be examined by a neurologist. I need to go do my work. I retired years ago and I’ve been busier ever since. Gotta run. Bye.

   

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Garrison Keillor is in his Brisk Verse era. Buy his latest book and see for yourself!

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The world is completion and cycles to be embraced…

18 Apr 2024 Leave a comment

by jeannepoland in Poetry Tags: , , , ,

the-world

A woman dances inside an almond-shaped space surrounded by symbols of the four elements, all of which are visible to her. The World can signify completion and cycles. You feel like you have taken your last stride, only to realize that you are back where you started. But now, you have a better grasp of the situation. You have accomplished something recently, attained some level of completeness, pleasure, or satisfaction by working hard, or even just holding on. This could be related to your education, a relationship, lifelong goal, or meaningful journey. You think this part of your life has come to an end, yet you will continue to develop and be ready to go on a new adventure soon.
The World marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Everything is coming into place for you, and everything will come to a good finish and a happy ending. You have the opportunity to achieve your heart’s dream.
The culmination of a massive and irreversible shift, of tectonic breadth, is indicated by the World. This shift symbolizes achievement and an opportunity for you to put an end to the Old and make a strong start to the New. It’s a sign of growing maturity, inner harmony, more knowledge, and satisfaction. It indicates that you’re getting closer to a more complete feeling of enlightenment, as well as the sense of self-assurance that comes with age. It also symbolizes the dissolving of borders, sometimes in a spiritual sense, but more often in a merely physical one, suggesting future trips or adventures.
What exactly is victory? How does it feel to have everything you require? To be at peace with yourself and with the world? We get glimpses of it now and again. A wonderful meal with friends and family. A big cup of tea, a nice blanket, and a lengthy conversation with someone you care about. When you arrive at your ultimate destination after a long and exhausting trip. The world seems as though it belongs to you when you are happy, healthy, and complete. The World card represents completeness – the sense you receive when a story comes to a satisfying conclusion. A sense of peace.

The Alpha and the Omega
Accomplishment is the moment when your ambitions become a reality. It’s conceivable that this sensation won’t hit you immediately, and it’s also possible that you’ll be able to ignore it. Some individuals accomplish great things but never allow themselves to feel proud of themselves. The Fool had no idea what he was in for as he started on his trip. He knew he had discovered one thing definite as he reached the end: a feeling of achievement. The World card indicates that you should work hard to achieve your objectives and resolve your problems… and then relax and enjoy the sensation.
Finally, and maybe most significantly, the World is a clear indication of completion. We all want to be satisfied in many aspects of our life – our homes, our workplaces, our hobbies, and our leisure time are all places where we seek true fulfillment. People, it seems, seldom get the fulfillment that they seek. The World card is reminding you that happiness is there at your fingertips – all you have to do is reach out and get it!
Another facet of the star is its calmness. When they gaze up at the stars, many individuals claim they feel like a completely different person: they don’t feel tiny, but rather larger than they give themselves credit for. Looking up at the stars, you can see a thousand distinct flickering lights in the sky: the sky is similar to our planet in that sense, and each individual is a bright, lovely star. Spend some time gazing up at the sky and absorbing the genuine peace it provides. The Star’s tranquility is like this.
When you get the World card, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on your life and ask yourself a few key questions. What do you think would make you happy? Do you have a sense of accomplishment? Could you give me a sense of accomplishment? What might you do to make your life more complete? Is there already completeness and goodness in your life that you can’t see or appreciate?
What The World Means for You Today
The World card has appeared today to indicate that you have come to an end of a particular cycle in your life. This could be obvious but in some cases, these cycles can be quite subtle. In either case, you have learned what there is to learn from a pattern in your life and it is time for a new one to begin. Whether it’s psychological, emotional, spiritual, or physical, you are moving on to a new chapter. This can also suggest that there are greater forces at work in your life and it is time to allow the world to shape itself around you.

I’ll bet you know people like this………………………..

16 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by jeannepoland in Poetry Tags: , , , ,

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There are nine things elders with dementia want you to know…

Arguing
Insisting you are right because, well, you know better. You don’t have dementia. People living with dementia (PLWD) have an increasingly limited ability to understand the world as we see it. Therefore, we need to learn to see the world from their view. When we do this, we don’t argue if they say that they haven’t eaten all day even though lunch was an hour ago. We just say, “Really? Then we’d better get you a snack.”


Expecting everyone with dementia – or even everyone with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type – to be the same
Your uncle’s trajectory with the disease will be different than your dad’s or your friend’s husband. Everyone with dementia is as much an individual as everyone who doesn’t have dementia. Yes, there are guidelines and behaviors to watch for, but each person will respond differently. Remember, too, that each day will be different. Some days are easier than others. That’s the nature of the dementia care-giving.

Shaming
Although it’s tempting to point your finger at the person with dementia, I have never seen shaming to achieve positive results. They can’t help their behavior. Shaming is rarely a good reaction toward anyone, but it’s especially egregious when the person cannot help their behavior. Redirect. Distract. Lovingly find out what’s wrong. Just don’t shame.


Treating people living with dementia like children
This type of behavior can be sneaky because our care partner needs us to speak more slowly. More simply. More carefully. That does not mean that we should talk down to them. Remember that their intelligence has not deteriorated. What has changed is their ability to understand the complexity of the world as others see it, as well as their ability to verbally express themselves.

Stripping people living with dementia of their dignity by doing everything for them
Honor what they can do rather than stress what they can’t do. Work with them. Allow as much autonomy as reasonable. There are times when dignity comes before safety. This is something to discuss early in the process. Try to find a balance between reasonable safety and preservation of choice and dignity

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Assuming that they are wrong when they tell you someone is stealing from them or physically or emotionally abusing them
It’s appalling, but abuse can happen in any care setting. Listen carefully and with respect. Then investigate to the best of your ability. Look for signs of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and financial abuse if the person’s complaints seem to warrant that.


Assuming that they are right when they tell you someone is stealing from them or abusing them
Caregivers can be routinely accused of taking things, such as hearing aids or clothing, because the person living with dementia can’t find what is needed. This is a human reaction, if a bit paranoid, even for those of us without dementia. However, paranoia can be a symptom of dementia. Listen to the story with respect and love. Try to find the missing object without making a fuss. With accusations of physical abuse, don’t jump to conclusions, but do listen and consider all options because, yes, abuse happens

Reaching for drugs to settle difficult behaviors
Try first to understand the reason behind this behavior. What we need to do is go through a mental check list. Do they seem warm enough? Could they be thirsty? Could they be in pain? Try to find out why they are upset. Determining the underlying cause can often take care of what is viewed as problem behavior.


Categorically refusing drugs
People living with dementia can have pain just as you or I can have pain. If you hurt that badly you’d complain, too. You’d also, most likely, accept appropriate medication. There are people living with dementia who have mental illnesses that don’t go away once dementia sets in. While dosages of any medication must be very carefully controlled when someone has dementia, often a low dose of the proper medication for their pain or mental illness is not only appropriate, but humane.

What does the Obelisk suggest? A challenge I must conquer?

09 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by jeannepoland in Poetry Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

the-obelisk

The Obelisk card symbolizes a firm, immovable state of mind that you might currently find yourself in, it also signifies a challenge you must conquer. The representation is twofold – while on one hand it speaks of rigid thinking, the other it also gives a ray of hope towards overcoming it. You could be stuck in a belief system or mindset that no longer serves you and this card serves as a reminder to break free and be open to new ways of thinking and living, to build the courage to face the rigidity of your own mind.Your conscious or unconscious adherence to inflexible ways of thinking may be blocking your spiritual and emotional growth as symbolized by the obelisk. The floating golden obelisk brings forth the need to break away from stagnancy and the man at the top of the mountain gazing at it is symbolic of you, standing at the precipice of change. The current narrative you have built for yourself is capable of change, but only if you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone.
Now, there’s a lot to learn from the Obelisk card. Breaking free from an inflexible mindset can be intimidating, but it is known that change is the only constant, and we are built to adapt. The cracks on the obelisk are showing signs of wear and tear which may be an indicator that it’s time for your internal belief systems to evolve. This powerful symbol encourages you to break these mental barriers, to question, explore, and open up to fresh perspectives and ideas.
The center pieces of the obelisk forming a gateway suggest a breakthrough that’s within your reach. It represents your potential to overcome obstacles and build bridges over gaps in your understanding and knowledge. It challenges you to strive for this breakthrough, to transform, and embrace the concept of impermanence.

Crack Open Your Cage

This card is urging you towards mental flexibility, to see situations not as problems but as possibilities for growth. To learn to adapt to change rather than fight it. This ideological metamorphosis is your gateway to new beginnings and your key to unlock the shackles of rigid thinking.
Ask yourself these questions when you draw the Obelisk: Are there any rigid ideas or judgments that are holding you back? How can you break free from these limiting beliefs? Are you willing to reshape your rigid beliefs and adapt to new perspectives? Can you identify a way to begin this change in mindset? What challenges do you foresee in your way, and how can you prepare to overcome these obstacles?

What Obelisk Means for You Today

The Obelisk card today urges you to step out of your rigid mindset and explore new ideas. It signals that you are on the brink of a breakthrough in your understanding or perception of a situation or person that has been bothering you. It encourages you to break free from these mental constraints, be open to new ideas, broaden your horizons, and see the potential for change in your life. It’s a gentle reminder that overcoming rigid thinking is the first step towards achieving personal growth and attaining fulfillment. Embrace this challenge and relish the freedom that emerges from flexibility of the mind.

Tongue Twister#27 Grief

10 Jul 2013 1 Comment

by jeannepoland in Family Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Spiderweb

It’s grief that drags us down:
not gravity;

Yet each loss is grave
Leads to our grave
And is a grievous weight of soul

Not to be born alone
But woven into silken weaves
To warm and stroke and shelter:

I am a shawl for you.

Jeanne