October Wrap-up

Halloween. No costume. Sad Kristin. Pretty much sums it up.

However, I dressed up on Friday, so I guess that will have to do. 

Rocky Horror Picture Show. Enough said.

It has been an interesting month, and a quiet one in terms of blogging. A few poems here and there throughout the month has been about all I've posted. Granted, hasn't been a whole lot going on other than drowning in homework and theatre. About sums up my life at any given time, though. I should be used to it.

It is getting to the point in senior year when all of the girls in my grade are getting engaged. Marriage or babies (or both...) is on the horizon for everyone.

I'm just glad I found Franco, my soul mate. He's hard to describe, but so great. Very dark and mysterious...

So dark and mysterious I don't know him.

There, Isaiah, I made a 'moon journey' about him. :)

I will just continue to live vicariously through friends and movies. Much less commitment that way.

I am just trying to live moment to moment, having some fun along the way. What else could I ask for?

Until next time, Happy Halloween!

ten minutes at home

Note from author: when reading this poem, you should listen to this song:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHEOF_rcND8&ob=av2n

A poem challenge from a poet friend. One song, one poem, ten minutes. This is what I came up with.

ten minutes at home

home

somewhere

anywhere

adventure

lies in wait

anxious for

us to start

whatever

that

is

winding roads

ripped maps

shuffled playlists

bare feet

windows rolled down

your hair whipping

through the wind

baggy t-shirt and

ripped jeans

hole in your pocket

coins dropping

on the sidewalk

pennies face up

for the next person

your hand takes mine

rain dripping from the

sky light gray clouds

rolling over deep blues

this road takes us

somewhere

anywhere

wherever

that

is

you sing loudly

off key just like me

smiles exchanged

mumbles when we

don’t know the words

they said we’re crazy

they may be right

who are they

and why do we

listen to them

this adventure

has no rules

this friendship

has no bounds

because when

I’m with you

whenever

that

is

i’m home

Finding Light

There is a phrase used by theatre artists often, usually directors and lighting designers to actors: "Find your light!"

Nothing worse for a lighting designer to spend hours designing, plotting, hanging, and focusing lights than to have an actor decide their favorite spot on stage is the one dark corner not illuminated.

I was at Sunday night Praise and Worship this past weekend and was once again struck by the fact the speakers rarely stand in the light. I can understand. Standing in the light is unnerving. It shines brightly in your face, there is more heat, you feel weird in the spot light. It's not comfortable.

But the light is good! It illuminates, helps the audience focus on what is important, allows for cues to come across without words. A show without light is just people talking in the dark.

Jesus is the light. We are told to be the light. But have we found our light? I think a lot of times we try and hide away in the pockets of darkness. It is easier there, not as many people can see when you screw up, there isn't as much pressure. But it is a lie.

Finding our light isn't that hard, it is staying in the light that causes problems. Jesus is light, and He is really good at meeting us where we are. We're the ones who try and turn off the switch when things get tough. I know it's true in my life.

These are just thoughts that have been rolling around in my head the past day. Thought I'd share.

Until next time, find your light!

Random Boredom

A really random list of the really random thoughts of my really random days before fall break:

1. I have too much free time at this point in time. Blessing or curse, can't decide.

2. Aquaman is not the lamest superhero ever. He could talk to dolphins. That's bad ass.

3. Hockey season starts soon. I'm excited.

4. I am thankful the people who love me let me sing loudly and out of tune all I want.

5. I can read Old English out loud. Not well, and I don't understand what I'm saying, but I can pronounce the sounds. Kind of.

6. I am missing my Waco friends terribly.

7. I really, really need to do laundry. Good thing I'm going home this weekend...

8. Sparkles are nice, especially when they are in friend's eyes.

9. I can be a very angry person when given a pen and the chance to write a poem. Especially when the person making me angry won't shut up. And is sitting in the desk ahead of me. I have issues.

10. My little brother told me today to brush my teeth. Good advice, I guess.

11. Watching a group of boys play touch tag with a gourd and cantaloupe is highly amusing.

12. I really want to direct a play. I beautiful play.

13. I hate hearing/reading trashy plays. Sometimes problematic in the theatre.

14. I cannot wait to be in Africa in January. Ethiopia! So excited!

15. I'm done with my homework by 8:00 for the second night in a row. Boredom.

Until next time.

Happy Yom Kippur!

Saturday marked Yom Kippur on the Jewish calender, the day of atonement. A day in which forgiveness and grace is given for the upcoming year. Fasting and prayer is observed to receive forgiveness for the previous year's wrong doings.

Wikipedia tells me that attendance at Yom Kippur soars compared to other holidays. It's kind of like Christmas and Easter for Christians.

A few thoughts are bubbling in my mind as I think about this holiday. The first is thankfulness that I have a Christ that died for me, making such ceremonies unnecessary for forgiveness. The second is a realization that I am in need of a kind of Yom Kippur myself.

Takes a Jewish holiday for me to realize that I need to do some reevaluation of where I am currently in my walk with that Savior I love.  A little ironic, isn't it?

Luckily, I have a wonderful friend who sets challenges for me. A chapter of Proverbs a day. Ask me how it's going, keep me accountable. Prayer would be helpful as well.

Until next time, happy Yom Kippur!

Waiting on Dirt Roads

I am taking a short fiction and poetry class this semester, which explains why there have been poems lately. Another to add to the collection. This poem was prompted by four rules: first stanza had to include the county I grew up in; second stanza, mother's maiden name; third stanza, weather and something my father said; forth stanza, what I was going to do next. This is what happened. 

Waiting on Dirt Roads

This lonely dirt road seems

Familiar. Comfortable.

Surrounded on both sides by

Tall corn stalks and short bean stems

Respectively in their fields of rotation.

Centuries past, this is where deer and

Antelope would have roamed.

Now it is much more common to see a

Tractor grazing in the fields.

The dry leaves and brown fields

Tell Dad it’s time for harvest.

The combine is pulled from the shed.

Picking goes smoothly for a day, then something

Breaks. Allen wrenches, pliers, nuts and bolts

Assist in the repair, but don’t gain back the

Lost hours of daylight.

Darkness comes early as a

Thunderhead rolls over the horizon.

Big, icy drops pelt me as I walk up the drive.

Dad is on the front porch under the awning.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another

He mutters as we stand watching

Lightning streak the sky.

Not often is rain unwanted.

It is in these moments of silence I

Hear my dad the best. His heart seems to be in that

Field. He plants seeds, expectant they will

Grow, waters patiently. He

Prays against hail, hopes for good yield.

But now he can only wait,

As can I.

See you in five days, Dad. Love you.

Until next time.

But a Dream

Dear Boys Behind Me

I'm so glad this is where you came to solve all your big problems,
It's exactly what I wanted to overhear while trying to do homework.
I came to the coffee shop to escape noise and drama.
Thanks for that.

I am sorry to hear you once had to go a whole week without your iPod,
But luckily you're still talking, so you didn't actually 'loose you mind.'
And I'm so glad you were able to decide to go with the white shoes rather than the red ones;
Even though red is a more dominant color,
It's a good idea to go with the option that will match your wardrobe.
And your friends are right, the details will pop more.
It's too bad your friend got screwed on the pair of shoes he bought,
Glad you dodged that bullet.
And kudos for staying off facebook,
I'm sure your 630 friends really, really miss you.
And I totally get what you're saying about texting people you don't know well,
Calling them is just awkward.
We wouldn't want that.
Oh, and can you tell me again the name of that app that tells me when all the other apps go on sale?
Sounds totally awesome.
I hate to break it to you, but your friend's iPod totally goes louder than yours,
He was right. The butt head.
I can't believe he's had 4 iPod touches, and now he thinks he wants an iPod Classic 7th generation?
Who does he think he is?
You showed him with that million dollars worth of illegal downloads you have on your iPod.
Sure put him in his place.
He's such a loser, having to ride the bus to school.
And he calls you stupid, he's the wrestler!
Don't let your friends get you in trouble,
There's no way anyone can find out about the brownies.
And asbestous doesn't sound like that big of a deal,
30 minutes can't do that much long term damage.
What a loser that one kid from school is,
I can't believe his curfew is 8:00.
Oh, and I totally get what you mean about math,
I hate it when my homework is so boring it's hard.
And that English worksheet seems totally bogus.
I can not believe that one teacher has winked at you five times since the start of the year,
What a catch.
And your friend is right, the punchy-thingy is a way better way of judging strength rather than the bench press.

If you have to be home by 9:00,
It is going to be a long hour and half.

Missing Something

I'm missing something,
Some piece of this puzzle called
Life.
I can't quite remember if I ever had it,
But I know if I did,
I've misplaced it.
It's something I can live without,
But I'd rather not.
It's the thing that makes me joyful,
Creates warm-fuzzy feelings,
Thaws the corners of my heart.
It's gone missing.
And I kind of miss it.