mmjgwrites

[mmjgwrites]

Expectation: Transit (Chapter 1)

Expectation: Transit (Chapter 1)

As she woke up in the pod, she remembered three things. First, she was traveling through open space. Second, she was about to start a new job, one she could not screw up. Third, she had bribed a government official into giving her a new identity file. None of this information was new, but it wasn’t pleasant to wake up to. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Theme Expectation…

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The Long Way to a Sacred Text Practice

The Long Way to a Sacred Text Practice

When I was eighteen, I became a mother. In so many ways, it happened too soon. I was not prepared. Any parent worth the name will tell you that no one is ever ready to be a parent. But when you are eighteen, there are additional challenges — no matter how many people call you an “old soul.” When my baby came, I poured all of myself into being a mother. It was easy because I loved my child so…

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the tension that will not leave my limbs

It cannot be spoken, only held in the tension that will not leave my limbs in the laughter that is not shared It is the bubble that never pops the boulder that doesn’t budge It cannot be released it festers and claws bloodies my gums scratches my eyes Moments that can never be seen Wonders that will never be witnessed Who am I that finds joy among sorrow Bend not break Sway not…

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More Wonder, Please.

Sometimes life gives you a gift that changes who you are and alters the path you’ll follow all the rest of your days. One such gift I’ve received came in the form of a person, a platonic soulmate who has shaped the person I’ve become over the last decade. Through deep conversations, shared experiences, and working together, we’ve grown into ourselves—revealing more of who we are as our friendship…

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What is home?

What comes to mind when you think of home? They say you can't go home again, but is that true?

Quotes and Questions Podcast: Episode 2 What is home? Where to Listen Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Google Podcasts Links Mentioned in the Podcast You Can’t Go Home Again* by Thomas Wolfe Earthseed novels* by Octavia Butler Home* by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Riches and Wonders* by The Mountain Goats Indexed by Jessica Hagy* The keys to the place by Jessica Hagy* The…

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Should we be afraid of death?

Should we be afraid of death?

Quotes and Questions Podcast: Episode 1 Should we be afraid of death? Links Mentioned in the Podcast Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder* by Richard Dawkins Odds of you being born from Dr. Ali Binazir Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory* by Caitlin Doughty *Amazon Affiliate Link—These links support the podcast at no additional cost…

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“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anaïs Nin

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anaïs Nin

Lately, I’ve been reading and listening to true stories all about how hardships are opportunities to grow. They illustrate that, without difficult times, there are few true chances to become better versions of ourselves. 

You cannot rise from the ashes if you never light a fire.

If you go through the old posts on this blog (as I recently did), you may notice that I often sound rather…

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Holding Your Heart

I am holding your heart It’s wrapped in a bomb Covered in triggers And dipped in napalm

The world is aflame And my hands are shaking

My fingers twitch I wait and I hope And I don’t know If we’ll survive

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my heartbeat in my hip This morningI felt my heartbeat in my hipAn achea pulsingthe reminder than I am…

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This Heart Shall Tell No Tale

This Heart Shall Tell No Tale

A second heart fills my chest 

Wrapped within the first one

It grew

On a long walk down a hallway During a desperate night Across one hundred faultless notes Inside embraces superpowered by sight from eyes unseen

It’d barely begun to beat on an ominous, light-filled afternoon

When the blood flow was broken Chambers clenched from drips off strangled veins

How long can you carry a…

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"But science tells us that the Aurora happens because of the Sun." -Eleanor Imster

“But science tells us that the Aurora happens because of the Sun.” -Eleanor Imster

Some Inuit believed that the spirits of their ancestors could be seen dancing in the flickering lights. In Norse mythology the Aurora was a fire bridge to the sky built by the gods. But science tells us that the Aurora happens because of the Sun.

John Keats (somewhat famously) wrote the following lines in a poem he called Lamia:

Do not all charms fly At the mere touch of cold philosophy? There was…

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Marked Themselves Safe My feed fillswith lives still being livedin my hometownForgotten friendsFaraway familyletting me know…

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"In a time of destruction, create something." -Maxine Hong Kingston

“In a time of destruction, create something.” -Maxine Hong Kingston

Over and over again, I have tinkered with this blog and what it might be. It has been a touchstone in my life since my children were little more than babies. The name has changed, the decor has changed, but so much has remained the same.

Looking through past posts, I recognize themes that still loom large in my life today.

Political turmoil. The search for self-discovery. Human rights…

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"Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did.” -Debra Ginsberg

“Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did.” -Debra Ginsberg

I was 17. I had just finished high school (a year early) and had been reunited with Irish. I had graduated three months before and had recently been given birth control pills by my dermatologist to combat my acne. It was the kind of pill that you had to wait until your menstrual cycle began to start taking. Only it never started.

I was pregnant. I was terrified. Irish was comforting and…

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"Such then is the human condition, that to wish greatness for one's country is to wish harm to one's neighbors.” -Voltaire

“Such then is the human condition, that to wish greatness for one’s country is to wish harm to one’s neighbors.” -Voltaire

Merriam-Webster defines a patriot as “one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests.” I do not like the idea of patriotism, it smacks of propaganda and dogma. In general, I dislike ideals that encourage people to follow its tenets above all others. Patriotism seems to be a sort of secular religion in that way. However, there are a lot of people that describe loving…

[mmjgwrites]

A Moment of Stars

A Moment of Stars

“Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics: You are all stardust. You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because the elements – the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution and for life – weren’t…

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“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love this quote. Obviously there is literal truth to it but I adore the figurative. I’ve always had a special relationship with the constellation of Orion. One of the first I learned, it was always the easiest for me to find. Nights spent in turmoil (especially during my teenage years) would often end with me seeking him out if the season was right. Orion reminded me that there was so much more.…