Before I Forget

Driftwood Bird

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

There are many different birds on the Hawaiian Islands, but I am told told that there are no pelicans. However, on a beach in Kapa’a, Kauai (near Lydgate Park)—I saw a large piece of driftwood that looked a lot like a pelican to me.

A true work of art sitting in the wet sand, the driftwood was either carved by a human or slowly formed into this shape over time by Mother Nature. I guess I will never know for sure. Regardless, the wooden bird was quite a beautiful sight.

Posted in photography, Travel | 5 Comments

The Journey

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Walking together
on dark shadows and bright lights
traveling through space and time
ever changing and unchanged,
on the journey home
to the place we never left. ~ms

Posted in photography, Poetry, Travel | 4 Comments

Smoke and Mirrors Politics

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

I don’t want to hear
more long-winded speeches;
I don’t want to hear
more meaningless excuses.

Your words will not fit
into my ears anymore
no matter which way
I tilt my head to listen,
trying to hear truth.

You can go home now!
Non-transparent politicians
wrapped in smoke and mirrors…
broken promises revealed. ~ms

Posted in Poetry | Tagged politicians, truth | 1 Comment

Evening Pastels

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Cloudy skies painted
with sunlight fading slowly
into summer rain.

Enraptured am I
by the artist’s unseen hand
nature’s soul revealed.

On the edge of color
his shadow softly calling
my wandering soul ms

Posted in Poetry | Tagged clouds, haiku, sunset | 5 Comments

Password Overload

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

These days, perplexing little passwords have to be attached to just about everything. Supposedly, they will keep us all safe from unwanted intruders and unscrupulous hackers.

Without the correct password, nobody can access my information–not even me. I have lost track of the amount of times that I could not get into my own files or programs, because I forgot the secret code.

Was this one 56 br*30+7 ~ …or…65br*30#?
Sigh.
No! Wait. I remember!
The last time that I couldn’t log on, I simply opted to change the password.
Yes. I wrote the new code on a napkin, but then….I accidentally threw it out?
The trash went out this morning. Too late. Frustration!

Tonight, I took a deep breath and bravely counted all of my current passwords.
Turns out, I have a grand total of 32. Each one is a 10 digit (or longer) random combination of capital letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. As instructed, I did not use common names or familiar terms that I could easily recall, because then someone else might be able to remember it too. To make matters even worse, some of these passwords automatically expire after 30 days and have to be changed again (to further protect me from myself and others).

I admit it. My mind hurts.
Drowning in passwords and overwhelmed by technology, sometimes I just want to run away and leave all of my passwords far behind.

Posted in Computers, Pets, photography | Tagged Password, technology | 4 Comments

Rock Meditation

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

This rock formation caught my eye,
sitting on the side of the mountain.
Somewhere between Buddha and the
Incredible Hulk…
meditating on the afternoon sun. ~ms

Posted in Poetry | 3 Comments

Natural Haiku

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Water on the rocks
perfect drink for tired eyes…
Lazy summer day

Basket of acorns
shadowed by afternoon sun…
Squirrels chattering! ~ms

Posted in Haiku, Poetry, Summer | Tagged trees, Water | 1 Comment

Love is Stronger than Alzheimer’s

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

*July 2025*
My dad left this world in July of 2011.
Every year since I posted this story, I return during the month of July to read and remember.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s been 14 years since my dad died of complications due to Alzheimer’s disease. The last time I saw him, he did not know who I was. Regardless, we spent the entire day holding hands as we walked up and down the hallways of the Alzheimer’s nursing home. He didn’t say much, but I know that he appreciated the company. His smile was genuine; his eyes still sparkled like blue ocean water.

While I was there, the caregivers at the home repeatedly told him that I was his daughter. I think their constant reminders began to annoy him, because when the last ‘lady in blue’ passed by, he decided to introduce me before she could say anything. He stood up, pointed at me, and said: “This is my desire. I want her to be your desire too.”

I know that he meant to say daughter. But I think that ‘Desire’ is the most beautiful name that anyone has ever called me.

As I walked through time with him that day, I thought about how short life appears to be in the end. Seconds somehow became years while we weren’t watching, and memories slowly faded away like shadows of a dream coming to an end in the morning light.

Before I left that day,
I hugged my dad and quietly said—
“Don’t worry. God remembers you.”
Then, he gently kissed me on the cheek and said goodbye.

Peace be with you always, dad.
None of us remember the beginning of life
spent in the darkness of the womb,
but we were surely there.

And so it is with the end of life—
our memories do not define us!
We came into the world because of love,
and we leave the world in the arms of love.
Through love, in love, with love–we are.
Memories may come and go
but love endures forever. ~ms

Posted in Family, Philosophy, Photo Essay | Tagged Alzheimer's disease, Life, Love, Memories | 29 Comments

Animal Paparazzi

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Oh no….not again.
Animal paparazzi
taking our pictures.

Hey!
Put the zoom lens down
and come a little closer
with that camera. ~ms

***Photos taken at the Honolulu Zoo, Oahu***

Posted in Nature, photography, Poetry | Tagged Honolulu Zoo, Oahu, wildlife | 5 Comments

Beethoven’s Ode to Joy

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Unexpectedly
music soothes a troubled world
proving once again
everyone is of sound mind! ~ms

Posted in Poetry | 3 Comments

Blue Ridge Mountains

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Summer memories
steamy nights on rolling hills….
Early morning fog. ~ms

Posted in Poetry | Leave a comment

Web of Desire

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Mysterious world
in moonlit darkness glitters.
Magical entrance
luring those with weary wings
into tunnels deep.

Travelers beware!
One brown leg propped up…
in anticipation waits
the hungry spider
with dissolving bites of fire
dripping in the dark.

Don’t stop! Fly away
from glittering illusions
woven with desire. ~ms

Posted in Nature, photography, Poetry | Tagged haiku, illusions, Nature, spider, spider web | 3 Comments

Fish Killer

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

Zzziiing! Suddenly my fishing rod bent in half. My dad yelled in excitement—“You did it! Congratulations! You caught your first fish. Reel it in!”

It was fun to watch the fish jump and splash as we pulled it into our little row boat. “It’s a keeper,” my dad said as he gave me a big hug. “Because of you, we’ll have fish for dinner tonight.”

Not every 6-year-old knows how to catch fish, so I was proud of myself at first. But then, my prize fish started flipping and flopping around on the floor of the boat, struggling to breathe. As my dad tore the hook out of its mouth, my pride and joy quickly turned into sadness and shame. The poor fish wanted something good to eat, but instead it got a mouthful of pain and it was my fault. I was the one who hid the hook inside the worm to trick the fish. I lied. Now it was dying. I was a fish killer!

“Dad! Put it back!” I cried. “We have to put the fish back in the water! It can’t breathe. Let it go!”

“WHAT?” He said in a loud voice. “ We came out onto this lake to fish. We sat in the hot sun all day. And now that you have finally caught a fish, you want to put it back? What’s the matter with you?”

I started to cry. “Please! Look! Can’t you see? It can’t breathe!”

I didn’t have time to continue arguing with my dad. The fish rolled its big glassy eyes around and looked at me, begging for mercy. There was no choice. I had to make a quick decision! I leaned down and grabbed the fish before my dad could stop me, and threw it overboard. Splash! Dad frowned and sat in silence as he watched his fish dinner swim away. He was angry because he didn’t understand that, even though I wanted him to be proud of me, I needed to let the fish go. The weight of the world lifted from my shoulders when the fish began splashing the water happily with its tail. Fish killer no more!

Posted in Children's stories | 4 Comments

Big Wet Spider

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Mary Strong-Spaid

When I was a preschool teacher, I noticed the children were frightened when a spider crawled into the classroom during a storm. They thought the spider wanted to hurt them, so they tried to hurt it first. I knew they would be less afraid and more compassionate if they understood that the spider was just trying to get out of the rain. So, I made up a story about a big wet spider seeking refuge from a storm.

After a few years, I finally wrote the story down on some construction paper and tied it together with yarn. Unfortunately, I am not an illustrator–so I cut the story short (I got tired of trying to draw). My colored pencil spider resembles a tired M&M with legs.

The little yarn-bound book has been sitting on my bookshelf since the late 1980s, gathering dust. Here it is:

BIG WET SPIDER
Blowing wind, lightning flashing
Falling rain, thunder crashing
Hiding from the storm, a big wet spider
underneath a bush in a puddle of water.

“I need to be warm! I need to be dry!
Look out everybody, I’m coming inside!”

Into my house that wet spider crawled
up through the window
down through the hall.
When he got to my room,
he jumped on my bed
and his eight legs wiggled
too close to my head.
“I’m afraid of you, you big wet spider!
Go back outside, before I call mother.”

That’s when the spider started to cry–
“Can’t you see? Oh me! Oh my!
I need to be warm! I need to be dry!
Please let me stay here,” he said with a sigh.

“O.K.,” I replied, “but not on my bed.
Just settle down on the floor instead.”

I gave him a towel to wipe his feet
I gave him a cookie for something to eat.
“Good night,” I said before I laid down.
He smiled at me and didn’t make a sound.
~ms