December 2022 – Colleen Keller Breuning

Christmas Spirit

Christmas Spirit

The crimson sun comes crashing down
Blood red rays tumble to the ground.
I see it through the scarlet glare,
Christmas spirit is everywhere.

I find joy in falling snowflakes,
Even though my broken heart aches.
Scent of pine needles in the air,
Christmas spirit is everywhere.

Oh silent night, most holy night,
I’m drawn towards the eastern light.
I bow my head to say a prayer,
Christmas spirit is everywhere.

The crimson sun comes crashing down,
Christmas spirit is everywhere.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
December 30, 2022

Well I have written yet another Kyrielle sonnet this week. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! It was a very low key Christmas holiday for us. We spent it with the cats in the morning, then up to my Mom’s and my sister Sarah and her family for dinner and gifts. Next year, we’re definitely planning to spend Christmas in Florida to see the grandkids and both Vince and Katie. We’re kind of glad we didn’t follow through with it this year. As it turns out, the flights were exorbitant, and the cancellations were massive due to the crippling winter storm! Next year will be our year.

I finally got an opportunity to run outside today, the first time in over 3 months since having my gall bladder surgery. The day was sunny with high temps in the low 50’s – perfect running weather in my opinion! However, I was giving myself some grace, since it had been so long. But I am happy to report that I did my usual 6 mile run without stopping, 6 laps around the beautiful lake in our neighborhood. The geese were congregating in the middle of the lake, and some parts were frozen. I observed a herd of deer grazing in the lot across the lake. The sun was beginning to set, and I snapped some photos of the reflection on the lake. It was a delightful run, and I’m looking forward to getting back to a regular routine with running once again.

Tonight Dan and I went out for an spur of the moment early New Year dinner at the country club. It was delicious, and not crowded at all. We usually stay in New Years’ Eve, have some shrimp and champagne, and call it a night at 12:05 lol. We don’t care to be out on the roads on what Dan calls “Amateur Night!” There will probably be some Scrabble games, maybe even a fire pit since it is supposed to go into the 60s tomorrow.

I wish for all of you the happiest 2023! May you know many blessings and experience peace, love and happiness.

xoxo Colleen

Mood: Calm
Inspiration: “Silent Night”

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 26.14 Topic: The Spirit of Christmas
Hard Bonus: Incorporate your favorite Christmas Carol or holiday song lyric ( “Silent night”)
Easy Bonus: Include 3 shades of red (crimson, blood red, scarlet)

Empty Sky

Empty Sky

My witness is the empty sky,
Devoid of any truth or lie.
Raindrops tumble from clouds of gray…
It all ends in tears anyway.

Winter wallows with brutal cold
As cherished memories unfold.
No matter what they do or say…
It all ends in tears anyway.

Behold as Christmas comes again
With scent of spruce and cinnamon.
But time is cruel, stealing the day…
It all ends in tears anyway.

My witness is the empty sky…
It all ends in tears anyway.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
December 24, 2022

Merry Christmas to all! I was trying to incorporate a lighter Christmas mood, but Jack Kerouac kind of rained on my parade today. Haha!! Researching his quotes, the two lines I chose stuck with me and fit into this Kyrielle sonnet scheme as the repeating final couplet. As I’ve said before, writing a sonnet is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle of words!

Actually I was thinking of how this past year was very difficult for so many. On a personal level, seems like those close to me have gone through a lot this year (or the past 3 years, I should say). This morning I was reflecting on the loss of my dear brother-in-law Bob this past April. It was on both Dan and my mind, we happened to talk about it upon waking this cold Christmas Eve. We both have such wonderful memories of Bob, his tales of adventure, Sasquatch, goofing off in Michigan with the kids. If you knew Bob, you can just imagine! All kids absolutely LOVED him! Our kids loved playing pranks on him, one year they woke him as he was sleeping in the basement with a robot contraption featuring a vacuum cleaner! I have some hilarious pictures of him – what a sense of humor and a beautiful heart he had. He was the youngest of four Breuning brothers, and the loss was very sudden and tragic. It left us all stunned and devastated, we are still saddened by his early departure from this Earth.

It is also that time of year when I reflect on special Christmas memories from my childhood, and how lucky I was to have the parents and siblings I have. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but we always had special family times and memories. Some of them were crazy funny, and it’s always so much fun to repeat those stories when we are all together (which unfortunately is getting rarer these days). Christmas has always seemed less special after losing my father in 2003. It sort of jolts you into this alternate reality: your parents are actually not going to be immortal like you secretly hoped. I cherish all the time I have with my Mom and look forward to seeing her on Christmas!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, may you spend it surrounded with your loved ones, making more cherished memories. Stay safe, and stay warm!

XOXO Colleen

Mood: Melancholy
Inspiration: “Morning” by David Darling

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 25.14 Topic: A Cherished Memory
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a quote or line by author/ poet Jack Kerouac (“My witness is the empty sky” and “It all ends in tears anyway.”)
Easy Bonus: Mention your favorite herb or spice (cinnamon)

Searchlight Soul (A Sonnet)

Searchlight Soul

I woke the same as any other day,
Endlessly searching for the black hole sun.
A shattered world tempered with shades of gray…
Searching for traces of light, finding none.

I walk this long and winding road of life,
Endless anxiety laced with duress.
The frigid winds blow through my bitter heart…
Searching for inner peace and happiness.

I breathe in deep to seek release from pain,
But frigid winds blow through my bitter heart.
Oh, won’t you come and wash away the rain…
Searching the universe for a new start.

My spirits will rise with a brand new day…
For I’m a searchlight soul who’s gone astray.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
December 17, 2022

Hi everyone! Brrrr, it’s cold out there! I hope everyone is staying warm. Winter is coming! At least in Northern Virginia it is. It has been a very cold and gloomy week, and I have not felt my best. I have been recovering from yet another sinus infection, but feeling much better than last weekend. Ever since I got COVID last November, it seems my immune system is down and I catch every little virus or sickness that passes by me.

This is a little dark piece that was inspired by perusing the different Soundgarden lyrics. I found quite a few that fit with what I wanted to write. I haven’t written a Shakespearean sonnet in a while, so that is always fun for me – like putting a puzzle together. This piece reflects a bit of a passing mood from the other day when it rained relentlessly and I felt crappy. That’s the beauty of writing – write it out, release your crap mood, and then you feel better!! It was supposed to be a snow day, but no snow fell – only some annoying ice which looked so beautiful from my view inside. As for this weekend, it will be time for getting all of my Christmas wrapping done. I am afraid my packages to Florida are going to be a little late in getting out, due to a busy time with the grandkids earlier in the month. But nobody really minds, the grandkids will certainly have plenty of gifts to open from Santa! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with a warm fire and good tidings!

xoxo
Colleen

Mood: Crappy
Inspiration: “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 24.14 Topic: Brrrr, It’s Cold Out There!!
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a lyric by Soundgarden (“I woke the same as any other day”; “black hole sun”; “won’t you come and push the rain away”; and “I’m a searchlight soul”)
Easy Bonus: Mention something money can’t buy (peace, happiness)

Between the Pages

Between the Pages

In this magical library
sitting high upon the shelf
dusty pages will reveal…
pieces of myself.

My restless fingers caress
cloth covered gold filigree
skimming tales of long ago…
full of rich history.

Therein lies a secret portal
into worlds of mystery
spilling out bold truths and hope…
love, life and liberty.

Escape the problems of today
wander into tomorrow
lose yourself between the pages…
you only have to borrow.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
December 10, 2022

Thomas Jefferson said, “I cannot live without books.” As I wrote my poem this afternoon, I looked around my home office and discovered how true that quote is for me! I am sitting here, literally surrounded by books. I have been collecting them since I was a child. My mother took us on weekly trips to the library, where we loaded up on books. My father drove the Bookmobile, which was very cool as a kid! So books are kind of in my blood. I find it hard to let go of them sometimes, but I really need to – because I’m running out of room for them! Among the treasured books in my collection are several books of poetry and childhood books from my parents, a literature book from my Uncle Bobby, my 11^th grade English textbook from Mr. Hershey’s class (not sure how that ended up in my collection…), and many poetry books from the masters to online friends who have self-published!

I’m always reading a book, my current book is “Echo in the Bone” by Diana Gabaldon from The Outlander Series, which I absolutely love. It’s almost 1,000 pages and it’s taking me a while to get through it, a little bit each day. How do I find time to read with such a busy schedule, you ask? Well – I blow dry my hair and read at the same time, that is how!!! That can get a little tricky, but I make it work. Since I’m usually always working at work or around the house, I try to multitask with things like reading. I very rarely have time to curl up on the sofa to read. I am hoping that my life can slow down a bit so that I can do more reading, though.

I buy my grandkids books ALL THE TIME! I had a stack of them waiting here when they came to visit for an early Christmas, and I plan to mail them next week so they have them in time for Christmas. I know that Katie will carry on the tradition of story time each night, it is such a wonderful thing for kids. Dan and I took turns reading each of them a book each night, no matter how tired we were.

Maybe since we are staying put this holiday season, I will hope for a snow day so that I can settle in with a cup of hot tea by the fire and do some reading. I wish you all a restful season full of happy reading! xoxo Colleen

Mood: Mysterious
Inspiration: “In the Hall of the Mountaing King” – by Edvard Grieg

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 23.14 Topic: It’s A Good Life
Hard Bonus: Quote Thomas Jefferson. (“I cannot live without books”)
Easy Bonus: Use the word “Liberty”

Bewilderment

Bewilderment

Summer beckons, delights of June
My eyes are the size of the moon
Gentle breeze caresses the bay
And I won’t let it fade away.

Pour the champagne, the night is young
The taste of passion on my tongue
The weeping willows bend and sway
And I won’t let it fade away.

My wings flutter like mockingbird
Bewildered by your ad hoc words
Winter sun sets in skies of gray
And I won’t let it fade away.

Summer beckons, delights of June
And I won’t let it fade away.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2022
December 3, 2022

Happy Saturday! We are having a blast here with Katie and the grandkids! This is a short off the cuff Kyrielle sonnet that I jotted down this morning. It kind of evolved from the Panic! At the Disco lyric “eyes are the size of the moon.” It’s just a little piece about love, life, and wanting to hold onto the warmest memories we make. We go through so many emotions in life, some bad times along with the good. Sometimes people say things not intending to hurt others, but they are just words. Though it isn’t good to live in the past or the future, it always helps to have beautiful times to bring to mind. It also lets us know that pain and sorrow do not last forever. Sorrow never completely goes away, it can become less intense but then wash over you again like a rogue wave.

I wanted to write about the wonderful time we had at Otium Winery with the grandkids this past Thursday. It was a spur of the moment trip that’s around the corner from our home. The minute we opened our car doors upon arriving, three barn cats ran up to us and greeted the kids with loud meows and purring. They were so excited, since my fraidy cats have only been making very careful appearances for them. The sun was setting at the winery, and we got some beautiful photos of them with the cats. I will always cherish this memory, the picture Katie took of my holding them, cats at their sides, and the beautiful winter sun setting in the background – I adore this and live for these moments!!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed weekend!
xoxo Colleen

Mood: Thoughtful
Inspiration: “Je Te Laisserai Des Mots” by Patrick Watson

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 22.14 Topic: Bewildered
Hard Bonus: Include a lyric from Panic! at the Disco (“Eyes are the size of the moon” and “pour the champagne”)
Easy Bonus: Use the term “ad hoc”