Long Time No Blog...

With the advent of Substack and Joie de Vivre as outlets for my writing I feel I have neglected my place here. Please consider joining me https://substack.com/@markdransom by subscribing to never miss a post or consider membership with Joie de Vivre which offers a whole new world of wonder. https://www.jdvcommunity.com

Winter in Greenville

Here is an offering from my journal...an intimate view of life here in Eastern North Carolina...

March 20, 2025, FIRST DAY OF SPRING…aka Vernal Equinox

“You gave me hyacinths first a year ago,

They called me the hyacinth girl.”

—Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden,

Yours arms full, and your hair wet, I could not

Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither

Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,

Looking into the heart of light, the silence.

I went out and spread the weed and feed over the yards. This inspired Barry to break out the chain saw, which I cleaned and wielded. Yeah, that was fun!

Our cat Gogo has asthma. It is painful to listen as he coughs. We are trying everything we know how to do short of moving to a more sterile environment where we can meticulously control the amount of particulate in the air. The vet says this is an after effect of the feline herpes he contracted as an abandoned kitten.

We want to heal him.

H is for healing. If we have reached the age of adulthood, we have all experienced the phenomenon in one way or another. As humans we are subject to many hurts and diseases from which we suffer and, if we are resilient, ultimately recover.

Healing from physical hurt is nothing short of miraculous. Biology is doing its ultimate best work in repairing itself. Thank you, my body, for being able to bind rent flesh and broken bone. Of course, there are scars that remain and perhaps the memory of fever dreams which makes growth take place whereby we may avoid such pain in the future.

Damage to the mind is another matter. Emotional distress, injury caused by breaches of trust, callous disregard, or out-right abuse leave scars that are difficult to see. Often, we who are hurt the most are searching for that one who will see or intuit our pain. This can lead to further confusion for the soul when a predator makes one a victim of abuse.

There is a twisted story that follows along the script of “maybe I deserved it. It was always my fault.”

People have been known to be so distraught and craving attention they intentionally hurt themselves. Scarification is the act of cutting open the skin with a sharp object just to watch yourself bleed. The emotional pain is so intense it needs to manifest itself physically in hopes of resolution.

Some of the greatest works of art known to the world have been created by artists in this kind of pain.

Not all works of art are in response to pain. There is also great joy to life. If we believe in the universal theory of balance then there is at least as much joy as there is suffering.

Happy Spring everyone!

Hyacinth in Mary's garden

Thank you all for reading!