#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

. . . The bad do not win—not finally,
No matter how loud they are.

We simply would not be here
If that were so.

You are made, fundamentally, from the good.
With this knowledge, you never march alone.

You are the breaking news of the century.
You are the good who has come forward. . .

~ Excerpt from “A House Called Tomorrow,” Alberto Rios

Half-sleep, half-wake, left the television on, and the news, on waking, was oppressive. The reality of the split in our country, so graphic, so depressing. Frank gave me a long hug. I mustered the energy, went out for a walk and to the river, and saw the beauty of a November morning. I needed to finish planning and prepping my Farm Pond Writer’s Workshop. Four years ago, we also met for our weekly workshop the morning after a presidential election. I knew emotions would be running high, no matter what. An I had asked them to prepare by brining an affirmation, written Monday, and sealed: Affirmation for an outcome unknown. Also, I had found three excellent poems that I knew would bring insight, hope, grounding, sustenance. (Reader, if you would like me to send you a copy of these three wonderful poems, chosen for this difficult day and time, I’m happy to send them to you. Email me at kellydumar@kellydumar.com.) Everyone appreciated the poems very much. I introduced a warm-up to writing from making drawings inspired by the poems. It was a rich response, and I think we all ended our workshop feeling better, more able to cope. The affirmations each shared really helped. Then, in the afternoon, I worked on my poem revision for tomorrow. Some gradual improvement. By tonight, got it sent off. It’s so rough. But it’s the best I could do with this distracting day of election results. The blue brook soothed my spirit so much this morning. Blue is such a soothing, healing color, and the pattern of submerged leaves and reflection of branches of the trees always makes me want to stop and give thanks to the brook for running through my day.