Sore Knees

How come you have to feel worse to feel better? I started seeing a new chiro a couple weeks ago and she tells me she's helping but my knees are a whole lot achier than they were and they both hurt now instead of only one. Hrumpf. I am not amused. Dusty and I walked about 2 1/2 miles on the Fox River Trail today and my knees protested the whole way with my hips chiming in toward the end. It was good to be walking along the river again, tho. We saw goslings, white pelicans, some pretty little white flowers, and an oriole singing away high in a tree. I loved being out in the sun and breeze again. Later I'm off to Mom's to put out her oriole feeder. She called me all excited yesterday after seeing one on her balcony railing. Her 95-yr.-old neighbor Angie told her that's the scout, he's coming to check things out before all of them come. Whatever. I'm going over in a bit to do my daughterly duty. For Mother's Day I paid for a gas fill-up and I told her I'd come over a couple days this month and help her clear out the clothes she doesn't wear anymore and take them to Goodwill for her. She doesn't need "stuff," she's got too much like the rest of us, I need to spend more time with her, that's a better gift for both of us.

May 5--Charles Caryl Coleman, Apple Blossoms.

The careless handful
of branches struggle
to stand upright
in a too-wide vase.
Their very presence,
their haphazard arrangement
speaks of the length
of winter,
telegraphs how eager
she is to welcome
the change,
to let the sun and
soft breezes chisel away
the crusts of a hard
long winter.
~~~~~

I hope you're not minding that I'm writing poetry these days. It feels right. Maybe my brain's shrinking? For a long time all I could write were novels, now all I'm writing is verse. Something's shrinking. Happy Friday.
--Barbara