This is Christmas (a poem)

A canon
notes strung in perfect harmony
dancing on air
like pure white sheets
drying in the sun
a simple cavatina
joyfully proclaiming
the wonder that has begun
with this special time of year.

Piano keys felt
pads engaged
the key of life played
through a ligature
effortlessly joining
black and white/sharp and flat
a semitone on a half moving into full
heart-filled expression
cascading into
a cadenza of hope
playing together
a note
a tone
a song
of joy
of heaven on earth
where no key is measured
wanting
no note
left behind
without
a companion note
to play in harmony
to join in symphony.

Laughter pealing
each note a perfect intonation
of joy
exalting
a hymn without words
abandoning darkness
cascading from adagio to allegro
legato to staccato
making music
making magic
making love
happen
in flight
hearts joining in holy communion
around a note of pure, ecstatic joy.

This is Christmas.
This is Love.

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Over at One Stop Poetry there's holiday celebration going on. One Stop offers up a prompt inviting anyone to write a poem or two based on George Winston's music -- two pieces in particular, December and/or The Snowflakes have to fall.

I chose to write a piece to December -- it's long been one of my very favourite pieces of music -- so it felt 'right' to choose it and write to its graceful melody playing softly as my fingers raced across the keys in harmony to the pure sweet sounds of Winston's piano.

I invite you to dip yourself in magic and wonder today and visit the poetry offered up at One Stop.

Take a risk. Dip yourself in creative release and write a line, a stanza, a poem...

Fill yourself with wonder.

I choose to create happiness

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. Michael Jordan

It is another blue sky day. Birds twitter and flit around the feeder. Beneath it, a squirrel scratches in the grass where errant plants are growing, remnants of seeds tossed out of the feeder. The water in the fountain splashes and Satchmo, the cat formerly known as Kaspurr, sits in the bay window, eyes fixed on the movement of the birds. He can't get out there, but oh, how he'd love to try.

Yesterday, he escaped. The screen door to the backyard sometimes doesn't close all the way. Satchmo discovered it ajar and crept through the opening. He had to do it. He couldn't help himself. It is his nature. Fortunately, Liseanne realized what happened before he wandered too far and enticed him back into the house with his favourite kitty treats. He's been trying to get out ever since. It is his nature.

It is my nature, as a human being, to seek happiness and love. It is in the 'how' that I reveal my nature, my true essence, my true self. And the how is affected by my past, by my family of origin and my work on cleaning up mixed messages, faulty wiring and limiting beliefs that erode my happiness.

Anne Frank once wrote, "We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."

Remember the happiness setpoint? I wrote about it awhile ago and realized this morning -- how quickly I can forget! I need to take care of my happiness, just like I need to take care of my health.

Being hung up on crutches is definitely a limiting factor in my world these days. While I'm adjusting, I'm not always feeling all that happy! I'm letting my physical limitations limit my inner joy which is affecting my outer world.

Pain's like that. It overshadows my thinking. Limits my perspective to a narrow world view of what's possible, what's not and what's not worth dealing with. Not that the foot is all that painful -- until I go to bed that is. And then, for some reason, it always decides to go into hyper active mode, keeping me from getting sleep. And when I'm not getting enough sleep, I get cranky. And when I get cranky the only thing that seems to make me happy is to take my crankiness out on the world around me -- which definitely doesn't create harmony, peace, love and joy in my world!

I believe to be happy, I must be creating a world of harmony and joy around me. When I am busy creating more of what I want in my life, I know peace of mind and feel joyful and content.

Happiness is a state of being. To be happy, I must be creating -- more of what I want in the world and more of what I want in my life.

It is an endless circle of creation.

Which leads me back to being cranky. Nothing in it for me to let my bad attitude wreck havoc on my day except to make me feel unhappy.

I have the power to choose different.

Today I choose to create happiness. In my thinking. My acts. My words. My creation.

Today, I choose to see my crutches as my friends. They are helping me get around while my foot heals. Because, my foot healing is important. When it heals properly, I shall be able to enjoy running and skiing and hiking and so much more -- things I was limited in doing because of my foot.

This is only three months out of my life. Three months to heal and grow healthy.

Today, I choose to create value in this three month period.

It's my choice. Whenever I am faced with an opportunity or decision, I choose in favour of what creates more of what I want in my life.

I want more happiness, contentment, peace of mind. It's up to me to 'try'. It's up to me to just do it.

The question is: What are you choosing to create in your life today? Are you letting your attitude out in a positive, creative and inspiring way?