Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Oh, How I Love Thee, October

October is one of my favorite months of the year.  There is something spellbinding about it as the autumn leaves and ghostly fascinations leave me feeling nothing less than an unexplainable rapture.

 

There are several things to celebrate this October.  We rescued a beautiful, black cat over the weekend after my mother's Liver Life Walk.  She was previously owned by an elderly woman who, unfortunately, had to move into a nursing home.  My mother and her neighbor said she was a kind old woman who probably loved this cat very much.

Sadly, the elderly woman's degenerate son overtook the property kicked the cat out.  I can only assume he had something very tight around Luna's neck (I named her Bella Luna in dedication to the "beautiful moon" I saw driving home from work two weeks ago) because she has a circular scar around her neck where there is no fur, just skin.  Luna also hides a lot, especially when the dear is around.  I can only imagine she fears men because of the previous ill-treatment she received from that monster who kicked her out.

Luna is about six months old and the most adorable thing in the world!  She talks to me all of the time.  I can't fathom people who abuse or kick out indoor animals, resulting in them either dying on the streets or becoming homeless for good.  My mother doesn't live in the safest of towns so there was no way I was going to let Luna be terrorized by other stray cats or God knows what else.

So let's give a big round of applause for my beautiful moon, Luna!



I also love decorating my home for the fall.  I usually have mums and pumpkins outside while continuing to purchase anything that has to do with Halloween at Walmart or Target, ha!  We have a gorgeous mantle which overlooks the mountains and trees where I have a Harvest theme going on.  I'm going to retrieve the rest of our decorations from the storage downstairs but here is a sneak peek at what I have created so far.



 
 
 

My birthday is also in October, yay!  This year, we will be taking a long weekend while engaging in a road trip as well as a Harvest theme party for the big day.  I will be looking forward to October 25th!

I'm also hoping to get a lot more writing done this month.  October and November provide some amazing writing material as I gaze out of my window each morning and watch the sky slowly awaken.  The sky seems different during the fall.  There is something comfortably cool and pristine about it. 



Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some ghost stories which have happened in my life as well as my mother and grandmother's.  I'm also hoping to get one of my most recent poems up but it still has to go through some edits. 

For now, I'm sharing an ode I wrote in dedication to my late great-grandmother.  She was a divine soul who was always conjuring up ghost stories or spooking my sisters and me by acting like a witch, chasing us around the house.  She had such a presence about her which until this day, radiates from the memories in my heart.

I love Florence and the Machine so I decided to write an ode against the lyrics of "Only If For a Night."  This poem reflects a ghostly dream I had about my great grandmother and is perfect for celebrating the 1st day of October.  I hope you enjoy!




“And I had a dream about my old school” She was standing behind my sophomore English professor in a white, tattered dress.   Her skin; porcelain white, reflecting off of the decadence of dancing dust bunnies fading into the sunlight streaming through the classroom window. 

“And she was there on pink and gold and glittering” She took my hand and walked me through dark halls until we met corundum gems in pink skies...and a sun so strikingly golden and bright...inevitably blinding my judgment as we continued to walk toward the old church behind Alumni Hall.

“I threw my arms around her legs” When we arrived at the church, we were suddenly thrusted into her backyard where a cemetery once haunted my dreams as a child.  I was no longer a young woman but a frightened little girl; wrapping myself at the seams of the bottom of her torn dress.


“Came to weeping” (came to weeping) As I fell to the ground, tears poured into the graves of my loved ones, including hers.“Came to weeping” (came to weeping) She wrapped her ceramic white hands around my face and lifted my head toward her captivating rapture.
 
“And I heard your voice as clear as day” It pierced through my veins like a thousand climatic echoes thrashing through the Himalayan Mountains of my most beloved memories of her as a child.

“And you told me I should concentrate” I knew I was throwing my education away because of my addictions and every other demon college had provided my tortured soul.

“It was all so strange” She stood before me; silken and cold, yet, warm and bounded by the blood and comfort of our home. 

“And so surreal” I felt her pain straggling to take hold onto all of my senses; almost to scare the darkness out of my confused inhibitions and longing for her to stay.

“That a ghost should be so practical” As sorry and desperate as I had been, I knew in my heart I should have always listened to her. 
“Only if for a night” I wanted to stay lost in her existence so I clung to my remembrances for as long as I possibly could.

“And the only solution was to stand and fight” I stood up as my rage banged against the hands of time trying to take my apparition away.
“And my body was bruised and I was set alight” Only to be thrashed back by an angry force; suppressing my fight for her to stay.


“But you came over me like some holy rite” Her existence appeared over me, white and sapphire silk covering the flames that engulfed my aching and crumbling body.
“And although I was burning, you’re the only light” Throughout my life, I knew she was the angel who saved me when I was beaten and left for dead by my sins.

“Only if for a night” I lost the fight as she picked up my burned body and wrapped me in the safety and coolness of her silken rapture.

“And the grass was green against my new clothes” After my body reconciled with my sin and His Greatness, she carried me to her old house among the meadows; the grass beautifully woven against my dress as we moved toward greater pastures together.


 
 
“And I did cartwheels in your honor” I praised her presence and danced in the light of my awakening.
“Dancing on tiptoes” I circled around her; my everything.

“My own secret ceremonials” I felt afloat as my feet glided against the grace of the green grass and conjuring of my newfound judgment.


“Madam, my dear, my darling” My nana, my love, my grandmother.


“Tell me what all this sighing’s about” Why are you sad, grandmother?


“Tell me what all this sighing’s about” You’re sad because I have to go back now, aren’t you?

“And I heard your voice as clear as day” Don’t worry nana, I will listen from now on.


“And you told me I should concentrate” I kneeled and nodded as I held onto the last moments I had with her.

 “It was all so strange” She faded into the fires against the sky which brought us to this place of peace.


“And so surreal” I knew she wouldn’t be back this time.

“That a ghost should be so practical” My grandmother always knew how to make a point.
“Only if for a night” Even if it meant ripping me away from my dreams into a realm of furious serenity.

 
You can visit the following link for a live performance of this song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKTfugNaQpk

That's it for me!  What are your goals for October?  And what is it about this month you love the most?

38 comments:

  1. October is one of my favorite months with the leaves changing, cooler weather, football, and Halloween. Poor Luna! I'm glad she found a good home.

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  2. We sure do love having her in our home:) Yes! I forgot about football!! We went to the Jets game last Sunday and hoping to snag some Jets/Broncos next weekend:)

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  3. Aw! Pretty kitty.

    Your birthday is one day after my son's. Yay! We'll be birthdaying too at the same time. (ish)

    Beautiful prose and thoughts. =)

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  4. Thanks, Crystal:)
    Yay! I actually know two people with the same bday as mine so combined with your son's, that is a lot of happy birthdays!:)

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  5. Luna is too cute! OMG! Before our neighbors moved they had a cat named Whiskers who would come and visit with us on our porch. I miss him! I hope you have a great birthday month. I enjoyed your ode: the theme is perfect for this time of year (I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of paranormal themed things this month!). My goal for the month is to balance my family life, writing, and marketing without losing my head, lol. And my husband and I married in October, so it's definitely one of my favorite months!

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    1. Thank you, Quanie! We do love her very much:) Training her to not claw up the house will be a challenge, though!
      You have so much going on and I'm overjoyed for your new family member as well as your upcoming release. Take it easy and enjoy all of your wonderful accomplishments this month.
      I love all things paranormal and will be looking forward to everyone's writing this month.

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    2. Beautiful, Gina! Oh, poor sweet beautiful moon kitty. I am so glad she is being treated well, now, thanks to your rescue, and what a beautiful name.

      Laurie Kozlowski

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  6. I love October. I think that's why I got married in October. :)

    I'm trying to get more writing in this month too because I'm between edits at the moment. I have to take advantage of that while I can.

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    2. Awe, both you and Quanie were married in October. When this day comes for me, I think I will do so as well. It is such a special time of the year.
      Good luck with your writing and edits, Kelly!

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  7. What beautiful, delicate writing, my dear.
    Bella is a lovely cat and so are your decorations.
    And in case I forget closer to time....Happy Birthday:)

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    1. Thank you so much, Sandra.
      And Bella is already making herself at home. We slept through our 5am alarms and she was at the foot of our bed at 6am meowing to wake us up, lol. So cute.
      It's official, you are the first to wish me a happy birthday=)

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  8. Luna is a darling! She's lucky to have you to take good care of her.

    I love Florence and the machine, too, so I really enjoyed reading your ode. I almost wanted to read the lyrics and the story separately, so that I could more easily follow the thread of each one. You have some really lovely imagery there. " I was no longer a young woman but a frightened little girl; wrapping myself at the seams of the bottom of her torn dress." Beautiful.

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    1. I really appreciate your thoughts about my ode, Liz. Thank you for reading=) Imagery is something I bang my head against the wall with until I get it right, lol. This is why it takes me FOREVER to write manuscripts and poems. Getting them drafted is one thing but then I feel like I have to change them over and over and over again until they are close to perfect.
      I saw Florence and the Machine in concert last year and I must say, Florence has such an unforgettable presence about her. Her entire performance left a huge impression in my heart. I adore her music.

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  9. Lovely ode to October and to your great grandmother! i do love the change in season too. We don't have it last long here...autumn is a blink of an eye between sweltering heat and freezing cold. So I take it in...like you did with that lovely kitty there :) I don't understand abusing animals. I just don't. But it happens, and there are lovely souls like you who come to the rescue :)

    And hey - I have to say - what is with women and football??? lol. On twitter, 90% of baseball and football tweets come from the ladies. I am not used to that. I went to an all-boys high school, work in a predominantly male industry, never had sisters or female friends / relatives...so I am used to dudes. And so I am be flummoxed as to what y'all find so exciting about those sports! (for the record I don't watch or follow either sport).

    I am confused :)

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    1. Lol, well Paul, I can only tell you how I came to liking football. I grew up in a household where my stepdad had blow-up Eagles team figures on our front lawn and Eagles lights dangling from our front living room window. I haven't lived in this house for almost 14 years now and each time I go to visit, the house throws up in even more green and Eagles logo. My dad even has an Eagles train set which he keeps running year round in the man cave downstairs. So needless to say, I grew up hearing lots of shouting, cursing, and stone cold, die hard football fans.

      But in all honesty, one of the major reasons I love football is because it brings me back to my childhood when every day smelled anew and I didn't have a worry in the world. I remember watching the games with my whole family while my mom or dad cooked, especially on Thanksgiving. Everything felt so innocent back then and for some reason, football always brings me back for a few moments in time, no matter which game is on.

      I really don't understand how anyone can abuse anything whether that is an animal or another human being. Luna is such a beautiful little being and I can tell she has an old soul. Even when I had her in my car for the two hour drive while she was in her crate, I could sense she was going to have a lasting impression on me. She was meowing up until the moment I put on my soundscapes and classical music. Within five minutes, her eyes were dozing off and she fell asleep. This is the music I write to so I knew if it could put her to sleep, she was destined to be in my life, ha!

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  10. I love Florence and the Machine and I also have a little black kitty.

    I love the fall and I'm waiting for the weather to cool down. Have a great birthday month.

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    1. Thank you, Medeia=)

      The weather is already cooling down here. I don't mind it up until the winter months. I truly dread the cold. We've had some terrible winters here over the last couple of years.

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  11. Beautiful Luna, and lucky Luna. I had a grey cat and a tortoiseshell once. Hate it when animals are abused. Good for you for picking up this black beauty! The ode and the lyrics go so deeply into the heart. I'll have to read the segment again, few times over. The pictures you've selected to go along with them are so pretty, Gina. Looking forward to reading your ghost stories! My October goals include revising a short story and much reading.

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    1. Yes, I forgot about reading! There are two novels I'd like to read by our fellow authors:)
      Luna is quite the character. I never realized how much I could love a cat!

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  12. I love October too! It's my favorite month of the year. I think your pics were great, especially Luna's pic - what a cutie!! Have a fabulous month! :)

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    1. Thank you, Lexa! She's is really pretty and I'm not just saying that as the new mommy, lol.
      I hope you have a gorgeous October! I wonder what it looks like over there in Egypt this time of the year:)

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  13. I am so glad you have Luna now. She's blessed to have such a wonderful home and you for a mom. :) I adore your autumn decorations. I especially love what you have on your porch. Those scarecrows are cute!

    I remember that poem to your grandmother. It's just as good the second time around. I was playing Florence and the Machine when I was reading it. :)

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  14. We have great taste in music:) I love Florence! Perfect for this time of year.
    Luna is finally opening up. This morning was the first time she played and the vet told me it would take her about a month to really feel safe. When I'm writing at 530am, she sits in the window and looks great among my Harvest decor:)
    I understand how you adore your cats, Chrys!

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  15. Wow. The poem is wonderful and haunting, Gina. Perfect for October. I love October as well. Both my kids were born in this beautiful month. I love the trees turning color and the golden hue to the sun.

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    1. I'm happy to hear I will be sharing my birthday month with your kids, Lisa! "I love the trees turning color and the golden hue to the sun." Beautiful=)

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  16. You have achieved your goal. You are an author. You have captivated my every sense, with this story. I thought that I had lost the ability to love to read, until this. I looked forward to every word & when it ended, I wanted more. That is an author. That is you. Love, Mommy

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    1. Awe, thanks mom. You are such a sweet support=) I'm overjoyed my poem touched you this much! I had a feeling it would because of how close you were with nana.

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  17. That poem is so haunting. I love it!!! Everything about October is awesome. I need to indulge in a Ghost Hunters binge this month! Congratulations on the new addition to your home--a black cat just in time for Halloween!

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    1. Luna is perfect for this time of the year, Stephanie! She sits in the window, blended in with my Harvest mantle. I will have to post some pictures of her throughout the month.
      I love Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. I was watching them last night after a movie called, The Reaping=) This time of year is so spooky and I love it.

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  18. Happy Sunday, buddy. How's our little adopted pal doing?

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  19. She's doing good! Passed all the vet tests and had her shots:) She loves sitting in the window but still hides a lot... Guess she's still scared at times from living on the streets:( Happy Monday, Sandra!

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  20. You have so many great things to say about October! Loved the cat story, of course, and the image that captures the essence of October. Happy Birthday.

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  21. Thanks, Lee:) Luna is an October miracle. She surely has painted our hearts with the warmth and color this season is known for. She also blends in well with my Halloween mantle in the window:)

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  22. Whew, we've almost made it through Monday. Hugs,

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    1. We made it, Sandra=) The weekend will be here in no time, I hope! Hugs

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  23. fall is my favorite too - my bday is in Nov, but my sister's was yesterday! Gorgeous, fall colors in your pictures - love it! and what a sweet kitty, and black just in time for Oct! i love decorating for fall too - i have big plans for outside my house if it ever stops raining!

    happy Fall!

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    1. I hope it stops raining soon so you can get those decorations up! I still have more to rummage through for my Harvest themed birthday party.
      Luna is precious=) Still feeling out her new home but we are hoping she comes around sooner or later!

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