Flaky Friend

I haven't seen her in a week.
She does that sometimes —
disappear for a while —
and when she does show up,
I suddenly remember
how good things used to be.

Bright, warm, and deeply committed
to hiding behind clouds at the worst times possible,
this giant flaming ball of gas
that lives in the sky
and occasionally honors me with her presence
is, without a doubt,
nature's version of a flaky friend. 

I almost remember what she looked like...
Round?
Yellow-ish?
Warm?
Definitely glorious, though flaky. 

April 4, 2025

Looloo & Hoppoo

Duke Ellington

"Gray skies are just clouds passing over." 
Duke Ellington 

Then & Now

I used to love the rain. I’d walk through downpours without hesitation, letting the water soak through my clothes. I never owned an umbrella; I never saw the need. Even when I had other ways to get home, if it was raining, I walked. The world felt softer in the rain, quieter. Thunder wasn’t something to fear; it was something to admire. From home, I’d listen to it rumble through the sky, a raw display of power.

Now, rain makes me uneasy. My dogs hate it, shying away from the cold drops, shifting anxiously at the sound of water against the windows. Thunder, once thrilling, is now a source of distress for them — and for my cat. Their fear changes how I feel about it. I don’t revel in storms anymore; I watch, waiting for the worst to pass. What I once loved is different now, not because it changed, but because I did.

PPP Reviews

April 2025