The woman breathes...

knowledge ushers in a soothing understanding

which calms the womans spirit;

her memories float up and ease the heat engulfng her mind.

She sits back and notices the emerging auora

of her own infant crone - newborns smell so good.

She suddenly realizes growing older, is giving birth.

She remembers the experience of creating life.

Intense, consuming, empowering... She intuits she can ride this new wave

and determines to cut the path with grace and laughter

and the practice of a million lifetimes.

Unsure of the journey,

she's almost overwhelmed because this infant crone

is shaped from her own life force,

The only lover involved is her own womb -

looming larger than the living she's done.

As she moves into this dance, striving with her physical essence

her mother and grandmother and daughters and sisters all reach out to her -

This is a birthing, a shift... an enrichment.

Her tears fall as her body grapples, enveloping the change.

She loves it, she hates it - she faces herself

she breathes... again

gingerly releasing the old she has known for the old she must become,

she braces for another wave,

_____________________________________________________________________

I had this awful hot flash while I was making dinner and I decided to take my shirt off. I was pretty miserable and very flushed. Immediately I ran out of olive oil. I decided to refill my smaller bottle with the handle that I have a nice spout for. So I'm hot, pouring, dribbling and ignoring... as the oil got to the top of the bottle, the big bottle slipped and I poured about 1/2 a cup on the counter. It splashed up and got on my glasses. I kept on, wanting to just get it done. I took my glasses off, picked up the spout and when I pressed it into the mouth of the bottle, the slanted spout was facing - where? It spewed up, all over the cabinet and into my hair. Gods bless it... I was covered in olive oil, standing there in my jeans and bra - the cabinets, the floor, the counter, all covered as well. I turned around, took my large pasta pot and filled it with water thinking I'd clean up when I finished. NOPE... the pot slid from my grip and poured water all over the counter, the floor and me.

I can tell you right now, this is one heck of a sauce. Everyone had better eat this dang dinner and no one better say one word about my hair either. . .