WEEKLY VIGNETTEs
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A Vignette - a brief evocative description, account, or episode
Tips of Icebergs , A sharing of candid reflections during the week that was. Seven births, Seven Days, Seven lifetimes for a mayfly . |
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LEIT-MOTIF ( noun ) - a recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation: Example - "there are two leitmotifs in his score marking the heroine and her Fairy Godmother" The overcoming of obstacles and a love of theater are the two leitmotifs of her autobiography.  At the start of 2025 , i pondered over "two words" ( traits or themes , as opposed to specific productive goals ) that i would carry with me through the year, seeking opportunities to explore and practice the same. The two words i thought of were :
COURAGE (speaking my mind rather than holding back , initiating conversations , doing what i fear ) SOCIABILITY ( seeking out opportunities to mingle , organizing small get togethers , hosting ) I learned a new word today - LEITMOTIF and realized this is what i could call "my two words" Some of the other interesting leitmotifs shared by special friends and family were :
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 MOMENTUM AND THE BACKWARD STEP
I am all for movement and action , Invigoration of body and mind , But sweeter still a certain polarity , The benefits you will surely find … Of the pause , the regress , the backward step, The time for periodic recovery , Every machine has a reset button , This is not a new discovery. A time for maintenance and repair , A time to fine tune and tweak , A time to rethink the paradigm , As new methods you might seek . In this stillness , emerges greatness , Immense clarity of thought , no less , Great ideas and convictions are both , Calming any overwhelm and distress . Embrace the majesty , the brilliance of the fall , The learning opportunity is priceless , No better teacher than life experience , Its impact you cannot even guess. I am all for the vantage in momentum , The consistent-paced vibrant living , Coupled with temperance and empathy Genuine forgiveness with no misgiving. In the nothingness you hit rock bottom , And in humility you might cry , Seeking and discovering leading questions , Even if answers are vague to that persistent WHY. In the fall and backward step , the dancer , Often discovers true rhythm , Having to unlearn , relearn and transform , Jettison old ways to finally reach equilibrium …. 
WALLS Pain strikes deep within our hearts , When careless actions and events befall , Fearful of combat and confrontation , We begin erecting secret walls. Communication channels constrict , Highlighting shortcomings and pitfalls , Our judgement clouds when blinker-visioned, We seek refuge behind barricaded walls. Conniving vines conceal as they creep , The original cause might grow distant, Mental moss does the anger camouflage , The root cause no longer as reminiscent. These crafty climbers choke out compassion , And mock our efforts at reparation , Strictly focused on that pound of flesh , Once bitten there’s only condemnation. Can we change ? Chip out a tile or three , Trim down overgrown brush and hedge , Illuminate , shine some light in radiance , What purpose is served by a wedge ? We cannot know the circuit of life , What ironic circumstances may befall , Too late , too late to reignite what is burned , Too late then to repair divisive walls . So soften the harsh judgement of fiery youth , The righteous voice eager to incite , Remember the shoes we must walk a mile in , In order to understand the perpetrator’s fight. A heart can transform with learning and will , As we work on our imperfection and foible , Life is a mirror , giving back who we are , Know that - To the spirit all is possible. Give me your hand , give me your heart , Happier moments as we recall , With reason and kindness , relay-tionships review , Turning solid rock into a gentler waterfall. Holly Ann – Dubai , August 2023 Today I Looked a Black Cat in the Eye It was a hazy sultry September dawn , typical of the desert that is Dubai , The day I spied a sulking black cat and looked him straight in its yellow green eye. Easier said than done really , old superstitions churned within , I had met my nemesis once again , now what misfortunes would begin ? For the first time though , I did not duck or turn the other way , But stared him down , though mentally I wanted him to run away. No more , no more this perception , that gets a hold of my better sense , I stand rooted on dew strewn grass , in spite of feelings intense. With curiosity we size each other up , another being breathing life I did see , With a role to fulfil , a message to convey , it too had a right to be. Not without apprehension I return home , and in my journal I wrote. “I’ve got you Tuesday , don’t you worry” , I said in my little note. I pulled myself up tall , I dared the day to evolve , Highs and lows I was ready to accept , every challenge to resolve. Lo and behold the day turned not so bad , keen insights came to light , A book summary , help on google – on menaces at work who gaslight. A revelation indeed to the team , who thought we were sick in the head , A personality disorder , no more credit than deserved , so softly no need to tread. I am getting through the day , black cat , I’m joyful but need stay humble , Victory tempered with grace , no over confidence lest I stumble. Strength to hit those nails on their head , a gentle heart to show , A test of character , I must be considerate , from doorman to CEO. I bless that hazy sultry September dawn , typical of my middle eastern Dubai , I woke up fearful and but found my strength , when I looked that black cat in the eye. My little ode to rediscovering the joys of reading , developing my focus and increasing my attention span .... a skill i had thought i had lost . Readers are supposed to be leaders . Fiction teaches me as much or more through its captivating narrative . Give me old fashioned printed books , my den and a cup of chai on a Sunday ! Heaven !  Enveloped with a feeling of deep satisfaction , Tranquility , calm and some reflection , As I leave the world of ink and paper , Reluctantly but joyfully , what a caper ! Thrilled that my focus has improved with time, My span of attention , my vocabulary and rhyme , Glad for simple knowledge - an accomplishment , Thought paradigm of the author - an achievement The eyes cannot unsee , the mind unimagine , New horizons explored and dreams examined , Once touched by the endowment of a written book , Thought transferred , soul exposed and a fresh outlook.  THE MAGIC OF A DAY This overlooked treasure often taken for granted , By those who have won the lottery of life , This chance to cherish and enjoy , our best efforts deploy , Accept in equal measure the joys and the strife. Welcome with appreciation and thrill , The off-beat adventures that come our way , All it needs is a step , a small action adept , To craft a life in miniature - a well lived day. A privilege to paint on this blank canvas , The complex shades of human artistry , Sealing day-tight compartments , in myriad departments , While the soul speaks with authenticity. The answer to success , the antidote to overwhelm , The bewilderment when things don’t go our way , Tomorrow and yesterday’s mist , haven’t yet been kissed , By the blessing of a do-able day. Then string them together in succession , Like a snow white string of pearls , With its unplanned events , many dreams and dents , Synchronicities that spin you around in a whirl . Indulge in pursuits close to your heart , Amidst life’s necessities, your deep joy convey , Hone your curiosity , showcase this philosophy , The sanctity and mileage of the simple day My passion is contained within twenty four hours , My new religion , the mantra i now imbibe , A vow to embrace , optimize , see afresh with new eyes , This gift in hand , this Holy Holly-Day 😊
 📉📈 LIFE IS NON LINEAR 📉📈 Zigzag the river of time meandered , Flowing through mountain , plateau and dale , Life is not linear she had come to realize, More of a rambling circuitous tale Growth is not linear , but a varied mix Of flower , succulent and germinating bud , In soil that can be loamy , laterite , clay , Or the strange lotus that blooms in mud. A forward investment among indexes , The volatile risk of the S&P 500 , Life’s trend is not linear , beggars become kings , Or in reverse – judgement has blundered Success is not linear , knows the diamond in the rough It concedes to gentle pressure by and by Brillianteering of life can be exacting , As we are shaped by the wise lapidary in the sky. The road can be meaningful if lessons allow , By letting go of the non-serving past , Life is not linear , yet a blessing sublime , Developing a personal Venn and experience amassed. Love cannot be linear , heart and soul emphasize , Erratic vitals keep us awake and alive , A monotonal ECG reflects death and the end , Sans change and upheavals, how could we thrive ? Dilute your demons with compassion & good , Life and living become a whole lot easier , Trauma is tricked into transformation , When you embrace a life that is non-linear 🌄🌋🌄📈📉📈📉🌋🌄🌋  I let you go my children , To fly away , to be your own , To erect respectful boundaries , Now that you have grown . I let go of any remorse and guilt , A few regrets in your upbringing , If I knew then what I know now , With confidence I might be singing I let go of fragile eggshells Whose ownership is mine alone , I tread on them before you came along , On you I cannot cast first stone My intentions were true and highest , Cheerful balanced children my goal , True leaders , good human examples , As you walked away from my fold. I would be delighted to rediscover , Whether our bond can now be earned , If curiosity replace past certainties , A new relationship can be learned My willingness and love are unwavering , My deep faith in you stands firmly , Eager to choose and begin anew this Parent child relationship asymmetry  I release these delicate eggshells , My own symbols of hyper sensitivity, I stop trying to over correct , My needless attempts at proactivity Unbiased awareness eluded me , Hurting you was never meant Merging the past with the present , A victim never entirely innocent These eggshells lived within me Well before you were born , Remnants of my childhood correctness, Strict regimen and days forlorn . I own them now these egg shells , On no one do I cast any blame , No parent , no child , no trauma No circumstance against my name These eggshells represent my own polarity , Forward thinking on its head , But do I really envision correctly ? Or dip into old biases instead ? I am ready to set aside these egg shells , Replace them with fresh confidence , Enquire ? Ask outright ? Listen in ? Cease sitting on that proverbial fence I am so done walking on egg shells Of second guessing and living in fear , With good intention I shall speak , Of things I hold most dear. And wait for that calm understanding , My own part I can surely do , No longer egg shells will hold me back , Only my boundary of love and your point of view.  I welcome the wisdom of adversity , The arduous climb when things get tough Brillianteering a diamond until it gleams, Once dull and in the rough. I welcome the teachings of trials The opportunity to resilient become , The fire by which steel is tempered , Life going full circle , and then some. We are forever altered when Adversity dips into our emotional reservoir , We cannot un-process or un-see , We cannot erase the imprint and battle scar . A linear life may seem tempting, As impossible as it may be. Adversity staves off human arrogance , Making us approachable in our humility. And so I embrace the lessons of adversity , Often the best , a blessing in disguise , Keeps me innovative , strong and seeking , Keep me learning , compassionate and wise .  |
