By Patricia(Jayne)Cook

SPARKS OF INSPIRATION:

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Blessings from my Rich Life

cover photo borrowed from Raven Jaynemy beautiful 15 year old daughter

DAZZLE We all have magical places Most of mine are in the woods

One is Not, Not even remotely CloseIt is in the Heart of the 303

Denver,CODazzle Jazz Club

Some of my best moments occurred in this quaint club.

The deep red of the walls the small intimate tables clothed in purple.

Plates filled with cheesy treats.The inspiring voice of Andrea Menard

filled my entire being in an unforgettable bliss.I Laughed with Bunky Echo-Hawk

after he waged war on another blank canvas.Sharing bad jokes and beautiful stories.

In the heart of the City.

Bunky Echo-Hawk and Andrea Menard

The maple sweet smell of chew, and cocktails crinkled my nose,I savored the taste of Colorado Porter,I fell in Love with my husband again

The first time was in the woods. My dear friend Mandy Harvey’s embraces

and sultry voice still linger in my mindThe strength of her life an inspiration to me,

She never boosts or even lets on that she is deaf When she sings

I almost hate to disclose that about her I asked her to be my daughter Auna’s godmother

at Dazzle on a night she was singingI forget all the pain from the outside world

As I fade into the voices of my favorite musicians All the magic of the world floats in my mind

As the rich friendships of my life in the Magic of Dazzle

INSPIRE ME.

On Other Nights At Dazzle

Ode to a WatermelonI joyously snapped the shot

A moment worth the capture,As farmer Austin held the Sugar Baby Watermelon

so tenderly Reading Pablo Neruda’s poem Ode To Watermelon,

From A Book I gifted this amazing friendWho gets up early

Picking ripened harvests Celebrating the bounty that Abbondaza Farm

offers in the sweet summer months,When Saturdays can linger on

In a wonderful blissful celebrationThe sweet sun touches

the experience with smilesCold market days and we still go

Speaking our own Ode’s for Watermelons, Onions, Ripe Red Cherry tomatoes

In Sweet and Joyous Love for Local Foods.

Farmer’s Market Bliss

Heading into NatureA Journey with Thistle

Thistle came from the mountainsHer mama was an herbalist

Naming Thistle for the healing properties of the Thistle plant with their rough exterior and silky smooth insides good for so many ailments.

Mama must have known that Thistle was going to have to be tough on the outside.A Woman who would challenge the world in many ways.

Not a tree hugger or a hippie,She is misunderstood for her love of the earth

She eats meat, wears leather, knows great beers, and always walks with purpose.She picks hardened people to spend her time with

Her father calls them broken,She thinks they are truly Brave Souls after all they have been through.

So often she feels broken herself.Lately Thistle finds solitude more comforting as she sits by favorites trees,

Telling them her stories of sadness, loss and pain.Trees listen without judgement, and do not gossip, well at least not to other people. The most twisted ones with the faces of ancient wisdom draw Thistle in the most.Their experiences of taking in human breath giving life to people as they exhale

oxygen, and breathe in the carbon dioxide of our breath They seem to express their own stories of interaction with human life.

It is with awe, and respect that Thistle sits among the trees.She wishes that people were as understanding as the forest.Thistle has been through things that would harden anyone

Injuries that do not leave visible scarsBroken bones,

Seizures,Deaths that come at Unexpected Times,

Those scars touch the heart, She wants to leave those painful events beneath a tree,

Letting the Earth soak up some of the sorrowA red-tailed hawk announces his presence in the air with an ear-piercing shrill

Maybe he expresses what she can’t in the way he speaksHis voice calls her back to the present,

Knowing soon she must return to the dull groan of town.Although she lingers for as long as she can with the trees

A swift deer passes by and a small red fox stands and stares at her.These blessings make returning to town easier.

Thistle thoughts wander to the bearPerhaps to Escape

All of Life’s Painful occurrencesAnd to feel a sense of wonder in the world.She imagines Bears waking up and hunting

around for fresh spring Osha RootThe pungent smell of the Earth

Tickling their noses digging for the roots

that cleanse their winter tummiesA fact she picked up once from a Rainbow Brother

Who had spent many years in the woods Observing nature

Or at least that is where she thinks she heard thisBear Fact

Osha Root is one of Thistle’s favorite herbsOn more than one occasion it saved her life

A nasty spider bite left her with a scar In the shape of a bear claw

Cured by the healing properties of Osha Root

Sometimes know as Bear RootThe pungent smell of the herbwas often present growing up

When colds hit The house

So sometimes the earthly deep smell could bring up

memories of times much simpler Before Thistle knew What pain was

And the Trees were right outside the doorand down the way

A spring bear was eating Osha Root

Preparing for Summer When he would feast on sweet raspberries

By the Stream

Thistle’s Ode To Bears(with a great big Thank you to Pablo Neruda)

Thank you for enjoying my journey into the blessed moments of my life.

I could’ve brought you into the dark and painful moments

but I do not wish to shock and I love the beauty of the good moments to

much not to pass them onMany Blessings to you allIn all the rich blessings

of this human experience.