Christmas Dance

So often we move, and live in between the beauty of this season,

and the brutality we don’t want to see in our world,

may we learn how to dance, and to love anyway

accepting who we are, choosing to believe

in that hope we know still exists, filled

with dances of light

as we move forward

twirling,

each of us a graceful ballet

of love and new life.

Amen.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Poetry and Image © Copyright, 2022 rivers renewed

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Emma Heals the Wolf

Her gentle hand touched his shoulder, and she was surprised by the power of his blood, the thickness of his fur. He had finally found her and fought his way through the Alps, all the way to Spain, enduring the attacks from creatures of the night.

She accepted his repentance on a level most could not comprehend. The lies were over. She could sense so much love now in his heart as her hand went further to his chest.

His wolf beauty nearly took her breath away as her light ignited, healing the wounds. Unconscious he barely knew she was there. Yet in his sleep he felt her presence.

Each wound, each particle of pain was taken. Exhausted when the restoration was done, Emma fell asleep on his massive chest, barely noticing he had shifted back to human.

She tucked in her wings, sighing in her sleep contented.

Barcelona had been very, very good to them.

Writing and Image Copyright © 2021, 2022 rivers renewed

Transgender

Colorado? Her world tilted when she heard the news. She felt sick. Weeping, she looked out her window. No birds could encourage her this time, no matter how hard they tried.

What should she do? What could she do? Drive out there? Take a bus? People there needed to be held, needed to be seen. By someone that cared.

After washing the tears from her face, she noticed the sun beginning to set behind the apartments across the street. She went for her coat and hat, determined to find some of her fellow transgender friends downtown.

Dear God…” was all she could say as she walked out the door. She would hold someone tonight, and they would cry together, whispering “I know…. I know….” giving each other just enough,

courage

to make it

another day.

P.S. Hate and violence towards the LGBTQ community is getting worse in our country. Black transgender women are the most murdered group of people in the United States.

I stand against hate, and I stand with the LBGTQ community in Colorado Springs. If you don’t like people that are different from you, including the transgender community, please consider not following.

Much of this hate and violence is from the far right, starting with rhetoric.

For the next couple of weeks I’ll be resharing works of fiction I’ve written about transgender women. And maybe Emma will stop by to protect us, by extending her wings.

Poetry, Narrative and Image © Copyright, 2022 rivers renewed

Emma on the Border

The French cuisine was exquisite along the border. Emma reached for her steak knife, cutting deeply

into the honey glazed chicken, as she was bathed in the soft glow of candlelight in a quiet corner of the café. The meal reminded her of a certain general who always wanted her, honey glazed

The plan worked.

show ‘em a little leg, have him caught in a web of a beautiful seduction, and before he could be her champion… she called forth the wolves,

he learned his deadly mistake as he quivered on the marble steps. She had towered over him

another Nazi leader decimated,

eliminated,

then fertilizing the moss covered soil that would one day carry Allied tanks.

Emma poured herself another glass of wine, smiling sardonically, looking at her reflection in the shine of her steak knife. Then she cut deeply again into the honey glazed chicken, while a wolf howled in the distance.

She would never be the victim of anyone.

It was 1941. Or was it?

Writing and Image © Copyright 2022 rivers renewed

Awakened by the Falling

Awakened by the falling, I move forward anyway

and I love

the way the light moves

filtering

through the leaves.

Poetry, and Image © Copyright, 2022 rivers renewed

P.S. Whenever I go through a difficult circumstance I seek to allow the light in.

The ancient poet Rumi taught me this. And even when I think

I cannot continue, I move forward anyway.

Peace.

Where the Sky was Once Blue Part III – 18+

When I took the elevator down to the third floor basement, I didn’t know what to expect. But there she was as soon as the doors opened. In all her glory, her skin actually shining in the blue/green healing bath and her naked chest bobbing gently. I was stunned.

“Don’t look too much stud man, you belong to Mari”, were the first words out of her mouth. I carried the tray to the table next to her and put it down. “Emma, you are absolutely gorgeous, your skin is shining, and your chest is extensive, so what do you expect me to do, walk with my eyes closed?” She smiled to the side of her mouth and said, “That’s just my way of razzing you stud man. Wait. I shouldn’t call you that, most men get their egos inflated that way.”

I offered her a drink, “Here, you need to stay hydrated.” She looked me over while drinking and said, “Mari was right you really are gorgeous. Brown skin with a touch of white and some Filipino. Gorgeous!”

“Don’t look too long supernatural one, I belong to Mari!” I couldn’t resist that one. A look of surprise dawned on her face. “Touché, dear one! And you have a sense of humor too. You really are the complete package.” Handing me the empty cup, she sank deeper into the tub, dunking her head, and for the first time I could see the tips of her damaged wings.

When she came up, I was bold enough to ask about her black eyes. “Your eyes are black so are you….” I stopped. “A vampire??” She finished it for me. “No, well in a way…. but it’s a long story. Don’t worry, I don’t drink human blood, especially that right wing crap! That stuff is horrible….” I decided not to ask any further.

After I handed her a towel she stepped out. She was very tall, and her wings were huge even with the burned edges. I turned away while she dried off and got dressed. Well, sort of dressed. “Pull up a chair. And we need to find you a new name…. it’s a type of rebirth you know…. we can even have a naming ceremony”, she said.

I sat down when she walked over. Bending down, taking my face in her hands, she searched, looking into my eyes. She touched my hair. “No dear one, an animal name won’t do for you…. H’mm.”

If you’ve never had a supernatural being look into your eyes I don’t recommend it! It’s like she could see every part of me, all at once.

Standing up she said, “I’ll have to think about it… Now go make love with your beautiful Mari, before I forget who I am!”

I left in a hurry.

I heard her laughing as the elevator door closed.

Writing and Image © Copyright 2022 rivers renewed

P.S. Clearly Emma and her friends are turning into a novella. I’m not sure yet about further chapters.

Thank you so much for reading!!

Where the Sky was Once Blue 18+

In the Not Too Distant Future,

As I looked at my phone, Emma’s text said. “Meet her at the corner of Banner St. and Oak Leaf, and her name is Mari” As I drove the final mile, the sky was still its normal colors of fire. There was orange and pink and sometimes swirls of purple, where it had once been blue. Another missile screamed overhead trailing black and gray smoke.

And there she was! Another human being still alive, and was that her son? As I got out of my SUV limping with my hiking pole, both of them waved. We all had our masks on and protective equipment. I beamed at her, and I was hoping she could tell.

She introduced herself and Fernando her 10 year old, when a cloud of orange exploded, and a popping noise began to rain not far away. I yelled, “A Searching Drone! We need to get inside!”  With our masks and protective clothing off inside, I noticed her middle was large. Was she pregnant?

She mentioned, “I can still have your child…. if that’s what you want….” She smiled with eyebrows raised in a question. I wasn’t shocked at all, and these were desperate times, but I said, “Honey, I’m too old for you, and besides I’m just looking for conversation!” I hadn’t seen anyone in months.

It was actually cozy in her kitchen as she took out a platter of fruit and cheese. Another drone scanned the neighborhood. “I’m sorry the fruit is canned, that’s all we have left now.” I understood. I was so grateful, and we made small talk about how much supplies we had, and would the plagues ever end? Everything was going just fine until she took my hand and began massaging it with her thumb.

She said, “It’s just that I really need…I mean I really really need some…some…company.” Well I admit it. I was nervous. Who wouldn’t be?

When I found out she wasn’t actually pregnant, that was it. I was in trouble for sure. I didn’t know what to say. She practically dragged me up the steps to the bedroom, mentioning on the way up that Fernando would be in the basement, tending his plants. “His plants?”

Later, after I thought our wildness had subsided, I was beginning to doze off when she moved in close again. I felt her rub my arm.

She whispered, “You awake?”

Writing and Image © Copyright 2022 rivers renewed

Next Saturday: Why did Emma place us together?

In the Wind Swept Valleys

She noticed that in the wind swept valleys, poetry was waiting

some recovery words, a healing stream with phrases

even after the darkness fell, wind would pull her

through as light caught her wing, the good one,

she was never surprised really of how good

it was to come into the light again, or stand

on top of the mountain.

Poetry and Image Copyright © 2022 rivers renewed