I'm hungry for engagement and want to know if other writers like these prompts. I've generated this prompt from my podcast and it's a clip from S.1, Episode 6, Part 1 of the podcast. I think it's important to reframe as a writer, and while we don't have to, it's very beneficial. 16:29My childhood experience has been, in general, extremely heavy. I think of comparing it to crystals or stones.

Each person's childhood experiences can be compared to crystals, or they can have the quality of this. At least the ones where I'm privileged to hear their stories. Each experience has a brightness and an atomic weight. If we were to look at the values of somebody's childhood and compare or use the analogy or the metaphor of each childhood, it would be like a crystal. What sorts of colors would your childhood represent? What would your childhood be? Would it be an onyx? Would it be jet? It was definitely black and dark, but there was lightness in there, right?

So, what color is your childhood? What crystal represents it? Is it one crystal? Is it a platter of crystals? Is it metallic? Is it dull? Is it vitreous? Is it orange-red? Is it green? Is it tranquil blue? We'd measure the childhood emotional weight like we would measure the crystal's hardness.

If my experience is equivalent, it's surely onyx. Onyx is the metaphor for my childhood.

This poem contains a lot of reflection, and I have a lot of it because I wrote my story in the form of poetic narratives. So, I invite you all to pick one event in your life where you felt lost, unseen, abandoned, and afraid your needs wouldn't get met. Anything similar to this poem I'm about to read. Poetry has power because the form invites us to encapsulate our story. So not only do we get to get the honor of speaking it aloud and saying it to another intelligent eight, right? We have this opportunity to package our story.

It forces us into the form of poetry itself. It forces us to contain a story in the confines of a poem. Otherwise, we would have a memoir.

To hear all of Episode 6, Part 1, take a listen here.

SYNOPSIS:Podcast host and poet Tess McCarthy discusses and analyzes her poem 'Lost and Found.' Tess explains how she uses her AI bot [Oracle von Cleef], based on Gemini, to analyze her poems, providing additional insight into her analysis on the show.  

In MorningPoem #324, “Lost and Found,” the poem explores themes such as fear, loneliness, abandonment, the kindness of strangers, and the power of human connection. Tess contrasts this with her previous episode's poem, “There Once Was a Little Girl,” MorningPoem #323.  There’s a contrast in the episode breakdown—one poem is light and whimsical, and the other is introspective, providing an intimate portrait of their childhood experiences, including a tough separation from her mother. The episode concludes with Tess emphasizing the importance of connection and the themes of family, identity, and love in her work.

Below is a terrible placeholder image—but true to form, I upload the podcast, and then, over the coming days, I make edits to the show notes.

TRANSCRIPT // HIGHLIGHTS:Welcome to Season 1, Episode 6, Part 2 of the Morning Poems Podcast, a podcast where I read my previously published poems on Facebook and Instagram under the account morningpoems underscore. Hi, I'm Tess McCarthy, your host and poet.

0:38

I've written over 1,400 poems in my lifetime, and I'm on my way to beating the dickens out of poet Emily Dickinson, who wrote almost 1,800 poems by age 55. I just got just a smidgen to go. Okay. And some housekeeping. Before I dive into the analysis... I want to tell you, just thank you.

1:10

All right, and now for the analysis. I'm recording this on a Saturday afternoon in San Francisco, and we're having full-blown pride festivities. I'm heading to the DNA Lounge tonight to dance and watch a drag show.

1:42

Connection is everything. I ran both poems through my AI bot because I'm finding out that it does well at analysis and can bring to words some of the things that I have a hard time conjuring up. So it could convey the exact themes I was aiming for in the poetry, just written days apart. And it compared and contrasted things well.

2:11

The poem I just read, Lost and Found, explores the girl's fear, loneliness, and abandonment. But, redemptively, it touches on the kindness of strangers and the power of human connection. And my bot said it more succinctly. By the way, my bot uses Gemini as its base bot. But for me,

2:42

I wanted to say that both are very personal between Episode Five, where we have the superhero poem and today in Lost and Found. Both are about love, little personhood, or girlhood. In Episode 5, one's moving, and the other is light and very fantasy-blown.

3:12

In poem 322 323, in Episode Five, There Once Was a Little Girl, we're talking about the poet's experience as a hyperimagining. If we were to reframe things, wouldn't we put everything in our most ideal or most exaggerated experience if we were reframing?

3:37

If we're using the power of storytelling to reframe our experience, wouldn't we go full-blown? And so when I say fantasy-blown, I'm talking about that. That's like a word I'm coining. But the fact that my poem 323, which I've nicknamed a superhero one, reads like prose, right? It's meant to be prosy.

4:04

It's intentionally written to resemble a children's book—even the title, There Once Was a Little Girl is evocative of a children's book. There are also supernatural aspects to the poet's childhood in episode five, right? So, for one, the dog is telepathic, and the dog's telepathy is a metaphor for the girl's compassion.

4:35

Or telepathy, in general, if you really understand somebody, you see them. And if you see them, you deeply love them. And that's what I was going for when I threw in the supernatural ability for this dog to be telepathic. Here, there's interaction.

There's a fictional interaction here.

5:03

The girl is surrounded by these incredible femme people in her life. She's told she's ordinary, which is meant to protect her from harm. But the poem suggests that the little girl's ability to love is her own superpower. It's whimsy. It's light.

5:26

When we look at Morning Poem 324 today, you want to believe the poet has created some distance. Not everyone knows the details of my life. And if you think getting lost at an amusement park was hurtful enough, good. There's more. The poem begins with the poet's experience of being separated from her parents.

6:00

It speaks to a hero's journey. And once you get to know some of these poems a lot deeper, you'll see that as a writer, I go back and explore these poems’ themes of separation and loss. For example, I was separated from my mom for over eight hours in the hospital because I came out

6:27

so white, my mother was so brown, and they thought they switched babies on my mother. And in that poem, you can see a little bit of my mother's Love, even though it's a little skewed, like my mom's hand holding onto me tight when she finds me.

6:59

So, this begins with my experience of being separated from my parents. I cried when I read the following. I'm just going to reread some of the other things that come up because there are just two key elements: Two key themes that my bot said I couldn't fully express and put into words.

7:25

The poem reflects on the power of memory. The poet's vivid recollection of her experience suggests that even seemingly insignificant events can impact our lives. This theme is often found in narrative poems and speaks to the importance of our past experiences in shaping who we are.

7:50

It's now 4th of July. I just saw Inside Out. The search for identity is another thing that the bot comes up with. The poem touches on the theme of a search for identity. The experience of being lost and found suggests that we are all searching for our place in the world.

8:15

The theme is often found in narrative poems, and it speaks to the universal human experience of searching for meaning and purpose. Go AI, you get language. You may get it statistically, but you get it. Okay. There's also the other theme of the kindness of strangers, and besides loss and separation, if we...

8:47

You know, my therapist, my late therapist of nine years, passed away suddenly. And that was about four or five years ago. And she used to say her birthday's coming up on July 22nd. In her Brooklyn accent, Marcia Baum used to say, fall, and the world will hold you up.

9:13

And I definitely can get that now, so many years later. In this poem, the little girl in me has fallen, spiraling out of control. But the strangers find her here, and the world holds her up. So, for this long time, I had this mistrust with strangers for a good reason.

9:40

I came from a rough childhood. I had been harmed. At 17, something even worse happened to me. Without going into the details, sometimes I have to ask myself how I have recovered from this. I can't begin to tell you, but writing Lost and Found was reconciling my trust in strangers.

10:11

The couple who finds the little girl in the poem offers comfort and is portrayed in compassionate and caring ways. The author wants to believe that there are good people out there. It doesn't seem raw, but the events are as real to her as she can imagine.

10:34

As she even ponders, I even ponder to this day, did he—actually—buy me a big blue lollipop? If he did, what does that say subconsciously? So, I think... Blue, the lollipop is blue, and in color psychology, if I've learned anything by working in marketing for so long, the color blue conveys trust.

11:05

And then I asked my bot, and it dredged some good points. So, the blue lollipop also can also signify trust and loyalty, which is something the adult I provide in my relationships with others and what I equally desire. One of the things I oftentimes talk about in my poetry is that I use dogs to convey unconditional love.

11:39

So it's not just a dog walking around and, oh, I'm going to write about it. It's much deeper than that. My unconditional love is discarded. The speaker compares being neglected to being lost to being a stray dog. That's heavy. Both are narrative poems; both locate meaning and purpose,

12:07

both use repetition since that is an element I'm personally embedding into my work. One poem is fantastical, right? The other is introspective, and it helps us piece together my complex childhood and what remains. A poet must string together these images to convey the themes, or at least for me in this lifetime,

12:38

to convey the themes of family, identity, and the power of love. On one hand, Through our relationships with others, our idealized parents, or our ancestors with telepathic dogs, it's sometimes tough to wade through these personal events. But I believe that we're all here for connection.

13:16

That concludes Episode 6 of the Morning Poems podcast. It was produced by Tess McCarthy, and it is based on the original poetry written and spoken by Tess McCarthy. I want to make content accessible and won't build a paywall until some conditions are met. So, like, thousands of subscribers. So I'm going to ask you, hey... If you want to subscribe, subscribe. However, if you do subscribe, guess what?

13:42

I'm going to make you a T-shirt or some art or a really sexy thank you letter. I'm also looking to partner with quality nonprofit sponsors for this show, so if you're interested in supporting the Morning Poems podcast, DM me. You can follow me on Instagram, but you don't have to. Just follow me here, please.

14:06

Alternatively, you can find this podcast by searching for the Morning Poems podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Don't get your podcast that way. What's wrong with you? Rhetorical question. Okay, never to worry. The Morning Poems podcast will be on YouTube and elsewhere. Just keep your fingers crossed, and I'll get to it.

14:28

Before I sign off, I'm so glad you stuck around for episode six. Next up. Next is episode seven, and the poem, “I Didn't Like Going to Mass,” originally published on Facebook as I Didn't Like Going to Mass, Part 1. It's from June 25, 2016. Stay tuned.

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SUMMARYIn Season One, Episode Six of the Morning Poems podcast, host and poet Tess McCarthy shares' Lost and Found, ' one of her poems written in 2015. Content Warning:The episode highlights the poet’s childhood experience of getting lost at Knott's Berry Farm, then being found by a young couple who take her to Lost and Found.Exploring themes of childhood abandonment, familial neglect, and the process of cognitive reframing, Tess reflects on her feelings of being unprioritized within her chaotic mixed-race family and the powerful impact of feeling wanted by the strangers who found her. She encourages her audience to consider their experiences of feeling lost or neglected and emphasizes the therapeutic power of capturing such stories in poetic form.About Tess McCarthy:Tess is on a mission. They have written over 1,400 poems and aim to surpass Emily Dickinson’s poetry count of about 1,800 poems.

“There is power in poetry…the form invites us to encapsulate our story.”

2015 June 24, 2015

MorningPoem #324

Lost and FoundOne time at Knott’s Berry FarmI got lost.It was a farm at one timethat grew berries,and the family made jam,but converted their farminto an amusement park,

something like a county fairwith rides and a beer garden, and we have our setting.

I don’t know why my mother or dad lost hold of my handbut they let go of my gripand a crowd movedthrough usnot knowing we were bonded—together

They let me slip.Then,I was aloneand felt discarded.My whole world was gonereplaced by a world of strangers—and just a world.

Had I been older—much older—I could’ve found my way around the farm,the rollercoasters’ steelwouldn’t scare me.

I was 5 or 6 when they lost me–kidnapping age:old enough to feel alone,and ripe enough to understandI lost my folksthey were goneand I couldn’t hear them looking for me.

I felt like a stray dog.How’d stray dogs get lost, anyways?I cannot tell, but if they’re cutesomeone finds themand then two someonesfind me:A young couple—a woman with curly blonde hair, and a young man with gingery long hair—bushy mustache.

“Are you lost, little girl?”She said like a fairy godmother–not like a wolf who could eat you;the boyfriend (or husband)kneeled down to wipe tears off my face, and said,“Oh boy, these tears of yourskeep coming out like rain falling a fountain.””Your tears have flooded your blouse, kiddo,” she said,as he stroked my hairand she held me/hugged me,

“It’s okay, we will find your family,they can’t be so far,and they wouldn’t leave you behind, I know so, it’s so silly,why should they run away from a little girlwith a pretty face and a cute button nose,with chestnut brown hairthat shines red goldin the sun?”

She kept hugging me,like hugging all the terriblefears and doubts I hadbeing so lost.“Jim, I wish we could keep her,”she said,“Me too–whatta sweetie,” andhe ran off for helpand now I was trembling.“I have no where to go,no where to go,” I said itseveral times, and by nowthe woman’s husband ran backto us with a big blue lolly popand directions to “Lost and Found.”Sometime later, they came to claim me—this rag-tag bunch,my chaotic family.

I look back at the couple holding each other as I wave bye, my mother squeezes my hand tight.

I finally got found—I guess. I knew I was happy Mom showed up, and my dad was there, too, watching over my siblings. 

As comforting as it was to see them, I wanted something more sure, for I wished the couple who found mewould have kept me.

Note to self:

* It would be a dream of mine if Jodi Foster could read this poem!

HIGHLIGHTS + FAVORITE QUOTESTIMESTAMP // CHAPTER TITLES 0:00 S.1, E.6, PART I00:05 Introduction to Morning Poems Podcast On Emily Dickinson, a“19th Century recluse and supposed Sapphic…”

00:39 Host Introduction and Obsession with Emily Dickinson "Who’s counting? I am!” "I found out that Emily Dickinson had a Scorpio rising like me!”01:36 Housekeeping and Episode Overview "Episode 5? I hope you like my face."02:53 Introducing Today's Poem: Lost and Found 05:50 Analyzing the Poem: Childhood Memories and Reframing07:34 Exploring Family Dynamics and Cultural Identity "If I lost me, I would have had that entire park shut down.”"The good thing about autobiographical records is the person telling the story is the Chief Custodian of their records."17:47 The Power of Poetry and Personal Reflection "I invite you all to pick one event in your life where you felt lost, unseen, abandoned, Afraid your needs wouldn't get met. Anything similar to this poem." 19:19 Intro to Reading the Poem: Lost and Found 23:54 June 24, 2015, MorningPoem #324 "Lost and Found" Reading 28:18 The Speaker's Background Dynamics in "Lost and Found."

I finally got found,but I wish the people who found mewould have kept me.

I’m the little white girl in the dress, encircled.

SHOW NOTESMorning Poems Podcast, S.1, E.6, “Lost and Found”Unpacking Childhood Through Poetry: Emily Dickinson (Again), Family, and HealingAs always, at the top of her pod, she expresses her determination to surpass Emily Dickinson's poem count. But deeper into the episode, she touches on the emotional weight of her mixed-race childhood. Tess also reflects on the significance of being found by a caring couple and questions her family's efforts to find her. This episode delves into themes of childhood abandonment, family dynamics, and the therapeutic power of poetry.

No blue lollipops were hurt in the recording of this episode. Go ahead now…🫱 - Share🤑 - Subscribe💬 - Leave a (NICE) Comment♥️ - Love This👌 - DM Me, I’m O.K.

Jesus almighty--a podcast trailer? Why now? Because you can’t have a podcast without a trailer. I don’t care that it’s smack dab in the middle of Season 1, but here we are. This, by the way, is the LONGEST trailer you'll ever hear. // 00:00 / Introduction to the Morning Poems Podcast // 03:29 Why I Started This Podcast // 03:46 Making Poetry Accessible // 05:00 Talking About Reading Poetry Aloud // 06:47 Stephanie's Response // 12:29 The Importance of Alt Text // 15:06 The Future of My Voice // 17:31 My Poetry as My Legacy // 18:27 A Glimpse into My Family Background // 21:28 The Comfort of Being Read To // 22:16 Season One Lineup // 26:13 Upcoming Poems and Episodes

You can check Stephanie Householder Walker's incredible photography on Instagram at: @stephaniehw

“…poetry for me is almost always a call and response. The poet is calling out into the world. Hey, what's wrong? Or the poet is singing like a bird in it. That's a metaphor. I use a lot in my poetry.”

My Progress Thusfar

See them walking hand in hand across the bridge at midnight, Batman! It’s me, Tess! And I’m showing my mug on video.

UPDATE: This video has been up for days, and no one’s told me my mascara was running!? What’s wrong with you all? Ah, that’s right: No one’s engaging with my content.

June 30, 2014

MorningPoem #29

Afternoon: I saw the snowfall in my mind's eye so silently. And, I can look up at it for hours until my eyes got frosted over with snowflakes and my cheeks hardened with cold in real life. Real snow is cold, and puffy tear drops from a baby's face. Real snow is the tears of unrequited love or the silence after an argument. Tears are like snow. But no tears in my mind. Just the snow. I cooed to myself, "You have to see through the spaces to see the infinite sky. There is nothing else; yes, only fallen snow. Not a snowball that turns into avalanches."

June 23, 2015

MorningPoem #323

There Once Was a Little Girl: Who was raised by a family of super heroines her mother and other mother’s older sister grandmother and great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother all of her 88 aunties, even her 104 girl cousins were super or had incredible talent; They all told her she wasn’t original: she was ordinary, so that made her safe from enemies, if she had any, they'd be as ordinary as she And SuperMom Number One dashed through the kitchen window on first alarm flying out into the atmosphere in her gold cape, "Don't forget to feed Rex!" she said and zoomed off to find criminals on escape! And SuperMom Number Two left with a screech in a peach super mobile, and the girl was alone in her room playing “Witch on her broom,” then she fed her teacup poodle, Rex and Rex reads minds and is telepathic, (not bad for a dog, for he reminded her to feed him),then reported to SuperMoms, "She loves you," and they asked Rex to kiss her back,they all thought that the little girl must have a superpower after all: The ability to love like no other.

It’s like that Depeche Mode song, right? Tell me you just can’t get enough…🫱 - Share this episode🤑 - Sponsor/Subscribe💬 - Leave a (NICE) Comment♥️ - Love this👌 - DM me, O.K.?

TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS

SYNOPSIS In this episode of the Morning Poems Podcast, Tess McCarthy revisits her past poetic works and provides insightful commentary on the creative process. She also introduces herself and her ambitious goal of surpassing Emily Dickinson's poem count.Segments Include:

* Introduction: Tess shares her passion for poetry and the joy of rereading her old works.

* Challenges and Quirks: Tess discusses the technical difficulties faced in previous episodes and emphasizes the importance of authenticity.

* Audience Engagement: Encourages listeners to follow her on Instagram and discusses the labor involved in creating the podcast.

* Shoutouts: Tess gives special mentions to friends who have supported her journey.

* Poetry Background: Detailed exploration of poems from June 22nd, focusing on their themes and inspirations. Tess reads Morning Poem 28 ("MMP") and Morning Poem 321 ("They Don't Teach You How to Juggle Balls in Grade School").

* Poetry Analysis: An in-depth look at the poem “They Don’t Teach You How to Juggle Balls in Grade School” links the juggling metaphor to time management and early education.

* Conclusion: Tess previews upcoming episodes, including a light-hearted Episode Five and an emotional Episode Six.

Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to subscribe, leave ratings, and provide feedback. Tess also mentions the possibility of making T-shirts for supporters.

Stay tuned for more poetic explorations and heartfelt reflections in Episode Five, and get prepared to cry when we get to Episode 6!

MorningPoem #28: MMP (Monday Morning Poem)

MMP: If I envisioned the future to be this way, just as it is now,in a cinema-topographic landscape where the morning sun looks like afternoon skies, or, as if Ridley Scott himself teleported into 2014 (from my vantage point in 1984), I'd be tickled. The next thirty years, I hope, the afternoon sun will look like the dawn, and the plants—they won't be reliant on water but air. I can only imagine: I see their tendrils snapping in the hyper-evolving futuristic world.

MorningPoem #322: They Don’t Teacher How to Juggle Balls in Grade School

They teach you structure.Visitors come by to show you juggling but there's never a class to take, and you can beg your parents to get you a set of balls, but they tell you, "no," if they are the kind of parents who always tell you, "no," and then you don't learn, because they tell you you're too clumsy. Unless, if you're an autodidact, and you teach yourself on your dad's golf balls the ones he never uses, and then he gets mad at you, and punishes you for putting them to good use: Oh, and for losing one to the gutter. So you give up on juggling, and you save it for the clowns who never teach you either, and then, you never know what it's like to physically move things in the air, to reliably catch things as they hit your hands. And your mind, your little mind, doesn't learn how to deal with one thing or several things coming at you, and then you grow up and realize life uses the same mechanics: You have to balance aspects out, yes, you do need structure and routine but for chrissake, in life's randomness you got to juggle to beat the struggle.

Are you loving the MorningPoems Podcast? Goodie…

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SYNOPSIS In Season 1, Episode 3 of the MorningPoems podcast, host and poet Tess McCarthy reads and discusses poetry from their MorningPoems series, then talks about Emily Dickinson's prolific year in 1862—which takes committed effort. Tess shares insights into her writing process and her lack of commitment out of fear in general with projects. She briefly mentions how MorningPoems became a daily poetry habit that enriches her life. The episode features MorningPoem #575, 'Nothing to Add to the Debate,' exploring themes of economic disparity and social observation in San Francisco. Listeners are also invited to follow Tess's Instagram @morningpoems_ for more poetry updates.

00:00 Introduction to MorningPoems Podcast //

01:03 Housekeeping and Social Media //

01:36 The Power of Reading Poetry Aloud //

02:28 Emily Dickinson's Miraculous Year //

04:01 Meditative Writing Process //

05:46 Today's Poem, MorningPoem #575: “Nothing to Add to the Debate” //

07:31 Comparing Poems and Social Commentary //

10:49 Intro to the Poem Reading //

13:19 Closer

Wow. This recording is so—funny. The core of voice is here, but depending on how I’ve made the recordings, it makes me sound like a different woman! It’s Monday night, and I’m queuing up Episode 4 for edits.

MorningPoem #575Nothing to Add to the Debate

For three dollars plus tip, I walked up to a cab driver as he was outside his cab because I didn’t know what Uber or Lyft was because it was windy and cold, so I nabbed this cab. 

But the cabby told me he couldn't take me right away and invited me to hop in the car to keep warm. 

He was shopping for fruitat a sidewalk market in the Mission on Mission, and yes, he is on a missiongetting food for his in-lawsbecause it was right around the time for his familyto break the fast--at Ramadan.

A slow young girl rings me up because I get out of the car and decide to buy bananasand still, it's windy and cold, and he tells me I can get back inside his cabbecause he's almost done.

From the inside,I watch a homeless man pinch a plum, another man pick one up and run, and little old ladies elbow each other over cucumbers. 

There are tall, well-heeled tech guys passing by, they walk side by side hogging up the sidewalk andone of them bumps into the older womanin the shoulder,I think the tech guy apologizedhe gently semi-pat the woman's arm and smiledhis friend smiled at her with a "Are we cool?" look.

Both walk on; I sit and watch life unfoldbefore long, I am homethere was no need to interjector interact, so I just watched.

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Title: Season 1, Episode 2: From Mourning to Morning: Unveiling Morning Poetry of June 22nd & July 22nd

IntroductionWelcome to Season 1, Episode 2 of the Morning Poems Podcast. A podcast where I read poetry from my Facebook and Instagram accounts is found under the hashtag Morning Poems. I'm your host and poet, Tess McCarthy. My claim to fame is that I've written over 1,400 poems and counting. I want to beat the dickens out of poet Emily Dickinson, who wrote over 1,800 poems in her lifetime. So, no pressure; only 400 poems to go!

Housekeeping and Social MediaI think beating a dead poet's poem count is a respectful lifetime achievement, but some housekeeping. Episode one does not have an intro. Sorry. Maybe it's better that way. I will teach elementary school in the fall and can only commit to pure poetry. So, if you don't get any intro and just the poem, that's great. Speaking of which, if you like my poetry, you can follow me on Instagram at Morning Poems, but more often than not, I'm posting about my life on that account, not poetry. So, to hear all of my wonderful morning poems, you'll have to stay tuned to this little podcast.

Before I read, this project is a testimony to my almost daily habit of writing poetry. I'm proud of it and want to share it with you all. Since I did most of it upon waking, my friend Shelly came up with the idea to hashtag the poems on Facebook as morning poems. And there we are. My special shout out to my friend and fellow librarian, Shelly. We have her to thank for being Muse number one for this. 

Today's Poems and Their BackgroundToday is June 22nd, 2024, at 5:18 PM. In this episode, I read poems originally written on June 22nd. One is MorningPoem 27, and the other I'll read is [Morning Poem #341]. And if we're lucky, I'll post Morning Poem 500 something. Entitled "Nothing to Add to the Debate."

This catalog is from my original Facebook account, where my friend and I dredged up all of my morning poems, and she lovingly stuck them on a spreadsheet for me. So we're reading pretty much from the spreadsheet, and then right before I record the poems and speak them out loud, I do a second edit. We'll want to say that there's a lot. And sometimes, we might have more than one poem on the same day in a different year.

And today is that day where we have three. Morning Poem 27 is from 2007 and 2014, excuse me, and Morning Poem 320, written on that same day in a different year, is from 2015.

So we have Morning Poem 27 from 2014 and Morning Poem 320 from 2015. These poems are numbered because that's the number of poems they are in my catalog of poetry. Reflections on Poetry and LossAstrologically, the sun is in full bloom in cancer on June 22nd. Somehow, themes of Monday Morning and my mother are up in this episode. My mother passed away in July 2014, a month before morning poem number 27 was written. So we have a year of mourning my mother between Poem number 27 and [MorningPoem #341]. So, I noticed the difference between the two when I read them. You'll see that I've processed my mom. We've had this whole time between talking about the trivialities of drinking coffee and being up in the morning to relating with my mom in such a way in that second poem that I can put myself in my shoes. Then I can also put myself in her shoes while growing up, and I hope you enjoy both. One is very light. And then the second one is just very loving. I think the gift of being an older adult and losing your mother is that oftentimes, a parent dies, and we don't get to process these feelings. And so poetry has been a way for me to process everything left unsaid between me and my mother. 

And without further ado, I hope you enjoy these two poems, possibly three, and listen on. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for subscribing.

Poem 1 - June 22nd, 2014. Morning Poem #27:Oh No, it's a Monday PoemAnother Monday? Oh no. Was it only Wednesday? How'd this happen? Wasn't I harping about being real in the here and now on Wednesday? And my coffee ritual and poetry? This Monday, I'm not goofing around by heating up coffee ten times because I should have drank it when it was hot.

It's cool, cold, and cloudy outside, but my Monday is not. It's hot, fresh out of the depths of some semi-soiled microwave of my life. Monday dings and it's the perfect temperature. So, I refocus and sip life.

Poem 2 - June 22nd, 2015. Morning Poem #341:That was Then, This is NowIt's not hard to believe that my mother, the same age I'm now, had a second life with us younger kids. She could have stopped with my brothers, but then we wouldn't have a sister, me, or an adorable little brother. Could I accomplish that same feat by raising a family, young babies in my middle age, and their teens in retirement?

My mother didn't tell us she was too old to have children, for she blended in with the other mothers in age and religion. No one knew her age or the number on the bottle of her hair dye. And I didn't know my mom's age either because I thought she was the norm. Her skin looked fresh as dairy cream and brown as caramel candy.

For all I knew, she was this product that didn't expire—not like Twinkies, no, but more like honey, which never spoils or wrinkles. It wasn't until I was in my twenties that I realized my mom was markedly older than my friend's moms. She looked and acted young for so long that I joked that her secret was sleeping in Tupperware.

Underneath appearances, I realized I had limited time with her on Earth. Selfishly, I prayed to her to have her until I was a hundred. But prayers are only prayers. They are answered, of course, but not always fulfilled. If all sorts of prayers were answered, we'd have what we wanted but not necessarily needed.

And for me, I needed a higher answer to my wishes. And this is a definite lesson:Cherish your mother for as long as you have her because, like refrigerated cream, she expires, too.

Transcript edited for clarity

Tess Reads "Poor Doggie"Poor Doggie Stormy weather inside my dog heart, too hard when my human parents part, and off she goes to yoga boot camp. The other one stays with me for a bit, sipping her coffee, petting the top of my head, and then she rustles and gets up, puts a helmet on her head, to go off to work for a long, long, long time, and I hear her footsteps down the hall, but earlier, we had a good morning, --everyone happy! I go out, come in, get breakfast, --then they go! Hard to think now when they'll come back, but, hmmm, I think one of them is coming back home to me. I hear the car down the street and can't smell her yet, but she's returning from that stupid yoga boot camp.__June 21, 2015