Last week I mentioned that something I'd written was going to be printed in a local publication. Yesterday while waiting for my son to take his guitar lesson I looked and saw that the Chautauqua Region Word was already printed for the week and was titled, "Local Fiction Spotlight".
There it was, on page 5, right in the middle of two other pieces by local writers. Mr. Squirrel and me.
It may not be War and Peace, (it's a short essay, non-fiction to be exact.) but I was proud to have some of my writing in the local arts paper. Below is the segment that I submitted, and if you go to the link I provided by clicking on Chautauqua Region Word, you can find it and the others segments as well. Happy reading and writing! Also, thanks to the editors and supporters of the Word for including my work in this weeks issue.
Peace.
Photo found at Photo.net
Mr. Squirrel lives in the maple tree at the back of my yard. He really lives in multiple trees as the branches are so far reaching that they touch the branches of the neighbor's maple across the street. Mr. Squirrel spends most of his time leaping from limb to limb and scurrying away whenever he hears a noise that frightens him. Mr. Squirrel rarely looks beneath him to see what is going on at ground level. I think he's to easily frightened to ever look down and take everything in.
This morning as I was brushing off the cars to prepare for taking the kids to school and heading off to work, it was early enough to be able to hear the stillness of morning. There was a blanket of fresh snowy sparkling everywhere. The wind was blowing glittering waves of swirling snow across the yard and down the street. There seemed to be a fresh, beautiful stillness everywhere I looked. There was so much to see that I even looked above me to look at the snow covered trees only to see Mr. Squirrel sitting quietly and looking calmly back at me. After a moment, Mr. Squirrel chirped at me as if to say, "Hey did you see all this?" and then scampered away across the glistening branches.
There was something in the morning air this morning that caused me and Mr. Squirrel to pause and really see and hear all the beauty that surrounded us. So often, it's easier to look and see the ugly, needful or wanting things of life, but this morning Mr.Squirrel and I enjoyed a few minutes of frosty beauty as far as our eyes could see and our ears could hear.
Maybe today is one that is filled with uncertainty, loss or struggle for you. For me it is a day of sadness as a late call last night let me know that my Aunt Carol passed away after her battle with cancer. Somehow though, even in the struggle and the sadness - there is beauty all around. We only need to have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the calming call to simply be still long enough to experience it.
Comments
And well received.
Seemore and Seeless Squirrel live in the high branches of the neighboring trees, visiting us willy-nilly, as they desire. We leave corn for their fancy--though they fancy the cardinal's food instead.
When they stop long enough to chat, it's always to remind me of free will--and my narrow perception of what's what. Me and my rigid thinking.
After all--squirrel food is squirrel food, right?
;-)
I think I like Mr. Squirrel.
I know I liked reading his message.
Well done!