The Challenge of the Goal

Posted on January 13, 2021January 13, 2021 by Dawn Renee Miller

The air was cold on this dreary Wednesday in normally sunny and warm Florida. Every day had been tolerable or comfortable to make my goal this year — 4 miles or 10,000 steps, whichever is greater. Today however is a challenge.

I awoke, tired and sore. The bed was a cozy and comfortable warm hug. Cocooned in the comforter, I could have slept more, but the need to work forced me finally out of bed. No early miles today.

The morning flew in a flurry of needs from my job. Make this schedule, follow up on that, walk through a problem here, solve that there. Finally lunch came. My fellow came out and offered to make lunch, and afterward, coaxed me into a loop to get in my first mile. I donned my father’s fleece jacket, a navy jacket with an emblem from the Smokies, which my Mom had found a few years ago. It is a warm reminder of him after his being gone for 15 years.

Back to work and the day dragged on with the drudgery of more work, more problems to solve, more things to accomplish. Finally I wrapped up my day and donned my shoes for some more steps.

Pains invaded my hip and foot as I tried to get moving. The cold air penetrated to my bones. Make it through the first mile, that will warm me up, then the rest is easy, I told myself, but my limp worsened with each step.

As I rounded the first half mile for this journey, the wind turned stronger and the sky began dropping a fine mist on my head. I turned and headed back home. Fifty percent of the way…

Six hours to go, maybe I’ll get the motivation to finish this after dinner. Hopefully the pain subsides and the rain lifts so I can meet the challenge of this goal. Not giving up!

UPDATE! Today’s goal met! Pushed through the funk in the cold, but the drizzle had stopped.

poetry, writing

Duality

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Dawn Renee Miller

A realist caught up in the fantasies in her own mind.

A nervous shell of a woman being driven by deep desires.

A planner ready to jump feet first into the fire.

Can she truly make a one eighty on her life?

Should she abandon the safe to chase the impossible?

Is her mind playing tricks, or is all of this a set of signs….

Is it time to leap?

poetry, writing

The Maze of Life

Posted on January 12, 2021January 12, 2021 by Dawn Renee Miller

I once thought life was a labyrinth,

A set path full of twists and turns we each take on our own.

The characters we meet along the way are but fleeting and random.

Now I see it is a maze, with intersections and decision points.

We encounter many and decide to join on a path for the journey.

We face dead ends, hearing others on the other side of the hedge, wanting to find them.

We come to places where we must make decisions to go back together or separate as the maze is too narrow for two.

We share this maze with our world and we come and go in each other’s lives.

The strongest connections find ways in the maze to reconnect, sometimes for just a moment, but others for a lifetime.

Perhaps these lucky few are tied together with an invisible string which can bring them together if they pull hard enough.

Am I one of the lucky few?

writing

Chaos

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Dawn Renee Miller

Seditionists wave their flags, thinking they are the only true patriots while the rest of the country watches in shock.

They struggle to understand they are not the majority. They can’t handle believing they didn’t win. Is this the result of trophies for all attitudes?

They believe the lies they tell themselves because it is reinforced by a conman, yet they do not see.

They work to destroy the very foundation that grants them freedom.

Liberty and Justice hang in the balance as chaos makes its way up the capitol steps.

Will they see in time? Will they learn? It isn’t freedom they support, but authoritarianism.

Uncategorized

New Year’s Morning

Posted on January 1, 2021January 1, 2021 by Dawn Renee Miller

Good bye 2020! This last year has been a real ride.

2021 is upon us. I awoke this morning to a new day and found my way to the soft sand of Melbourne Beach to watch the sunrise.

The waves churned against the shore as the dark faded away to the dawn. I was kissed by a rogue wave, up to my knees, as I walked along the surf. It was refreshing and cool, soaking through my sneakers.

I found a high spot in the sand and settled in to see the Sun’s glow against the distant clouds. Slowly it shone through the breaks and illuminated this new day.

Happy New Year!

writing

Reflection

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Dawn Renee Miller

She stared at her phone. Not the display, but the reflection in the screen.

She didn’t like what she saw. Sad eyes looked back at her, knowing her pain.

This was not the life she wanted. This was not the life she planned.

Tired, heavy with weight and thoughts, her mind struggled to pull her out of the tar which pulled her under.

Just one small step, just take it. She set down the phone, laced up her shoes, and walked out the door.

writing

Break In – Chapter 1

Posted on December 26, 2020January 17, 2021 by Dawn Renee Miller

She stood among the chaos around her, unsure of where to begin. The storm had been brief, but destructive. A chair overturned. The glass top of the table shattered into shards on the rug now wet from her spilled drink when the table broke.

The sirens wailed and lights flashed outside her door. She raised her hand to her face to wipe away the wetness, only to see blood smeared on her arm as she pulled it away. Her eyes welled up with tears.

Why did he do this? Where did that anger come from?

She was perplexed by the whirlwind of madness that came from him. She looked through the door, ripped from its frame when he busted in.

‘Ma’am, are you alright? I’m Officer Tatum. May I come in?’

She raised her head up, showing her tear soaked face. Her right temple dripped blood. She nodded in agreement.

‘Send in the EMT. She needs some attention,’ the officer guided her to the sofa. ‘Careful. Have a seat. First, what is your name?’

‘Shana Lee,’ she squeaked out.

‘Hi Shana. Do you know what happened?’

She really couldn’t recall, other than seeing the flash of upset in his eyes. The rest was a blur.

‘Do you know who did this?’

She nodded no. She didn’t even know his name. ‘He barged in, asking for Joelle. There is no Joelle living here though. He was so angry.’

The EMT cleaned her wound and applied a bandage. ‘We can stitch you up right here.’ The EMT smiled kindly at her as she applied pressure. ‘Did he do anything else?’

‘No. He, he didn’t.’ her muffled voice still shaking. Her hands quivered, her mind still trying to make sense of it all.

Officer Tatum moved through the room, gathering evidence of the break in and damage. ‘Did he say anything else. Any reason why he would unleash this kind of damage?’

Shana shook her head no again and looked around the room.

‘Is there someone we can call to stay with you, or maybe you can go stay with a few nights?’

She shook her head yes, and reached for her phone, looking up her cousin’s number. ‘I just moved here to get a fresh start. I don’t understand any of this.’

poetry