#ordinary miracles

[shisasan]

I am not seeing anyone or writing anyone—

August 25, 1964 Anne Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters First published: 1977

[jt1674]

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[spacecatpoetry]

Yesterday morning, I was in bed beside you

You weren't awake yet and I stretched,

Pulled the blanket off me-

because you're always so warm,

I rolled over and watched the sun coming up.

It was our last day together

Before the week pulled us apart;

You were laying on your back away from me

And I thought about the mornings and nights

When we would be separate,

How those nights last forever,

How my insomnia didn't feel so awful

Until you reminded me what it was to sleep.

And then, you weren't even awake

But I swear you must have read my mind,

You must have known while sound asleep

That I was slipping just a touch.

Or maybe it was just a coincidence

That just then,

You turned over and pulled me close.

My god, I don't know how to live

With all these ordinary miracles,

All these small, beautiful things

That you do.

[shisasan]

I love you. I love our marriage.

August 17, 1964 Anne Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters First published: 1977

[shisasan]

Just a note. . . sitting out here in my room watching dawn come, seeing the mist rise Listening to early morning radio.

August 25, 1964 Anne Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters First published: 1977

[traveleorzea]

"In rare moments of deep play, we can lay aside our sense of self, shed time’s continuum, ignore pain, and sit quietly in the absolute present, watching the world’s ordinary miracles."

- Diane Ackerman

[darkcloud-kcalifornia]

OK, let’s quickly try and get a short story reaction down before I head off to work.  This one is titled Ordinary Miracles, by Rebecca Fox.  This is about a young man in Karse named Kip shortly before Solaris’ rise to power.  Like many protagonists placed in Karse, he is unfortunately Gifted, specifically with occasional Foresight dreams.  Then he comes upon a Companion, realizes she’s not actually a demon, and tries to treat her wounds while the demon cultist running Karse try to find and kill her.  Interestingly, this story doesn’t end with Kip being Chosen.  Not because the Companion didn’t try, but because a Firecat actually interrupted mid-Choice to say “back off, we got dibs on this one” (divine calls work on a dibs system apparently).  Apparently the Firecat is going to use Kip to cause some miscellaneous havoc among the demon cultists ranks to make Solaris’ rise a bit smoother, though he does promise the Companion to keep Kip safe and she can come visit him once things have quieted down.  And the Cat is apparently good to his word, as he Heals Kip after the guy gets shot in the chest with an arrow.  Which... makes me wonder why Ulrich didn’t get the Firecat Healing special if they’re capable of that.

[things-canonlygetbetter]

Sometimes I kind of pretend that at the end of my life I was given a chance to relieve an ordinary day and that’s today. Makes you really appreciate the small wonderful mundanities of life.