Woman in a Golden State

Here I am in my (slightly filtered) golden state and ironically just published in an anthology by the title of Women in a Golden State of Mind. Don't ask me how I got to this advanced time on this fragile planet. Would I be lying if I said that I'd like to be given ten years back free of charge? I have no doubt that many human beings that have gone through a prolonged health crisis feel like they ought to get those years back as compensation. I'm no different. There is so much I still desire in life, let alone fulfilling my lifelong wanderlust. There's no part of me that wants to put my dreams and passions to the side and carry on with mature quests. I will forever seek magic from hummingbirds and seahorse to gain the inspiration I need to keep going.

I've always been an outsider but more than ever I feel invisible. The current times makes it more prevalent. We all deserve to count in this chaotic world and truly be seen. . So many people are scared and going through challenging times. Children and seniors are the most vulnerable. I have been an activist my entire adult life and at this age, witnessing an authoritarian takeover is unfathomable. While I'd like to pass the baton to the younger generation, it's just not who I am. My dad who was off to WWII as a teenager believing in Democracy, told me to always stand-up for what's right. And it's no longer a matter of right and left but a matter of right OR wrong. Dissent is the only choice for all of us at all ages. Seniors are out there raising hell whether it's Bernie Sanders or Joan Baez. Be strong and be seen.

In honor poetry month, here are a few poems:

rupi kaur: timeless

they convinced me

i only had a few good years left

before i was replaced by a girl younger than me

as though men yield power with age

but women grow into irrelevance

they can keep their lies

for i have just gotten started

i feel as though i just left the womb

my twenties are the warm-up

for what i'm really about to do

wait till you see me in my thirties

now that will be a proper introduction

to the nasty, wild, woman in me,

how can i leave before the party's started

rehearsals begin at forty

i ripen with age

i do not come with an expiration date

and now

for the main event

curtains up at fifty

let's begin the show

Remember

Remember the sky that you were born under,

know each of the star’s stories.

Remember the moon, know who she is.

Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the

strongest point of time. Remember sundown

and the giving away to night.

Remember your birth, how your mother struggled

to give you form and breath. You are evidence of

her life, and her mother’s, and hers.

Remember your father. He is your life, also.

Remember the earth whose skin you are:

red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth

brown earth, we are earth.

Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their

tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,

listen to them. They are alive poems.

Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the

origin of this universe.

Remember you are all people and all people

are you.

Remember you are this universe and this

universe is you.

Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.

Remember language comes from this.

Remember the dance language is, that life is.

Remember.

~~Joy Harjo

How Does a Stardust Being Hold On to Faith

What defining significance am I

As a being made of stardust to listen

Deeply as mockingbirds sing and chimes ring to Keep me sane in a world where my

Faith is weak and I cannot find words

To make sense of broken hearts and chaos but

Hope soars with the majestic hawks as they

Move in changing winds and fall

And lift as we must do to reach far

For light, no matter what lurks beyond and below.

~~Valerie Anne Burns

Considering the fact that April is Poetry Month, I want to share my latest publication (micro-essay) titled "Does God Visit Santa Barbara" in an anthology titled Women in a Golden State by Gunpowder Press. The anthology consists of 175 poets (including micro-essays) by Californian women over the age of sixty. It's just $20 and a great gift idea. Your pre-order will be delivered in May before Mother's Day. Here is the link: https://gunpowderpress.com/product/women-in-a-golden-state/

Blessings for spring renewal. May you flourish and discover new beginnings. It's also an important

time to take action on what you strongly believe in. We can spring into action since it's a time for dissent and speaking out for our rights, rule of law, and the sacred Constitution while we can. We humans are all made of stardust and capable of being empowered and powerful. May your dreams manifest.

Keep on swimming through life,

Valerie Anne