Poetry Thursday and News on the Leave

This is my poem for Poetry Thursday. It's a bit morbid, but somewhat captured my mood about how fast time seems to be flowing.

It's Time, My Friend...

It's time, my friend, it's time! The peace is craved by hearts...
Days flow after days -- each hour departs
A bit of life -- and both, you and I,
Plan a long life, but could abruptly die.

The world hasn't happiness, but there is freedom, peace.
And long have I daydreamed the life of bliss --
And long have planned, a tired slave, the flight
To the removed abode of labor and delight.
-Alexandr Pushkin

Even as I'm taking this time to slow down, life appears to be moving at laser speed. I'm finishing my second week of absence and am about to head to New York for my fourth and final Mama Gena weekend. This time P. is coming with me. There's a "Men's Course" tomorrow night and he's participating in that. I feel so blessed to have a guy that's willing to fly all the way across the country to take a class on how to make me happy. :)

So how have I been spending my time? I'm not quite sure. I've been painting some, going to the beach some, cooking some, napping some, hiking some, doing yoga some, hanging with P. and other friends some, and just taking down time to feel more like myself again.

Last night I went with P, my brother Marc, and his fiancee Efua to see Rent at the Pantages Theater. I love this play -- I'd seen it twice before on Broadway. I think generally speaking the Broadway production was better though I liked how this show dealt with certain aspects better (e.g., the death of Angel). In any case, it was still quite well done and it felt great seeing the play again. This play has been a part of my life (through it's music) for 10 years, so watching the show felt like spending time with an old friend.