Christina Isobel 3/10/22 Christina Isobel 3/10/22

Every walk into the ordinary can bring in the sacred. And you don’t have to do anything except enjoy.

Christina Isobel 3/3/22 Christina Isobel 3/3/22

A FAIRYTAIL

This poem begins the book. It came after months of feeling hollowed out, burnt out. I was producing, directing, and choreographing the first play I had written. Tragedy struck. One of the leads had a stroke weeks before showtime. We pulled it off, but I was left dead inside. Then one night in the bath I felt the water. I moved in a new way. A poem and a new me began emerging from the water. I listened. Poem after poem came and by the end of that year Everyday Mermaid was fleshed out in poetry and I emerged as a poet. Poetry became my teacher.

Christina Isobel 1/1/22 Christina Isobel 1/1/22

CODA: OUR BREATH

Trees are part of us. We are part of trees.

This poem has a surprise origin. Recovering from hip surgery I had gotten back from six days in the hospital. I couldn’t sleep. I was a wreck lying on the bed twitching. In the middle of the night, I got up to walk. Step by wooden step I moved. I felt like a tree Ent from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The poem came. I felt a deep connection to trees which has deepened over the years.

Press play to listen to audio of me reading CODA: OUR BREATH… and scroll down to see the whole poem.

Christina Isobel 12/20/21 Christina Isobel 12/20/21

HOLIDAY (ENFORCED)

Describes the emotional and physical difficulties of being sick. It also shows a gift that can be tucked away in it. Hopefully, the humorous light touch can lessen the worry a bit with Covid.

Christina Isobel 11/24/21 Christina Isobel 11/24/21

THANKSGIVING

Happy Gratitude Day. I am grateful for all the animals living around my house. They enrich my life and connect me to my juicy wildness.

Press play to listen to audio of me reading THANKSGIVING and scroll down to see the whole poem.

A poem from EVERYDAY MERMAID. A collaborative poetry art book with artist Deidre Scherer.

Christina Isobel 11/16/21 Christina Isobel 11/16/21

LYING ON THE GROUND

Clouds live in us.

Press play to listen to audio recording of me reading LYING ON THE GROUND and scroll down to see the whole poem.

Christina Isobel 11/9/21 Christina Isobel 11/9/21

MAGIC IS WHERE YOU FIND IT

A magic moment from the past.

Press play to listen to audio of me reading MAGIC IS WHERE YOU FIND IT and scroll down to see the whole poem.

*From our book, EVERYDAY MERMAID. A collaborative poetry art book with artist, Diedre Scherer.*

Christina Isobel 10/6/21 Christina Isobel 10/6/21

LATE NIGHT

The night sky is constantly changing.

Press play to listen to audio of me reading LATE NIGHT and scroll down to see the whole poem.

LATE NIGHT from our book, EVERYDAY MERMAID. A collaborative poetry art book with my poetry and Deidre Scherer’s art.

Christina Isobel 8/27/21 Christina Isobel 8/27/21

OCEAN

Part one from the Water series. We come from the ocean—our water mother. The more we feel her, the more whole we become and the more we support life on our planet.

OCEANS is from my book, EVERDAY MERMAID. A collaborative art poetry book with artist Deidre Scherer.

Christina Isobel 8/27/21 Christina Isobel 8/27/21

CRY JOY

This poem is the second in a two-part series on water. It actually started out as one and after continuous rewrites, it kept ending up as gobbledygook. I stopped. Realized they complemented each other, but could not be united. Happy now they are on a full spread talking to each other. OCEANS, the first poem in the water series to follow.

CRY JOY is from my book, EVERYDAY MERMAID. A collaborative art/poetry book with artist Deidre Scherer.

Christina Isobel 8/20/21 Christina Isobel 8/20/21