Duchenne Lines (January 19, 2024)

Duchenne lines are the marked signs of genuine happiness

And little sparks like comets shoot across her eyes 

Her smile squeezes them moon-shaped

She’s showing off her happiness beside the one who brought it out in her

Though, not being a first-time bride, there is a first time glow about her

For the widow who is twice blessed, 

having put herself aside to be nursemaid through the end times

is deserving to be blessed

This is her happiness: her crown of vitality that now nourishes her countenance

She has been watered by the sweetness of new love in bloom

And new life has poured into her roots

A bloom that has come out in winter is more striking

It’s rare, and I’ve never seen it before

I have been in this case— gobsmacked 

But this look of love is very beautifying

It has done something to her countenance that is new

She reached contentment first, but God granted her happiness

It was the gift given for the completion of her first vow: 

to God and to her husband.

And once it was fulfilled, she was set at large in her own field

To become who she was and is on her own.

She made strides and grew into herself 

She brought her talents out and delved them

She took trips and helped parents

She saw their two children married and settled

Then, she was again alone, but contented.

And somewhere along the dusky road of grief and letting go

The sun rose and it was golden

Duchenne lines are the marked signs of genuine happiness

And she has them.

Like a Dream When One Awakes (Jan. 22, 2024)

When I awake with the sun already shining in my eyes
And the first dream of what the day could be is in them
My feet frisk across the floor in slippers
And I run to a mirror to see if the night has been good to me.
If the half-moons are under my eyes, then its been a bad one
But if it’s a new moon with no crescents, I am young and beautiful
And ready for breakfast.

The dream still sits in future and its potential to become real is still there
The oatmeal is over quickly and the toast is long gone
The beverage has been sipped, and the napkin, crumpled
A small quarrel takes a swat at my mood, and leaves me tottering on maybe’s
I ought not ask that the dream come true when I have put a knot in mother's tail

A rejection notice comes over the email before I’ve even put my day clothes on
I make tea to warm me inside and raise my mood again
The temperature is low in the house and the tea chills before I’ve finished
Still, I hold the dream like a cool white egg between my fingers, wobbling.
Like a silly, desirous child, never mentioning what it is
I hope it will be the shared dream of us all so that it will be 

perfection

Going to my room, I start a compromise that I could easily drop
if the dream were to come true.
I tap out words on my keyboard, I write them in pencil in my notebook
I stare out my window at the once sunny sky,
now glazed over with a hazy blue background becoming less and less
Naked trees and power lines crisscross in front of the sky
My white gauze curtains bring in the grayish white light
And here I sit, still waiting for the dream to come
But it was time sensitive, and not likely, now.

Written on Jan. 22, 2024
Nina Ricci Music Poetry ©2024

Fall Wind Blows written by Nina Ricci

The fall wind shakes the nonsense out of trees

And blows the ne’er-do-wells into hiding 

It upheaves the musks of earth that turn the leaves colorful

And it’s an early sign to wildlife to make their houses sturdy

Like spring, the high breeze shakes leaves 

and builds a roaring voice that rouses the inner man to fear God 

pushing the calloused feelings to the surface and standing hairs on end

It’s intensity builds to a climax like a gripping sermon 

And releases its wrath like a come-along grip— 

All the vessels relax and the playful leaves circle around the ground 

chasing each other like silly squirrels

Dancing to a halt in the dirt

From the porch rails, I watch the ground 

listening for signs of life in the forest 

wondering if it’s alright to breathe 

because it feels like the air has been sucked out of the world

And I’m left standing on an empty planet

In these vacuous moments, time slows down like a walk on the moon

And like a shaken snow globe, the glitter falls till there’s no motion at all

I believe I could right the wrongs if the world stopped like it does after the fall wind blows

There’s a depth of no motion, and a profound “pause” that makes me wonder if people keep time in Heaven?

I rest on my laurels in the great sea of peace that has spread across the world  

When— a rustle behind me in an appointed tree starts the tickle that begins its coarse 

running through the forest like mischief building speed

—Like the wrist flick that strikes the whip

Another fall wind blows

“Fall Wind Blows” ©2023 Nina Ricci Music, All Rights Reserved

The Bread Maker

"The Bread Maker"

Strong arms rolling dough over dough over dough

burnished in the glow of the heat of the sun and fire

from the light coming in and the great oven dome

Tanning dough, baking fast, turning over 

setting on a flat wooden oar, parsing sweat from pores 

dirty apron, dirt floor

muscles shining wet and pumping

dough over dough over dough

Staring at the dough in the flame like a show

timing burn even glaze in the blaze

lining bread in a box in a row

Posted 3/1/19

Written by Nina Ricci

Photographed In Love

Photographed In Love

by Nina Ricci

Our eyes caught glints like sunlit glass

They were a double pairing of marbles,

Four pools at odds, four corners of a square

Within, woodwinds spoke perfect speech

That human mind could pen to libretto

Some internal digger of deep caverns

Lit a fire to see by, and we, the beneficiaries of warmth

stand like statuettes torched and cooling.

In the same way canning jars are

Ready to receive contents of cinnamon apricot jam,

So was I to receive your first words

You could have spoken pleasant things

But didn’t need to

-Contentment, leveled pleasure-

I could have remained on that plain a lifetime

And I did, and I do

Nina Ricci ©2014

My Happy Dance

My vision blazes into the rush
Colors blush feverishly
on the cheeks of flowers
who do smile as gaily as I.
I wear a dress of white cotton
with light pink flowers embroidered on the hem.
Dance comes naturally,
at variance
A knee-lift, toe-touch, step-together:
Jig of joy!
Blessings
There is sunshine
It emblazons golden light on green shrubbery
and incandesces the latitudes of my grin
Chirruping surrounds my ears
in the language of delight
Euphoria is my name
and this is my happy dance.

Hands

Insomuch as I have lived,
Always I have spied
Hands of different sizes
Resting at each human’s side

Respecting hands flat on the heart
And hands stretched out to greet
Hands at work and hands at play
Kissed hands so sweet

Throughout the working places
In houses big and small
Though the hand be a small member,
It helps us one and all.

The carpenter’s hands are strong, gnarled, and rough
The nails of his hands are cracked
And every line within the palm suggests the artist’s craft

The preacher’s hands are pale,
The knuckles: white as snow
From the weary task of directing poor sinner’s
In the way that they should go
The musician is a wonderment.
His hands so nimble and full of grace
But carpals only last so long,
Arthritis takes their place

God’s Hands are the most captivating to me,
They can’t be seen, or touched, or tangibly felt
Yet they are in our midst every moment

I feel them in life’s hurricane’s eye:
They are the mainstay.

When my life is naught but bad dreams, 
Loose seams, and unraveling schemes,
His Hands are in the starry sky,
I may see them on moonbeams

A touch here or there
Is not how God works:
His fingers sift through all of us as
Sand, the oceans course

And my hands are young
My fingers, long, supple and strong
But I know not how my own strength will last
Nor how long

I only hope God will grant me grace
And give my fingers strength
To hold another’s hand,
And to fold my hands in thanks.
                     
©2013