Keri-lee Griffiths
Photo by Hassan OUAJBIR on Pexels.com I can barely keep my eyes open. My body is begging for sleep. It’s a desperate need that verges on panic, but I swallow it down, take a deep breath, and keep going. As much as I want it—no, need it— the sweet release of slumber will have to... Continue Reading →
Photo by Rakicevic Nenad on Pexels.com I’ve started to write this five times and deleted it four. Deep breath. This is a great start. Is it a bit dramatic? Perhaps it’s a bit ominous. It has the same feel as the message that says: Call me, we need to talk. Your stomach and heart trade... Continue Reading →
Photo by Furkan Yavuz on Pexels.com That was a rough night. The first real storm of the season blew through and rattled the windows, snapped some trees, and wiped out the electricity for half the population. There were loud crashes in the darkness, and my building shivered in grim anticipation. Which way were those trees... Continue Reading →
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com I’m sitting in the hospital cafeteria eating an egg salad sandwich with dubious origins. It’s not that bad for hospital food. I shouldn’t complain. I haven’t eaten since six o'clock last night, and it’s almost noon. At this point, any food is good food, and my tummy is thanking... Continue Reading →
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com I’m staring at a blank page and a blinking curser. It’s mocking me or silently judging my typing abilities. Are you going to write something? Anything? Tippy-type away, my dear. Why did I open this document? What made me think this was a good idea? I don’t have anything to... Continue Reading →
Photo by Renato on Pexels.com Let’s start by stating the obvious. I’ve been gone for a long time. Before that, my posts were inconsistent at best. They will probably continue to be that way for the foreseeable future. I know, I should do better, and promise I’ll be here every week, but that would be... Continue Reading →
Photo by Luis Miguel P. Bonilla on Pexels.com I hate to brag. Well, that’s not entirely true. Who hates bragging? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a braggadocios moment. We might feel self—conscious about it, but secretly we’re kinda giddy. There’s a bubble of excitement sitting in the sternum. It would rupture if not... Continue Reading →
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com One foot in front of the other. Slow and steady. Loose stones crunch beneath my feet. It’s still warm out, but there’s a breeze rustling the leaves. It’s taking the edge off the setting sun. How is it still this hot at— what time is it— 8:50 PM? Whew, that... Continue Reading →
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com Being locked inside for a couple of months has been about as much fun as it sounds. At first, it’s not bad— despite the side effects of powerful immune-killing drugs— and it feels a little naughty. It feels like I’m committing a crime by lounging around all day.... Continue Reading →
Photo by: Keri-lee Griffiths *Originally written in January before my latest health shenanigans sidelined my adventures* I wasn’t expecting much, to be honest, but I promised myself I’d go out and do something. One of the reasons I’m doing this thing, writing these words, is to get my behind out of my comfy bubble. The... Continue Reading →
Photo by Josh Hild on Pexels.com It’s been a hot minute. My bad, but I can’t apologize with any amount of sincerity. The Canuck in me is screaming “Sorry,” but I'll resist my natural tendencies. After all, if you can’t be honest on the internet, where can you do it? So, to strive for transparency,... Continue Reading →
Photo by Evan Cameron on Pexels.com I had plans. Fun plans. Go outside and have an adventure sort of plans. Run wild and scream, “Wee,” at the top of my lungs. Okay, scratch that last one. Limp with glee and, if I’m feeling frisky, squeal quietly to myself and hope no one hears. Yeah, that’s... Continue Reading →
Photo by: Keri-lee Griffiths There I was, minding my own business, and suddenly my face contorted in a peculiar way. Tugging. Twisting. What was going on? What was happening? Should I be afraid? No, no, I think… You know what? I think they call it a smile? Will wonders never cease! Shock. Gasp. Perhaps this... Continue Reading →
Photo by: Keri-lee Griffihs It’s a few minutes before 10 AM on a sunny Tuesday morning, and I have nothing to do. All of my plans and responsibilities fell through or have been postponed. My time is my own for the next few hours, and I'm left with a bit of a quandary. What do... Continue Reading →
Photo by Rakicevic Nenad on Pexels.com Do you remember your first time? The anticipation. The butterflies in the stomach. Biting your bottom lip and subconsciously attempting to reel in the jolts of nervous energy. Your fingers can’t sit still, and your knee keeps an uneven rhythm. Do they notice? Is it obvious? Play it cool.... Continue Reading →
Photo by: Keri-lee Griffiths It feels like a lifetime has passed, but I'm standing in a time capsule. It all looks the same. Nothing has changed at all. The smells and sounds are exactly how I remember them. It's a little louder than it used to be and a bit overwhelming, but the familiarity brings... Continue Reading →
Photo by Fabrizio Verrecchia on Pexels.com It sounded like it belonged in a fantastical storybook. The ones with magic wardrobes, secret gardens, and rabbit holes leading to tea parties with a mad cat. Is that where they got the idea? Oo, or did they rip it out of the tv screen and turn a futuristic... Continue Reading →
Photo by Valentin Antonucci on Pexels.com *Originally written: August 2022* Where are they? Come on, I know they’re here somewhere. They have to be here. They couldn’t walk out on their own. How old did that make me sound? Damn it, where did I put my hiking boots? It’s been too long since I laced... Continue Reading →
Photo by Stanislav Kondratiev on Pexels.com Well, look at that, we have a new name and a new look. A brand new adventure is beginning. How exciting? Shouldn’t that be an exclamation mark? Sorry, I’m a little rusty. I haven’t written that much in way too long. I’m feeling wobbly. I’m engulfed in a bubble... Continue Reading →
Photo by Vie Studio on Pexels.com Hello, my friends. It’s been a long, long time. I’ve taken a few months off to take care of my mental health and recover from a stressful and emotional year. I ran out of words and needed to find my voice again, and I couldn’t do that here. I... Continue Reading →
Photo by alleksana from Pexels I don’t know how to start this post. I've written and rewritten the first sentence a dozen times. Every time I sit down to write this, I hesitate. Is it a rash decision? Am I making a mistake? No, I know this is what I need to do, and this... Continue Reading →
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels Should we take bets on whether or not I get this done and post it online? It’s anyone’s guess, and the odds are evenly split. I don’t even know what I’m going to say or why I’m saying anything at all. Write an entire post with words that make sense? ... Continue Reading →
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels It’s my birthday today! Correction, by the time you read this, it will have been, gone, and went. Bye-bye, see you next time. Keep walking. Go on, a little further. Further. More. No, you’re still not far enough. Go another eight kilometres, turn left, and f**k right off. Birthdays, they... Continue Reading →
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels It’s a silly little thing that seems so trivial. If I’m being objective, there’s a chance that it’s completely immaterial. Am I making a thingy out of a what-cha-ma-call-it? Quite possibly, but that’s what we do here. Dance with life’s curiosities until the night grows old and our bones grow... Continue Reading →
Photo by Clara from Pexel I feel like I’m walking through a daydream, and I really need it right now. The sun is shining, and that's a bit of a surprise. Moments ago, the clouds were heavy, and thunder shook the sky. I bit my lip and waited for the lighting, but there wasn’t a... Continue Reading →
Photo by Willian Luiz from Pexels I need to shake off the fog and reignite something that resembles a giddy-up, so I’m going to do something out of character. I’m going to actively seek out the good and blatantly ignore the rest. Fingers in ears, hum a song from The Greatest Showman and stare straight... Continue Reading →
Photo by kira schwarz from Pexels I tried, I really did, but the more effort I gave it, the worse it got. Words felt thick, heavy, yet hollow. Thoughts refused to form, and when they relented, it was gutless. They had no heart, feeling, or anything worth sharing. My fingers moved slowly across the keyboard as if they... Continue Reading →
Photo by Karley Saagi from Pexels Spring is in full effect, which means, where I live, the grey clouds are heavy, and their payload crashes down like waves against a cliff. It’s wet, muddy, and I could take a bath in the puddles. Would it be unreasonable to take a bottle of shampoo outside, wash, rinse, and repeat... Continue Reading →
Photo by Kourosh Qaffari from Pexels The words are on the tips of my fingers, but I don’t want to jinx it. Not that I believe in such things. Well, I don’t think I believe in them. Then again, I have to acknowledge a simple truth. There’s more going on in the universe than I can fathom. It... Continue Reading →
Photo by Sergey Katyshkin from Pexels Okay, this will be a weird one but hear me out. I’m sure I’ll have a point to make by the end. Well, I hope there’s a point to this. Right now, all I have is a silly flight of fancy. It's a whimsical notion that has an ounce of reason, a... Continue Reading →
Photo by MoldyVintage Photo from Pexels It’s a lazy day so let’s see where this goes. Do I have any ideas? Nope. Do I have anything to say? Absolutely not. Will that shut me up and send me back to bed? Nah, I’ve got too many thoughts buzzing around my head. As much as I’d like to nap,... Continue Reading →
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels There’s been a bubble of anger sitting in the pit of my stomach for a few weeks. I’m trying to ignore it because it isn't helpful. There’s nothing I can do about the root cause of this emotion. The issue is bigger than one person, and I don’t know if there’s an easy... Continue Reading →
Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric from Pexels There are a lot of thoughts, feelings, and contradictions bouncing around in my brain. They’re all vying for an ounce of attention, but they won’t give me a chance to think. Shut up, let me figure this out. Just, shush! Is one louder than the others? Hm, perhaps the voice screaming, I’m... Continue Reading →
Photo by Tobias Bjørkli from Pexels I don’t think it’s a unique thought to have. We’ve all, at some point in our lives, wondered about it. The depth and severity might vary, but it’s a very human thing to ponder. At least, I assume it is, but you know what they say about assumptions. In an attempt to... Continue Reading →
Photo by Arthur Brognoli from Pexels The sun had set, and twilight was starting to fade. Darkness was rolling in, and with it came the fog. It was chilly, damp, and brr. However, after nearly two weeks of quarantine, it felt amazing. More than that, it felt like I could literally and metaphorically breathe again. I was finally... Continue Reading →
Photo by CDC from Pexels I’m going to start this with two simple words: I tried. I really did. There was a lot of dodging and weaving. I ducked and covered. Well, mostly covered because it’s required and, well, science. I wouldn’t call myself a master of combat. I wouldn’t compare my stealth to that of the majestic... Continue Reading →
Photo by MART PRODUCTION from Pexels It was an unfortunate decision that I regret immensely. Well, no, that’s being dramatic. It’s more of a moderate discomfort that left me with a disturbing thoughts and feelings. What was I thinking? I knew it would be a mistake before I did it. Did that stop me? No, it did not.... Continue Reading →
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels I don’t know how I did it or what I did exactly, but I’ve injured my back. The reason I’m telling you this isn’t sympathy or something more vulgar like woe is me. As pitiful as I might feel, I respectfully request that all pity be reserved for small animals in shelters... Continue Reading →
Photo by olia danilevich from Pexels Do I say it? Should I risk it? The words are traditional, and tis the season, after all. It would be rude if I didn’t do it, but it feels incredibly reckless. Recklessly optimistic, and I might be a little too gun shy for something like that. Oo, I should say it,... Continue Reading →
Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels By the time you read this, Christmas will be a memory. I’ll be curled up on my couch, chastising myself for eating so much and thinking about leftovers. The post-festive haze will have set in, and I’ll be incapable of completing a single thought. Ah, yes, blissed out and lost in a... Continue Reading →
Photo by Jiarong Deng from Pexels I did a thing, and it felt a little strange. More than that, it felt kind of wrong in a weird sort of way. It wasn’t bad! I didn't break any laws. It wasn't anything dramatic. It was actually a simple thing that should be normal. It used to be the most... Continue Reading →
Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels When I was a kid, there was no better feeling than waking up, and seeing a blanket of snow on the ground. I’d jump out of bed and run downstairs to the tv room. There would be a bubble of giddy excitement and the kind of hope only a child can muster.... Continue Reading →
Photo by Сергей Катышкин from Pexels Tragedy befell me this morning, and I may never recover. If I do? I’ll never be the same again. Oh, the horror, the heartbreak, the over-dramatization. Fine, it wasn’t that bad. In the grand scheme of my mortal existence, it was a minor inconvenience at best. However, in the wee hours of... Continue Reading →
Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels In what might be the biggest understatement I can muster, it’s been a hell of a couple weeks here in British Columbia, Canada. We received a month's worth of rain in forty-eight hours. Levees broke as creeks turned into rivers, and rivers became lakes. Cities had to be evacuated, lives were lost,... Continue Reading →
Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava from Pexels There’s only one thing people are talking about right now. All conversations start with the same question, and it spirals from there: Have you looked outside? The weather, it’s madness, isn’t it? Can you believe it? Better stay inside until it passes. If it passes. Damn, this weather, right? We’ve been hit... Continue Reading →
Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels I woke up Saturday morning, rolled over in bed, and opened one eye. The curtains were cracked wide enough to get a glimpse of the outside world, and what I saw made me groan with disappointment. Heavy, dark grey clouds hung low in the sky. The wind sent pellets of rain into... Continue Reading →
Photo by Aline Nadai from Pexels The wind is howling, the rain is bucketing down, and I’m snuggled under a fluffy blue blanket. There’s a fire flickering in the fireplace— where else would it be, doh— and I’m overwhelmed by a lazy nostalgia. Silly memories are popping up out of nowhere. Some are so obscure... Continue Reading →
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels Am I the only one who has a love/hate relationship with hope? Or is it a love to hate kinda thing? Either way, we see its value and appreciate its place in the human experience. If nothing else, it’s like a warm blank and a hot cup of tea on a stormy day.... Continue Reading →
Photo by Ray Bilcliff from Pexels Summer days were winding down, and there were storm clouds on the horizon. It was the last hurrah for a lot of people and a long-overdue one for me. How long had I talked about coming here? Months! All summer, in fact, but it turned out to be a no good, horrible... Continue Reading →
Photo by Andre Furtado from Pexels Something truly remarkable happened last week. Perhaps that’s a tad bit of an overstatement, but I was beginning to think it would never happen again. A relic of a lost age. A tradition of a bygone era. A story we tell future generations, and they say we’re just making stuff up. Put... Continue Reading →
The Wandering Cripple 