Beginning

Today is my new day, a me day,
a starting over renewal to improve
myself, remake my internal image
from the outside in, inside out.

After a sprinting 4 or 5 mile ride
on my bedroom bike, I’ll shower,
slather coconut-scented conditioner
on my long hair, leave it pinned up
while I give myself a facial, slices
of cucumber for my eyes, reclining
in a tv-less room.

I’ll spend the day in a bathing suit
though the forecast is for all-day rain.
My face scrubbed clean, I’ll read –
an old best-seller cover to cover,
and I’ll flip through a delicious stack
of friends’ poetry books and read
random selections, savoring images
and metaphors I wish I’d written myself.

In between, I’ll write poetry of course.
An entire day to empty my head of
reminders to make appointments and
phone calls, emails to send, cards
to pen, laundry to do – but I won’t do
any of that today.

It’s a me day. I’ll give myself a pedicure,
polish with a new glow-in-the-dark purple
so I can see my summer toes when sleep
defeats my need for it. I’ll paint my nails
with pictures on each one, summer scenes
at the beach, a sailboat, lighthouse, ocean.

I’ll drink coffee all day, stay up all night
and not worry that caffeine is the culprit.
Maybe I’ll raid my emergency stash
of dark chocolates, imbibe with just one
glass of wine. Perhaps two if I need to.

Today, I’ll cater to me, purge out the old
doubts and fears that I can’t do something
anything, begin again fresh, fill my head
with glimmering new-year’s-new possibilities.
So tomorrow, tell me, what can I do for you?

~ J R Turek
June 27, 2020
Hour 1