Something about the coziness of a sleeping cat is sacred
And must not be disturbed.
They get miffed if you have the gall to wake them up,
Because they know the natural order of things.
I can wake a human with cold conscience
But a cat?
Curled into a warm ball,
Melted into my lap,
With an upturned happy little cat smile.
Impossible.
I’ll just have to stay here forever.
Nothing is as important
As letting the cat sleep.
Frost on the window
Fractures the morning into
Confetti colors
The smallest story
Glimpses the universe.
Life gets infinitely smaller
No matter how close you look at it.
Little arcs and blotches,
Tendrils and curlicues.
Every raindrop falls with purpose
Lands with a splat
Leaving a hundred tiny specks
Microscosms of itself.
What is charisma?
Charisma is
Integrity of action
Integrity of word
Integrity of thought.
Charisma is
Knowing so fully who you are
That other people are entranced.
The only way to know yourself fully
Is to forget yourself fully.
The only way to forget yourself fully
Is to accept yourself fully
And to accept yourself fully
You must know yourself fully.
Animals have charisma.
Some people have animal charisma.
Some people have no charisma
(an unnatural trait found only in humans).
A whole person
One who is wholly and unapologetically himself
Has charisma.
You can learn diction, body language, all the right behaviors
You can learn to sing perfectly
Or to act, draw, write
Negotiate, debate, present
All of these things help
But people can sense what is real.
Your core should always be on display
Because it is the only part of you that matters.
What is charisma?
It is what you are.
Double up on armloads of toilet paper,
It’s time for the post Christmas toilet ceremony!
We’ll all rush to our separate homes
Get naked
Sit on our toilets
And void our regrets.
Sarah D. Silvey 