i had an orange day today

drawing inspiration from wendy cope's "the orange"

A lot of days my limbs feel heavy and my head feels lop-sidedly fashioned to my body. Like when you just miss where the cap slides into the bottle opening and you screw it on at an angle. A lot of days are underwater, and wading through requires all the energy I can muster. A lot of days are blue. But today was orange.

Today my legs were easier to move, my thoughts a little kinder, the world a bit warmer. Today I heard birds chirp and I gave into all my cravings without hesitation. I listened to old music with new appreciation. 

I woke up craving a sandwich. So I took myself to the store and bought the ingredients I was missing. I went to the more expensive grocery store, but that’s ok every once in a while. I ate my sandwich at home listening to an album that sounds like summer. The living room was a little humid, but today I didn’t mind. 

I danced in the kitchen. I wrote in my journal and on my computer. I ate the same sandwich again later. I kissed my cat as many times as she would let me.

I took myself to the park in the late afternoon. I lay on the clovers and read a book. There was a pet turtle in a fenced-in area exploring the grass. He must be so excited it’s spring. In between pages, I exchanged voice memos with a friend. I helped ants find their way from my shirt sleeves back to the lawn (much safer for them). I noticed the breeze. 

Getting his steps in.

The sky shifted to a medium gray and I took my cue to leave. It started drizzling as I walked down the hill, rain getting thicker by the step, and an older woman remarked to me how suddenly it had started to pour. I smiled back and nodded my head. I laughed a little at how silly and lucky we all were to be caught in the rain.

I crossed the streets when the crosswalk signs said it was safe, clouds of cherry blossom petals swirling above the wet pavement. It smelled like rain so immediately and I thought of how I just learned that humans can smell rain better than sharks can smell blood. 

It was one of the warmest days of the year so far, just the right temperature where my body seemed to melt into the atmosphere, myself indistinguishable from the air around me. I wore a white cotton button down and comfortable shoes. I got rained on and I was happy about it. 

The Orange
by Wendy Cope

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

I had an orange day today 
(based on The Orange by Wendy Cope)

In the morning I wrote in my journal—
I hoped to feel at ease today.
At lunch I took myself to the grocery—
I bought two bags of chips and it was ok.

The lunch that I had, I felt so content,
As ordinary things sometimes do.
The sun on my face. Losing track of time.
I think this is peace. I’ve been feeling anew.

The rest of the day was quite simple, 
It rained and I laughed with a friend.
I wrote this poem and went to sleep early.
I love you. This is not the end.