Matilda | Poem about a Witch

Matilda

By MJ Purk

From the time she was a wee one Matilda's mum would sing,

Some days it was lyrical brilliance and others it should have been left for the rubbish bin.

Songs flowed through her very veins and rose up her throat and out her mouth - like cupcakes in an oven

Jeanette Wummel's Roots of Design Drawtober
Colored by MJ Purk

Matilda was so proud to not only be born into a strong female family but also a good witch Springtime coven

Matilda's mum always claimed that she was named after a famous song about witches
But Matilda's Gram was quick to point out that Matilda's mum was infamous for being creative with lyrics 

From "Purple People Eater" being "1 thighed, 2 corns, crying  Purple People Eater" to anything that her mum could turn and make the words fit her needs lyrically

 From the moment of her birth, Matilda's mum insisted that she had to be named after an old Witchcraft Carole 

Gram was thinking of "I Put a Spell on You" or "Mystic's Dream" or perhaps even "Sylvan" in honor of their family patriarch, Sylvan Harold

But Matilda's mum wanted nothing so predictable and went for something unique and memorable.

Upon her birth, Matilda's mum began to sing loud and strong 

"Watt!, Zing!, Matilda!,  Watt!, Zing!, Matilda!"

For years Matilda herself sang it the way her mum did. 

Now at the mature age of 7, Matilda decided to read up on her namesake song.

After hours of searching, Matilda came to the conclusion that some things you carry with you your whole life long.

Matilda's mum believed that "Waltzing Matilda" was a tribute to a talented witch and altered it to " Watt!, Zing!, Matilda!".

Happy Sunny Day | Fictional Short Story

This is Sunny. Okay actually her full name is Surya Eliana Cyrus ... all of which means sun, hence the nickname Sunny. She is a free-spirited girl who has a passion for playing outdoors, catching butterflies during the day and lighting bugs at night. Sunny is not quite old enough for school but she is, as her Nana always says, "smart as a whip" and "one tough

Surya Eliana Cyrus
aka Sunny

cookie". Sunny isn't quite sure how you know if a whip is smart since she has yet to find one that could answer any questions. As for the tough cookie thing, she's not really certain about that because she much prefers warm, soft cookies over tough old cookies. Her Nana says that they are compliments but Sunny still isn't completely sure. She loves learning new things especially when she and Nana take one of Great Grandma Gwendolyn's really old quilts into the backyard and spread it out wide, so there is plenty of room for Sunny and seven of her favorite toys, under the old willow tree and a BIG pile of books. Sometimes they will just read and read the entire day and Sunny will wake up as her PePaw is carrying her into the house just in time for supper and then a bath before getting in her favorite nighty pajamas that Great Grandma Gwendolyn made special just for her. Her nighty is extra special because it is made from a bunch of the jammies Sunny wore as a baby. Her Nana will tuck her into bed and Sunny will choose a square of fabric and Nana will tell her a story about when Sunny was a baby and what she did in those jammies. Most of the stories are happy or even silly and make Sunny laugh and laugh. Other times the stories make Sunny sad because her Mommy is part of the story. Sunny doesn't have many memories of her Mommy because one afternoon Mommy told Nana that she "needed to go for a drive" ... something Sunny has never understood but Nana just says it's one of those things grown-ups say. That was 4 years, 2 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days ago and Sunny figures that her Mommy must still be driving and someday she will turn around and come back to Sunny. In the meantime Sunny plans to enjoy storytime with Nana, catching butterflies,  and having tea parties with her favorite stuffed animals.

​​

Attitude of Gratitude - The Cure

Written as a Facebook status on May 25, 2019.

There has been some incredible news in the SMA Community that came out this week. I think, my Aunt Maureen has said it best, "Science rocks!!"
Yesterday, after hearing about the "cure" for 31 years, it is finally coming true.  Of course, it is 30 years too late for Emma and for me too. I have been blessed to be able to witness the effects of gene therapy first hand and I must say that it is like seeing a miracle every single time, Unfortunately, the old adage, miracles happen every day, came true too late for so many families. In most situations, I aim to be the optimist and for the most part, that is the case with gene therapy and its approval. However, my heart hurts, aches, for so many families, the parents, and siblings who never got to witness their children grow up. My Emma, my sister, passed away 27 years ago this year, for others, it has been even longer, and for still others, it has (only) been a week. In this case, despite what I grew up knowing, life is not fair (sorry to my grandpas). I don't say that lightly as fairness is not something I have ever chosen to focus upon, but in this case, I will make an exception. It is not fair, that Logan will  never dance at his wedding; it is not fair that Andy will never protect his little sister from a heavy down thunderstorm; it is not fair that Jerika will never get to hold her firstborn child; and it is not fair that Emily will never have a ballet recital. there are so many that I could go on for pages, but please know that I think of them always. I don't want to be the downer on this incredible news but I promised, long ago, to never forget, that I don't break my promises. I guess my message is;  be grateful for what you have, to those who came before you and to those who didn't make it. We are the survivors, we are the lucky ones. We have battled every day to survive and we made it. We aren't sure how much it will help us, yet, but we are here, we made it without a magic "pill". Don't tell us that we don't understand, we have seen everything and have witnessed everything. Just be grateful and have an attitude of gratitude!