Letters to the Moon....

Life has been a whirlwind for me for the last few months. I have been working on getting my next book of poetry, “Symphonies”, ready to publish. © Esperanza Habla In the midst of my working on “Symphonies”, I have been taking classes online, in a variety of topics. The opportunity to learn something new has always appealed to me. It’s a great trait for a writer, and for a person that works in a library. It seems that we are always researching something. The first online class I took was on the topic of Spanish Culture. I was pleased I passed the class with such a high score. The next class I took was entitled, “How to Write a Short Story.” I took the course to see whether the story I am working on, currently titled “Samantha”, would work in the short story genre. I have come to the conclusion that the story would not work as a short story. I was ecstatic when I received my grade. While my work of fiction would not fit in the short story genre, I am glad ...

For third installment of the "Moons of the Year" series, I offer the following-"The Lenten Moon" Tomorrow's full moon is known as the Lenten Moon. In the Christian faith, Lent is the 40 day time period before Easter Sunday.  The full moon of the month of March is also known as the Worm Moon. As unappealing as this moniker is, the nickname for this moon is all about the coming of spring. The temperatures climb, the winter ground begins to thaw, and the creatures under the ground begin to awaken and submerge from their earthly homes. The moon of March has two other names as well: ·          the Crow Moon: when the crow begins to caw, this signalizes the end of winter. ·          the Sap Moon: this is the time of year when farmers begin tapping maple trees for their sap. In my research on the Lent Moon it has been described as the last moon of winter. Conversely, it has also been d...

Today is International Women’s Day. In thinking of what to post here today, I thought about the female writers I have read, what poems have had an influence on me as a writer. I have decided to share some poetry with you that was written by the late Maya Angelou. I began to read some of Maya Angelou’s writing as a young woman in school, beginning with “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” I first saw her recite one of her own poems, “On the Pulse of Morning”, at the inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993. It wasn’t until her passing in 2014 that I began to read her poetry in earnest. It was then that I had realized what a phenomenal woman the world had lost. As a teenager, Maya became the first woman of color to be employed in San Francisco as a trolley car operator. She grew to be a civil rights activist and actress, appearing in the original production of the television miniseries "Roots" in 1977.  She worked with and was influenced by contemporaries of her time, incl...

It is not every day that I have a full circle moment. However, when they happen, they make it all worthwhile. A full circle moment is where something comes back to you. It is the completion of a cycle; it is a moment of resolution. It is a return to the beginning at what was once the end. Full circle moments are a rare phenomenon. However, some full circle moments stand out from the rest. Some are so precious that they deserve to be shared. I recently had a wonderful conversation with an online friend of mine. Actually, this person was my first online friend. To tell you a little about him, this person is a fellow writer, artist, and master of many art forms. In the early days of our friendship, in a way to get to know one another better, he shared some of his writings with me.  After reading some of his poetry, I was inspired to begin writing myself. I then began to write, and share my writings with him. My friend was always very supportive of my writing, and always encourage...

The United States is currently a divided nation. Close to half of the population of the United States cast their vote for the current President. However, more than half of the U.S. did not. While the other candidate won the popular vote, our current President won the electoral vote. Unfortunately, the current President ran his campaign-and won the election-on a platform of racial bias and hate. One of the tools that the President uses in his arsenal of hatred is broad brush statements. What is a broad brush statement? It is a term for making a broad statement with little regard to details or facts. It is likened to the imagery of using a large paint brush to apply paint to a large area. It is important to note that not all broad brush statements convey messages of hatred. It is also important to note that not all broad brush statements are true. For example, I could make a statement saying “All women eat tacos.” Or, “All men wear purple.” These are broad brush statements. ...

The full moon of the month of February is known as the Snow Moon. This is the month of the year when the most snow falls, in the Northern part of the United States. It is also known as The Hunger Moon, because of the difficulties of finding sources of food in the winter. In researching the snow moon, I happened upon an article on the Bustle website. They found other names for the February full moon: “In Chinese culture…February brought the Budding Moon;    meanwhile, Celtic people called it the Moon of Ice. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are switched, February is mid-summer; as such,  the host of moon names   used down there — Grain Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon, Wyrt Moon, Corn Moon, Dog Moon, Barley Moon — reference abundance instead. ” *Source: “What Does The Snow Moon Mean? The February Full Moon Is As Cold As Its Name Suggests” by Maddy Foley https://www.bustle.com/p/what-does-the-snow-moon-mean-the-february-full-moon-is-as-cold-as-it...

It has been a year since I came to know my sexual orientation-as a demisexual- and where that orientation lies both on the sexual and asexual spectrums. The word “demisexual”, or “demi” for short, can be defined as: “A person who only feels sexual attraction for another after a strong emotional bond has formed with that person. For many demisexuals, sexual attraction for another only occurs when they are in love with that person.” To discover how I identify, to come to know my truth, has been a profoundly empowering experience. It has put my entire life into perspective, and has brought me great joy. It makes complete sense for me. I am reminded by a quote from the late singer/songwriter George Michael, who hid his sexual orientation from the public for over a decade in the early part of his career: “It’s very hard to be proud of your own sexuality when it hasn’t brought you any joy. Once it is associated with joy, and love, it’s easy to be proud of who you are.” A yea...