Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 4hI tried to write A beautiful poem About a #cloud On a gorgeous day But recent events Have created a cloud Of a very different sort Causing my mind To circle back To dwell in reality Not in the literary And deal with the now I've been given #vss365 0202
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 30/09/2026In his final days, he ignored his will and gave out possessions to whoever came to see him. His daughters just smiled, as they were his things to distribute as he wanted. A son-in-law grew concerned. The knife collection was to be #bequest to him and it was dwindling. #vss365 0144
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Practicing gratitude Taking my meds Inuring this precious Era of serenity is Not just a #reprieve But a permanent state Allowing me to Breathe in peace #vss365 1254
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Curate and #purify Leave only that Which truly matters What you know to be useful What you feel to be beautiful All else is simply noise #vss365 1154
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 27/09/2026I formally #renounce My prior dependence On the good opiion of others Such things are nice And well-received But no longer required For my personal wellbeing You have the option To like me or not It will not change My opinion of me Though it may affect My opinion of you #vss365 1243
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Your birth was a joyous occasion. Never forget that. Your first years were meticulously structured in a loving atmosphere. How could we know that blackness would envelope my mind so thoroughly, inhibiting my ability to #nurture the one I loved the most? #vss365 0133
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Often, when I asked my parents if I might do a thing, they would answer with "I #reckon." I came to learn this meant "yes" with qualifications and stipulations, and the understanding it could be revoked as new information surfaced, no matter how much I protested. #vss365 0193
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Solitude is A beautiful thing Until the #hunger stirs For the touch of another We are not meant To be alone All the time #vss365 0143
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Who would have thought At this age of mine When quiet contemplation Rules my worldly musings A #passion so bright Would burn inside That's what you do to me Turning this old heart Into a firebrand #vss365 0223
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 22/09/2026The seasons change today on the calendar. Another new beginning as I #embark on this phase of my life. We both are in autumn now, one last burst of vibrancy before winter takes hold. My next steps are taken with optimism and gratitude. #vss365 1143
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 21/09/2026It was a dark and #stormy night. But it really was. My daughter was afraid of the loudness of the thunder. Remembering something I had read somewhere, I told her it was just the angels bowling. It calmed her better than I'd hoped as she imagined angels bowling with Jesus. #vss365 1142
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 20/09/2026The #conflict was inevitable. He was the eldest son who took benefits rather than responsibilities. She was the eldest daughter who stepped in when needed, complaining all the while. He thought she was self-righteous. She saw him as selfish and mean. #vss365 0162
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 19/09/2026As an infant She would #marvel At the miracle Of her fist Later she discovered A world Beyond herself One that held Animals for petting Mac and cheese And "baby trees" And friends to be made She gave me The honor and privilege Of glimpsing life Through her wondrous eyes #vss365 0243
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 18/09/2026First comes The meeting of minds Exploring opinions Finding concurrency Or at least A harmony When longing emerges The desire to #explore More than ideas And find in each other A well-rounded love That fills the soul And lasts much longer Than a flash of attraction #vss365 1142
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 17/09/2026If we could #Sustain ourselves By love alone You and I There would be Such abundance We could live As monarchs Benignly eying Our kingdom And spreading wealth Throughout the land #vss365 1225
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 16/09/2026They sat stiffly In awkward silence Waiting for the Entertainment To #commence A comedian first Coaxing out Reluctant chuckles Then the band With tunes they remembered From simpler times When love was easy They looked at each other And knew their hearts Would try again #vss365 1214
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 15/09/2026No signs yet here Of #autumnal turnings Except inside the stores And the front doors Of decorated houses People tired Of summer heat Thinking wistfully Of sweater weather And pumpkin spice Anticipating Days and nights Of hygge Still weeks away #vss365 1203
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Her personality was never what anyone would call #sanguine. She found fault everywhere and criticized everyone. Her aura of toxicity made many enemies, even in her own family. Yet she was always the first to arrive when need was acute, helping until the need was gone. #vss365 0223
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Every professional group speaks in a language that is #esoteric to themselves. Maggie's friends thought she was stretching this when she suggested naming a local minor-league team the Roebuck Minsterfullerenes. She was honestly thinking of merchandising potential. #vss365 1272
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 12/09/2026The language of my family was colorful but simple. I loved the "big words" I found in books. In time, the #eloquence of those authors served me well in the wider world where vocabulary was seen as an asset. The big words are mine, now, and I still add to them. #vss365 0102
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Her #naivete was beautiful and precious. Unfortunately, it was up to me to prepare her for the real world, a bit at a time. Shining hope was gradually replaced by fear and skepticism. I tried to remind her of what was still good, but she had to reclaim peace on her own. #vss365 2174
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 10/09/2026My morning #melange Of bitter and sweet Sitting warm In a favorite mug Eyes fully open As I leisurely sip Getting ready To face the day #vss365 1263
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 09/09/2026A daring combination Of faith and #intuition Suffice when planning is at end Bring goals to their fruition A time must come when letting go To let the seeds we've planted grow Determined not to break, but bend So to reap that which we sow #vss365 1215
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 08/09/2026#Moonglade on the water Peace at end of day Evening breeze a-blowing Little left to say Holding hands in beach chairs Listening to the tide Sandy toes and ankles No wish to go inside Grasping onto summer Before the autumn's chill Lingering in promises Of love to fulfill #vss365 0205
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Usually, I believe the insecure girl I used to be has been overwritten by a confident woman who knows her worth. But like a stubborn #palimpsest, words sometimes bleed through that tell me I am not enough, that I am a disappointment. I live bolder to overshadow them. #vss365 2213
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Black and white film Dancer at his peak #Adroit in ways Most could only dream Gliding through space As if gravity were Merely a suggestion Time caught up Eventually Unable to leap And glide as he did But til the end He never lost His inner grace And style #vss365 2335
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 05/09/2026It was a time To #reconnoiter Who I was And what I wanted What gave me strength And inner purpose Rehearsal for the Time to come When all there was To rely on Were may own Wits and courage To lead me to My definition Of a life of bliss #vss365 1184
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 04/09/2026We used to see them often wherever people gathered: sidewalk artists who did their work with silhouettes. Caricatures are what people want now, and they give the artist license to use more creativity. But there was elegance in the quiet simplicity of a #silhouette. #vss365 1222
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Her bathroom is abundant with her "lotions and potions", items of self-care that let her feel softer, smoother, and more feminine. Nowhere among them is any #elixir that promises a return to youth. She wants to come to terms with her age without losing how she got there. #vss365 0161
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Without saying your age, what is your favorite movie that came out when you were 20 years old?static.klipy.comET Lights Elliot's FingerALT: ET Lights Elliot's Finger 020
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Do not attempt to #console me. Yes, a part of me is grieving what was lost. But a larger part is celebrating freedom from constraints. No more walking on eggshells, no more restraining my enthusiasm. No more trying to rely on someone who isn't emotionally there. #vss365 1231
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Never mind #Empathetic I would have settled For sympathetic Anything that saw me As who I was And not just who I could be for you #vss365 1256
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 31/08/2026My daughter blamed her temporary hearing loss on "ear wags". Excessive #wax in her ears meant frequent trips to the pediatrician's. She blessed us with many such word mix-ups as a child. We still talk about them fondly today. #vss365 1183
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 30/08/2026She still keeps her #broom handy, though not for transportation. That was for the sisters who came before. She finds her Prius upsets fewer neighbors and is more reliable. She uses her broom to tidy up behind her familiar. Kitty litter never stays in the litterbox. #vss365 0252
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 29/08/2026I come from a time when Easter Sunday meant finery, even for us children. My mother would dress me in starched lace and patent leather. A frilly hat and white gloves completed the ensemble. Ending the day with hat intact and a #glove for each hand was a victory. #vss365 1224
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 28/08/2026It's ragweed season, that time of year when facial #tissue becomes a necessity for me. I keep boxes of it everywhere. Yet, the nose tickle always seems to come at the most inconvenient times, like during meals or conversations, when a good, firm blow would be off-putting. #vss365 0113
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 27/08/2026Cat on a #pillow Languid eyes belie the fact Of recent zoomies #vss365 #haiku 2225
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 26/08/2026The walls of our dorm rooms were not smooth, yet we still attempted to decorate them. Late at night, when precious sleep was upon us, a #poster would slip from the wall above a bed and land on top of one of us. Many celebrities were punched and torn as a result. #vss365 0183
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 25/08/2026A spray bottle in one hand, a #sponge in the other, she sets to cleaning away everything wrong with her life. As each new surface sparkles, she feels a bit lighter, a bit more in control. Once her outsides are in order, her insides follow. #vss365 1274
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 24/08/2026The sheer audacity of it To fling oneself From an able airplane Free falling for a bit Then relying on A simple #cord To let loose A parachute Trusting it to save you From certain death I don't understand it But kudos to you Who grab life and mold it Into your own image #vss365 0194
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 23/08/2026She used to sit on the floor to play board games, usually in a full lotus position. She'd bend this way and that to roll the #dice or move her token. Her flexibility made her proud. Now, she doesn't sit on the floor at all for fear of not being able to get up again. #vss365 0184
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 22/08/2026#Towel wrapped round her body Towel wrapped round her hair All of 12 years old With the modesty to match She sprints from the bathroom To her bedroom, shuts the door Locks it for good measure Her mother sees the blur go past Remembers swaddling a tiny body After a bath #vss365 0203
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 21/08/2026And now I can breathe No longer living On the edge of a #razor Afraid of giving offense By the fact I exist No longer afraid That my words will trigger An anger that lives deep That cuts with Pointed sarcasm At my lack of worthiness Now there is space To be wholly me #vss365 0153
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 20/08/2026Sweet iced tea was a staple, not only for my family, but for every family in our part of the American south. Yet, I can't recall anyone I knew actually owning a #kettle. We used standard lidded pots to let the tea brew good and strong before adding the sugar to taste. #vss365 2272
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 19/08/2026My gramma was no glamor queen She lived a life both lean and rough I say this so you'll understand She was no pampered powder puff And yet she had her rituals Like Ivory #Soap to get her clean Noxema on her face at night And Colgate so her teeth would gleam #vss365 0253
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Grandaddy used to have a hair ritual common to men his age. He would #comb pomade onto every strand until it was glossy and well-behaved. Then he would comb his hair into its desired position. Yet, he never left the house without his hat on his head. #vss365 0223
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 17/08/2026Phillip leaned against the mantle, regarding his reflection in the gilded #matchbox. One strike could do enough damage to relieve him from ennui for several days, at least. His aunt would disinherit him for sure. Rich boredom still beat poor excitement, he decided. #vss365 0263
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 16/08/2026The #remote viewing experiments were wildly successful, up to a point. Distance created a time lag that was inefficient, at best. At worst, the viewer could only watch helplessly as unavoidable tragedies happened anyway. A strategic plant with a Gopro was deemed better. #vss365 0183
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 15/08/2026Yes, I'm spending more time on myself. No, I am not #ashamed. The flight attendants have the right of it. Put your own drop-down mask on first. You must care for yourself before you have the capacity to care for others. #vss365 0256
Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 14/08/2026A #shrewd old miser Was Artemis Finch He cossetted dearly Each penny he pinched It bothered him not To haggle on price He collected all freebies Without thinking twice His treasures he hoarded They covered his floors Narrow paths were created That led to the doors #vss365 0242
