The Joys of Nature: Barbara Monajem

When Cheryl asked for posts on the topic of JOY, my thoughts went straight to my all-time favorite poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins. Hopkins was a 19th century Jesuit priest, and what impresses me most about some of his poems is how his beliefs are reflected in his intense appreciation of nature. His poems are chock full of… you guessed it… joy. (Evidently he took Bible quotes like the ones Cheryl has posted this month to heart.)

Thoughts of nature led me to birds, whose songs are…yep, full of joy. Well, maybe not all of them sound joyful to us, but I have to assume that a crow’s caw is as full of life and pleasure as the chirping of the songbirds in my yard.

Last month when I was on a road trip I took pictures of more of the joys of nature -- mountains (I grew up in the mountains and cannot help but burst with joy at the sight of them), flowers (I love dandelions), bugs, cedar trees and moss, ocean and massive rocks.

And then there are words. That’s another way in which I relate to Hopkins and to many, many poets and writers—in my love of words and my joy in working with them.  I get fulfillment from writing stories, and sometimes they’re my refuge from the world, but it’s not that simple. I love the interplay of words. I revel in the rhythm of sentences, the short and long, the simple and the turned-about and the complex. I amuse myself thinking of a dozen ways to say the same thing. I write and rewrite until I’ve found (or often haven’t) the perfect words to express what I’m hoping to say. I love the similarities and differences between languages and how languages change over time; I’ve even spent hours trying to learn Anglo-Saxon, because I get such enjoyment from the look and sound of it.
 
I cannot help but be grateful for these and the many other things (and of course, people) who bring me joy. Cheryl, thank you for dreaming up such a wonderful topic for the month!

IS THIS LOVE – OR MURDER?
She’s running from the present. He’s hurtling toward the past he tried all his life to ignore.

When vampire Mirabel Lane goes to Bayou Gavotte to hide out from the mobster she just dumped, the last thing she expects is to inherit a house. No, make that the second to last thing. What she really doesn’t expect is to fall for the previous owner’s gorgeous grandson.

When Gerry Kingsley goes to Bayou Gavotte to check out probable gold-digger and possible murderer Mirabel Lane, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with the irresistible twenty-something vampire.
                       
No, what he really doesn’t expect is to unearth―once and for all―his family’s dark, convoluted past.

ORDER BACK TO BITE YOU FROM AMAZON
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