Adolfo Jimenez

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

A Poem Because Why Not

I normally reserve these pages for reflections on writing or my life, but today,
I decided to share a poem from my book, Scorpions for Breakfast, which was
released this week. I hope you enjoy it.

TRIPPING THROUGH THE GARDEN

We go tripping though life

Socks covered in thistles

Bug bites on exposed skin

Sun coming down

Heat coming up

Here comes the rain

Here comes the night

Here comes the snow

Tripping through another day

Every minute a trek

A lost moment

A dandelion

Pistils

Petals

Pedestrians

Petunias

Peonies

And we go tripping through the flowers

We romp through roses

We gather among gardenias

We hibernate in the hibiscus

We ogle at oleander

We trip through the garden

We snort the pollen

We eat the seeds

And kill the future of the garden

We let it rain and watch it grow

Lay in the sun and let it burn

We are the wicked gardeners

Tripping through sacred gardens

Sleeping on the lawn

Tripping on a blade of grass

Tripping after dawn

We are the landscapers

Cutting trees

Killing them to make them pretty

Beauty in death is the only beauty for those who kill

Tripping on beauty after dawn

Tripping on broken limbs

Of trees

Of men

Of women

Of children

Tripping on one another as we dash

To kill the trees

Tripping on the carcases of trees we killed

Tripping on roots

We wait for the flowers to bloom

We wait for the fruit to rot

We wait for the seed to sprout

We wait for the trip to begin

We wish for the trip to end

We are tripping through the garden

We are tripping through the world

We are tripping on each other

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He has published eight books. He lives in Hollywood, Florida with his family. He published four books in 2019, which you can find here.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

On Thanksgiving day 2019, I left my house, planning to go to the grocery store. We have a tradition in my house. My wife will always forget at least one ingredient for the feast and I will brave the wilds of the local Winn-Dixie to procure said ingredient.

As I went into the front yard, my daughter in tow, I saw a little dog in my yard. Alone. Long story short, we rescued him, tried to find the owner and couldn't so now he is part of the family. He was sick and underweight when we found him. He seems to have been abused and is suffering from trauma around food and being crowded. Sudden moves will startle him. The people who owned him were bastards. It's taken time and treasure, but Maximus Achilles Jimenez is close to being a normal dog. He's still a jerk sometimes, but so is everyone else.

Then, last Saturday, I got the news that a new dog was coming to join the family. His name is Mason. He is a Golden Retriever mix and outweighs Max the chiweenie by about 40 pounds. Max is under five pounds. Not a fair fight. Still, Max is pretty fearless and stands his ground, even if Mason swats him around like a rubber ball, in a friendly, brotherly way but still... it has to be hard on the little guy's ego.

These dogs are a distraction. They are a severe pain in the ass. And, please don't tell them, I love them very much.

Life is better with a dog. Of this, there is no doubt. I am actually allergic to dogs, but it's worth it. The happiness outweighs the itchiness. I can scratch.

The challenge for me is fitting the extra responsibility in with my work. I work at home and I need something near silence. It's hard to get that when I have two yelping madmen losing their minds every time a cat, duck, squirrel or pedestrian dares to walk past my house.

It's only been a few days so we're all getting used to a new routine. Soon, we'll be all right and when we are, the fun will really start.

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He has published eight books. He lives in Hollywood, Florida with his family. He published four books in 2019, which you can find here.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Self-Imposed Deadlines

Settling into a new routine can be hard. I recently left the office life and I am working from home. It's not an easy transition Because I don't have to shower and shave and get out the door in the morning, I have lost my sense of urgency. I take my time. I write, then I walk the dog, then I come home and have breakfast and then get some work done.

Life was easier when I was racing against the clock.

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida with his family. He has published eight books, which you can find here.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Listening

I love books. Even before I realized I wanted to be a writer, I was always a reader. I have owned, lost, and donated thousands of books. I have borrowed and lent books. I have read books and I have listened to books. Books have made me laugh, made me cry, and pissed me off. Many have put me to sleep and many have kept me up.

I read every morning and every night. Sometimes, if my schedule permits, I read in between those times. I also listen to audio books. I don't spend hours on news, TV, radio, or print. I get the headlines, read a couple of stories that interest me, and I move on. I don't need or want that kind of negativity in my life!

I work from home so I no longer have a commute, unless you count the ten steps from my bedroom to my office. So, I listen to books while I walk my dog. I get through an extra book every week or two this way. I also listen in the shower, and when I'm alone doing things at home. Why waste the time when I can spend it absorbing some of the great art in the world?

But today, when I was walking Max, I felt an urge to shut off my book, remove my earbuds, and listen to the world. There was so much to hear. There were so many sounds of life happening all around me, not far from where I sleep at night. I heard stories and I heard voices and I felt life.

So don't be afraid to turn off the radio or the TV and just listen. The world has secrets to tell you.

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida with his family. He has published eight books, which you can find here.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Easy Like Sunday Morning?

I like Lionel Richie. I also like teasing Mr. Richie about the whole Sunday mornings being easy thing. I woke early and sat down to write. I still have Christmas lights to take down and Christmas stuff to put up in the attic. I've been busy and haven't had a day off in two weeks.

But I feel good on this not-so-easy Sunday morning because I got my writing done.

Whatever you are pursuing. You must prioritize whatever you are doing to improve yourself or to improve the lives of others. If you're not getting better, you're getting worse. It's a cliche but it's true. Work on you. Every Day. No exceptions.

Keep on truckin'!

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida with his family. He has published eight books, which you can find here.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Breadcrumbs

It's been a crazy few days. My wife came home sick as a dog on Monday. Vomiting, passing out, incoherent. Sure, it sounds like just another Friday night in Casa Jimenez, but I assure you, this was something else. We ended up in the ER. She's okay now, at home, recovering from kidney stones and dehydration. It was scary.

This morning was the first time I've written since Monday. I am a believer in writing every day, whether for an hour or five hours. The important thing is to do the work. Do it every day. This is important, particularly if you want your story to feel like one smooth piece, instead of jagged pieces forced together. Who doesn't want smooth instead of jagged crap?

Hemingway used to say that it's important to leave a little in the tank at the end of the day. In other words, don't write until you have nothing left. Stop while there is still something in your mind to write. This helps to keep the flow going. I did this on Monday morning, not knowing what the day and the two days that followed would bring me and I'm glad I did. This morning (Thursday) I picked up right where I left off. I'm back on track.

Don't work yourself to exhaustion. It doesn't help you. Save a little so you have the fuel to get rolling the next morning.

Now get back to work!

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida with his family. He has published eight books, which you can find here.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Losing Linnie

We lost a pet this morning. Our guinea pig Linnie died some time during the night. Linnie was a unique little furball. Black with some brown smudges here and their and her hair was all cowlicks so she was always a mess. Another thing about Linnie: She was a boy.

When we got her, about two years ago, we were told she (he) was a girl. About a year later, we confirmed he (she) was a boy. We found this out when we got her (him) a boyfriend. His name is Milton. It turns out Milton and Linnie are not gay. They didn't get along too well at first as they each tried to establish dominance. They worked it out and settled into a bromance that sadly ended this morning.

Linnie became short for Linnard.

My wife and daughters handled Linnie all the time. Linnie loved to be carried by them. Such was his macho heterosexuality that I could never carry him. I am also allergic to animal hair so I didn't try too hard, but I did love feeding the boys carrots and grapey-grapes. They were never shy about yelling for food whenever they heard or saw you go near the kitchen. They were furry little fatties, and they are part of the family.

Now, it's up to Milton to squeak for carrots and grapes. It's up to him to be held and loved. I'm sure he misses his friend.

What is it about an animal that makes them so special? They are with us for a relatively short time and then they're gone but the mark they leave on our heart is like a permanent scar left by a sudden flash of an event.

We buried Linnie in the yard next to our dog Baxter, who died last year after being with us for over twelve years. I miss that guy, too. There's a new dog now. His name is Max. We rescued him quite accidentally on Thanksgiving. Baxter left huge shoes to fill, but I think Max will hold his own.

I'm going to go lay in bed and cry for a while. Hug those you love. All time is borrowed.

Adolfo Jimenez is an author, poet, and blogger. He lives in Hollywood, Florida. He has published eight books, which you can find here.