“ When you get quiet inside, the right words come a little easier.” — Maya Angelou
Poem of the Month
Topsy Turvy
What if we woke up one morning and the sky
had fallen on our heads and we find ourselves floating
in our beds on a sea of marshmallows
and pink cotton candy. Strands
of pale blue sky sticky to the touch
are encircling the house
like an elaborate spider web,
stubborn stars, now dimming,
still cling to splotches of black goo.
We are trapped in a universe that no longer exists.
All around us is vast dark nothing.
The television no longer works. The French press
is banging on the ceiling. There is no point
in trying to open the refrigerator. Who knows
what our neighbors are up to out there. Or where
the dog and her dog bed ended up this morning
in this brand new topsy turvy world.
Writing of the Month
A Day of My Own
I am writing this as Mother’s Day 2026 is slowly easing into evening after a hot day here in my new home in Davis, CA. It’s been a spacious, slow day. Not the day that I had planned––going with my daughter and grandson to a Giants game in SF. Yesterday, at the very last minute, I woke up to the reality that it was an insane idea for me to get up at the crack of dawn, rush to get out of the house by 9:30, sit in my daughter’s car for an hour to Vallejo, take the ferry across the Bay to the stadium, make my way up to our seats, watch a baseball game for a few hours and then do it all again in reverse. I woke up to the reality that I am not the person I was at 50, or 60, or even 70, who would have enjoyed such a day. I am 78 years old. My blind eye is blinder, my neuropathic feet are dangerously unstable, my bladder has a mind of its own.
The fantasy that I am still someone who could do such a thing, ran head first into the reality that I will never again be that person, and, to my surprise, it was a big relief! Yes! I can just be a 78 year old woman spending Mother’s Day morning in my pajamas, watering my plants, drinking tea in my screen porch, chatting with my neighbor and writing in my journal. My writing prompt was What brings me joy? and everything that came up was in tune with that epiphany. The deep orange of the California poppies I see from my yard, the two toddlers running in circles on the grass at the farmers market, sitting in a lawn chair watching my grandson play baseball, chatting on What’s App with my granddaughter about her dance performance, enjoying the company of my new turkey companion. Those moments are what bring me joy.
Later that morning, Anam Thubten’s talk was in perfect synchronicity. He spoke about the wisdom of deconstructing all the illusions we have about ourselves, all the identities we carry, the roles we play in society, the masks that have nothing to do with our true nature.
There are so many identities I don’t need anymore. So many concepts of what I should do, of who I am, of the approval I think I need, the obligations I think I have. It’s time to let them all go and all I can say is Hallelujah!
Today, I am ready to release them all with heartfelt prayers for all beings to be free, for all beings to find joy, for all beings to let go what binds them and awaken to their true nature.
Learn more about my memoir A Tree with My Name on It: Finding a Way Home
To read more writings check out my Substack page.
Poetry Books Available for Purchase
Who Knew? 23 Poems on Aging
Who Knew? is a new collection of twenty three poems celebrating the joys and sorrows of aging. Through unflinching and loving attention, Victress Hitchcock shares her journey of discovery through the sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking, always surprising world of getting older.
“This little book of poetry is an intimate and insightful exploration of aging.”
- Frank Ostaseski author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
“What fun, sharp, a little outrageous but undeniably true and just liberating poetry!!”
- Johanna Demetrakas, director of Feminists What Were They Thinking
Available for purchase on Amazon
Whoosh Stripped Bare
“In the spirit of Mary Oliver, whose poems helped me forget my day-to-day problems and connect with the magic of existence, Victress Hitchcock’s new poetry book brings me pure joy, like chocolate for my soul.” – From the foreword by Anam Thubten author of No Self, No Problem and Choosing Compassion.
“Vivid, moving, and wise, this collection of poems offers an abundance of delights and surprises.”
- Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle, author of Aging with Wisdom: Reflections, Stories & Teachings
“A heartful, fluid appreciation of life in and as radiant glimpses.”
- Reed Bye, retired Chair of Writing and Poetics at Naropa
Available for purchase on Amazon
Hello Honey: Eighteen Poems from the Path
A joyful collection of poems and images that celebrates fifty years of being on the Buddhist path.
“As if harkening to us through the title itself, “Hello Honey”, author Victress Hitchcock lovingly invites us into a sweet and intimate tapestry of reflections, poetry, and images.” — Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, author of The Logic of Faith
“The poems trigger an awareness and longing that is truly precious.”
- Lama Tsultrim Allione author of Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine
Hello Honey is now available at Blurb Bookstore.