Vibrissae

 

Vibrissae
A Collection of Cats, Facts, and Whiskers

Inspired by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art And History's exhibit on local collectors, this book was a collaboration between a mother and daughter. Kayla Rose, a crazy cat lady at heart, has collected over a hundred cat whiskers that she found around the house over two decades from a medley of family pets. She wrote the poem to honor all the past, present, and future cats who bring joy into their lives. 

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Perceptive.

Kayla and Amber Rose are wise in the ways of cats. No subtlety escapes their eyes. Full of humor and insight, this small book reveals much in its short pages. Well worth the time.

Wholeness

 

I am whole unto myself - Shekhinah Mountainwater

No longer 

Putting my eggs 

In one basket 

Let alone many

I am empty

Containing the wholeness

of a life well-lived

No longer shedding my blood

This new moon

Let alone any

I am full

Containing the stories

Of a woman well loved

Spiral in

Spiral out

Mercury Retrograde

I have arrived.
I am here
I have let go of letting go
Let alone any fear


Left it all tidy
Everything in its place
Everything is taken care of
Because I love my space


I have completion
Enjoyed tying up loose ends
Feel the closure
And I welcome in new friends

Chiron Retrograde in Aries

Vibrissae sprouting
From the wound on my scalp
What sense do I make of this?

Aries rules the head
Basil cell carcinoma
Basel basal basil
I type to my friend

Gingerly I touch
Suture tips

At least today
I could wash out
The blood clots

Poppy Medicine

What am I doing on purpose
What am I doing just because
The need to stay active
Balanced by the pause

Staying lucid
In an opiate dream
Poppy comes to me
Bloom, pod, and seed

Black cat
Nestled in my lap
Sweetest companion
Ultimate nap

Bringing relaxation
Ease, a feeling of repose
Where will this bloom seed
Nobody knows

The Beautiful Unknown: Retreat Poems and Prose 2009 - 2020

 

The Beautiful Unknown: Retreat Poems and Prose 2009 - 2020

During this time, our Baby Crone discovers the joy of silence and solitude by taking sojourns along the California coast. These poems, prayers, meditations, and love spells were woven at various silent writer’s retreats, including Mission San Antonio, St. Columba’s Retreat in Point Reyes, and The New Calmodese Hermitage in Big Sur.

Changing Woman: Poems 2007 - 2016

 

Changing Woman: Poems 2007 - 2016

Kayla used to be a priestess of Aphrodite, but she was such a bitch - all those lessons in love, including jealousy, heartache, misery, and despair. Now she is the Priestess of Laphrodite, Goddess of the Belly laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, but as far as Kayla was concerned, it's also the best lube. Reflecting a time of questing and questioning for our Baby Crone, she changes careers, discovers online dating, and fuels her passion for blogging. 

Tendrils of Belief: Poems 1997 - 2006

 

Tendrils of Belief: Poems 1997 - 2006 

Picks up the adventures of our Baby Crone five years after Sappho’s Delights. No longer a maiden, she embraces motherhood, becomes a gay divorce, and moves from retail therapy to hypnotherapy. Spanning almost a decade, here is more scrumptious food for thought, nuggets to savor and relish. Inspired by Adrienne Rich’s, On Lies Secrets, and Silence, these tender tales continue a quest into a deeper knowing of self, family, and community. Prayers, meditations, affirmations, and some lamentations.

Sappho’s Delights: Poems 1984 - 1997

 

Sappho’s Delights: Poems 1984 - 1997

A delicious collection of feminist and lesbian poetry that chronicles the adventures of a young baby crone as she crosses the country and discovers home.

These tasty morsels span almost a decade. From coming out as bisexual during high school in Maryland, a frisky four years of college in Connecticut (with an interim in zesty California), a healing year in Northern Idaho, participating on the Global Walk for a Livable World (where she walked from Los Angeles to Flagstaff, Arizona), living as a lesbian separatist, as well as opening the feminist bookstore in Santa Cruz, California.

Friends, lovers, cats, and companions are celebrated through poems, haiku, songs, ramblings, and even some blues. Dip your toes into the honey!

Pandemic Blues: Poems and Prose 2020 - 2023

  

Pandemic Blues: 

Poems, Prose and Photography2020 - 2023

A collection of poetry, prose, letters, and photographs during the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. A time of lockdowns and long walks, isolation and virtual friendships, chalk art, and free libraries. Between impeachments, infections, and insurrections, there was a lot to be blue about.

Kate

5.0 out of 5 stars I could barely put this book down!

I was immediately drawn into Kayla’s words and experiences. This book showed me I wasn’t alone in my pandemic blues, and Kayla was able to put words to many of the same thoughts and feelings I had. A great read, with engaging photos. Highly recommend! - Kate

Kaileigh O.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful, Heartfelt Journey from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Through the rollercoaster of emotions that was the COVID-19 pandemic. Kayla Garnet Rose captures the essence of those times with her beautiful collection of poetry, prose, letters, and photographs. Reading this book felt like revisiting a period of lockdowns, long walks, and virtual friendships. It beautifully encapsulates the sense of isolation and the moments of connection we find in unexpected places, like chalk art and free libraries.

What I loved most about this book is how it resonates with the collective experience of living through such a tumultuous time - the impeachment, infections, and insurrections. Kayla Garnet Rose's words provide a sense of comfort, reminding us that we were not alone in our pandemic blues. As a 27-year-old woman, I found solace in the pages of this book, knowing that others felt the same way I did during those challenging days. It's a poignant reminder of our shared humanity, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to reflect on the past and find hope for the future.

Whale Fall

Dear Dad,

Hope you are full of gentle quiet

Ashes, bits of bone, and debris

Scattered on the sea

Now layered, feeding the osedax

Snot covered flowers

Indeed

Letting Go

More than a thousand 

Peace cranes

Meditations

Secret frustrations

Friendships unfulfilled

 

Clearing

So nobody else goes

What the hell am I going to do

With all this dusty crap

 

Thousands Released

Paper cranes

Cancelled checks

All the same

 

Passed

Closed Dad’s eyes

Tried his jaw

Maybe he had

More to say 

 

Church of Chip

Forays

Camping thirsty minutes 

Away

New Brighton Beach

Yellowstone

Morro Bay

My time to

Light candles

 

Love Notes

Little poems

Clothes pins 

Time of

Attachments

Momo

Momo

Hiccups

Black cat

Itchy ears

Itchy feet

Want to travel

What do I 

Want to hear

Grief Like Hot Flashes

 

Grief Like Hot Flashes

Arise in a moment

Demand attention

Eventually, disperse 

Vibrissae

 

Vibrissae
A Collection of Cats, Facts, and Whiskers

Inspired by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art And History's exhibit on local collectors, this book was a collaboration between a mother and daughter. Kayla Rose, a crazy cat lady at heart, has collected over a hundred cat whiskers that she found around the house over two decades from a medley of family pets. She wrote the poem to honor all the past, present, and future cats who bring joy into their lives. 

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Perceptive.

Kayla and Amber Rose are wise in the ways of cats. No subtlety escapes their eyes. Full of humor and insight, this small book reveals much in its short pages. Well worth the time.