Writer, storyteller, and naturalist. www.cherylcapaldotraylor.com
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana Warning: I’m currently re-reading W.G. Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn. This post may cause melancholy, circuitous thinking, excessive thinking, and/or general confusion. Or, perhaps, it will make you think. Read at your own risk. I’ve been thinking about history, more specifically the importance … More Green Velvet Armchair Syndrome
Roses, authenticity, everything which is yes. “The rose is without why; it blooms simply because it blooms. It pays no attention to itself, nor does it ask whether anyone sees it.” ~~Angelus Silesius “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~~Ralph Waldo … More A Rose is a Rose is a Rose
“I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” ~John Burroughs I go to nature for the trees, blooms, hawk feathers, fresh air, owls, berries, stones, creepy-crawlies, silence, slitherers, vibrant colors, squirrels, seasonal fragrances, the sound of running water, peace, to hear myself breathe and think, connection, communion, … More Why I Walk in the Woods
My photo. My hand, yet also Dad’s. Spring 2016 Every year when springtime rolls around and the earth begins to awaken, I start thinking more about my dad. Winters are so harsh where I grew up. Spring is much anticipated and everyone is ready to get outside and feel the sun. I was fortunate to … More The Stories We Carry
April is National Poetry Month. I’m sharing another poem that I wrote at the Focusing on Form workshop (I wrote about this in my last blog post) just to show that I can write a lighthearted poem. I don’t focus only on death in my writing; although it seems to be a theme in my … More Vegan Planet
Mom’s coffee cup, 2016. April is National Poetry Month and since I’m trying to be more brave about sharing my work, I’ve decided to share a poem that I wrote several years ago at Focusing on Form. Focusing on Form is a weeklong writing workshop sponsored by Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. It was a … More Bone China
Virginia Woolf: Creative Writing Teacher Virginia’s writing lodge, Rodmell, East Sussex, UK. Author’s photo taken October 2013. I recently spent many months inside Virginia Woolf’s head. OK, maybe not literally inside her head, but I did dig deep into her diaries, novels, and essays in an attempt to figure out what made this literary genius … More Virginia Woolf: Creative Writing Teacher
It’s that time, again. So much is happening in the spring woods in March. There are a lot of wildflowers coming into bloom! Some are so small, or well camouflaged, that you have to look closely to see them. I always look forward to the day that I walk in the woods and spot something … More The Woods are Alive with Atamasco Lilies
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about putting off reading “All the Light We Cannot See” because of my reluctance to read much-hyped books. Well, today, I finished it. All 530 pages. It started out slow for me. But, I kept on. I’m not yet one of those lucky souls who can … More After Reading “All the Light We Cannot See”
“In most of our human relationships, we spend much of our time reassuring one another that our costumes of identity are on straight.” ― Ram Dass I’ve been thinking about identity and authenticity a lot lately. What is it to live authentically? What exactly is identity? One of the best definitions that I’ve come … More Other People’s Faces
Giving Voice to My Astonishment 
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