#PoetryPals

May passed by with complications. Now it is a beautifully sunny day in June. American author and theologian, Joan D. Chittister, writes "June is the time for being in the world in new ways, for throwing off the cold and dark spots of life."  I am eager to regain my strength and return to "normalcy" as my magnolia buds spread their gorgeous white florals.

Last week the Poetry Sisters, Tanita, Mary Lee, Tricia, Laura, and Liz, invited writers to write in the spirit of poet Lucille Clifton's "homage to my hips". Since my body has been under attack since May, I praise my body for its resilience to a recent challenge. I join Michelle and Linda B. who signed in as #PoetryPals last week.

Lately, everything has been in slow mode for me. For instance, Poetry Friday is already filling with many poetry friends signing on as I get ready for another doctor's visit. 

I  join the Poetry Friday Roundup at Tracy Kiff-Judson's blog, "Tangles & Tales". She is cooking up a delightful and tasty post titled, Cooking Up Inspiration. See you there. I will make the rounds slowly this weekend.

    Created by Tracey

Thoughts for June Days

"June is the time for being in the world in new ways, for throwing off the cold and dark spots of life." - Joan D.Chittiste

The floral beauty of June

arrived at May's edge. It was

quietly waiting, not

overstated with unmade,

messy beds for 

days of restless wind.

It busted in with bees and

abundance for days of minimal stress.

©CVarsalona, 2023

The strike line for the golden shovel poem is "June was not made for wind and stress" from  Why Was June Made? by Annette Wynne.  Click here to read the poem. 

June is bustin' out all over!

Enjoy the lushness of each June day because ↓

Springsations Gallery is singing its swan song so pause to see the range of poetic tributes to the spring season. Click here to see the Springsations Gallery. Thank you to Marcie Flinchum Atkins and Donna Smith for adding their image poems to the Gallery. 

It's Poetry Friday with our host, the nature-loving poet, children's author, and  photographer, Buffy Sliverman. Join me at Buffy' website for an exploration of poetic goodness.

Wondrous June

Are you surprised that June is almost at its end and spring turned into summer two days ago? It's time to sing June's praises.

The solemn hour of midnight breathes

sweet thoughts everywhere.

It is the month of June-

So mellow the gentle breath of June day breeze. 

The sun is rich. 

The summer morn is bright and fresh.        

I know well that the June rains just fall.

Do you recall that night in June?

We watched the moonbeams quiver.

In golden hours, silver days, 

The month of June trembled like a butterfly.

June, hushed and breathless, waits and I wait too, with June.

The time is ours to spend.

©CVarsalona, 2022, Cento Poem & Nature Photo

The cento poem (or collage poem) is a poetic form composed entirely of lines from poems by other poets.  I organized the lines from the following poets to create the cento poem, Wondrous June.

Lines 1-2    -  Emily Jane Bronte

Line 3         -  The Month of June by Nathaniel Parker Willis

Line 4        -  June by Francis Duggan

Line 5         -  June by John Updike

Line 6         -  William C. Bryant  

Line 7         -  Onitsura

Lines 8-9  -  Daube River by Charles Hamilton Aide

Line 10       -  June by John Updike

Line 11         -  Pablo Neruda

Lines 12-13 -  In Fountain Court by Arthur Symons

Line 14        -  June by John Updike

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Logo created by Michelle Kogan

The poem below was created while designing my Summer Poem Swap #1.

In muted morning, earth moves

Like swishing, melodic chimes

Breezing through June's gentle winds.

Nature nurtures us, framing each

Glorious moment in time.

©CVarsalona, 2022

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This month I have been so busy with end-of-cataract-surgeries' doctor visits and my first Summer Poem Swap 2022 hosted by our marvelous organizer, Tabatha Yeatts. I did not have time to begin The Poetry Sisters' June challenge: write a byr a thoddaid. Perhaps I shall  try the format at some other time, albeit it appears to be complicated.

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"What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment

of the promise of earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade."-Gertrude Jekyll

"June is the gateway to summer." - Jean Hersey

Enjoy the relaxation that summer brings!

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Catherine Flynn, the host of the Poetry Friday Roundup, is greeting us this week with a beautiful end-of-the-school-year poem that you will enjoy reading. Join me at Catherine's blog, Reading to the Core. She is sharing the delightful logo above. It is so lovely that I wanted to add it to this post.