Springtime Is

As spring evolves, nature brushstrokes earth with variations of dazzling colors. Earth applauds Mother Nature's artistic endeavors and invites all to enjoy the gifts of the season of rebirth. I continue my National Poetry Month project at Spring Seeds Grace April Padlet, sharing colorful artistic expressions of nature's beauty and with poets' and artists' voices. I move with ease from changeable April to May's vitality, "the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope." (Emily Bronte) 

It is Poetry Friday, a day meant to bring a community of poetry friends together to share their latest writing. I try to read as many of the blog posts as I can. To be candid, life is still messy. This week, Patricia J. Franz is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup. A couple of weeks ago, she introduced the Golden Hinge poem, and since then, I have been reading hinge poems to learn more about them. Patricia also introduced me to Traci Brimhall's poetry. She is an Associate Professor and Director of Creative Writing at Kansas State University and the poet laureate of Kansas. While reading through her myriad of poems, I found Traci's writing to be deep, reflective, and intense. 

"The spring - dripped its steady syllables. Arise, Arise." from Traci Brimhall's poem, "End of Girlhood"

My second try at a hinge poem uses the lines above to draft a Golden Hinge poem. I placed the key line horizontally, then vertically, to begin the format.

The spring dripped its steady syllables. Arise, Arise. 

The azure sky shared its colors with

spring. She anointed earth with petals of peace,

dripped in floral scents. With

steady assurance, spring presented 

its treasures. Poets chose simple poetic

syllables to proclaim heavenly wishes:

Arise. Nature will soothe your sorrow. 

Arise. Unfold the beauty before you. 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." -Psalm 19:1

Repeating the word "Arise in the Golden Hinge poem opens my heart mind, and body to a physical and emotional awakening. I thank all my poetry friends for standing by me.

My first Golden Hinge Poem was shared on Margaret Simon's blog post, This Photo Wants to Be a Poem. You can find it here.

Endings and Beginnings on the Spiritual Journey

As the night trickles from sunshine to a darkened sky, grief knocks on my door again. It pecks at my soul and washes away yesterday's warmth. I question its pounding return. What makes you nestle in my heart, wave upon wave? --- Once again I quietly fall asleep holding my computer in my lap. Two hours later I wake perplexed by this constant reoccurrence.

Morning light awakens me. Spotted visions of a continual dream series rattles me. I turn to my laptop with the hope that writing will calm the feelings of loss. Thanks to Chris Margocs' May Spiritual Journey invitation, I turn my thoughts to the topic of transitions and celebrations. A new prayer finds its way into my bereaving heart. "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 

The ending of my husband's life one year ago is troubling but Chris' inspirational quote from Seneca along with faith and hope brightens my future journey. "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Advice from my bereavement counselor:

"Time doesn't erase the past, but it provides the space to think about the person you're grieving, heal from the loss, and find meaning in life".

Reminder from my last bereavement session:

"Significant events such as grief anniversaries can feel daunting and can lead to feeling painful emotions more intensely than usual." 

Inspirational Quote from Washington Irving:

There is sacredness in tears. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.

So, I end my Spiritual Journey post with new thoughts after the first anniversary of my Richard's passing. I hope to start a new beginning by bringing calmness into my days, shifting my focus from what was to what is, and trusting God to lead the way.

                             Spiritual Journey May 2026

                              Thank you, Chris Magocs, host,      

                                and my Fellow Journey Takers

News of the Week: I happily checked my  Spring Seeds Grace April Padlet and found eight poet friends, Verreno Diane Anderson, Ramona Behnke, Jill Dailey, Patricia J. Franz, Mary Lee Hahn, Bob Hamera, Denise Krebs, and Joyce Ray, who added their creative image poems. There is still time to add your original artistic expression related to the theme, if you are interested and have time.

Forevermore

Today, I read Diane Anderson, newtreemom's blog and found an interesting prompt from Ethical ELA's Verse Love challenge. Use the "first words" from a poem that inspired you. 

As many of my poetry and writing colleagues know, I have been bewildered by a new way of living since my husband passed suddenly last April. Writing is my way of dealing with loss and so I try to find time each day to unfold my thoughts. This day started out with what a person in the bereavement phase of life calls a grief burst.  You will find my poem starting with the first line of Rumi's poem, The Window,  a raw piece of writing that opened my soul. I found the above image at Unsplash's free image collection. Then, I scrolled through blogs on love and loss and found a quote that reminded me that love is forevermore. "Love is the bridge between two hearts, and death cannot break a bridge built with such strong and lasting love." I share my poem with you. ⇣

LOVE AND LOSS

"Your body is away from me."     (1st line of Rumi's poem, The Window)

 Year two begins anew.

 Everlasting love remains,

 Tucked away in my heart

 Unexpectedly, grief 

 "Gushes in", flooding 

  My soul with sadness, 

  Changing my perspective.

  I pause in the warm sunlight.

 Tears quietly stream down,

 Like a rushing waterfall.

 Another "grief burst" 

 Finds its way, uprooting

 Years-old, seeded thoughts.

 Your heartnotes sprout

 Preserved in our gardens -

 Forevermore cherished 

 With eternal love. 

 draft, CVarsalona, 2026

                   I listened to this love song.

I have always been intrigued by dandelions and their puffballs' ability to fly through the air with one breathe-in, breathe-out blow. This week, when I saw a perfectly ready dandelion to make a wish, I ran right to the ground and picked the "wish weed" (what I have called the dandelion for years). I  photographed it before the seed heads spread across the lawn. 

←Thank you, Poetry Sisters, Tanita, Laura, Mary Lee, Liz, Sara, Tricia, and Kelly, for inviting "PoetryPals" to write an Ekphrastic Poem for the Poetry Sisters' monthly challenge.  

News of the Week: I happily checked my  Spring Seeds Grace April Padlet and found five poet friends, Bob Hamera, Ramona Behnke, Joyce Ray, Denise Krebs, and Verreno Diane Anderson, who added their creative image poems. There is still time to add your original artistic expression related to the theme. 

Click here to join our lovely host, Irene Latham, at her An Emily Dickinson Poetry Friday Roundup. Irene shares news on her new book, Some Starry Night, which "explores what might have happened if Emily Dickinson and Vincent van Gogh met in 1886 Paris. It's a re-imagining, as Emily never actually went to Paris or met Vincent. In actuality, she died May 15, 1886."

National Poetry Month

Day 24/30