Sea Scattering Remembrance

"To the waters and the wild-I leave you not in sorrow, but in love." 

Sea Scattering Remembrance

on a sunkissed day of memories

tiny feet mark morning sand

seawater sparkles in sunshine

little grandgirls quietly wait  

tiny feet mark morning sand

a tranquil ceremony begins

little grandgirls quietly wait 

gentle waters offer solace

a tranquil ceremony begins

seasparkles illuminate the ocean

gentle waters offer solace

our heavy hearts sigh

seasparkles illuminate the ocean

peaceful waters move closer to shore

our heavy hearts sigh

tiny hands watch and wait

peaceful waters move closer to shore

grandgirls tiptoe forward

tiny hands wait their turn

on this sea scattering morning

grandgirls tiptoe toward the tide

light sweeps across the ocean

on this sea scattering morning

we honor Grandpa's endearing love

light sweeps across the ocean

in tribute to what was

we honor Grandpa's endearing love

his story remains in our hearts

©CVarsalona, Summer 2026

"Let the gentle rocking of the ocean carry you away. You are loved, you are cherished, you are deeply missed."

Note: The above quote and the opening one are signed anonymously. AI states that the first quote "adapts phrasing from W. B. Yeats' poem, "The Stolen Child".

The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Tanita S. Davis, who is enjoying the excitement of new publications and a reminder that the Poetry Sisters will open the door to a new challenge for next week. Click here to read her blog and many others in today's Poetry Friday. 

Fourth of July Weekend

"The Fourth of July should be celebrated with big hearts." - Camila Alves

family gathers
America celebrates
sparkles for freedom
©CVarsalona, 2024, haiku
 Fourth of July 2024

bursts reverberate
crowd cheers at dazzling sky show

noise scares little baby
until a family shares glow sticks
big hearts joyfully celebrate with one-year-old
©CVarsalona, 2024, cherita

Besides the fireworks, the family weekend was filled with other fun events:
my son's first gig as a standup comedian at a Fourth of July event
our little grandgirls enjoy the community pool and an indoor picnic
an afternoon trip to Middleburg, Virginia for lunch and ice cream with
both sets of grandparents

Now that the weekend is over, I send my Poetry Friday blog to my Floridian friend, Jan Godown Annino, who hosted the post 4th of July Roundup this weekend. She offers an interesting watermelon image from the Monticello, Florida watermelon parade, a link to the PBS 4th of July celebration, and poetry goodness from many Poetry Friday friends. Join me to celebrate with Jan at her blog Bookseedstudio.

SPARKLE ON with Poetry!

Tis the Season to Wonder!

Thanksgiving ushers in December. I move quickly from one family holiday to another, as do others. Am I ready for the wonder of Christmas? Yes and No! My mind is full of ideas but there is not enough time to complete everything I would like to do. The best plan is to slow down, breathe, and wish upon the Christmas star. In the midst of wishing, I feel the need to consider a thought from Spirituality Practice by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat.

"Wonder begins in the senses, comes alive in the imagination, and flourishes in adoration of the Divine." 

How do I awaken my senses, stop ruminating over unreconciled issues, and focus on what is before me? Pause again and turn to the prompt  that this month's Spiritual Journey Thursday's host, Bob Hamera, offers: Accept and Change. Part of the dynamic sequence of creating mantras involves a dash of wonder, imagination, positivity, and belief in Divine intervention. Bob reminded me of a simple prayer from my youth on accepting and changing..

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference…"  

I admit that I have been awed by nature this year. In appreciation of God's lovely creations, some ordinary in stature, others grand, I will continue my practice of finding quiet time to write and share the wonder.

⭐

awestruck

by the power

of wonderment

I sink into the quiet

of a bright December day-

nature's silence surrounds while

fir trees gently sway in morning light- 

I indulge in nature's peace and presence!

©CV, 2022, draft

Blessed is the Great Artist who fills our very being with wonder.

-Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

The donation of a Christmas tree to Rockefeller Center for its lighting ceremony is an annual tradition bringing joy to millions who visit or watch the broadcast on TV.

grand, glistening tree

gifted from nature's rich soil

holiday wonder

©CV, 2022 

Thank you also to Catherine Flynn for hosting Poetry Friday this week and offering a wonderful writing prompt from The Inklings. Please travel over to Catherine's blog post with me to enjoy the poetic goodness.

created by Linda Mitchell

Don't forget to visit the Spiritual Journey Thursday community's responses to Bob Hamera's prompt here.

#SOL22 March Musings Day 28: Family Pictures

Are you the family photographer? I am always with my camera documenting family events with photos. It is one of my passions ever since I took a photography class in college. Capturing the essence of a moment is something I delight in so yesterday at my husband's "big birthday party, I I took multiple photos to find the right one that shared the joy of the event. This morning, I found a quote that will guide me as I continue to take photos.

"There is one thing that the photography must contain - the humanity of the moment." -Robert Frank

I would like to dig deeper into the photographic element of connecting with people in the moment as Robert Frank did in his photo taken in 1949. 

Capturing the Sensitivity of the Moment

sensitivity touches the soul

moments

connect

to

photographic

moments

life

evolves

around

each

moment

sensitivity touches the soul

©CV, 2022

****************

NOTE:

I had difficulty synching up my two computers between Day 27 and 28. There were glitches that I just found. The links are correct now.

****************

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers.

NOTE:

Juxtaposition

Sometimes, nature takes an unexpected turn. We saw that many times this year. I decided to take two seasonal images and place them side by side to analyze the changes and write a comparison through poetry for National Poetry Month. Follow my thinking as I honor the whimsical nature of nature during March and April. 

I have seen the Lady April bringing the daffodils, bringing the springing grass and the soft warm April rain. -John Mansfield

surprise storm shock earth

dainty daffodils droop

perky ones pose

©CV, 2021

Photos by Barbara VanIderstine (PA)

& Carol Varsalona (VA)

This year, nature played an April Fool's joke? The photo to the left was taken on April Fool's Day while the one to the right was shot in March.  Winter switched places with spring but the daffodils draped in golden robes stood their ground. 

Then, my heart with pleasure fills and dances with the daffodils.

-William Wordsworth

In 1665, Robert Herrick wrote a poem, To Daffodils.

You can listen to it by clicking on the image.

This week, Tabatha Yeatts is the host of Poetry Friday. She shares her National Poetry Month project of a bilingual poem collection and invites all to join the Annual Summer Poem Swap.

For National Poetry Month, I am writing poetry as many days as I can while I am unpacking boxes and organizing my new home. I hope to unveil Winter's Embrace 2021 Gallery of Artistic Expressions also.

Celebrating America

On a cold winter day, a new dawn of excitement began.

The country celebrated America!

The inauguration of our new president, Joe Biden, Jr., and vice president, Kamala Harris, took place on the same steps as that of an unexpected insurrection a week before.

The opening words of President Biden's Inaugural Address rang through the chill as a strong message of hope. From the beginning of the speech to the very end, inspiration flowed. Democracy and unity were key ideas delivered with heart and purposeful intent. 

This is democracy's day.

A day of history and hope.

Of renewal and resolve.

-President Joe Biden

This is America's day. This is democracy's day." - President Joe Biden

🇺🇸

Windswept flurries floated in

On a winter day.

A new dawn, alive with passion, 

Rose for America.

46 bells rang.

Words exchanged.

Oaths of trust promised.

Songs uplifted

The sweet sound of one word,

Democracy, filled the sky

As unity joined in.

 History was made.

"My soul is in this!"

Was heard around the globe-

A solemn and celebratory

Entrance for the 46th president.

A young voice spoke

of America, unity, and change.

"History has its eyes on us."

"The dawn is ours."

©https://abcn.ws/3p5LV4x

Fireworks exploded.

Hopefilled eyes lifted.

Democracy celebrated.

Breaths exhaled.

America begins to heal.

©CV, 2021

 🇺🇸

"...Being American is more than a pride

we inherit.

It's the past we step into

and how we repair it.

-Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate, The Hill We Climb

 🇺🇸

To keep the spotlight on the poetry of Inauguration Day, Laura Shovan, author, poet, and host of Poetry Friday this week, focuses on the words of Amanda Gorman.  

Teaching Tolerance offers a curriculum guide to teach The Hill We Climb and the 2021 Inauguration here.

O Christmas Tree

It's approaching the close of the year. Thoughts about the holiday season in New York City are on my mind. Who knew last December that a pandemic would sweep through the world and change our seasonal rituals. 

In years gone by, my family enjoyed the week between Christmas and New Years Day. We visited 5th Avenue's brightly lit department store windows, the Rockefeller Center tree, and St. Patrick Cathedral but travel to NYC is complicated this year. Driving would be slow and tedious so a change of plans was needed. We decided to visit the Long Island Christmas tree at RXR Plaza instead of trekking into the City. The night was cold but we were bundled in layers. Few people were at the plaza and the ice skating rink totally closed. As we parked the car, I was amazed by the brightness of the moon against the darkness. The multi-colored Christmas tree and brilliant star tree topper were a show stopper, as was the reflection of the tree in the glass building windows.  I stood in awe of the magnificent tree in front of me and kept flicking the camera to catch the best angle. My husband did the same. Even though my hands were freezing, I could not get enough of the beauty of the night sky and the glittering tree.

winter night brilliance

sparkling like gemstones

against an indigo sky

a luminescent moon, a dazzling tree

celebrate seasonal magic

masking pandemic woes

©CV, 2020

🌲🌲🌲

It's Tuesday Slice of Life at Two Writing Teachers.

Quick Note: Turning on the Hallmark channel before bedtime, I was surprised to see the title of the show. "A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado" shares the story of a town administrator's quest for a magnificent spruce tree to be the town's showpiece. Perhaps this is a serendipitous stroke of writing luck. 

To Write is To Be

The art of writing is a lifelong practice of noticing, wondering and believing in the power of voice. It is a delicate balancing of ideas coming from a myriad of responses to life. After reading poet and children's book author, Kat Apel's post from the CYA Conference in Brisbane, Australia, I started thinking about the quote she shared.

"To write is to be. We are a tapestry of everything we've ever written."
-Isobel Carmondy

🖊

Writing is in the make-up of my being.

It is a thread that keeps

spinning, lengthening, and

filling spaces of my mind. 

It is my equation: 

a little bit of this plus a little bit of that- 

my recipe for a unique

taste of life.

I am the tapestry
of everything I have ever written.
Word weaving is my process
to see and understand this world.

©CVarsalona, 2019

There is wonder in this world. With a positive outlook, we can find it showcased in nature and everyday happenings. I believe that my yoga practice has taught me to be more aware of what I see and to unveil that in my writing and digital artwork. My practice has gone through remixes and new designs in the creative pursuit of being mindful and aware. Within the productive struggle, I often find ideas brewing, rising, and becoming entities of thoughtful wondering.

To write is to be but to engage in the act is about becoming. 

-a piece of #digitalart I created for my #EmbraceableSummer Gallery collection-

On Slice of Life Tuesday, I write to join the Two Writing Teachers community

to be inspired by other writers.

Making Memories at the Shore

Memories-

snapshots in time

glistening like brilliant jewels

tucked away in hearts 

waiting to be polished

For years, I tucked away my memories in albums, then indexed them in boxes, and finally resorted to unsorted piles. This was not an efficient way to recall lifetime events. The iPhone, has made it much easier for me to capture and store memories. 

Remembering helping my 14-month-old grandbaby set up for this photo taken by my daughter

Years ago when my family went to Disney World, I heard a catchy song, Makin' Memories. As the song says, "Taking pictures is making memories, catching little pieces of time, making them yours, and making them mine...Celebrations we can forget in a year. When we're making memories happiness can reappear." 

Photos do make happiness reappear so last night after returning from my family and extended family trip to Cape May, I diligently edited my photos. Each time I added a new photo, another memory from the trip was recalled. I lingered in those memories that included many shots of my precious little grandbaby at the Jersey shore. 

What memories have you captured with your camera this summer? 

Does each one add to your concept of summering?

Here is my morning Instagram post with one of my memories that was digitized.

It's Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

Join me to read what others are slicing about.