Raining Again

early morning

gray day warning

quiet surrounds

heartbeat pounds

crackling sounds

start their rounds

©CV, 2019

Rainstorm, while crossing the Verrazano Bridge, 2017

Rain is not a unique sight here on Long Island this season. Since we missed April showers in abundance, June is bustin' out all over with rainstorms. But this morning, the interjection of loud, reverberating thunder claps startled everyone in the house and sent us racing for the windows. 

Please view the following nature photos that illustrate Mother Nature's changeable nature from a day of sunshine to the next day filled with rain. These photos and poems will be at the hashtag, #SpringSplendorGallery, on Twitter waiting for the design of the future gallery.

Rainstorm in Pittsburgh by Jessica Bigi

After the storm in Lexington, Kentucky by Ruth Hersey

Rainbow in Maine by Donna Smith

At the End of the Rainbow by Molly Hogan, Maine 

Rain is not just happening here in the USA. There is a hashtag, #rain, that shares photos from around the globe. 

To validate my thoughts about the rain, I quote my poet friend who experienced the rains during a recent stateside visit to her family in Kentucky. 

"This has been the Aprilest June ever."  -Ruth Hersey

There is tranquility in the house now that the rains have quieted down.
May Langston Hughes' poem and my digital artwork of Long Island fill your day with peace. 

I am joining Two Writing Teachers for Slice of Life Tuesday where I found a digital inspiration that seems to fit in with my post. I was filled today with the shock of thunder but now my neighborhood is filled with the lulling chirps of the birds once again. 

 

Quiet Moments

It started as a cloudy-spotted sky with slight drops of rain. As we traveled from Long Island, over the Tappan Zee Bridge, and up Route 17, the rain became more frequent. The sky, a shade of gray, provided the canvas for nature's paintbrush. Verdant green hues flanked the highway on either side. They flashed by quickly as we drove north to our destination in Central New York. Awed by the grandeur of the paint chip scene, I began a series of camera shots to preserve the beauty. Surprised by the colors of this spring day, I sat back to reflect during the quiet moments after the shower. The wooded countryside had a tranquil quiet and I experimented with word choice as I wrote. 

Listen to the song, "Walk With Me" by John Bongiorno. It offers a soft tone much like what was playing on satellite radio as my husband patiently drove through the light rain.

Rain is grace;

rain is the sky descending to the earth;

without rain, there would be no life.

-John Updike

🌳

Now, travel with me to Margaret Simon's blog where she is hosting Poetry Friday this week from Louisiana. You will be delighted to read some of her students Nature Pi-Kus. Perhaps, you would like to spend some quiet moments outside reading, reflecting, and writing a poem about what you notice. 

🌳

If you missed my post last week showcasing Poetry Friday friends who offered beautiful digital inspirations for Abundant Autumn Mini-Gallery, please click here.

Gray-Day Pondering

#InstaPoetry #MoPoetry2019

While friends and family indulge in cotton-ball countrysides filled with billowy snow, Long Island is wrapped in gray days ranging from frigid to not-so-cold temperatures. Nonetheless, there is a hushed, quiet beauty settling in.

☔☔☔

Incessant. swishing noises tap against window panes as morning tries to wake a sleepy neighborhood.  Flecks of rain bubble up in blotchy patterns and one bird calls out. Another gray-day appears with resounding noise announcing the continuance of stormy weather. 

Rainuary
pitter-pattering,

slick splattering

gutters filling
weather chilling

gray-day pondering
weathermen floundering-
morning mist
winter-kissed-
January
commentary
©CVarsalona, 2019
#InstaPoetry #MoPoetry2019

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While the weather may be unusual for January, my New Year has been brightened with an incoming shower of good wishes from fellow poetry friends, Michelle Kogan and Diane Mayr who sent me poetry postcards. It is always nice to receive mail from the mailman and these treats were special deliveries of poetic goodness.

Michelle posted the following image poem for MLK Day. I decided to showcase it at Monday night's #NYEDChat. The discussion centered on "Service Projects for Students and Teachers", a fitting title to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

I also extend my thanks to other Poetry Friday friends for their incoming contributions to my winter gallery, Winter's Embrace.

☔☔☔

The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by a favorite education friend of mine, Tara Smith, who recently retired and moved to live in upstate New York on a beautiful farm. 

And the Rains Came...

It just wouldn't be spring without rain showers - BUT - this year's rainy days seem out-of-the-ordinary. Thunder sounds like roaring and pounding; lightning streaks look like a wizard's crop gone haywire; cold, damp rain "chills the bones". One day it is 50 degrees with rain and the next day it is in the 80s with sunshine.

On Mother's Day, the sky turned gray and the rains came but that did not stop my husband and me from enjoying the Nassau County Art Museum and its verdant grounds.

After taking a photo to remember the day, I turned to Langston Hughes for inspiration. His lovely poem on rain starts with a melodic title and continues with repetitive sentence prompts in each stanza to create a vivid visual scene.

April Rain Song

By Langston Hughes

Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk.
The rain makes running pools in the gutter.
The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night-

And I love the rain.

In order to create a golden shovel poem from the first line of Hughes' poem, I felt I needed to add life to the rainstorm we were caught in, so I digitized my original photograph taken on the museum grounds. I used the app Mobile Monet first to give the photo more of a dramatic look on the grey, rainy day. Then, I chose PicMonkey to create the final image with enhanced rain. Finally, I backtracked and started noticing more of the details in the scenery and wondering how to craft the poem.

While many are perplexed by the weird weather patterns we are having, I am intrigued. Mother Nature appears to be enjoying her seasonal play time this year so I am trying to capture the many faces of spring for my Sense-sational Spring Gallery of Artistic Expressions. Will you join me in creating poetic offerings?

Today, the Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by my writing colleague, Rebecca Herzog at her blog site, Sloth Reads.

Spring Celebrates Life

Spring is when life's alive in everything.

-Christina Rossetti

Whether the rains fall in torrential waves, there is a chill in the air, or the sun shines brightly, spring sends out messages of love and renewal. Recently on Long Island, there have been many looks to springtime, all leading me to celebrate springtime.

Last weekend there was a twelve hour span of beautiful sunshine for our Shower of Love-a celebration of life growing!

 

This glorious day was followed by cleansing rains throughout the week that brought more life to my gardens. Hofstras and herbs popped in their garden beds. The peonies are ready to burst open and the front planters of colorful flowers are looking regal.

Springtime honors life in its many forms. At the end of this week, I look back on life through a positive lens. There were several springtime celebrations, a baby shower, spring rain showers, a fundraiser for beautiful, handmade African jewelry and accessories, a professional learning opportunity, an art gala, and time to spend with family and friends. 

  

 

Balance and tranquility flowed, as it should when you look at life with a positive outlook. 

May you find positivity this coming week in all that you do and celebrate the wonder of life in springtime!

I am "Celebrating This Week" with Ruth Ayres so please visit Ruth's site to read how the community of bloggers celebrated their week. 

Rain Lullaby

morning opens with a chill

flowers stand tall

earth is quenched

©CV, 2017

As rain falls upon us, sings its praise

with pitter patter sounds, loud roars,

 and swooshes of chilling drops.

Nature celebrates spring as the sky's

confetti dances and descends.

©CV, 2017

May the rain lift your spirits rather than dampen them. Come, join me to celebrate springtime. Create digitals, write poetry, offer musical playlists or inspirational quotes for my spring gallery, Springsations. Be inspired by nature around you and unleash your creativity. The invitation to create for the gallery can be found here.

Today, Jama Rattigan is the hostess of Poetry Friday. Please join her Poetry Roundup at Alphabet Soup to see the visual display she has whipped up for us.

Spring Rain

When growing up, the song "April Showers" by Al Jolson always brought a smile. Looking back at this month's damp, rainy weather, the words, "Though April showers may come you way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May," remind me to remain positive. 

Read the following that I found as a introduction to the April shower lyrics: 

"Life is not a highway strewn with flowers.

Still it holds a goodly share of bliss

When the sun gives way to April showers."

The next line, "Here is the point you should never miss", leads into the song.

While driving on the Long Island highway this month, I took a photo of a gray day before the rain came, digitized it, and created a digital inspiration to reminding me of the wonder of nature.

Enjoy the clip of the movie version of Al Jolson's song.

Delight in the springtime weather, whether it is rainy, cloudy, or a sky filled with sunshine. I am looking forward to seeing the colors pop in my May garden, all due to April's showers. 

The above digital composition that I created is part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry project for National Poetry Month. It will be offered to Laura Purdie Salas for her #wonderbreak poetry project. Have a happy spring day!

A Dreary Day Becomes a Lasting Gift

Rainy days can be looked upon as dreary dark days, not at all appealing, but they can become the break needed in life if you have an open heart. It was this Tuesday morning that I woke to the steady beat of the rain and a damp chill to the air.  At first this was disheartening but then the Slice of Life challenge reminder popped up on my email. I decided to use my time wisely and despite the weather turn a dreary day into a welcoming one. To engage in some SOL Time I created a plan with three steps. Step 1: Contemplate the beat of the rain, feel its cool ping, and hear the accompanying sounds of the wind.  Step 2: Use the time productively to continue reorganization tasks that would allow time to contemplate. Step 3: Reflect and write.

Do you remember the favorite childhood chant, "Rain, rain go away. Come back another day?" While most Long Islanders who had been enticed by bright, sunny days and warm weather this past weekend, complained about the shifting weather, my spirits were not dampened by the rain. I enjoyed this quiet time. Phones didn't ring and emails were not as plentiful as on other days. The rain brought a break from normal routine, for me. Its steady stream provided a time to leisurely work on household tasks and prepare for Easter. 

While the beat of the rain provided a musical interlude, I began the tradition of carefully unwrapping precious, springtime family treasures. A story unfolded. A china egg, a palm cross, and an Easter bunny, heart prints of the past, recalled Easters when my children were young and my mother alive. I graced the mantle with these items as the rain drops persisted. The Easter lily plant trying to pop its flowers in time for Easter Sunday, was watered and placed in the foyer. The brightly-colored, collectable Easter eggs I found stored in green grass recalled lively egg hunts orchestrated by Mr. Bunny. While many of the decorations were set in places of honor, some were left for another year, another memory. 

After closing the plastic-sealed bags of Easter treasures, I thanked Mother Nature for its gentle gift of rain. Today's rain provided me with the time to collect my thoughts and recollect so the next time you consider weather to be a nuisance or a disrupter, think about its positives.  I did and I am ending my day happier than I thought it would be. Because I am hosting April Awakenings, a literary event that blends digital photography with poetic expressions, I penned this piece of writing about today's rain. 

Rain, garbed in gray, 

awakened spring's senses
and

freshened the ground for rebirth. 

It interrupted routine

and 

allowed time 

to sit back and reflect. 

Rain paraded in the streets

today

as the harbinger of spring,

not the recollector of winter,

welcoming life 
to rejoice, 
not weep.