The Annual Slicer Party is Here!

What better way to end the Two Writing Teachers SOLSC 2026 than with a Leigh Anne Eck's Annual Party! I have an invitation but I am not ready to join in. I have today to pack my bag, decide what to wear, and join slicers. I hope some of my writer friends will be there. 

slicer parties are a must

bring your bag with fancy stuff

an analog party awaits

 no electronics at the gate

poetry journal goes with me

how about a cup of tea

gel pens are my latest rage

different formats for every page

oh I am eager to meet some friends

sad to see the challenge end

thank you Leigh Anne for an invite

you make my preparation bright

this party is an annual treat

so join with me so we can meet

©CVarsalona, 2026

quick writem rhyming poem

💮

What to Bring

one analog bag will do

with many treats not a few

a decorated journal 

for small, wispy kernals

I shall write to you, my love

even though you are above

shall I bring my newest books

to read alone in cozy nooks

and bring a floral bouquet

for our host on this last day

©CVarsalona, 2026

my list poem turned into a quick writem rhyming poem

💮

With every party there is an ending. Today marks the conclusion of the SOLSC 2026 

Day 31, March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers 

Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for the space you offer every year during March. It is always a pleasure to meet with reflective writers throughout the world.

Until I meet slicers on #SOL26 Tuesdays, I bid you goodbye.

Happy Spring Holidays to All

echoes of spring

Let yourself become living poetry!

-Rumi

Yesterday, spring was in its glory. Warmth swaddled earth. Birds chirped their song of praise and the woods showcased its bent-over limbs. While walking I noticed little wishweeds anchoring the path, waiting for gentle hands to send their white, feathery tufts parachuting into the calmness of afternoon. 

be silent.

listen to the sounds of earth

whispering grasses call

rippling creek burbles

be present in its movement

springsations echo

©CV, 2023, haibun

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May you find peace in your spring days!

I invite you to add your poetic thoughts to the online Springsations Gallery. Vol. 2.

You can see some of the artistic expressions in the gallery by clicking here.

The sample below shares two slicers' image poems, Denise Krebs and arjeha.

I join Two Writing Teachers for the Tuesday Slice of Life.

What Slicers Know!

As a community of writers, slicers know the meaning of gratitude. They are grateful for those they have met along the Slice of Life journey. I decided as we move toward the end of the 16th Annual March SOLSC23! #SOL23 to mention a group of wonderful slicers who have commented on my different slices during this March challenge. Please note that there are many more slicers in the mix. Perhaps, another slice will capture more. 

I am thankful for all slicers and the gift of writing they bring to life. Please enjoy the poem I designed from the twelve writers below. 

This is a modified cento, "(collage poem) a poetic form composed entirely of  lines from poems by other poets." In this modified form, I read many slicers by the writers listed below and chose one line from each of their collection of slices to create a collage of thoughts.)

What Slicers Know!

Today...my heart is lifted up. -Diane Anderson

Mornings in our house are a tightly choreographed dance. -Amanda Potts

Granna is getting in on the action. We sing and read together. -Glenda Funk

I am thankful for a world full of contrasts. -Celia Fisher 

At the end of the day, it's a community of people coming together. -Schuyler Becker 

Conversations and connections continue. -Ramona

Poetry is a blessing, a treasured miracle, a gift I cherish. -Kim Haynes Johnson

I can't think of a better way to end the week and begin the weekend, -Debbie Lynn

Then readers seeing themselves in the pages of stories. -Brian Rozinsky

We are writers and we will see this ride through to the end.-arjeha

Remember these days! I say, Write now! -Fran Haley

What is yet to come I have to wait and see. -Terje Akke 

      An enjoyable quote by Terje Akke to close the poem.

I designed this collage poem to showcase slicers' skillful writing, their perseverance and dedication to their craft, and their love of words. Click on each name in the poem to link to each slicer's blog. 

Friederich Nietzsche said, "A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends." Thank you, slicer friends and Two Writing Teachers, for opening the doors to continued inspiration.

My Slice of Life

Day 28 of Two Writing Teachers

16th Annual March SOLSC! #SOL23

Slicer Meet Up

The power of a Zoom meet-up is the conversation, exchange of information, and comfort of talking from home. 

Late yesterday afternoon, I read that Two Writing Teachers offered teacher workshops on Zoom. I missed the afternoon class but signed up with the thought that the windstorm would cease and my husband and son would be able to chase down the cushion to my patio chase lounge before the meet-up began. So at 8:00 pm, I turned on Zoom but the strangest thing happened. I could hear Tammy Evans and Erica J. speaking to each other but the video kept going on and off.  I tried the restart and the update buttons but that did not resurrect the video. After about 5 minutes of trying to Zoom with the slicers, I finally accomplished the task and had a wonderful hour of constant talk. It was like being with friends I have not seen in a very long time. 

It was great chatting about new formats we found at other slicers' blogs, how we get our ideas, and slicer blogs that we enjoy reading. I started to use the "Currently" format then changed my mind. I decided to use a simple poetic format, the hay(na)ku, that I shared at my recent professional development keynote address on Zoom for RSCS- Reading Specialist Council in Suffolk County, Long Island.

A new format for writing challenges: the hay(na)ku

-PD slide I provided for classroom or personal use-

Other samples for student use during  

SOLSC for students and National Poetry Month:

writing

small poems

celebrate students' thoughts

***

poetry

lifts spirits

beyond printed pages

***

celebrate

slicer stories

gifts to friends

Hay(an)kus written by ©CVarsalona, 2023

***

 It's time to join Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge - Day 15.

April Moments

Dear Readers,

It is time for April moments to hasten to their end. The month passed by quickly and I realize after reading the poem, April Moments, that the month is near its end. I pause in gratitude for the joy April brought, even with its "winterinspring" weather. Holy Week led to Easter Sunday and family gatherings. There were cherished moments to savor and poems to write during National Poetry Month but now April hastens to its end as Verne Bright wrote.

I decided to write a golden shovel poem to pause and be thankful for the month that passes on. Indulge me for a moment as I write.

April's Appreciated Moments

Why is it that life in spring seems glorious? Do the

Birds know their songs sound sweetest in April?

Shall we celebrate earth's quiet moments?

Stop our hurried steps! Savor springtime bliss? Let us hasten

To bask in the sunlight. Let warm breezes lead us to

Appreciate April moments, soon to approach their

Final, blissful hours of the month's end. 

©CVarsalona, 2022

In my Earth Day blog post, I share a beautiful video, Love Song to the Earth, and invite all to view the padlet containing Poetryliscious Poetry and image poems. I am anticipating more artistic expressions to be added this week. Perhaps, the padlet will entice more friends to add their blissful moments of springtime as a tribute to National Poetry Month. Thank you to slicers, Diane Anderson, Terje Akke, Bob Hamera, and Molly Hogan. If I have missed anyone else, please let me know. Thank you also to Poetry Friday friends, Linda Baie, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Carol Labuzzeta, and Jone Rush MacCulloch. 

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday so I am heading over to Two Writing Teachers

to celebrate another day of writing with a reflective community of writers.

October's Transition

Because nature has brought a sense of peace to troubled times this season, I am grateful. October, the high point of autumn, paves the golden path for November to usher in a slower pace with thankful thoughts. For this transition, I have created my first pantoum.

A pantoum is a poem of any length, composed of four-line stanzas in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza serve as the first and third lines of the next stanza. The last line of a pantoum is often the same as the first. 

October's Transition

October ends its stay with slipsliding stride.

Crunching rustling leaves.

Spreading multicolored layers thin.

Preparing a way for more crispcool times.

Crunching rustling leaves,

October's evening blush dims,

Spreading multicolored layers thin

as enchanted evening dreams begin

October's evening blush dims

into a speckled indigo sky.

As enchanted evening dreams begin,

nature golddusts earth with thankful sighs.

Into a speckled indigo sky

November sweeps through like a feather duster

as enchanted evening dreams begin

flowing through crispclean air.

November sweeps through like a feather duster

refreshing late autumn's terrain.

Flowing through crispclean air,

October ends its stay with slipsliding stride.

©CV, 2020

🍁🍂🍃

turns into November thanks

Autumn walks in beauty on days

of lustrous hues, muted skies, and

earth bedecked in dazzling jewels.

©CV, 2020

🍁🍂🍃

To add a more gratitude for a season of grandeur, I honor the work of fellow slicers who write alongside me for my Abundant Autumn Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions.

Pandemic Getaway

Fall

reflects

pensively

on pandemic

woes as it invites

travelers to peaceful

shores filled with wishwells of joy.

Pause to bask in nature's grandeur

during getaways that provide rest

from the stresses of a compromised world. 

©CV, 2020, etheree

May October's beauty transition joyfully

into November's crispcool settling time.

🍁🍂🍃

I am sending this Slice of Life to Two Writing Teachers.

#SOL20

Thank you to the following slicers for offering your artistic expressions on the Abundant Autumn Gallery of Artistic Expressions, Slicers' Edition.

Terje Akke

Ramona Behnke

Fran Haley

Bob Hamera

Kevin Hodgson

Molly Hogan

Margaret Simon

End-of-Embraceable-Summer Slice

"Find your joy and let it run your life." - Cleo Wade

Cleo is a writer, poet, and author "being hailed as the "Millenial Oprah." As a positivity personality, I am drawn to her inspirational quotes. I open this segment of my Embraceable Summer Gallery offering joy to those who take a quick gallery walk through the collection of inspirational, artistic expressions. 

Let's start with a look at slicer Molly Hogan's muted marshland photo found on Twitter. The serenity of the scene offered inspiration to compose a haiku that was quickly tweeted to Molly. 

🌻

Welcome to #EmbraceableSummer Gallery Seen Through the Artistry of Slicers

Alone at the marsh. 

Feeling blessed.

-Molly Hogan, 2020

My response to Molly:

stillness sets sharing

end-of-summer quietude-

marshland's gracious gift

©CV, 2020

Slicer Kevin Hodgson's response to Molly:

Blessed is the thin

branch still stretched

from the tree, standing

like a beacon in open

fields of grass and water,

a moment's respite

for birds and poets alike

🌻

Spot two is a scene from slicer Terje Akke's country of Estonia seen on her blog.

summer seaside stroll

bright as sunshine it stands-

nature nurtures life

©CV, 2020

🌻

Slicer Fran Haley's illustrates the quiet beauty of nature in this lovely photo.

cradled among trees

winding path beckoning-

future is fragile

©CV, 2020

🌻

The last stop on the gallery walk was found at slicer Margaret Simon's post, This Photo Wants to Be a Poem. It is a dreamy, digitized photo by another slicer, Paula Bourque.

Margaret Simon drafted the following poem for Paula's photo:

I would like to be remembered*

as someone who softened things

like the still, blue surface

of a lake at dawn.

*words from a Ruth Bader Ginsburg quote, "I would like to be remembered a someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability."

🌻

Silence speaks in soft shadows,

inviting life to reflect

upon painted horizons.

©CV, 2020

🌻

At the end-of-summer, nature embraces the energy of summertime, cradles earth in shades of golden sand, and folds into the arms of autumn. 

I salute the summer season that still wishes to stay here on Long Island and offer hopes for an abundant autumn of well-being and fiery kaleidoscope colors.

🌻

Thank you to the following slicers, Terje Akke, Paula Bourque, Fran Haley, Kevin Hodgson, Molly Hogan, and Margaret Simon, whose work I share in this segment of the Embraceable Summer Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions. 

Now, I am off to join Two Writing Teachers for the Slice of Life Tuesday.