Beyond LiteracyLink: voice

Saturday, July 5, 2025

A New Thought for the 4th of July

"Miss Liberty, at Dawn's First Peep, Awakes the Echoes from Their Sleep"

(Original Postcard from Turn-of-the-19th Century)

It's Friday, July 4th. Happy Independence Day and Poetry Friday. The Inklings are writing poems of protest for our nation’s birthday. They invite other writers to use their voices and their art to make some noise!

I, like others, believe in freedom, democracy, and the power of the people. Being authentic is essential. Humanity needs to amplify its voice on issues of national concern like the Big Beautiful Bill. Yesterday, I received an email from one of my son's agencies. They are asking parents and clients to reach out to our legislatures.because the disabled community will be affected by the bill. The goal is to bring parents and clients together to share our concerns that may affect change.

Collaborative action plans are important for a future-ready world. In classrooms and other educational settings, students work in teams to collaborate with others. They develop goals to reach out to their community as creative thinkers and writers with voice. Will this action shape the future? Perhaps, but we need to continue supporting students in efforts to learn with vigor, work collaboratively, and develop a spirit of camaraderie and citizenship in this modern-day world that has many flaws.

Ignite the American Spirit

Authentic voices

Make noise as they

Embark on

Roads ahead

If freedom devotees

Commit they will rise

As responsive Americans ready for

Next steps:

Shape outcomes with
Positive approaches
Inspire students to
Reach out with concerns
Ignite the flame
To make more noise
draft CVarsalona, July 4th, 2025

A little push is needed to make legislators understand the needs of all groups.

I will do my part.

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I am late to offer my Poetry Friday blog post but this piece took a great deal of thought. Thank you Mary Lee Hahn, our host this week, for bringing the community together this week. Please read her post, Independence Day Roundup of Protest and Praise for This Complicated Country We Call Home, and other writers' blogs by clicking here.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Making Your Mark

Part of the art of summering is listening to the ocean waves and wondering.

Why is it important to allow voice to rise?

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How can we engage students each day so that they can make their mark?

Dot Day, based on Peter H. Reynolds' book, The Dot, celebrates creativity

around the globe.

Help each child reach his/her potential to

create with a brave spirit

and joyful heart.

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

On December 17, 2018 Peter H. Reynolds, the author of The Dot, will guest moderate #NYEDChatwith Susan Verde. The special holiday Twitter chat, The Gift of Reading, will inspire educators, parents, families, and children to share the pleasures of reading.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Winter Wonderland Gallery Unveiled

Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions

featuring a Community of Reflective Writers

Etched in a canopy of frosted wonder or enveloped in a golden sunrise, winter blankets earth each year. This season, winter lingered longer than usual. Photographers, artists, and poets have raised their voices to bring awareness of the varying shades of winter to this gallery that reflects both the serenity and irony found in nature.

I invite you to virtually step back into the season of winter to discover nature's artistry and stilled wonders at Winter Wonderland Gallery of Artistic Expressions. Join your host, Lady Winter, as she unveils bejeweled, crystalline landscapes, snow-covered mountains, brilliant sunrises, and glorious sunsets from around the world. While strolling through this gallery, be drawn into the visual experience, enjoy the music, especially the original compositions by Kat Healy and Kevin Hodgson, and feel the power of the poetic word as I honor National Poetry Month.

Be lulled by the beauty of winter 2018!

Find serenity in the stillness of winter.

Michael Hartnett, Montana

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Listen to the original composition by Kevin Hodgson.

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Lucille Fisher, Massachusetts

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Fall in love with the first snow.

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical moment. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? -J.B. Priestley

Photo by Spiri Howard

Collaborative Poem, Country Road Resplendence, at Buncee here

Poetry by Melissa Chouinard-Jahant, Steve Kelley, Faige Meller,

Chris Quinn, Valerie Tilton, Carol Varsalona

Video poem, First Snow

Carol Varsalona

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Be dazzled by the many shades of winter on the seasonal runway.

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Be inspired by the glistening snow and winter scenes.

Bonnie Kaplan, NY

View Kiesha's Buncee here.

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Follow Lady Winter around the globe as she uncovers nature's seasonal jewels.

Try creating an inspirational quote or poetry for one of the photos.

Terje Akke, Prague

Kat Apel's view of winter in Australia

Rizza Joe Piccio, Manila, Philippines

Vincent Guth, Ireland

Lee Ann Spillane, Singapore

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Be dazzled by the many shades of winter on the seasonal runway.

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...and the torrential rains and grey skies also came this winter season.

Chouinard Jahant-"Raining Winter Day"-Texas

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Be thrilled by the excitement of outdoor sports.

Josh created a Buncee for this gallery. You can see it here.

Michael Hartnett, Big Sur, Montana

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Poetry is the gentle wonderings of the world calling us to unravel its beauty in words and images. - CVarsalona

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Be Amazed at Winter's Sunrises and Sunsets

Why sunrises are more amazing in the Winter:
Answer: See mnn.com here.

Kevin Foley, Sunset in Ireland

Laura Hill Timpanero, Port Jefferson, Long Island

"He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter." - John Burroughs
Admire the variegated colors of winter.

You can listen to Kat Healy's original song, "Winter", here.

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Let us not forget that "winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is a time for home." -Elizabeth Sitwell

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Winter became a time for writing and amplifying voice this year.

The above Buncee was created for Laura Shovan's Ekphrastic Writing Project.

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Children's Corner Honoring #StuVoice

Margaret Simon's Class, featuring Austin, Louisiana

Faith, Louisiana

Leonie Bennett's Students, New Zealand

Snow Sculpture created by Kevin Foley's STEAM Students, Ireland

Suzi Day

Kat Apel, Australia

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View Class Poems from Kindergarten to 5th Grade Classes in California, Massachusetts, & Montana

by @CitizensOwls, 5th Grade Young Poets from California
You can access the class' nineteen individual winter poems in the slide share here.

A Buncee by Wyman's Wonders, Kinders from Massachusetts above.
A Buncee by KB Kids, Kinders from Montana below.

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This season, Lady Winter's whimsical nature prompted the trend of nor'easters announcing arrival- and quick departure-like layover flights.

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"A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky - unbidden -

and seems like a thing of wonder." - Susan Orlean

Pwilliams819Pam, Connecticut

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"Winter is a season of recovery and preparation." -Paul Theroux

Enjoy listening to music for the winter season at my playlist.

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Artists capture the spirit of winter!

Michelle Kogan, Chicago

Leia Cator, Alabama

"All art requires courage." -Anne Tucker

"...the color of winter is in our imagination." -Terri Guillemets

Inspired to Write? Try Postcard Poetry

reminiscent of early 20th Century postcards

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This season, Lady Winter decided to wear her warm clothing longer than usual. Thus, the hashtag #winterinspring evolved.

Read about the new book in first person narrative, NIGHT GUARD by Synne Lea, offers a poem on why winter doesn't want to move on.
(reviewed by Myra Garces-Bacsal)

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Each year as winter turns into spring, the world anticipates an awakening.

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When Lady Winter started her journey she called us

to notice and wonder,

to find peace in the stillness,

to listen soulfully to the sounds of nature,

and to wonder deeply about life.

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Goodbye Lady Winter. Spring will now dress the world in verdant color patterns.

Thank you for sharing this incredibly beautiful compilation of the arts with me.

This gallery design has been a magical journey for me.

I hope you agree that if we notice and wonder more

our senses will grow sharper

and we will see the world

with a new lens.
Carol

The community of reflective writers has continued to grow since the first Reflect With Me Gallery of Artistic Expressions in March 2014. I am grateful to all who offered their creativity and talents to this gallery.