What If?

With extreme weather conditions changing day to day living and moods, positive thinking needs to be present. While the weatherman predicted warmth and sunshine for today, gray skies and light rain greeted my family's day trip to New York City. What follows is a poem that found its way into my Poetry Parade. 

What if possible was the opening line?

-a day of foggy gray 
    would sigh waiting to
    unfold into sunset
-a city of constant motion 
    would take a breath,
    stilling the noise
-a negative space 
    would be spritzed, 
    inviting freshness in

What if possible is the opening line?
CVarsalona © 2015. All Rights Reserved

As you may know from last weekend's posts, life interrupted my flow just before Easter weekend when the stomach bug invaded my house. The designing of the Winter Whisperings Gallery was on hold. Now, I am ready to continue the creation and unveil it so a spring gallery can eventually sigh. 

Photo taken in the Bowery lighting district, NYC today and digitalized with PicMonkey

Stay tuned for news on the unveiling of the Winter Whisperings Gallery 

for National Poetry Month

Now enjoy Poetry Friday offerings at Laura Purdie Salas' site, Writing the World for Kids, where Laura continues her month long series of Poetry Tips for Teachers. Along with Laura's tip #8 and delightful poem, Spaghetti, you will find a variety of posts celebrating National Poetry Month.

This poem is also being offered for #digipoetry, created by Margaret Simon, where many bloggers are continuing to celebrate writing 

during National Poetry Month.

Easter's Joy

In the aftermath of Resurrection Sunday, I reflect on the joy of Easter. This year we had a quiet family celebration since we were trying to rid the house of the effects of the stomach bug. One living object stood tall in our living room, reminding us of Easter's promise (see Easter Sunday's post and poem here). The Easter lily opened and bloomed as it rightfully should for the day.

 

 

Oh, white-robed apostles of hope,

you gracefully unfold,

symbolizing life

in the Resurrection.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. -- 1 Peter 1:3 

Easter is a time to celebrate and rejoice. Please join my Poetry Parade and visit various writing communities that I am offering this piece to.

• Spiritual Journey Thursday under the direction of Holly Mueller
• #digitpoetry created by Margaret Simon
• Po-emotion - Joy created by Mary Lee Hahn 

Drum Roll Please for Kwame Alexander

When Michelle H. Barnes challenged writers to her Ditty of the Month Challenge, I knew that I would try to write a clerihew on one of my favorite authors who has risen to celebrity fame this year.

Drum Roll please for Kwame Alexander

The story began one fall day in 2007. A tall, young man stood in front of a crowded New York State English Conference session. His smile lit the room and his words swirled like magical stars across the sky. His passion spilled over and drew in the participants. I was there. I was mesmerized by his words. This young man's name rolled like sugar across the tongue. From that serendipitous meeting, I knew that Kwame Alexander would rise to fame so I decided to bring him to Long Island to wow students and adults with his talent for word weaving. 

I enjoy words and enjoy when you can make children and adults have an emotional response to words. -Kwame Alexander

A friendship grew over the years. Kwame enthusiastically filled Long Island classrooms and conference rooms with engaging poetry read-alouds. His infectious love for language made others appreciate his artistry. I have had the pleasure of introducing him as the keynote speaker at the Long Island Language Arts Council/Nassau Reading Council Spring Conference, making him a spaghetti dinner (one of his favorite foods), and calling him friend. I have watched his career grow and soar and have applauded him for the many accolade he has received, the latest being the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, The Crossover.

Over the Years:

2011

2014

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 

Clerihews were introduced to me by Kwame in 2007 so in honor of my friend, I pen this one for Michelle Barnes' Clerihew Ditty.   

Kwame is the current word weaver king,

spreading "the love" that language will bring.
As poet extraordinaire, family man, and spaghetti lover,
he tells great tales, but from his little one runs for cover.

Please visit this site to read more poetry from a variety of writers.

Lastly, visit Two Writing Teachers where the Tuesday Slice of Life community is meeting after our month long challenge of slicing. 

Survivor Tree Speaks

For National Poetry Month, at A Year of Reading, my colleague, Mary Lee Hahn is offering          =====>

Today's Po-emotion word is sadness. When I read the word of the day, my thoughts immediately returned to one of the most devastating images of this century, the 9/11 Disaster at the World Trade Center in New York City. I knew that I needed to write about the sadness felt on that tragic event. Being in close proximity to the horror of the day has never left the hearts of residents of Rockville Centre, my town. 48 townspeople perished during the terrorist attacks that shook our world. You can read my thoughts here.

At the 9/11 Memorial now stands a pear tree called the "Survivor Tree." It speaks of the pain and the suffering witnessed on September 11, 2001, but it also speaks of resiliency of a people, a city, and a nation.

The Survivor Tree Speaks

https://www.911memorial.org/photo-albums/survivor-tree

I once stood tall, a callery pear tree,

until a storm of crimson clouds surrounded me.

The skyscraper tower crushed me to the ground.

Left burnt, deformed, traumatized, I was found.

As the last living "thing" to leave the site,

I remembered 9/11 sadness, and the fright.

Wreckage, limbs, smoke, and blazing flames

were left to cover World Trade Center's remains. 

Out from the scattered debris and broken dreams,

my gnarled stumps grew back into solid beams.
Participant and witness of many a human's tear,

With flowering April buds, I stand tall each year.

Carol Varsalona © 2015. All Rights Reserved

https://www.911memorial.org/photo-albums/survivor-tree

Although my family has been to Ground Zero many times since 2001, we have never heard the story of the Survivor Tree until this Easter when my sister from Syracuse heard her pastor speak of this 9/11 living remnant during the homily. It is our wish to visit the site this week to see the final stage of the reconstruction process and be amazed by the Survivor Tree.

You may be interested in listening to this song, Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning, by Alan Jackson. 

Please visit Mary Lee Hahn's Po-Emotion -- Sadness and #digipoetry, created by Margaret Simon. 

  

Thanks for joining my Poetry Parade.

Easter's Promise

Original Easter Greeting from 1913

Easter Sunday dawn

Boldly proclaims renewal.

Spring’s path continues.

Haiku-iinspired Easter video created with Animoto


May the wonder of the Risen Lord 
enrich your faith,
and bring family close together.

This post is offered to two writing communities, DigiLit Sunday and #digipoetry, as part of my Poetry Parade for National Poetry Month 2015. Please visit both sites opened by Margaret Simon to read a variety of wonderful blogs and poetry.

  

Celebrating Poetry

Even when you have a household of stomach virus victims, you can find time to celebrate. I have tried to let positivity and faith guide my walk each day, even during the attack of the stomach bug. I celebrate the power of faith that brings positivity into my life. I, also, celebrate poetry today. You will see that my Poetry Parade is leading the way for my writing this month. 

Stomach bugs, nasty creatures,
Lysol here to destroy your features.

Swoosh! Shoo Away! 

Grab your one-way ticket out today.

   30 seconds away you go!

Disinfecting my home you say,
99.9% sure to bid bugs away.
Open windows, fresh air in-
Start the healing; press the pin. 

   30 seconds away you go!

Good by bugs, hello spring-
no more germs to stay and cling.
Squirt! Squish!
Renewed feelings, a perfect wish!

Thank you for joining my Poetry Parade today. May your holiday weekend be filled with happiness as you breathe in the fresh air of spring. Happy Poetry Month.

Drum Role Please: Free photo from MorgueFile - digitalized at PicMonkey

Now take a stroll over to Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week. 

Ruth's blog is a memorable one today, ending with the statement, 

"This is why I celebrate -- ragged and tattered and scarred -- because celebration isn't lack of hard, it is the werewithal to walk through the hard." 

I am also posting this poem at #digipoetry where writers are composing poems for a month-long celebration of poetry. Please visit this site also.

An Easter Surprise Visitor

Happy Poetry Month

Life is uncertain and unpredictable. What you plan can be upset in a matter of minutes as I found out last night. While designing the Gallery of Winter Whisperings, last night, I was struck with a strange feeling. Headaches, body pains, and chills seemed to come on so fast that I could hardly catch my breath. I was caught off guard, even though my husband had the same symptoms earlier in the week. What transpired was a spiraling voyage into the stomach bug. 

A nasty bug came to visit my house.

First, it started with my spouse. 

It reared its head with vicious speed.

The trip to the doctor made me heed:

fluids, rest, and no Easter outing.

Canceling plans led to serious pouting.

Easter will not be the same this year. No trips to church; no Easter lamb to cook; no visits from E. Bunny who has made an annual trip each year since my children were little. My son is next in line to inherit the dreaded bug. Because of its highly contagious nature, all plans with my out-of-town family, sister, daughter, and son-in-law, are canceled and the gallery is delayed. 

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at the Poem Farm is hosting Poetry Friday today where she is offering Day 3 of National Poetry Month - Sing That Poem! Please visit her site that has links to many poetry friends' works. 


I am also posting this poem at #digipoetry where writers are composing poems for a month-long celebration of poetry. 

Be Still

Today is Maundy Thursday, or better known as Holy Thursday. It is a day of the Last Supper and the powerful, heartwrenching scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, a human Lord was faced with a crisis. One of His disciples turned on him; one denied Him; the others did not stay awake with Him during His struggles. He asked the Father for help. How often do we face storms and ask for help? We need to know that in the midst of crisis, there is a Father who listens to us. 

Be Still!

This poem is written as part of the National Poetry Month challenge found at  #digipoetry and as an offering to the Spiritual Journey Thursday community under the direction of Holly Mueller. Please visit both sites.

Happy National Poetry Month

Please come back to join me as I continue to weave words into a tapestry of thought for my Poetry Parade.

Poetry Parade

Design created by Leigh Anne Eck

#digipoetry created by Margaret Simon

It was past midnight and I was still writing when I realized that there were pesky critters invading my space. Was this an April Fool's joke or a reality? First, I was bit by a flying bug and then my computer crashed. Oh, no! Two hours worth of work on my new gallery of artistic expressions taken over by the cyberspace varmint. Would I be able to rescue my designs? 

Do you know the expression, Don't rain on my parade? Well, my poetry parade was as wet as it could be. I was drowning in the discovery that I would have to go back to my original collected posts and recreate their placement in the gallery. This is an April Fool's joke that I shall never forget.

The digitalized pairing of my "Double LL" poem and photo survived the April Fool's computer crash but the source of the photo did not. This turned out to be a minor issue since I could easily search the internet for the content-specific photo that I remixed with my original poem. While I am not a science teacher, literacy in the content area is one of the professional development workshops I present so I enjoyed this challenge offered by fellow blogger, Jone MacCulloch. In creating this poem, I decided to put a literary spin on the journey of alluvium to its resting spot. Perhaps, a science teacher would have a different perspective to offer me. 

Happy National Poetry Month 2015.

Please come back to join me as I continue to weave words into a tapestry of thought for my Poetry Parade.