When I spend time reflecting on life, I get to know myself better. I slipped out of this habit during the initial phase of grief, but I am trying to make a comeback each morning. A reflaction is a reflection with action. It was coined by two colleagues in New Jersey. The action part of my reflaction is in the last two lines of the poem. Father Mike on YouTube centered his Sunday sermon on this mantra.
March is here with its mercurial spirit, continually changing from bitter storms to golden, sunny days. It's a month of transition for nature, from lion-like roaring to lamb-like gentleness. I march through March, a month of memories, a time to celebrate my husband's life, and honor his passing. The following poems come from my heart as I near the upcoming Year Two.
SUPPOSE-Then and Now
we weaved through life
like gentle lambs, calmer, calmer
moving through stormy weather
suppose we stretched across the sky
like billowing clouds of beauty, slowly, slowly
floating to nature's rhythm
suppose we meet in evening dreams
like fairies whispering, circling, circling
into a magical web of forever
(c) CVarsalona, March 2026 - based on Wendell Berry's poem, Like Snow
Linda Baie is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today at her blog site, TeacherDance. She offers us a few Friday the 13th superstition stories and a beautiful picture of the sky with an original poem about nature and loved ones.
The sky opened in a shade of gray yesterday morning. Sunlight was not evident, so I spent time meditating and hoping for peace. As I reached for my laptop, Margaret Simon's Wednesday blog, "Photo Wants to be a Poem,"popped up on my screen.
Margaret's photo from Louisiana showed a cardinal posing in a garden of silent stillness. In addition, Margaret shared her beautiful draft poem titled "Besotted". She also added a piece of Southern lore: cardinals visit humans who have lost a loved one. Other tales say that the cardinalscarry messages from a heavenly place to earth, as a spiritual sign of connection with the deceased. Lore or not, I was touched that the red cardinal, a carrier of love, offered comfort, especially during this grieving time of life. --- This was Connection #1.
cardinal's connection
you pose in stillness
waiting to connect
offering solace, comfort-
in nature's garden
love perfumes the air
draft CVarsalona, 2026, cherita poem
Photo by Margaret Simon
Connection #2: I am sending my poem with a link to Margaret for "This Photo Wants to be a Poem".
It is nearing St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's Days, fun days in my life.
Both were parade days, different types of food days, and even prayer days. I attended an all-girls high school that was closely linked to the all-boys high school. The Irish-American and Italian-American boys shared the fun and rivalry between them during the two saints' days. The parade of cars and the wearing of the green and red jackets created a festive environment for the day's events. Even though the girls were not present, they heard of the My family still celebrates both Saints' days in March during Lent.
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Last week, my fellow poetry friend, Karen Eastlund, shared with us part of the Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings From the Northumbria Community on her Spiritual Journey Thursday blog.
Come swiftly, OLord, to thedark moments when wearelost.Make us aware of Thy presence.Strengthen us to resist the urges and pulls to deeper darkness.
Our Spiritual Journal Thursday prompt, strength, was provided by slicer, writer, and educator Leigh Anne Eck. I offered my thoughts on "Strength Needed" that can be found here. Then, I found a beautiful quote from Mother Teresa:
Souls of prayer are souls of great silence. In the silence of the heart, God speaks.
I decided to blend the partial Celtic prayer with the second line of Mother Teresa's inspirational quote as an extension of my blog post on strength. Thus, the first part of my "Souls of the Heart Speak" poem is a blackout poem created from part of the Celtic Daily Prayer" and the last line is from Mother Teresa
Come swiftly, O Lord, to thedark momentswhen wearelost.Make us aware of Thy presence.strengthen usto resist the Urges and pull s to deeper darkness
Souls of the Heart Speak
Lord, moments
of presence
strengthen us.
Urges pull darkness.
In the silence of the heart, God speaks.
(c) CVarsalona, 2026
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According to AI, St. Patrick was "rooted in spiritual resilence, faith, and unwavering courage". St. Joseph's strength is "defined by 'quiet strength,' characterized by obedience, profound trust in God, and protective, humble service rather than vocal or physical force." Most people in this century understand the strength of Mother Teresa, who spread kindness and love throughout the world.
The 40-day religious season of Lent in the Christian Church brings souls of the heart together.
During my lifetime, several challenges interrupt life's balance. These occurrences take their toll on my mind, body, and spirit in different ways. Reflecting on these moments leads me to ask a series of questions.
What troubles me now?
My past traumatic events lessened my physical strength. My husband's passing cluttered my mind and brought sorrow into my soul. I felt like I was drowning in grief.
What do I do to find comfort?
I turn to my faith with hope in my heart. My family, close friends, and long-distance writing communities support me.
How do I manage the grief that brings exhaustion, nightmares, and anxiety?
Faith and hope intervene because I am in need.. I turn to scripture, The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation." (Psalm 118-14) I listen to faith-filled music, such is a new collection I found, "Songs for Comfort".
How do I build strength so I can restore my body, mind, and spirit?
I am eagerly trying to build strength through physical therapy for a fractured ankle. Nine months after my husband passed, I decided to engage in bereavement counseling. The communication between the bereavement counselor and me is one of comfort and determination to minimize grief. This is my self-help for building spiritual and emotional strength. Positivity and optimism strengthen my mind.
Each day, I wake to the song, Restore My Soul, that brings my one word into the light of day. I begin the journey to total wellness of the mind, body, and spirit. There is never a full day of strength building, but I am determined to walk the road to restoration and renewal.
I am thankful for the inspiration that comes through reading. It provides me time to pause and look out the window at nature's sunset, lighting the gray sky. Building strength is one day at a time.
Kahlil Gibran stated: “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars."
I have felt the scars of sorrow, but I must walk the spiritual journey to navigate reality. I am ready!
Strength's Journey
strength resides
inside hearts
filled with faith
inside minds
yearning for
renewal
inside me
waiting to
release grief
(c) CVarsalona, 2026
Thank you to those who understand.
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I am grateful for the following writing communities
Leigh Anne Eck
host of today's Spiritual Journey
illuminated my thoughts on her topic strength. Please join me as I share my thoughts with Leigh Anne and my colleagues of Spiritual Journey Thursday Community.
She is using a line from Arthur Sze's poem Residence on Earth to create an original poem, "One Way to Live". Clickhere to read Karen's poem and other blog posts.
Regardless of gray skies, my little grandgirls bring sunshine and good cheer every time they come to visit. Last weekend was grandma-sitting time. What a surprise to be greeted not only by two of the three little grands but also by the sun itself, with its warming touch.
Inside the home, is a gift of love for the grandgirls and a fashion show from them to me.
Gift of Love
spring arrives
colors pop
flowers bloom
fashion trend
brings love and
flowered joy
(c) CVarsalona@gmail.com
I found a quote by an anonymous donor that made me smile.
"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting."
In return, the little grandgirls (8, 6, and 2 1/2), bring sunshine every day, even when the sky is gray.
Life is full of bumps in the road that challenge the heart and cause anxiety. There have been small bumps and huge ones in my lifetime, but I weathered the traumas along the way with my husband for 48 years until last year.
I am sharing the beginning of a lament poem that I wrote last year. A sudden illness that we thought was from weight loss with Ozempic led to a traumatic series of decline that occurred within less than a month. I felt as though I was walking on the edge of darkness.
(c) CVarsalona, 2026
Loss and grief are difficult emotions to handle amongst the ordinary and not-so-ordinary happenings of last year. Each stage of my bereavement journey took me through dark passages and weird dreams. In the beginning, everything seemed unreal because of the unexpected diagnosis that echoed like a foghorn. My husband's body was ravaged by a rare, incurable form of cancer in the pancreas. The continuous decline and sleepless nights broke his spirit. We hardly had time to deal with the big picture with his constant infusions and falls. Then, the end drew near. The family felt the sting of what was to come. Friends in the community formed a team. Dinners were delivered. Prayers were ongoing. Family was supportive. Devoted priests and staff offered spiritual support, a lovely memorial mass, and a luncheon for all those who attended the ceremony. The beginning part of my journey was surreal. Thankfully, writing seems to bring a sense of calmness to my mind, spirit, and body, so I write to help the sting of loss go away.
Thank you to those in the Two Writing Teachers community who listen and comment.
There have been many times when my life has felt fragile and uncertain. Since last year at this time, I have walked an uneasy spiritual journey filled with bumps along the way.
This Slice of Life month of daily messages will be dedicated to my one word, restore. Restoring my soul and renewing my heart will be my goal through writing prose and poetry.
Bear with me as I find support and calmness along the way.
On Day 21 of Laura Shovan's February Poetry Project, Marilyn R. Garcia invited writers to explore the mystery between sadness and joy in their lives or the world around them. She challenged writers to write a poem about a time or period of life where the coexistence of sadness and joy was strong for you.
It is difficult to believe that it has been 10 months since my husband passed away suddenly. I found the above digital artwork that I created years ago. My journey since then has been one of unbelief, to anxiety, to grief. But it has also been a time of discovery. I tackle questions, such as who am I and where am I going.
My goal is to restore my soul, mind, and body. Plus, I realize that it takes many miles of walking on my spiritual journey to find peace. With sunlight not making regular trips this winter, grey clouds seem to agitate my mind. Recently, I wrote a blog post about holding the sun close to my heart. As the song, Restore My Soul, states, "revive my heart" is what I need.
I started this blog post with a proposed prompt to write a poem about a time or period of life where the coexistence of sadness and joy was strong for me. During the winter season, I have felt the sadness of loss and grey skies along with the joy of being with family, especially my three little grandgirls. The prompt by Marilyn R. Garcia asks us to take the lyrics from one of the Beatles' mysterious songs and make them make sense.
Keeping in line with the sorrow and joy of winter without continual sun is a mystery to me. Winter doldrums have brought unrest. The ending line of my blackout poem is what I would like to bring an optimistic point of view during this bereavement time.
Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles
Here comes the sun , doo-doo-doo
Here comes the sun
And I I say, "It's all right"
Little darlin'
It's been a long, cold onely , l winter
Little darlin'
It feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun , doo-doo-do
Here comes the sun
And I say, "It's all right"
Little darlin'
The smiles return ng to the faces
CVarsalona, 2026
A simple prompt helped me realize that sorrow and joy can coexist. If I hold on to hope and faith, my journey may not be as bumpy as it has been. I look forward to a smile opening each day.
Writing grounds me!
✎
I thank Irene Latham for her recent blog post with an inspiring ending line to her poem "Watermelon, you"-:"Teach me how to hold the sun when the day is anything buy joyful".
winter's sun offers
both darkness and light with love
mystery of weather
CVarsalona, 2026
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In addition, I am adding my draft poem for today's Poetry Sisters' February Challenge with Sara, Tanita, Tricia, Mary Lee, and Laura. I choose to use the 25th Poet Laureate of the USA, Aurthur Sze's First Snow poem as my mentor text. I offer a Golden Shovel draft poem with the strike line: the world of being is like this gravel.
dreams melt like the
falling snow in our swishing world
that holds the challenges of
of my swirling life - being
part of continual uncertainty is
unmeasurably worrisome - like
rabbits jumping from here to there this
journey reminds me of winter's icy gravel
(trying to melt what is in my way)
draft-CVarsalona, 2026
The companion photo will be created at a later time.
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I join the Poetry Friday Roundup with our host, Margaret Simon, educator, author, poet, and friend. Margaret is offering us three lovely poems she penned for the Ethical ELA Open Write.
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