Holding the Sun

As usual for these winter days, the sun seems to be outshone by gray skies. While this weather pattern seems odd, it is a reality, something that I need to adjust to this season. As I walk the spiritual journey, I always seek shreds of wisdom. It just so happened that Irene  Latham shared her blog poem at Live Your Poem this past Friday. One line resonated with me, and so I kept it in my heart.

"Teach me how to hold the sun when the day is

anything but joyful." 

These lines will stay with me as a reminder to be optimistic in the face of challenges while maintaining hope.

I know how to teach,

but how do I teach me?

Is there a way to understand how?

Perhaps I should reach out  to

winter's doldrums - hold

all that the season offers in the

middle of my hand when the sun

does not shine. When

the sky provides the

the gift of light on a certain day

there is

an expectation that anything

can open my heart, but

only with the spirit of joyfulness.

draft CVarsalona, 2026

Slice of Life

February 24, 2026

Join me as I come into the light on a winter's day.

at

Two Writing Teachers

Waiting for You

In the depths of my dreams,

I stop somewhere waiting for you.

Roaring winds whip across snowpiled

areas. I feel your warmth rekindling

flames of fire. Then, quickly

in the corners of darkness,

I awaken, waiting for you.

Sadly, on this cold winter night,

you are no longer here beside me.

Softly, like a dancing snowflake,

I whisper, "I shall not stop waiting

for you in my dreams."

draft CVarsalona, 2026

Photo by Devin Hartnett, Winter in West Virginia

Dedicated to my late husband, Richard

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Join me at Susan Thomsen's blog, Chicken Spaghetti, for the Poetry Friday Roundup. Susan is hosting this weekend, so she invited everyone to write a poem inspired by a prompt from David Lehman. The poem should start with the final line of Whitman's "Song of Myself", I stop somewhere waiting for you. Susan added her own poem, "Flurries of Winter" for our reading pleasure.

Winter Gray & Crystal Healer

Days pass by. The sun remains covered by ethereal clouds of gray. Cold temperatures negate the ability of walkers to take a winter walk while admiring winter's beauty. I sit watching the snow lessening while leaving patches of earth’s greenery for me to enjoy.

Something nags at my heart. Is it grief, sadness, or both? Is the shadowed sun grasping for a glimpse of spring or the feel of warmth coming from its rays? Where is there a heart healer? At the stroke of morning, a new February Poetry Project prompt is offered by poet/author/educator, Margaret Simon. “Choose a crystal to use as a muse for your poem today”. Like Margaret, I chose a shadorma poem format to write my thoughts.

Crystal Heart Healer-Mango Calcite

I hear tales

of your healing strength

soother of 

body, mind,

soul, bringing positives

to my broken heart

©CVarsalona, 2026

It is said that Mangano Calcite uplifts the human heart and body. The next time I am near a jewelry boutique, I shall browse through the crystals to find this one. For the time being, I shall listen to the beautiful, calming song, Restore My Soul, that I found to embellish my one word, "restore".

It's Friday the 13th and the sun finally turns the sky to a positive shade of sunshine rather than this morning's grayish color. I now turn my thoughts to Poetry Friday with the talented and creative poet, Robyn Hood Black, who is hosting today. It looks like it will not be an unlucky day with Robyn at the helm. If you go to Robyn's blog post, you can see some very charming products she creates at .

Secrets Untold Unfold

On Day 9 of Laura Shovan's February Daily Poetry Project, the prompt led me to remember a secret that was untold until I was in grad school. Rachel Patton Toalson chose the theme. secrets stating "I've been thinking lately about how no matter how long you've known a person, there are still aspects of their lives that remain mysterious." I share with you a special story in my life that unfolded when I was a fledging adult.

Secrets Untold Unfold

3rd grade lesson

where are you from

didn’t know so

I asked at home

she did not tell

secret held close

others Irish

family French???

years later, secret

untold opened

mom rode boat to

America

from Italy

a little child

with her mother

father waiting

one family

together grew

American

lifestyle with friends

Italian 

speaking with grand

until age five

moving onward

during grad school

swirling with pride

tale unfolded

told with honor

dressed like old world

childhood stories

pizza fritta

joy provided

where am I from

nonnie and mom 

Rome New York- first

generation

©Carol Varsalona, 2026

Legacy from Nonnie

At a very young age, I learned how to bake in Nonnie's kitchen.

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So you may have realized the secret. Now, I will tell you why there was a secret for so long. My Nonnie believed that her children should be Americanized once she arrived in America, around 1921. Since I was the oldest grandchild born in the United States, I needed to act like an American. That meant speaking English and graduating from college. Life was different in the 20th Century. I did not know that I was a first-generation child of Italian descent until I was an adult. Where are you from?

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Join me as I share my Slice of Life with my Two Writing Teachers from across the globe. Click here.

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Inquisitive Child

Have you ever been so intrigued that you delved into the whys of mysteries? As a child, I was always asking questions and searching for answers. One day during a summer stay at my Nonnie's house, I found a large box that was bigger than me. It looked like a junk box, so I wondered what was inside. The next day, I tiptoed into my uncle's room to take a peek, but the box was too tall for me to see what was inside. I decided to bend into the box anyway. I rummaged through papers and lots of junk. What follows is written in a tricube poem.

Inquisitive Child

many thoughts

from childhood

break open

mystery

of the box

uncle had

big and tall

unknown things

intrigued me

I indulged

in what could

be inside

rummaging

through paper

found a gem

tiny box

golden bright

was it junk

it looked real

thrown away

but why I

asked myself

while gazing

at the ring

showed Nonnie

scolded by

my uncle

why did he

throw away

a real ring

sadly I

let go but

wished for it

©CVarsalona, 2026

This memory from the past came by chance. I have been a member of Laura Shovan's February Daily Poetry Project for years. This marks the 14th year of Laura's birthday month, which is celebrated on Facebook. "For several years, in order to practice writing and repair the world (the Jewish concept of tikkun olam) during my birthday month, my blog hosted a community poet project." (Laura Shovan)

This year, 2026, the theme is mistory. One thought from Laura resonated with me. "Why does the unexplained or unknown fascinate us?" My experience as a pre-teen "Nancy Drew", led me to be a curious adult and a seeker of knowledge.

Teacher/poet/photographer, Molly Hogan, is our host of Poetry Friday. I thank her for the lovely winter ice logo above and poems created after Wendell Berry's mentor poem, Like Snow,. You will enjoy both of her short poems and those of her Inkling community. Click the link above.

Blogger's Note:

It is the beginning of another Arctic Blast of bitter cold temperatures but I am sitting in my chair bundled up to elevate my fractured ankle. Even though, I fell asleep before posting my blog, I woke after the stroke of midnight to find my computer sitting on my lap..

Embracing Positivity

Each month, the host of the Spiritual Journey Thursday community invites others to walk along life's path. When the invitation sent by Bob Hamera, aka arjeha, arrived in my email, I realized that the prompt, attitude, would be an appropriate one for me. Bob asked the Spiritual Journey community to take a look at our attitude and how it affects not only ourselves but also others.

 

As the community knows, I am walking a tightrope since the sudden passing of my husband in April. Each day, I wake praying to find a new avenue that will restore my soul, revive my heart, and renew my life. Unfortunately, at the end of most days, I find myself standing in a vast ocean of unpredictable, swishing waves, realizing that my emotions are scattered across the sea's waters. Another image appears, a remembrance of days at the ocean, watching the tide ebbing and flowing at a rapid pace. My feet sink into the sand, and my body falls into the cold water, unable to rise with balance. . .

After reading Bob's invitation, I realized that a new attitude is exactly what I needed. By chance, I found an interesting quote on the Purposely. podcast, "Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it." As in the Bible (Phillippians 2:5), Apostle Paul advocates for a new attitude: "Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus." Paul is speaking about having a humble and selfless mindset like Jesus. These thoughts may have been hiding all along, since I believe in a positive mindset. Now, I am ready once again to spark the fire that filled my heart with positivity. This is a necessity. I need to walk the spiritual journey with hope and faith and not waddle in the darker side of life that interferes with a positive attitude. With a strong mindset, faith, and hope, my goal will be to minimize the grief and anxiety I often feel. 

I am grateful for our Spiritual Journey host and community of faithful writers, and am eager to read each blog post. You can join us here if interested.

One Word: Restore

It is official! My one word, RESTORE, has opened my heart and soul as a guide on my 2026 spiritual journey. You can read more here about the steps I took to find my one word and invite my Mind and Body to engage in my under-construction plan.. 

The digital graphic below is my opening piece  a faithful walker on the spiritual journey to revive my heart and renew my life.

one

word floats

like snowflakes

dancing to earth

in rhythmic motion

swaying with every

sound of chilling, blowing winds  

seeking winter's blanket of white      

quietude evolves, nature pauses, 

one word, restore, offers a deeper rest 

© CVarsalona, January 2026, 

This month, the Poetry Sisters gathered to create the first monthly challenge for 2026. Poetry Friday poets were invited to write a tricube. Below you will find my tricube series of 3 stanzas of three lines each.

2026 One Word

one word flies

with weathered wings

should you choose

time moves on

2026 comes

word appears 

"restore" sparks

energy 

guiding light

© CVarsalona, January 2026

***

Arctic Blast

Arctic Storm

blasts through states

with iced snow

winter roars

whirls and twirls

share its blast

cold winds

tip the scale

no snowmen

© CVarsalona, January 2026

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Visit the Poetry Sisters and enjoy reading their tricube poems. Poetry Pals are invited to join in. 

Mary Lee @ Another Year of Reading, Laura @ Laura Purdie Salas,

Liz @ Liz Garton Scanlon, Sara @ Read Write Believe, 

Tanita @ {fiction, instead of lies}, Tricia @ The Miss Rumphius Effect 

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It's time to join the Poetry Friday Roundup at the Poem Farm with our host, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. She offers us a triolet poem with two outstanding thoughts: 1. One can be one's best self in many different ways. 2. True goodness will not always be celebrated.

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May everyone feeling the chilling winds of the Arctic Blast be restored by thoughts of an early spring.