Thursday, August 8, 2019

Sunday Afternoon Travel

One of my favorite words is quietude.  Finding tranquility in a world full of to do lists, city noise, and political and social unrest is difficult so I always question. "How can I disconnect from dissonance to find peace?"  For me, writing poetry is one way and yoga is another.

Last week, Heidi Mordhorst host of Poetry Friday presented a new poetry format, the definito.  Heidi created free verse poems of 8-12 lines, aimed at readers 8-12 years old. As she noted, a definito highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common word, which always ends the poem. 

Quietude is not often used in conversations or in writing so I decided to write a poem that illustrates its meaning.  The wording in places may be . Recalling a recent mini-trip to Central New York, I recreated the scene in my mind and then, wrote, trying to explain how both my husband and I felt when riding through many small towns in Central New York. While this poem has gone through many revisions, I believe that it is ready for critique.

Inching away from the din
and distractibility of city life,
we traveled off-beaten routes.
Miles of green fields, as soft as velvet,
stretched before us in hushed silence.
As we  slowly traveled toward our destination,
a glistening wrap-around lake, historic hotel, 
and immense veranda beckoned, luring us closer.
In stillness, we sat on ageless Adirondack rockers,
staring into the calmness of an August afternoon.
With eyes quietly closed, life slowly passed on by.
In quietude, we enjoyed the placidity of the lake. 
©CV, 2019, Central New York


https://www.otesaga.com
Tranquil countryside charm set the tone for peaceful wandering.
©CV, 2019, Fly Creek Cider Mill
©CV, 2019, Fly Creek Cider Mill

Summer travels
down quiet country roads
opens eyes to nature's wonders
and serene settings:
a quaint cider mill tucked away
from the bustle of commotion and
a duck family peacefully meandering,
unphased by watchful crowds,
present a tranquil picture of 
countryside afternoons 
wrapped in quietude.
©CV, 2019, Fly Creek Cider Mill

I now feel comfortable offering my definitos to Poetry Friday for the roundup. Molly Hogan is this week's host. She is an active member of Heidi Mordhorst's critique group who created several definitos last week. You can see her work at Nix the Comfort Zone.


My travel photos and poetry will be included in the #EmbraceableSummer Gallery collection. If interested, please send your summer travel photos and image poems to the hashtags, #EmbraceableSummer and @cvarsalona.

23 comments:

  1. Quietude....how perfectly pretty...the idea and the poems. I really love the idea of summer traveling down a road. I will seek out some quietude this weekend.

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    1. Thanks, friend, for always being supportive. May your weekend allow you to follow summer as it travels down what ever road you take, Linda. There are many lovely spots near you.

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  2. It isn't quite the same driving when out on the prairie here, but we see far, far across the land, imagining the lives lived there in the past, Native Americans and those who came west. It is 'quietude' as you described your country roads, Carol. Your time sounds so lovely.

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    1. Linda, I just was commenting on your post and then came back to see you commented on mine-all in a close proximity. Is that a swapee thing-being on the same wavelength? Enjoy your time with family (I will miss chatting time with you) because family first.
      Thanks for the comment. I can see how the miles of prairie stretched out before you can bring quietude. I believe that I would also think of the pioneers as I meandered. I certainly was thinking of the early settlers in Central New York while traveling. Enjoy your family time.

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  3. Peace, tranquility, quietude. You've perfectly captured all in the photo images and the images your words created. We all need more of this. Thank you, Carol.

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    1. Kimberly,
      Thank you for joining me in a few moments of a peaceful recall of my Sunday afternoon travels. I agree that we all need to be in the state of quietude during restless times.

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  4. You couldn't have known when you penned these how much we would need these poems and images today! Thank you, Carol. "Miles of green fields, as soft as velvet," is a getaway in and of itself. Beautiful. The ducks are enchanting; we were at a (still operating) grist mill back in Georgia once, and delighted in watching a mama duck teach her babies how to swim. But it looked like exhausting work for her! These cycles of life continue; thank you for sharing.

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    1. Robyn, and you could not know how your words just added to my morning. Thanks for ushering in some images that fill my space with the spirit of tranquility.

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  5. I will need to explore definito...loved yours. I was pout of town so I missed it.

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    1. Jone, it is good to hear from you. I hope you enjoyed your travels. If you write a definito poem, I would love to see it. Thanks for stopping here.

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  6. Quietude IS a lovely word, Carol. You define it beautifully in both poems. Placid would be another great word to define! I so long for one of those Adirondack rockers right about now.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Michelle, today. One of my close friends passed on and today is the service and burial. I’m here trying to remember the happy times.

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    2. Just read your reply to my comment, Carol. I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. (((hugs)))

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  7. Your poems bring back fond memories of our stays in the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes region.

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    1. Oh yes, NYS is filled with beautiful areas to roam.

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  8. Thank you, Carol, for taking on the definito form! I was in Chautau*ua for a week in July and I recognize that inner *uietude of being by a lake, time briefly stretched out for miles.

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    1. Heidi, peacefulness ca be achieved anywhere. I am sure your trip was refreshing.

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  9. Your gift of quietude is much appreciated this week. Thank you.

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    1. Glad that you received the gift to replenish your life, Kay.

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  10. You've definitely captured the mood of quietude in your poems this week, Carol. They are lovely and I'm so thankful for them. I've had a harrowing few days and feel calmer after reading them than I did before. Thank you.

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    1. Thanks for joining me in a bit of quietude, Molly. Tonight, my husband and I went to the theater and sat on benches by the harbor. My close friend passed away and after the long day of a service, burial, and reception time to find the beauty of life was necessary. One of my sunset photos is on instagram.

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  11. Thanks for the mini trip into central NY offering a plethora of quietude. Love the ducklings Carol!

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    1. I sent the photo of the ducklings to my granddaughter because she loves "duckees".

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