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Friday, September 6, 2019

End-of-Summer Gifts

As days shorten and the air is filled with milder weather, nature holds on to its sweet summer memories.  Even when the leaves twirl with a lazy, cascading rhythm, "There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart." - Celia Thaxton 

Nature sings its sweet song. 
No goodbyes are uttered as
September enters.
Sweet summer moments
remain forever in
toe-touching shifting sands,
sunlit backyard porches,
and lakeside cottages.
Grateful hearts understand
the passing of the seasons
and do not mourn.
They sing new songs.
©CV, 2019

At the end of summer, my mailman brought another colorful poetry swap gift from Rebecca Herzog. See the colorful poetry card with an original poem from my swap buddy. 
Final Days
Summer meanders lazily
Dipping her toe in the waves
Soaking in the last strong rays of sun
Before exiting the water
And wrapping Autumn's blanket
around her shoulders
©Rebecca Herzog, 2019 

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I am sending the following end-of-summer #digitalinspiration
to all my poetry friends who have been summer gift-givers.
 It will become part of my #EmbraceableSummer Gallery collection.


The above image started as a photo taken by Linda Baie while vacationing with family in Captiva Island. I digitized the original picture and added a poem.

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Yesterday, I received an amazing book from a random drawing at Amy Ludwig Vanderater's Sharing Our Notebook's site. My creative friend, Matt Grundler shared his visual journal there. 
With a grateful heart for my end-of-summer gifts, I am eager to enter the creative zone.

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Now it is time to join the Poetry Friday Party hosted by a wonderful pair of poet friends, Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, publishers of Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud (a must read book for the #BacktoSchool2019 #StartStrong movement).

I am proud to be featured in this book with my poem "Art Class" based on inspiration from Matt Grundler's classroom.

15 comments:

  1. I am so glad that the swap arrived and you enjoyed it!

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    1. I loved the poem and photo. They are going in my #EmbraceableSummer Gallery, Rebecca. I am sending you gratitude for your creative gift. I am glad that you were the first one to comment. Have a wonderful end to summer and a great start of school for your children.

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  2. I love so much about your first poem, Carol, especially this line:
    toe-touching shifting sands,
    and the ending:
    Grateful hearts understand
    the passing of the seasons

    So many beautiful images in this post--both the photos and the figurative ones. Happy Poetry Friday!
    and do not mourn.
    They sing new songs.

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  3. Oops. my computer hiccuped as I posted above. Here's what I meant to say (Hope it comes through properly this time.)

    I love so much about your first poem, Carol, especially this line:
    toe-touching shifting sands,

    and the ending:

    Grateful hearts understand
    the passing of the seasons
    and do not mourn.
    They sing new songs.

    So many beautiful images in this post--both the photos and the figurative ones. Happy Poetry Friday!

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  4. So much beauty here--I especially love the singing of new songs. Despite any hard times or just endings of wonderful things, we can always find new songs to sing. Happy end of summer!

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  5. Carol, Both your and Rebecca's poems gently let summer slip into fall. I'll try to savor the summer memories at our lakeside cottage, though I'm a bit sad about saying farewell to warm weather. Time to sing a new song, you say!

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  6. It is wonderful to see the summer savoring of so many this Poetry Friday. Your poem with my picture certainly brings back special memories to me, Carol, & I love the poem & Rebecca's, too. Ah, summer!

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  7. Oh, these final days of summer are blissful! I must admit though, I am ready for autumn's return. The heat has been stifling here in Texas. I hope you have a chance to stop by may space, Carol! I have an image poem inspired by your Embraceable Summer gallery offering :)

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    1. Yes, Kiesha, I saw your lovely #imagepoem but was too tired to reply. I am about to continue reading PF posts this morning. Thank you for sharing your #digitalinpsiration to add to my #EndofSummer moments.

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  8. I love this montage of summer poems both yours and Rebecca's–my daughter and I were dipping our toes in some of summer's lingering sun-warmed sand today… thanks for all Carol, lovely post!

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  9. DearCarol - May I give you a virtual hug? Your words of the Summer Season return sanity to me regarding the Florida version of the same months, unusually unbearable days & nights Appreciations for leading me to acknowledging true joy in this neverendingsummer - the butterflies, yes; the hummingbird at our shrimp plants last evening, yes, yes. We are blessed the Dorian gray dump didn't arrive here. (And now I will go & fill another bag with canned goods for island folks. )

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  10. Oh, this line...."wrapping Autumn's blanket" is absolutely cozy and stunning at the same time. I do love that the weather is becoming milder. We can enjoy it more outdoors even if jumping in the waves is not as fun. Enjoy this time. Can't wait to hear about your travels.

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  11. So much summer goodness! I love the image of summer wrapping up in autumn's blanket -- such a cozy image.

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  12. Hi, Carol, and thank you for all the goodness here! Your summer musings are lovely and Janet and I are so grateful for your support of GREAT MORNING. Wishing you all the best for the new school year!

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    1. Ditto! Let me echo what Sylvia said--and thank you for sharing your clever "Art Class" poem, a tribute to a 21st-century art classroom (complete with green screen)!

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