Friday, April 17, 2020

Nature Nurtures Neighborhoods

As COVID-19 continues to rage here on Long Island, nature shares its beauty. With a heart full of gratitude, I step outside my home to notice my surroundings and let nature nurture my soul. Tiny buds open with the colors of spring and skies flood earth with glorious rays. Sunrises and sunsets spread their hues of rose tint and sunset orange. 

Step outside.
Neighborhoods come alive
with the scent of springtime.


Please join me at NYEDChat's Annual Poetry Twitter Chat
Monday, April 20, 2020, 8:00-8:30 pm EST
to discuss
"Poetry Soothes Souls During Troubled Times"




Georgia Heard
and
Rebecca Kai Dotlich 
will guest moderate.

Raise your voices with our poetry community to give
the gift of hope through poetic thoughts.






Today, I join the talented photographer poet Molly Hogan at her blog site where she shares the sensory experience of creating bread and then mixing it with poetry. Her poem is sure to bring comfort to readers. As an aside, Molly allowed me to use one of her lovely bird photographs to pair with one of my quarantine life poems. It can be seen here

22 comments:

  1. Dear Carol - so glad you've got these flower keeping you company during this time... and I love your graphic so much for the Edchat with Georgia and Rebecca. I'm planning to be there! xo

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    1. I am so delighted that I will be able to greet you at the chat. I am looking forward to it. Poetry soothes souls!

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  2. Carol, I'm glad that you are well. Long Island has been hit so hard. Nature is a loving friend right now. Enjoy the sunshine.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. We had a scare with my son - contracted pink eye from work but after a week of prescription eye drops he was better. He is out of work because where he works is the epicenter of the virus. I hope to take a walk in the sunshine after I bake (it is cold outside).

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  3. I am envious of your neighborhood's scent of springtime--it's a snowy day here today, but spring will come.

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    1. Hopefully, your neighborhood will look like mine soon, Buffy. My husband did say that there was talk of snow on Long Island. It is gray and coldish here.

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  4. Our snow is melting & it's a delightful day, thank goodness. And thanks for a beautiful walk with you, Carol. I hope to remember for Monday. It sound like a lot of fun!

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    1. I hope you do remember to join me on Monday at 8:00pmEST, Linda. It is always a pleasure to hear your thoughts.

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  5. Glad you are well, and I love these vivid springtime photos and poems. Nature does nurture.

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    1. Thank you, Kay, for your good wishes. Nature continues to nurture me. A photo came in from India tonight that was so unusual. i wrote a poem to accompany it for the gallery with permission from my Twitter friend.

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  6. Your words are poignant to our times Carol, "fragmented" and
    "…life is complex,
    a rollercoaster of thoughts,"
    Your #NYEDChat is very tempting… Lovely image at the top– I left you a comment for your earlier quarantine life poems. Thanks for all!

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    1. Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Michelle. I am glad that you picked up on the words you mentioned. Each day I seem to be on that rollercoaster so writing helps me sort out the happenings.

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  7. Carol, your poems capture so much of what I'm feeling these days--tumbling with mixed emotions, practicing social distancing, seeking solace in nature and poetry...I can so relate to "a heart fragmented by a myriad of thoughts" Take care!

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    1. Molly, your comment gave me ideas for questions at Monday night's #NYEDChat. Thanks for agreeing that the thoughts I am thinking are a reality for others. Life here is so unusual and I am not sure what the new normal is going to look like.

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  8. So many ups and downs. Fragmented totally describes my life right now... Hope to be at the NYED chat Monday night:>)

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    1. I would love for you to add your voice to ours at #NYEDChat Laura. Georgia, Rebecca, and I spent some time this afternoon, collaborating on questions to pose. It was really fun and it distracted me from an upside down life. Two days in a row I have been inside because of the cold and rain.

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  9. Watching what is happening in your part of the world is gut wrenching, Carol. I am glad you can find some moments of solace in nature - and poetry.

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    1. Thanks, Sally. The sun is shining today so a walk around the neighborhood will be a treat. I might even find a poem or two.

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  10. Thanks for reminding us of spring's beauty -- easy to forget during this crisis. Glad you are finding nature a comfort and balm.

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    1. Spring's beauty is right in front of my writing desk window, Jama. People walk dogs, enjoy the weather, some masked, some not. After two days of darkness and rain, the streets are filled with cheer but social distancing is in tact.

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  11. So lovely, Carol. In the midst of these "feelings", nature continues to bring me peace and joy.

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    1. I am with you, Kimberly. Even when the weather is dark and rainy, I can gather comfort in the nature photos I and others take.

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