There is a newness to life. I pause admiring the splendor of earth as I walk alongside my little granddaughters. There is much to be thankful for: a newly built home during COVID time, the arrival to Virginia after an arduous move, a new life journey, two little granddaughters whose smiles and laughter brighten the times I am with them, and faith. Although during the life move, I worried too much and brought on more stress than I should have, I held on to faith that all knots would be untied.
March springlike weather in Virginia
⁕
the cacophany of springtime chatter floods morning air
we pause to listen to the lilting music of frogs and birds
toddler's curious inquiry stirs my imagination
the rapid swooshing of nighttime rain awakens my sleep
I listen to incessant pounding of nature's lament
quick weather changes bring on instantaneous mood swings
I pause to reflect
as nature stirs my thoughts
Easter hope rises
©CV, 2021
This has been a month of change. I longed for the positivity of all things new while trying to sort my feelings among the many stressors of a life move. Were there too many notions of newness amidst the multiple to-do lists? I often thought that I would not be able to make it through the rough patches of my life move. Everytime I tried to take care of one task others crept in making my efforts not reachable.
Then, came the smile of an almost four-year-old and the laughter of one year old. In their presence, troubles were removed from my thoughts and happiness brought on a new feeling of joy. The newness of being only a half-hour away and being able to Grandma-sit when the baby had a rising fever bout and grandparents-sit when the girls' school was closed. These times melted away the angst of facing the same routine of unpacking boxes and organizing our new home each day.
Romans 12:2 brought a new thought and a new hope that even in the darkest moments there is a bright light opening a passageway. We only need to look and have faith.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
I am awakened to the call of renewal this Holy Thursday after a period of testing. I am ready to move closer to the Spiritual Guide who brings the peace of Easter joy, making all things new and beautiful. In gratitude for this journey of renewal in a new life, I sought a song to express this feeling of newness and what it means. I found "All Things New" and turned the poetic goodness of one line of the lyrics into a Golden Shovel poem of hope using the strike line: "Hope is found, you are here."
It is time for hope
to be renewed. It is
the sweetness of goodness found,
the essence of You
who knows where we are
in relation to our past and our presence here.
©CV, 2021
Thank you to Karen Eastlund, our Spiritual Journey host this month for suggesting the prompt
"All Is New" and building a themed blog post around the concept of springtime newness.
"New life is at our door. It blesses us. We have been given the chance to start over, and start with fresh slate. Anything is possible." -Karen Eastlund
This theme, All is New, transitions me into a new state of being as I start a brand new life in Virginia. Unfortunately, the past months have weighted me down but the season of Lent has been the right time leading me to a new change of heart, mind, spirit, and location. Join me this month as I once again attempt to write poetry daily for National Poetry Month.
Thank you also to Mary Lee Hahn for hosting Poetry Friday this week as she begins her National Poetry Month project of a haiku a day. I am blessed to be part of two fine writing communities that are filled with like-minded poets and bloggers who understand the potential of writing for peace and transformation.
Happy Easter!
Your relief at making it through your season of challenge is palpable! So happy for you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary Lee, for not only be the hostess with the mostess but adding your comment here. Relief is a good word to use. Someone said to me that my stresses during the mood would be forgotten and many of them are out of my mind already.
DeleteBeautiful, Carol! I welcome the arrival of your Easter hope!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to move from a feeling of "I don't know if I can make it" to joy. That is Easter in a nutshell. Hooray!
ReplyDeleteEaster brings such beautiful blessings into our lives. Today, we watched the Good Friday Service from the Vatican. What a beautiful message of faith and hope.
DeleteAll is new indeed... how wonderful to be close to family, and I'm glad you're feeling Easter-ish after a difficult season. xo
ReplyDeleteCarol: Thank you for sharing your difficult journey. I hope the clouds continue to life, more grandgirl smiles will do it! Blessings.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen. Your prompt was the start of a new season of joy. Please enjoy your Easter weekend.
DeleteYou really are experiencing "all things new," Carol, with this move and the chance to savor more moments with your grandchildren. The verse from Romans is one to always heed with the emphasis on the "renewal of your mind." That is a daily thing. Your poems sing with the glories of spring and the Spirit - they are blessings.
ReplyDeleteOh, that Golden Shovel is lovely. Here's to making it through the dark tunnel into now!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all these affirming hopes. I love the first stanza in your first poem, and these lines,
ReplyDelete"we pause to listen to the lilting music of frogs and birds
toddler's curious inquiry stirs my imagination"
Lovely calming and meditative thoughts here and throughout your post, enjoy all these treasures around you!
As the mood swings in the weather, I know this move has had it's ups and downs, as you've shared. Lovely silo, with its change in tone between the two first stanzas. Happy Easter, Carol.
ReplyDeleteJanice, reflection and writing go hand in hand so I am hoping that the lure of nature in a new location will be uplifting enough to let me continue writing. It has been tiring and now I am falling asleep as I write.
DeleteI'm glad life is settling down, Carol, & having good times with granddaughters is a big help with that I'm sure. I love that you're so close to each other. And after such a time of winter's mix-ups, to be there in your new home starting the Spring season is so special! Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteLinda, life is settling down and we are settling in. But there are technological glitches-so many smart home devices and not enough manuals for me to dig into. Maybe this is the world of the Jetsons. Happy Easter to you and your family. We watched Good Friday at the Vatican today and it set the mood with the themes of unity and brotherhood.
DeleteSuch wonderful newness! Spring is full of lovely sounds when we take the time to listen. I have not heard of a sijo (and your link doesn't work) so I am off to explore a new one to me.
ReplyDeleteThe link to the sijo information is https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-sijo-poetry. Let me know when you try the sijo format. Arjeha shared the format at March SOLSC. Thanks for joining me today.
DeleteA move is hard at any time--but during Covid it must have been particularly stressful. Glad to hear that the joy of being close to your grands is lightening the load!
ReplyDeleteLovely, Carol. I'm glad you are finding some relief through nature and poetry. Moving is so hard.
ReplyDeleteCarol I am so glad your hope is rising.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Carol. "The smile of an almost four-year-old and the laughter of one year old" comes through in the lines of your poetry, and "between" the lines. Glad life is settling out for you. :)
ReplyDeleteCarol, congratulations--on making it through to the other side, on bringing peace, on accepting change, on being excited about new things. I know it's been such a stressful time. Sending you hugs, and thank you for your beautiful poems here. I especially love your golden shovel. Fills me with peace and calmness.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you are finding joy on the far side of your transition. It's a big job to move (we did it just two years ago) and create a new home. I love the all things new you explore in this beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are settling in, Carol. Making such a big change is certainly a challenge, but it sounds like it was a good move for you. Enjoy being near your family - such a blessing!
ReplyDeleteCarol, you're certainly in the middle of your own "all things new" phase. I'm amazed that you find the time to write amid all the challenges of the past months. Congrats on being in your new home and available for "Grandma to the rescue" times. You will love being close to those girls. Have a joyous Easter weekend!
ReplyDeleteThis is a delightful poem, Carol. That first line really pops. What is it about the word cacophony that makes me swoon? Oh spring. It provides such fodder for poets.
ReplyDelete