Poetry Sisters' February Challenge

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” —Vivian Greene

-From a snow day to a freezing rain one-

This month, the Poetry Sisters' invited writers and poets to their February Challenge that asked for a "____ is a Word " poem, originated by Nikki Grimes. See  Nikki's thoughts on the form she created here.  

I am late joining Poetry Friday this week but am happy to sit alone in the quiet and write a post with the hashtag #PoetryPals.

Today is Poetry Friday hosted by the wonderful Denise Krebs who is also participating in the Poetry Sisters' February Challenge. She has two different poems that have not only wordplay but voice. See her blog, Dare To Care, where the Poetry Friday Roundup is a happening.

-It is difficult lately to try to write while having to care for my husband at the same time. I will try to make the rounds as much as I can.

Love is...

"At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet." - Plato

Valentine's Day has passed but love continues to stir in the chilled winter air. I notice that the deer family no longer jaunts across the woods but I see dog owners walking their pets daily. There is no doubt that the deer family and dog owners show their love by their actions. Even in the depth of winter, "Love is the greatest refreshment in life." (Pablo Picsso) For hundreds of years, love has renewed and rejuvenated us. 

love is

an elixir of life

renewing and energizing us

as we witness delicate snowflakes

dancing in the whistling wind-

as we unfold our journey

love is a freshly-draped blanket

wrapping us in spaces of warmth

while bringing hearts together

in synchronization

draft © CVarsalona, 2025

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Love strikes a pose with 25 poems at my Heartnotes Padlet. May you enjoy the variety of poems and inspirational quotes that you many not have seen previously.

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Love is the guide for the Holiday Poetry Swap led by Jone Rush MacCulloch. I hope to share all the beautiful postcards sent by Poetry Friday friends.

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Love is a rainbow with poetic voice authored by Matt Forrest Esenwine (A Universe of Rainbows). It also features poems written by an amazing cast of poets. Matt's 2nd book that I will review is Tractor Dance.  My granddaughters enjoyed this board book and the signed autograph. I will add some of their thoughts to the review in the near future.

                       

I am late for the Poetry Friday Roundup because my husband was discharged from an 8-day stay in the hospital and I have to play nurse.

Golden Shovel Poem created for Day 20 on Laura Shovan's

13th Annual February Poetry Project

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Poetry Friday is hosted this week by the fun-loving children's poet, Laura Purdie Salas. Laura is debuting two new books she wrote. I will join her for poetic goodness and hope you do also.

Valentine's Day Heartnotes

On the eve of Valentine's Day, Mother Teresa's quote is a message for the world: 

Spread love wherever you go. 

Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.

heartnotes are love's messages from one heart to another

cherished

thoughts

spreading

cheer

cherished

love

notes

savored

cherished

heartnotes are love's messages from one heart to another

©CVarsalona, 2025, skinny poem

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The following Poetry Friday writers joined me at my Heartnotes Padlet to send

their messages out into the world. I am grateful for their kindness:

Linda Baie 🩷 Rose Cappelli 🩷Karen Edmisten 🩷 Matt Forrest Esenwine

🩷 Michelle Kogan 🩷 Denise Krebs 🩷 Irene Latham 🩷Margaret Simon

🩷Susan Thomsen 🩷 Linda Kulp Trout  🩷 Tabatha Yeatts

🩷Avalyn, James, Marifay (Margaret Simon's Students) 

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Call  To  Action

beyond Valentine's Day

let your heart

reach out to others-

connections

open doors to human kindness

©CVarsalona, 2025

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Thank you to Linda Baie for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup with her walk down memory lane  Love Is In the Air message. She offers a memory, music to accompany it, and a creative poem written about her playlist. Click here.

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If you would like to add a heartnote, inspirational quote, photograph, etc. please click here.

Baby's Kiss

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A baby's kiss is the purest form of love.

Looking back to summer, I remember the warmth of the wind with its puffy clouds swirling in a slow-motion sky. I eagerly waited for the three little grandgirls to play in my backyard, stroll to the gardens, and laugh as the birds swooped down to the neighbor's birdfeeder. 

The sound of a door opening caught my attention. Two little girls ran through the house ready for play. Little Lila, who was 15 months old at that time, entered while being held by my daughter. "We have a surprise for you," she announced. At that moment, Lila was encouraged to move closer and plant her first kiss to me on my cheek. Ah, her sweet baby lips upon my face was pure joy. You can imagine how excited I was to receive Lila's magical kiss on a sunlit summer day. 

one kiss ascends

into a warm summer sky

lighting up my world

©CVarsalona, 2025

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each summer day,

flutters like a butterfly. 

in a garden of love

unconditionally

kisses a sunlit world

spreading joy

©CVarsalona, 2025

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I thank Two Writing Teachers for sharing their reflective space for Slices of Life across the world.

Poetry Friday Roundup Is Here!

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Let's gather to honor "love as the poetry of the senses"!

(Honore de Balzac)

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To honor Valentine's Day, a love note to the rest of the year (Jo Lightfoot), I offer you my heartnotes to savor. I also invite you to create heartnotes / love notes to add to my Heartnotes Padlet for public viewing.

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lift up your heart

residing within the soul

wrap it in love

©CVarsalona, 2025

This heartnote is a Love's Message postcard from 1912. There is no message on the back, just an address. I created the haiku based on an inspirational thought: Love in all its complexity, is the ethereal beauty that resides within the human soul.

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The above image poem/ekphrastic poem came from nature's surprise as I walked out the door. Voltaire wrote, Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination. The photo is a heartnote to winter on a FotoJet canvas. My imagination allowed me to meld the photo and word choices into another love message.

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"Love is the greatest refreshment in life." - Pablo Picasso

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May everyone enjoy the A Gift of Love postcard sent in 1911.

Love is magical

Gift of one heart to another

souls unveiled

©CVarsalona, 2025

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Please add your link below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Opening a New Door - Spiritual Journey

It's Spiritual Journey Thursday with our host, Bob Hamera (aka arjeha). He reminds us that when God closes one door, He opens another. It is up to us to recognize the new door and go through it. Thank you Bob for the questions you provided for us to be aware of the roadblocks in our life and proceed with steadfastness.

After mulling over Bob's questions, I mentally listed the abrupt challenges that occurred during different seasons of my life. While these times were difficult, I hung on to hope. New pathways to renew life evolved. Each time gratitude filled my heart. God was with me through every challenge.

Walking on the Edge of Darkness

Life moves in seasons.

Sometimes I walk

Joyfully along the road.

Other times I trip,

Lost in a tangled maze 

Darkened by mishap.

Sunset's shades close.

Tears puddle.

Heart blackens.

Wonderings wander

in a swirl of heavy clouds.

Where is the light? I often ask.

Doubt jumps in but

Faith widens a pathway

Shimmying in silence

Under an inked sky.

Sometimes, a path is unclear.

I pause to recalibrate.

Stars gather with

Enough brilliance,

Leading the way

To a bright new day.

Only the Master Artist

Creates new walkways.

draft ©CVarsalona, 2025

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 30: 31) 

With this promise in mind, I send a song of gratitude into the universe.

Logo designed by Margaret Simon

Two Sides of Winter

While winter white snow leaves a feeling of tranquility on a day filled with sunshine, it also has another side after the pristine snow settles and lasts for days. That snow is frozen and silent until vehicles traveling on town roads and highways push their snow bundles around causing "dirty snow". 

I have experienced snowfalls up to 6 feet growing up in Syracuse, the central part of New York State. My sister and neighborhood children enjoyed the pristine snow scenes but adults mostly complained about the very tedious shoveling. Growing up, I watched winter bring all different types of snow, white dancing fairy snow, frozen cold snow that you could feel through your mittens, and melting snow from rain just when you wanted to build a snowman. 

Two Sides of Winter

SPECIAL INVITATION TO SLICERS

I am hosting Poetry Friday on February 7th at my Beyond LiteracyLink blog. Create a love note, valentine, poem, digital artwork, etc. I created a padlet, titled Heartnotes for interested writers. Join me as I honor Valentine's Day, a love-note to the rest of the year. (Jo Lightfoot)

You can find my padlet here.

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Thank you Two Writing Teachers for the space to write with colleagues from across the globe. You can read other Slices of Life here.