There is an art to summering during the summer season. It begins with a place animated by nature's hand and a feeling of ease. Sunshine warms hearts while clouds stretch across the sky watching below. A curtain of positivity swishes in the breeze. But there may be days when gray clouds push through the sunshine and thunder through trees. Either way, bright sunshine or torrential rains, nature nurtures human beings in invisible ways. This I know since my family and I set out on a journey to celebrate my husband's life, as he wished. Summering was a treat since the weather was beautiful and the memories fond.
It is three weeks since we celebrated my husband's life. I carried home with me a spirit of peace but lately there have been difficulties sleeping. I wake with thoughts that I am overwhelmed. My dreams encourage this feeling although I cannot remember exactly what I dreamed. I turn to my writing to find a sense of balance but deep inside there is a void.
I thank the Poetry Sisters, Tanita at {fiction, instead of lies}, Laura at Laura Purdie Salas, Tricia at The Miss Ruphius Effect, Sara at Read Write Believe, Mary Lee Hahn at Another Year of Reading, and Liz at Liz Garton Scanlon, who invite writers to join their August challenge. I am happy to do so because I need a distraction from reality. Their prompt states, "If poetry is a love letter to readers, this month, we're writing back. Using Nikki Giovanni's "Talk to Me, Poem, I Think I Got the Blues" as a mentor verse, we are writing poetry in conversation with a poem and adding the hashtag #PoetryPals to our posts and social media.
Stay tuned. In the near future, I will share a mini-gallery of artistic expressions, The Art of Summering 2025.
Welcome to the Art of Summering 2025 Mini-Gallery
oooof. This poem hits hard. I don't know if there is any way of assuaging this sharp point of grief so beautifully described in your golden shovel. That waking and feeling overwhelmed. Even though it's your poem, it's so universal to all of us. Well done.
ReplyDeleteLinda, this poem that I wrote is still part of my life journey although I am working through my paperwork for Richard and Derek to lighten the load. I have found out that grief has its way to come and go. I am thankful for your reading of my post and your support.
DeleteCarol, this is a heartstopper poem. SO relatable. Thank you and wishing you peace, my friend. xo
ReplyDeleteIrene, when writing this poem I did not think about the outside world and how others would relate to its words. I can see now how this poem might touch other women who are feeling the grief that hides inside. Enjoy the end of August.
DeleteOoh - what a clever use of Giovanni's title with the golden shovel, and I love the envoi with the internal rhyme that echoes your final line. I, too, have stumbled under that to-do list and discombobulation - we see you, poet, in ourselves. Hold on, friend.
ReplyDeleteTanita, it is wonderful to have poetry friends as supporters. Thank you for your lovely comment. I liked the thought in Nikki Giovanni's poem (that I never read before) so much that I knew I had to use it in my conversational poem. The blues hit hard, stretch their ties, and try hard to settle in. I am hoping and praying to find a pause for a bit.
ReplyDelete