Winter Always Turns to Spring

As winter turns to spring, I feel time fleeting by. I remember persevering during the winter months, as difficult as that was. Each day, I found one small way to unwrap twisted yarns. With bereavement counseling and support from my therapist, I walked away from each session with a spirit of hope. 

Time is fleeting. It floats through peaks and valleys. Nature moves backwards, then forwards. The sunshine of spring turns to pounding rain today. Somehow, it is therapeutic as it roars and then subsides into the darkness of morning. Nature nurtures my soul. Winter turns to spring. In its magical space of sunshine covered over by the grey of rain, I find hope floating in the air. Grief comes and goes like fleeting time. 

I ponder how I can poetically explain grief as it pours itself over me on dark days that transform into spring's warmth. I lean on spiritual faith and the power of nature to nurture and restore my grieving soul.

This month's Poetry Sisters challenge seems to be an overwhelming project for me. As I write, feelings flash in my heart. Yet, I try to make sense of my ravelled thoughts to create an Ovillejos poem that asks us to write tight little bundles of poetry. Tanita S. Davis explains the format. I thank her for the #PoetryPals invitation and the lovely graphic she added above.

"This Spanish poem bundles ten lines, made up of 3 rhyming couplets interspersed with three verrry short lines, and a quatrain. The last line is a redondilla, a little round that collects all three short lines and casts off the poem, as it were."

FLEETING TIME (Format List)

1. How does time slip away each day? (8syllables)  

2..It finds a way. (short answer)

3. Does time have power over me? (8 syllables)
4. Love lasts. (short answer)
5. Is there a balm for every soul? (8 syllables)
6. To make us whole. (short answer)

7. hough grieving moments spike, fade, roll, (summaring quatrain starts. 

8. Fleeting hours drift, I don't stray. 

9. My heart endures with hope I pray. 

10. Find a way. Love lasts. Make me whole.

 

So "winter always turns to spring" is a phrase I shall remember. The words of Nichiren Daishonin remind me that difficult times, such as this winter, reminds me to persevere because there will always be days that lead to better, brighter moments. On the positive side of time, I add this quote by Sophia Dembling from Psychology Today's Personal Perspective, "Grief and the Passage of Time". 

"Time is our friend in that it is the only thing that can dull the sharp edge of grief, although it can't end our grief, which is forever."

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The Poetry Friday Roundup is a wonder of challenges today. Besides it being the end of the month Poetry Sisters' Challenge, our Poetry Friday host, Marcie Flinchum Atkins is celebrating twilight. Her newest book, When Twilight Comes, is coming out on March 31st. Teachers and librarians can find activity copies for the book at her blog site. 

Marcie also invited readers to send a favorite photo of twilight and/or write a poem to celebrate twilight with her. 

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I am also celebrating the opening of springtime with the Two Writing Teachers, a meeting place for a world of reflective teachers. 

Day 27 for #SOLSC26 Challenge

The World Whispers in Wonder

December marks the end of this year. Winter arrives quietly, and the Poetry Sisters (Tanita, Laura, Mary Lee, Liz, Sara, Tricia, and Kelly) encourage #PoetryPals to join their December challenge. They are composing haibuns, beautifully brief melanges of a prose poem and haiku, as created by Matsuo Bashō.

I reflect on the winter scene photographed by my daughter in 2015 and the quote by the marvelous poet, Lee Bennett Hopkins to write my haibun.

The world whispers in wonder as winter's serene beauty glistens across the snow. Trees at ski resorts tipped in white frosting create a snowdrop wonderland. Areas without sparkling snow find beauty among leafless trees and seasonal greenery. Some days reflecting on nature's serene beauty is a common practice. Other days are pampered by the sun in the south or drizzling rain in drought-ridden areas. Whether you find winter etched in a canopy of frosted elegance or enveloped in a golden sunrise, know that winter blankets Earth in various styles. Time for a quiet self-care pause.

early december stillness
embraces fall's fading breath
winter arrives

CVarsalona, 2024 haibun

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Is hosted by Artist/Poet Michelle Kogan

who is also participating in the Poetry Sisters December Challenge.

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Note: My book review of Clara's Kooky Compendium of ThimbleThoughts and WonderFuzz created by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong can be found here. I am honored that my poem, Would You Like To Bake?, is published in the new book.

Poetpourri

There have been many poetry happenings starting up on social media lately. Writers' pens have been moving quickly across their notebooks and/or computer screens, sending messages of beauty and strength in response to nature and news. Haikus, free verse poems, image poems, blogs, and digital inspirations have been created and sent out to spark conversations. The movement has grown into a poetry in action initiative.

Last week, Donna Smith of Mainely Write posted responses to a challenge she initiative dealing with the topic ferocious women. You can find the different poems in response to the challenge here. Since I was preoccupied with hosting Poetry Friday, I left the penning of my poem to later. Sixteen writers participated initially by sending in lines that you can see below. From these a new poem was to be created.

1. Buffy Silverman: "ferocious women who never bring you coffee" - refrigerator magnetic poetry
2. Donna Smith: "always leave a wild song" - refrigerator magnetic poetry
3. Linda Baie: "dreaming women do art in poetry" - from her pile of poetry blocks
4. Buffy Silverman: "where wizards and wolves rush by in a blur of green and gold and gray" - patched together from Kate Dicamillo's Where Are You Going Baby Lincoln
5. Kay McGriff: "ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones" from Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five
6. Linda Mitchell: "waking the world to a new day"
7. Margaret Simon: "steam that climbs like smoke from a fire" - this was in the comments the first week, and I'm not sure if it is a comment or a line... but I'm using it! 
8. Carol Varsalona: "fearless women reach out, connect, and find joy in life's intertwined moments" - Connecting the word "fearless" that April had used last week.
9. Tabatha Yeatts: "little chest to put the Alive in" - Emily Dickinson
10. Joy Acey: "wear loose clothing and a smile" - from a thought and some connections
11. Jan Godown Annino:  "I feel like there should be more stories out there for girls, and I try to tell them" - a quote from Hope Larson from the book COMICS CONFIDENTIAL.
12. Mary Lee Hahn: "ferocious women do not exaggerate" - from Mary Oliver's UPSTREAM on page 109, "I do not exaggerate."
13. Brenda Harsham: "make a ferocious dinner that eats masks, drips truth and saves softness for dessert"
14. Keri Lewis: "radical at their core" from her husband's magazine, "Guns & Ammo"
15. Kiesha Shepard: "ferocious women would rather drink the wind" - a line from Mary Oliver's (Why I Wake Early) titled "The Arrowhead"
16. Diane Mayr: "out of endurance, exaltation" - a line from the poem "Monadnock" by Robert Francis.

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Eye on Women

Fearless women,

Alive with life,

Ferociously

Reach out

To drink the wind,

Ignore the awful times,

Exalt the good ones,

Connect and find life's

Intertwined moments

To tell the stories

That ought to be told.

Dreaming women

Alive with hope,

Do art in poetry,

Leave a wild song

For young girls who

Steam through life with

Energy that climbs like smoke

From fires, waking the world to

Yet another day of bold, joyful pursuits

Saving softness for dessert and dreams.
©CVarsalona, 2017

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Ferocious women connect to wake a world from the awful times of past decades:

Under-paid roles, bringing in coffee as wizards and wolves rush by in a blur.

Radical at their core, ferocious women unshackled from rigidity of corseted clothes,

Don the garb of loose clothing to concentrate on a new day filled with exaltation.

Fearlessly, they drink the wind, smile in unity, and write stories for posterity,

Audaciously charging ahead, concentrating on good times to pave the way

For a bold new generation of brilliant, truth-bearing daughters

Who listen, lead, and build hopes and dreams

on the principles of democracy.

©CVarsalona, 2017

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Penny Klostermann is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-up at Penny and Her Jots.

Join in the fun.

Capturing Autumn

It's true that I am inspired by nature. Closer observation of the world has changed my perception for I now see each season for its beauty, not any negative components. In doing so, I embrace the word believe as a powerful way to think positively and find possibilities in life's landscapes. 

Tonight during the #G2Great educational chat, I was excited to read a quote from poet Georgia Heard that resonated with me. 

This led me to start wondering about the gift of writing.

I searched for a poem that would describe the beauty of October as I saw it this week in my travels.

Vintage book dated 1928

Home Thoughts

by Odell Shepard

October in New England,
And I not there to see
The glamour of the goldenrod,
The flame of the maple tree!

October in my own land. . . .
I know what glory fills
The mountains of New Hampshire
And Massachusetts hills.

I know what hues of opal
Rhode Island breezes fan,
And how Connecticut puts on
Colors of Hindustan.

Vermont, in robes of splendor,
Sings with the woods of Maine
Alternate hallelujahs
Of gold and crimson stain.

You can read the rest of the poem that takes on a bit of a different tone here. 

Below is a photo collage from the day trip I took with my family to find fall. We were fortunate to witness the beauty of an Indian Summer day with autumn colors popping. Each time I am captivated by the beauty of nature, I am inspired to write.

Join me this season as I capture the beauty of the fall for the Autumnventure Gallery.

Today is Poetry Friday, please visit Tricia Stohr-Hunt's site, The Miss Rumphius Effect, for the Poetry Round-Up. 

Beaching in the Atlantic Waters

July in Long Island always has had its heated days but this summer it seems to have been hotter than usual. 

What's a family to do when the heat reaches a record high? 

We go "beaching" because the cooling Atlantic Ocean waves are always ready to greet us for summerscapes moments. 

Take a stroll with me, #digipoetry style, 

to my favorite summerscape site, the beach.

Gentle reminder that I am collecting #imagepoems, digital creations, inspirational quotes, music, and photos for the digital, global gallery, #Summerscapes, I am designing. August 31, 2016 is the deadline. I hope that additional Poetry Friday friends will participate. 

Please visit my colleague, Julieanne Harmatz, at To Read, To Write, To Be for the Poetry Friday Round-up. Be sure to wish her a happy birthday.

Summerscape Moments

Finding your summerscape moment is 

mind, body, and soul work! Dig deep!

Read more about summerscape moments here.

What is your summerscape moment?

You are invited to create it digitally for my global gallery, Summerscapes. If you have not seen the invitation, you can access it here. The deadline for submission is August 31st.

Please visit the Poetry Friday Round-up where my colleague, Tara Smith, is hosting at A Teaching Life. While you are at her farmhouse, you can read "Summer's Elegy".

Slowing Down

Fireflies, summer's magical fairies, are flitting to and fro on humid, summer evenings here on Long Island. I notice their quick bursts of lights blinking in the darkness reminding me of children in search of wonder. Like the children catching fireflies, I search for wonder and notice that is all around me. 

For the first Poem Swap created by Tabitha Yeatts, Jone MacCulloch shares some of her creative spirit with me as she reminds me that summer is a time to slow down. I am definitely in the mood for that, especially since my house has been a revolving door of service repair people and contractors.

Thank you, Jone, for the poetry postcard that combines your artistic talents and graces my desk area. Your words provide me with much to ponder during the hot, humid summer of 2016.

Poetic voice is present in nature, the seasons, and within our hearts. I wait for each evening that the fireflies light up the darkness.

For all my poetry friends, I thank you for continuing to inspire me to wonder. Spring's Seeds Gallery has been released. You can access it here. I am already envisioning my new seasonal venture, Summerscapes, and hope you join me in search of relaxing summer moments to slow down time. 

Now, it is time to visit my poet friend, Mary Lee Hahn at a Year of Reading to catch up on all of the Poetry Friday postings. Please join me.