Uncertainty

I knew that the pile-up of tasks, commitments, and appointments would backfire sooner or later. Instead of feeling relieved that some projects for the house are underway, I feel rushed and scattered. I frantically move from room to room trying to find items buried deep in what looks like mounds of snow inside my house. In fact, this is one reason for not slicing last week. The other reason is that I was Grandma sitting for the little grandgirls. All my attention had to be devoted to the little ones and nap time was not long enough. BUT the five-day experience was filled with happiness!

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There is uncertainty in the way I am moving these days. Besides misplacing important papers, I hit a brick wall. It appears that my muse temporarily took a vacation. The sun is shining and the temperature is up to 48 degrees. In addition, the snow has melted. By the number of people out and about, it looks like spring fever has spread. Without my muse, I struggled with today's prompt challenge at Laura Shovan's 10th Annual February Poetry Project. 

Have you ever heard of the girl band, The Bangles? They took Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 song, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and turned it into a "harder-edged rock song" in the 1980's, titled Hazy Shade of Winter. I love the song and it has been playing over and over in my mind since last night when Matthew Winner asked the group of writers to create a poetic expression using the song. Since I love the winter season with its ambiance, I thought this would be fun. Well, fun turned into more research than expected. In addition, I investigated many formats, such as a blackout poem, rhyming/non-rhyming poems, and free verse. I kept the various versions but decided not to use them. So this morning, I scraped the formats and started with the thoughts. I submitted my last revision with uncertainty recently. Will it survive? Will comments help me revise one more time? As the song says, "Time, time, time. See what's become of me. While I looked around for possibilities."

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Here is what I decided upon. (Hmm! Muse, where are you?)

Time Passes On 

Under a hazy shade of winter, hope rises like smoke from stoked fire pits. Over there, leaves of brown cling to a crystallized mound. Here, chimes tinkle on porches; lights twinkle on posts. Music floats out from stereo speakers. Snowdrops sprout. Springtime shouts; scenery changes. Spring bows gracefully to Winter’s soulful gaze as Time passes on.

possibilities

it’s the springtimes of our lives

hang on to hopes

©CarolVarsalona, 2022, draft

Bangles, Hazy Shade of Winter YouTube

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It's Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

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Some Slicers have offered their artistic expressions for my Winter's Embrace Global Gallery. I invite you to showcase one work for the gallery.

The deadline is extended.

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What does one of my online galleries look like? Click here.

Embracing Winter Sunsets

 “Anne came dancing home in the purple winter twilight across the snowy places.” - LM Montgomery

Moving from Long Island to New York has been a shift in setting and an interesting experience. In Long Island, I was awed by the ocean but here, in my Virginia community, the woods in front of my house look serene when nightfall comes. Sunsets are remarkable paintings of beautiful, muted scenes or fiery, colored markings in the sky. 

Other areas of the country share the glow of winter sunsets, too. 

Oregon coast in winter- Rita Wirtz

Pink clouds hover.

Provide a backdrop

For bare winter limbs.

Serenity surrounds life.

-Faige Miller, Los Angeles

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purple winter sunset serenity

blissful

tranquil

filled

with

blissful

beauty

awakening

senses

blissful

winter sunset-purple serenity

©CVarsalona, 2022, skinny poem

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I appreciate the pause in life each week where I can slice my thoughts with Two Writing Teachers.