Celebrating Springtime '18

Finally, spring has come to Long Island for a full week! It's been a week of celebrating all "things" related to spring: a changeover in closets, walks in the neighborhood, a fond remembrance of a trip to the boardwalk, and topped off with poetry writing. Lately, my umbrella and sunglasses take turns as the accessory of the day while my iPhone, always busy capturing nature, is a faithful companion. Here on Long Island, spring is a celebratory experience after a long #winterinspring phenomenon that led me to unveil my Winter Wonderland Gallery of Artistic Expressions. 

Now, the weather has settled into a spring pattern of sun and rain and so, I took the opportunity to send out an invitation to my spring gallery, Sense-sational Spring. All this talk of spring has inspired me to continue to write poetry and create digital art. Life is full. Even the birds have returned to their daily practice of awakening morning each spring day. 

"Spring is when life's alive in everything!" This quote from the 19th century poet, Christina Rossetti, has given rise to a flurry of digitals on social media. I couldn't resist using one of my favorite spring scenes of the preserve north of Sleepy Hollow, New York to create a digital inspiration. I hope this creation brings you a sense of peace and the interest to capture your own spring scenes.

For all the baseball fans, the season is upon us and even my grandbaby is enjoying spring at a ball game.

Are you feeling the spring-is-in-the-air love?

Only 2 more days to enjoy National Poetry Month with the amazing poetry that is happening on and off-line. You still have time to check out the poetry happenings at Jama Rattigan's 2018 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup. Click here for the calendar. I know that I have some catching up to do myself.

Signing off with more #poetrylisciouspoetry creations in mind.

I  Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres at her site on the weekends and post at #celebratelu. What are you celebrating this weekend?

Spring Salutations with an Invitation to Write

It's the end of April, a time of renewal. Showers fall gently awakening flowers. Earth comes alive after the chill of winter and a unique weather phenomenon, #winterinspring. 

daybreak dusting

early morning surprise-

winter in april

Photo and Poem by Spiri Howard

Now at the end of April, #winterinspring has moved on, allowing springtime the space to restore life. Traditional April showers greet Long Island in between sunny days of warmer weather. Poets continue to write #poetryliciouspoetry as National Poetry Month draws to a close. The Northeast where I live craves color and warmth.

Laura Hill Timpanaro

It is time to dig deep into our soul to bloom and become a troubadour of nature. It is time to feel earth's call to action, engage your senses, re-energize your spirit, and restore a colorful lens to everyday life. 

CALL TO ACTION

As the earth salutes spring, I invite all to capture the beauty of the season with all five senses. Paint a canvas fresh with deep verdant green colors accented by a rainbow of florals. Light up a gallery of artistic expressions with nature photograph, artwork, poetry, inspirational thoughts, and music. 

Let's capture the renewal of life this spring and

send a myriad of artistic expressions

out into the universe.

Sense-sational Spring Gallery Awaits Your Offerings!

HOW TO ENGAGE IN THIS CHALLENGE
Be creative. Capture the splendors of springtime in a variety of ways:

• Image poems - Superimpose an original poem on an image using a photo editing tool, like PicMonkey, FotoJet, or Canva
• Audio reading of an original poem using SoundCloud, etc.
• Collage, scrapbook art 
• Original inspirational quote or one from a poet or philosopher that is superimposed on a photo 
• Original nature photography in a picture postcard format
• Original artwork (any format)
• Playlist of springtime music linked to the songs or instrumental score
• A Buncee using the Buncee platform
• Video poem using iMovie, Animoto, or Magisto
• Short videos

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

All submissions must:

• Have your name and locale at the bottom
• Be sized to 450 pixels in a jpeg or png format
• Be sent to #Sense_sationalSpring and @cvarsalona at Twitter or cvarsalona at gmail.com with the subject being Sense-sational Spring Gallery Offering

Deadline for Submission: May 31, 2018

Still Not Sure How to Begin: You can refer to last year's spring gallery of artistic expressions, Springsations, here to find mentor texts.

WANTED:

Student Voice for Sense-sational Spring Gallery

Please encourage your class and/or students to engage in this creative writing challenge that will amplify their voices and showcase their artistic talents. 

This invitation extends the experience of writing poetry beyond National Poetry Month because poetry is a YEAR-ROUND endeavor of creative expression. The challenge is full of choice options to amplify voice and integrates the arts, technology, and literacy. Have fun creating poetryliscious poetry.  the Poetry Friday Round-up with ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance "Poems Come Lately"

 

Today, the Poetry Friday Round-up with ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance "Poems Come Lately" by Irene Latham, children's book author and amazing poet is at Irene's blog site Live Your Poem.

Thank you to the Poetry Friday poets whose talented work graced the halls of my recently released Winter Wonderland Gallery of Artistic Expressions that can be found here. 

Touched by Nature

"Seek  the resonance that enters a poem

only when it is touched by the stillness of nature." 

-Margarita Engle

On the days before my daughter's baby shower, I spent time in my gardens with Matt, my landscaper from Rockville Lawn. Our mission was to beautify the exterior of the home. Like in the past, chocolate mulch was added to the beds to provide a beautiful landscape for the plantings that awakened just in time for tomorrow's event at my home. Now, my gardens can have a taste of chocolate along with the rest of my guests to celebrate springtime and the birth of a new addition to our family.

verdant green gardens

filled with nature's bounty-

seasonal decor

showcased in chocolate

festively dressed for spring

spring emissaries

popping up through chocolate

sprouting, standing tall

showcasing seasonal joy-

a springsation to welcome

I always seem to slip into the challenge at the tail end but preparing for the shower has left me little time to unwind and write. These two poems are offered to Michelle H. Barnes' ditty challenge at Today's Little Ditty. My poetry flows from Michelle's interview with Margarita Engle whom I had the privilege of listening to at NCTE 16. Margarita's challenge was to write a tanka, a poetic form that suits me well since I am starting a spring gallery collection of poetic blossoms at #Springsations. 

My ditty challenge is:  Write a tanka poem.  Think of it as a travel diary, even if you are only moving around in your own garden.  You are free to choose any subject.  Your poem is only five lines.  The traditional tanka syllable count is 5-7-5-7-7, but since Japanese syllables are shorter, in English the poem could be awkwardly long. You don’t have to count syllables, but stick to the basic line pattern of short, long, short, long, long.  Keep the total number of syllables for each poem under 30, or even better, keep it under 26.  Less is more.  Shorter is more powerful.  Don’t try to be detailed.  Seek the resonance that enters a poem only when it is touched by the stillness of nature.

I traveled around my garden today from one bed to the next and the images and words are what flowed when my fountain provided the right softness to the night. The stillness of nature is a comfort. 

Friday is the day for Poetry Friends to converse in verse so head over to the Poetry Friday Round-up that can be found at JoAnn Early Macken at Teaching Authors.

The image poems in tanka format above are part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month 2017.

Please consider creating alongside me for my spring gallery of artistic expressions, Springsations.

Joy in Creating

ME                                                                                                                            

There is a joy in the process of creating.                                                                                 AUTHOR--Dejan Stojanovic, The Shape

Creating means living.

ME
When I get involved in a passion project, whatever it is, I immerse myself in the moment, finding fulfillment in what I am doing. Tonight, my passion project is baking cookies as part of a family tradition. In many of my blog posts, I have given high praise to my grandmother and mother for their baking talents. Tonight, I think of them as I continue baking specialty cookies for the baby shower I am hosting this weekend for my daughter. Many of the cookies are dipped in pink chocolate. Have I provided a clue? It's a girl tiny ribbons and heart-shaped trinkets are everywhere in my house. My grandmother and mother must be dancing for joy in their heavenly homes.

REFLECTION
Finding joy in creating evolves as the process nears an end but not everyone realizes this. Some people have never experienced joyful feelings of accomplishment or learning for learning's sake. Some give up while creating, thinking that their work is not "good enough". Some can't move beyond their comfort zone. Others, find fault with their work and rather than revise, discard what they did.

While baking this week, I found enjoyment in the discomfort stage. Trying out new recipes was somewhat challenging because of the unknown but I remembered how creative my mother and grandmother were. That thought spurred me on. As I prepared my cookie dough, I remembered their hands busily preparing tasty confections for their family, working alone in silence to be able to concentrate. They enjoyed honing their craft. I commend their diligence to the tasks they were involved in and their ability to pass down their passion for baking so I can find the joys of creating and living a full life. If I gave up on improving my bakings skills because some of the cookies were a bit too brown around the edges or the frosting a tad too sweet, I would not have been able to create some new tastes for my guests to savor. 

Upon further reflection on the process of creating, I realize that I need to stay on task, focus, and find joy in the process of creating at all stages. 

TAKE AWAY:
Not every creation is going to be a great one but it is just one more step to honing our craft.

Cookies in the oven,

Baby cozy and warm,

Celebrate the wonder

of life about to be born.

©CV, 2017

I share this digital with you to show you that will the cookie dough was delicious, the final products were not picture picture perfect and that's okay! 

The image poem and inspirational message above are part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month 2017.

It's Tuesday! WRITE. SHARE. GIVE.

with Two Writing Teachers for the Slice of Life.

 

March Slice of Life Story Challenge

Arise!

Traditionally, Easter is a family day celebrated by Easter Mass and family dinner, but this Easter day was an unusual one. Without family around us, my husband and I took a ride to the Long Island shore. My son was at work and my daughter, son-in-law, uncle, and cousins were far from Long Island. With windows down and the air rushing in, my husband and I drove the short distance to Long Beach for a stroll on the boardwalk. The beach always provides me with inspiration.

As we entered Long Beach, I noticed a ceiling of sky blue with pillowy clouds hovering over the sandy beach and boardwalk. The temperature was high but April's breeze zipped across shore. Many seemed to be delighted by the winds, as evidenced by the shorts, sleeveless tops worn, and the lone parasailer who was whisking back and forth, crossing the ocean in a beautiful motion. I was grateful that I brought a jacket to ward off the cooling breeze.

My husband and I walked, jogged a few steps, and watched the waves roaring into shore as they splashed against the jetties. Two kites floated in the sky and groups of gulls circled, dipped, and soared higher. Various modes of acceptable boardwalk transportation, bikes, strollers, and skateboards,  were in motion. Vendors were selling their refreshments and beachgoers gravitated to the picnic tables or the beach in the No Beach Goers' Zone. The beachfront was alive with the buzz of conversation, energy, and fair weather.  I was grateful for the time to reflect.

All was at peace. Spirits were renewed.

Easter at the beach was a wonder-filled experience. 

Easter may have been different this year but I was still able to celebrate with the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night and Easter dinner (complete with chocolate candy). Dinner may have been late in the day because my son had to work but we were together and that is what counts. While I missed the rest of my family, I was able to send Easter greetings to them via the phone.

At the close of the day, I was reminded that Easter is more than just a day. It is a holy day of great importance.

Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals.

-Charles M. Crowe 

Spring bursts today, for Christ is risen and all the earth's at play.

-Christina G. Rossetti

Hallelujah! Arise and Renew Your Life!

It's Tuesday and the Slice of Life community is coming together at Two Writing Teachers to enjoy another week of blogging.

The above image poem is part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month and an offering for #NationalHaikuPoetryDay.

Celebrating April

April found its stride this week as sunshine entered each day, a solitary cardinal made its way to my garden after a long winter, and life perked up. Nature reminded earth to celebrate with springtime renewal breath.

april's air stirs in

willow-leaves...a butterfly

floats and balances

-Basho Matsuo

This week balance was needed to restore my surroundings back to life. The mason rebuilt my  front entrance, the landscaper reenergized the front garden with a new blooming tree to replace the serpentine that lost many of its buds, and the meteorologist forecasted warming winds to replace the recent chilled dampness. Spirits were lifted by the start of the spring weather and Easter, the ultimate season of renewal. 

"We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song."

-Pope John Paul II

nature brings new growth

new construction restores peace

springtime radiates

*******

Springtime renews hope in living.

Let's celebrate spring and the hope Easter brings!

The image poem above is part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month 2017.

I celebrate April as National Poetry Month.  Because poetry is a year-round endeavor of creative expression, I have invited all interested in creating their own poetryliscious poetry for my newest gallery, Springsations. You can access the invitation here and add your offerings at the hashtag, #Springsations. 

I share my celebration of April with Ruth Ayres and her Celebrate This Week community. 

Poetry Cubed

Poet/author friend Matt Forrest created a new writing challenge that he featured at Poetry Friday. It is called "Poetry Cubed" and includes the following requirements:

-Use the 3 images provided as inspiration to write a poem - any form, any genre, any number of lines, rhyming or not. Remember, it doesn't have to be very good - the mantra around here is to #WriteLikeNoOneIsReading! This is all about having fun and spurring creativity.
-The only hitch is that you need to include a reference to all three images in the poem - either via concrete imagery or something more abstract.

Steps in My Process: When I read the requirements, I was intrigued and wondered where my mind would lead me. Of course, the first instinct was to see Matt photo prompts in a digital collage format. That recreation was enough to start my word weaving process. Thinking back on my childhood and teenage days, I created a poem titled, Reminiscing.

Invitation: Since these words are first thoughts, I decided to go along with Matt's hashtag, #WriteLikeNoOneIsReading!, but you are reading so you can comment.

Final Reflection:
I really like the way the digital composition fell into place. It might be more of a striking visual if I left the words off and place them below the image. Once you see the two images, you can decide if you have a preference. 

Reminiscing...
Silver screen moments,
Decades past,
Bloomed bright
Against dark skies.
Eyes riveted on
Drive-in delights-
Children's popcorn,
Teen's first kiss.

©CVarsalona, 2017
***************************************

This image poem is part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month 2017.

I am not sure if DigiLit Sunday created by Margaret Simon is meeting this Sunday, but I wanted to let the writing community know of Matt Forrest's challenge. It is a fun activity for #digipoetry writers. 

DigiLit Sunday

Spring Rain

When growing up, the song "April Showers" by Al Jolson always brought a smile. Looking back at this month's damp, rainy weather, the words, "Though April showers may come you way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May," remind me to remain positive. 

Read the following that I found as a introduction to the April shower lyrics: 

"Life is not a highway strewn with flowers.

Still it holds a goodly share of bliss

When the sun gives way to April showers."

The next line, "Here is the point you should never miss", leads into the song.

While driving on the Long Island highway this month, I took a photo of a gray day before the rain came, digitized it, and created a digital inspiration to reminding me of the wonder of nature.

Enjoy the clip of the movie version of Al Jolson's song.

Delight in the springtime weather, whether it is rainy, cloudy, or a sky filled with sunshine. I am looking forward to seeing the colors pop in my May garden, all due to April's showers. 

The above digital composition that I created is part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry project for National Poetry Month. It will be offered to Laura Purdie Salas for her #wonderbreak poetry project. Have a happy spring day!

Morning's Healing Graces

"Be willing to be a beginner every single morning."

-Meister Eckhart

In the grand scheme of life, morning opens each day to new possibilities. If we listen, learn, and live in the spirit of humanKIND, we can appreciate all that life offers. It is with anticipation of the joyous feast of Easter that I dedicate this #poetrylisciouspoetry post to morning's healing graces. 

Yesterday, I wrote after observing the opening of the sky to start the day. Today, I continue the practice of noticing the beauty of early morning. From these observations, reflection and insights evolve. 

Rain pitter patters, splashing the roof.

A solitary bird sings out 

awakening the world to participate 

in the celebration of life.

Varied daybreak voices ring in support of spring.

Is it spring?  I gaze out to a patch of yellow

Popping with news of what is to come. 

*********************************

Morning has broken
Peace resides in a pillowed-sky,
Within the billowing clouds,
My thoughts pass by.

©Carol Varsalona, 2017

While I am still lingering over the #WinterWonder17 Gallery I released last week, my thoughts look ahead to spring. Please watch for messages about my upcoming invitation to my spring gallery of artistic expressions (soon-to-be announced).

The digitals and poems in this slice are part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month. 

I am joining the Poetry Friday Round-up that can be found at Irene Latham's site today to enjoy reading poetry during National Poetry Month.