Navigating Reality: A Landay Poem for Richard

In the quiet space under the moon

I listen for your whispered thoughts from heaven sent

soon spring's veiled mornings will shower love

will your voice find mine on the edge of dampened darkness

my heart longs for one lasting moment

of blessed peace sweeping through our home we built together

©CVarsalona, 2025, landay poem

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What is a Landay Poem? A landay is a traditional Afghan poetic form consisting of a two-line couplet, often sung or recited. It's an oral tradition, primarily, associated with Pashtun women, and frequently anonymous. The first line typically has nine syllables, and the second has thirteen. Landays explore themes of love, grief, war, nature, beauty, or death. (AI) 

This is my first landay poem. I found this format at Amy Ludwig Vanderwater's blog site and also at Writer's Digest. I thought it would fit my thoughts, so I chose to write three couplets with themes stretching from love, nature, and grief. 

Love: When moving to Virginia from Long Island, New York, we searched many areas to find our retirement home. The intent was to live close to my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. We wanted a new home built to our expectations in a small community of kindhearted, family-based neighbors. We were blessed to find both. 

Nature: Gainesville, Virginia, is a beautiful area close to Washington, DC and the countryside. Since we enjoyed our spacious gardens in Long Island, we decided to build a few on our new property. Each season, we added a few more plants, flowers, and bushes. Since 2021, nature has nurtured us. 

Grief: I often say life is fragile and uncertain. Since last May, the thought became a reality. We only had less than a month to care for Richard. Writing offered me time to empty the sadness inside. The inspirational quote by Mahmoud Darwish, "I see poetry as spiritual medicine", provided an anchor for me on my spiritual journey. 

Richard's time on earth has passed. The Funeral Mass had a lasting effect on our family but now is not the last time for the family to celebrate Richard's life. The cards, gifts, meals, masses, prayers, and listeners are coming our way to soothe the bereavement period. 

Thank you for joining me as I remember memorable parts of my 48 years of marriage. This summer, I will cherish our wedding day, followed by the first day I met my husband. I appreciate everyone who acknowledges Richard's life, friendships, and love for family. 

I send my thoughts to this week's Poetry Friday Roundup host, Jone Rush MacCulloch, a dear writing friend, poet, author, and artist who appreciates love, nature, family, and writing as much as I do.

Thank you Jone, for adding a beautiful spring poem to your Sunday Solace blog. I wrote a quick haiku to honor your photographic skills.

tulips flood the field

spring winds enjoy sashaying

praise nature's moments

©CVarsalona, 2025, haiku quick write

Photo by Jone Rush MacCulloch

I add my landay poem and haiku to my 2025 National Poetry Month Project.

Navigating Reality - Lament Poem

The days of Lent 2025 have brought me to another phase of my spiritual journey. The urgencies of life have intermingled with the role of caregiving for my beloved husband of 48 years. From mid-February to the first days of April, Richard suffered from a silent disease, a rare type of cancer, a neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas that metastasized to the liver. His life was filled with celebrations, challenges, and devotion to his family.

Family, neighbors, friends, and the medical care of the Virginia Cancer Specialists helped Richard navigate the reality of his life. As with any cancer disease, there were challenges, sorrows, and a tremendous amount of unease. Faith and hope led me forward as I tried to be a caregiver.

When I heard that my Spiritual Journey community of writers and poets under the direction of Ruth Hersey were writing poems of lament, I knew the Lord was with me. I desired to write but each day as a caregiver left me with little time to write. Thoughts were floating in my head, waiting for spaces of time to let my heart speak on the theme of lament during Richard's and my Lenten journey. The lament format can be found in the Bible Psalms. There are approximately 65 Psalms in the Bible that are poems of lament. These poems express sorrow, grief, pleas for help, and deliverance to God. They address the Lord, share complaints, express emotions, ask for the Divine help, and vow to continue to trust, hope, and praise.

My lament poem narrates the ending days of my beloved husband's life. His quality of life was compromised but through the kindness of the medical teams, family, and friends he found his way to unburden his sorrow. With hope and faith surrounding him, Richard was provided a forever resting place.

Last Days of Richard's Spiritual Journey

In the sterile silence,

Drifting words rose

From the depths of his soul

Into the morning light.

I wish I had four more months!

The ordeal of terminal illness,

Filled his eyes with unquestionable fear.

I prayed seeking answers.

When will this sorrow end, Lord?

Between restless sleep and days

Of not eating or barely drinking,

He whispered to me,

You know what is happening!

My heart broke hearing the truth.

How could I soothe his tattered soul?

Tears continued to flow; inner turmoil

increased. Cancer tore his soul as

Sorrow sneaked into the room

Splitting quiet in half.

Be gentle with your breath!  

Let go of fears!

Repetitive requests to take medicine

were negated. Agitation increased.

Lord, please hear my prayer! 

With haste, an on-call oncologist advised

An emergency hospital visit.

The 911 team responded within minutes.

Uneasiness floated through the air.

Time slipped by as the ravaged body

Fought for some renewed comfort.

The plea to return home became impossible. 

When did months turn into days, Lord? 

Three days later, a transport arrived

For his journey to the hospice center,

A place of serene quiet. Life

Unexpectedly turned a corner.

Tears fell like dewdrops in spring.

The inevitable happened.

Nurses gathered; the chaplain prayed.

The priest performed the last rites.

Hope soared upward on the

Ever-present wings of love.

The hands of the Lord opened

Offering the gift of a forever home.

Praise to you, Lord, for the blessing! 

His spirit ascended into the inked sky.

Draft ©CVarsalona, April 2025

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life was shortened

unforeseen happening

nature shared its blooms.

©CVarsalona, 2025 photo and poem

Spring awakens its flowers for Poetry Friday at Irene Latham's blog.

Stop by to be dazzled by Irene's poems and many other writers' work.

NOTE: Later today, a Funeral Mass will be held at St. John Neumann Church in Reston, VA. Richard will find his place among the angels and stars.

I will read the roundup blogs when I can.

I add this lament poem to my 2025 National Poetry Month Project.