#haikuforhealing - November 2024

It's late November and the chill is on. Lady Autumn sheds her leaves and prepares for warmer apparel. The scattered leaves fall here and there. Thanksgiving decor and dinner menus are in the preparation phase while grocery stores are busy with shoppers and turkey talk. This year my little grandgirls are coming to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. We will have a wonderful time gathering together

In the meantime, I am sharing haikus with the hashtag #haikuforhealing. Thank you Mary Lee Hahn for offering this poetry project. What better time to share our thoughts via poetry and photos! (The above image is from Pixabay. Isn't it beautiful?)

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Last Leaves of Autumn

Can you spot the heart-shaped leaf below?

brisk wind spins through trees

leaves bare their heart to nature

autumn transitions

©CVarsalona, 2024

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Hempstead Lake Park, Long Island 2020 

fall's chilled weather

kisses the leaves goodbye

life moves on

©CVarsalona, 2024

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Thanksgiving

handmade-crafted wreath

honors giving side of fall

gather together

©CVarsalona, 2024

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"The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us." -James E. Faust

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Be blessed and thankful at all times. I am grateful that I finally have time to write this blog post and send it to Poetry Friday's host, Ruth Hersey at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town. Ruth is in East Africa working with her husband. Besides being interested in birds with a tremendous knowledge of different species, she teaches English. Her Spiritual Journey blog, My world, your world, our world, is interesting since she has been around this world of ours.  

November Thoughts

November rides the winds searching for Autumn's last breath before the season transitions to another. The change in weather adds to the beauty of blue skies and golden blankets beneath our feet. There is a sense of solemnity outdoors as people come and go doing their civic duty. 

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Photo created with Graphite

Returning indoors, news flashes, polls roll on by, and political talk sweeps across the stations. Voices become louder and emotions stir like leaves blowing in the wind, scattering here and there, and crunching beneath feet. Darkness approaches, polls close, and neighborhood streets become quiet once again.

Television anchor teams continue offering information late into the night. Smartboards load with two colors but results take their time in coming. Another beautiful November morning arrives and I fill our minds with more news and data. We pause with pride thinking back on the Preamble to the Constitution and hope that this presidential term will not be divisive. It is important to honor what our Founding Fathers wrote in the Constitution.

"We are the people of the United States who must establish justice, domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

We vote because "Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world". -Sharone Salzberg, American Author

May November winds circulate across the states, bringing the spirit of togetherness and unity.

autumn pause

election

commitment

quiet vote

in private

voice matters

cast ballot

stay informed

proud to vote

©CVarsalona, 2024, tricube

It is now time for Poetry Friday with Cathy Mere, our host. She offers a powerful poem on intergenerational women. Click here to find poetic goodness in Cathy's and the Poetry Friday's blogs.

October's End-Catch The Vibes

There's a whisper of Autumn's magic as she gracefully prepares to turn October's evenings into November days. Before November arrives, Autumn gathers colorful leaves swishing by her feet and throws them playfully into the wind. Then, she continues to tread lightly because ghastly ghosts might appear on her Autumn walk. Are you ready for a Halloween treat?

Would you like to see the above-animated poster? Click here to find the Buncee I created. If I lived in Louisiana, I would see mysterious Spanish Moss hanging over bushes. Last Wednesday, slicer Margaret Simon, shared a photo for This Photo Wants to Be Poem. One of her talented students, Avalyn  created a poetic format. You can click here to read the format. Moving on to Hallow's Eve, you can find another animated  Buncee.

Enjoy Halloween. I do every year and can't wait to see my grandgirls' costumes. 

This is my Tuesday's Slice of Life that I send to Two Writing Teachers,

a meeting place for a world of reflective writers.

Since I have another respiratory infection, I will spread slices and send comments tomorrow.

Connecting With Nature

Autumn holds a wonder all its own.  - Laura Jaworski

Digitized Photo 

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Autumn days slowly transition into eye-catching, picturesque scenes of color. Each day I enjoy discovering fall's beauty in ordinary and extraordinary places. While researching the topic of self-care, I found connecting with nature has positive effects on emotional well-being. Trail walks, apple picking, and other outdoor activities helped reduce stress and anxiety during my recuperation time. The warmth of a September or October day allows me to breathe in fresh air, reflect upon the earth's beauty, and relax. 

For years, my family has picked apples. Recently, we traveled through the countryside on the way to the apple orchard. Remembering years past I looked for trees with a tinge of color. Once we arrived at Stribling Orchard, we found a bountiful apple tree. My little grandgirls arrived before us so their bag of apples was bountiful. The fresh country air and the sweet-tasting red apples made our faces smile.

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September day

sun radiates

family gathers together at the orchard

excitement begins with the first pick

baby smiles

munches apples

Autumn delight

 @CVarsalona, 2024

Trinet poem

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As I search for the best place for vivid fall foliage in Virginia and West Virginia. I reflect on last year's parade of trees. They were dressed in Autumn finery. 

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Height of Fall Fashion

fall's fashion

debuts soon

with a kaleidoscope of color

some autumn trees are fashionably late 

Autumn's parade

is a

must-see event

 @CVarsalona, 2024

Trinet poem

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The Jama Rattigan is hosting Poetry Friday on her blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup. Her post will make you hungry because she is writing about doughnuts.

October's Beautiful Change

Lady Autumn's seasonal changes surprise me each year. This season, she chose sunshine-summer attire and switched to raincoat-weather clothing. The last few days, she was clothed in leafed designs for a stroll under a bright blue sky with pillowed clouds. Variety is Lady Autumn's wish so I cannot wait to see her October sneak preview. Will it be dazzling with Crayola colors or soaked from rainy weather? 

Beautiful Change

Autumn lets go

moving slowly

with season's ease

In mindful pause

gentle winds blow

Autumn lets go

releases leaves

dancing  to earth

gathering  begins

leaves fall 

Autumn lets go

flits across earth

sunsetting peace

dazzles nightsky

with fall crayons

Autumn lets go

©CVarsalona, draft

4 x 4 poem-see information here.

Photo from Unsplash

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• Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day. - Shira Tamir

Autumn woke in the morning with a crispy feel of summer-like weather and bright blue skies. Watching in awe, a gentle flight of assorted leaves moved gracefully toward the cars.  October's first dance of the season brought a beautiful change.

autumn's flight of leaves

free-float and dance in the breeze

October's gift

©CVarsalona, 2024, haibun

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Welcome to my Slice of Life, which I am sending to the Two Writing Teachers, a reflective community of writers.

Change & Transformation-Spiritual Journey & Poetry Friday

Today as I Grandmasit for my grandbaby, I ponder the theme, change and transformation, Leigh Anne Eck offered for October's Spiritual Journey writers. In addition, Lee Anne included a personal thought: "I love fall and all the goodness that comes with it. It gives us a time to reflect on the words 'change and transformation' and what this means to our natural world, our personal lives, and our faith."

Autumn is a magical season that transforms landscapes, shortens days, brings cooler weather, and provides reflection time. Migratory patterns begin, and trees change color. "There is something so special in the early leaves drifting from the trees–as if we are all to be allowed a chance to peel, to refresh, to start again."(Ruth Ahmed) This week, rains continued and leaves scattered across the driveway and sidewalk waiting for recognition. I found a single leaf with a tinge of color. It reminded me of Autumn's beauty, even when its leaves wither.  

Falling leaves also remind me of the importance of letting go. If trees can shed their leaves during Autumn, I must be willing to release old habits and beliefs. Embracing change is a process that will bring calmness to my life. A slowdown pace would be beneficial instead of a hustle and bustle life. Shedding the old and making room for new growth 

"Falling leaves are nature's way of showing us how beautiful it is to let things go."

-Unknown

 As for faith, Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. "Then, you will be able to test and approve what God's will is."  Lately, the patterns of this world are mixed up so rethinking my actions would be beneficial as would letting go of stress.

creekside pathway ends 

leaves scatter in fall's light

enchanted autumn

©CVarsalona, 2024

Last year, I walked the Creekside trail. The photo above shares the path that does not continue past the bridge. I was in awe of Autumn's scattered leaves waiting to change. If nature can change then I can also. I shall embrace the opportunity for personal growth this Autumn.  

Tabatha Yeatts is the host of Poetry Friday this week.

She shares a photo from a neighbor who photographed the perched owl

that she also saw. She also offers a poem, Murmuration.

"In every leaf, there's a whisper of autumn's magic."

Wholeheartedly Feeling a New Season

Another season will soon be here. A variety of leaves will scatter across sidewalks. Nightsky will turn into an inked mass earlier and I will hear my first crunch-crunch sounds underfoot. Autumn will dramatically enter slowly swooshing through a carpet of leaves. With a wholehearted spirit, Lady Autumn will bring the brilliance of Fall.

a season unfolds

offering a new pathway

life is a gift

©Carol Varsalona, 2024

Photo from Pixabay

I look forward to Autumn's debut and the opportunity to offer a new perspective on life. Her rich colors, cooling breezes, and longer nights remind me to pause and breathe in the fragrant essence of fall's scents, such as cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and crackling bonfires. Beauty is not the only side of Fall. Autumn also has a spiritual side to her.

Autumn walks a pathway of reflection and growth. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 states, "For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven." I honor nature's graceful embrace as the cycle of renewal soon begins. With wholehearted commitment, I look forward to linger and notice each glorious moment of the upcoming season. 

Please see yesterday's blog post,  Wholehearted Spiritual Journey. Today's blog post offers a follow-up connection.

©Carol Varsalona

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Thank you to Heidi Mordhorst, the amazing educator and poet, for hosting today's Poetry Friday. Please join me as I link up with the Poetry Friday Roundup at Heidi's blog site, my juicy universe.

Autumn's Dances On

Autumn has moods of changing hues. From bright summerlike suns to dark sweeping rains, this splendiferous season transforms her landscape. Here, in Northern Virginia, wisps of colorful sunsets often streak across the sky. 

Crisp and crunchy,

Russet and golden-orange leaves,

Pile in heaps,

Ready to adorn Autumn.

Then, on a windy day in fall,

With a jubilant sway

Autumn dances her way

into the sky's dancehall.

©CVarsalona, 2023, Virginia, draft

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While passing by holiday storefronts, I noticed a mannequin dressed in holiday green. It reminded me of a photo I shot years ago in a nursery on Long Island, NY. The image below sparked an idea for Poetry Friday's host, Anastasia Suen's #smallpoem challenge. 

Anastasia shares her delightful poem on a memorable first snow day for this week's Poetry Friday Roundup which will surely be filled with poetic goodness.  Below is my response to the writing challenge.

November's Slow Down Time

Last week, I woke to the sight of my thriving basil plants limp from the overnight frost. While this was upsetting, I reminded myself that November is coming to the end of its trail. Darkness creeps in earlier. Winds whisper in the night and leaves swoosh across the sidewalks. Nature readies herself for a transition. During this time of change, articles and self-help guides are plentiful. November becomes the time to slow down, let go or rest. I turn to F. Scott Fitzgerald's quote, Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. Autumn is a time for renewal.

As I reset my clock, I decide to pause and reset my self-care goals.: Find ease and peace on a daily level. Indulge in ample amounts of sleep during November's slow-down. Read and write often to unwind. Cherish small moments and find positivity.

In searching for a short poem on November, I found November Night, written by a late 19th-early 20th American poet, Adelaide Crapsey. Below is an example of an American cinquain poem that she created.

Listen.

With faint dry sound,

Like steps of passing ghosts,

The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees

And fall. 

-Adelaide Crapsey

Intrigued by Crapsey's  word choice and imagery, I penned an American cinquain poem.

Listen.

November winds

chase crunchy, fallen leaves

dancing a quickstep across trails.

Tune in.

©CVarsalona, Fall 2023

While walking the nature trail this week with my little grandgirls, we listened for sounds in the woods, stopped to pick just right leaves for a collage, and made small observations. On the way home, my 6-year-old grandchild, Sierra, began piecing together a draft of a poem about our November walk in the woods. I captured some of her thoughts and merged them into a children's poem with a photo of the two little girls marching in the woods.

What will you do during November's slow down period of of letting go and renewal?

You can find me soaking in nature.

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Since today is Poetry Friday, I am going to soak in the poetic goodness lining up at our host, Karen Edmisten's blog site. Karen is bringing me back to the wonders of Autumn in New York. Join me there.

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Path to Renewal in Late Autumn

Looking back to my teenage years, I remember falling in love with fall. I enjoyed walking alone through the leaves listening to crunching sounds while breathing in the scents of autumn. I became a Central New York autumnophile who observed and reflected on the beauty I saw.  

Two weekends ago in Virginia, Autumn brightened the sky. Temperatures were warm and inviting. When my husband suggested taking a country ride to Shenandoah National Park I welcomed the trip. After all, I had years of memories of New York autumns. The short trip was filled with Aha moments. The countryside was dotted with multi-colored trees in brilliant tones. I don't think I ever saw such splendiferous beauty at the end of October. I felt renewed energy as I breathed in the warmth of autumn air and was astonished by the breathtaking beauty found on Skyline Drive as we drove upward stopping at various elevation sites.

copper-colored, regal red, and cinnamon paints

splash across the blue-bonnet sky

nature unveils her autumn gift

along a mountaintop trail

splashed across the blue-bonnet sky

darkened hues edged in white cotton puffs

along a mountaintop trail

offer nature's expansive wilderness view

darkened hues edged in white cotton puffs

above rows of fieldstone edging along the trail

offer nature's expansive wilderness view

a mute testimony to a cultural past*

above rows of fieldstone edging along the trail

majestic trees blaze in brilliant colors

a mute testimony to a cultural past

of copper-colored, regal red, and cinnamon paints 

©CVarsalona, 2023

*Shenandoah National Park: From Idea to Reality article

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Breathe in Autumn's breathtaking views.

Feel RENEWED.

Be grateful for the Master Painter's artistic touch.

"I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles."

-Psalm 145:5

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Be mindful:

Fallen leaves on the ground are the golden song of immortal creativity.

~Amit Ray

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I am grateful that this month's Spiritual Journey host, Fran Haley, teacher-leader, and writer, suggested the theme of renewal as our prompt. It is the right choice for the first days of November which allow us to breathe in crisp air and watch the leaves fly by. 

My path to renewal of mind, body, and spirit began with the trip to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and continues each time I step outside into nature's freshened pathway. I reflect on these slowdown days of Autumn that showcase Earth's beauty and provide renewed energy to partake in nature's gifts.  

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." -2 Corinthians 4-16  

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Because my time is running out this weekend, I am adding my post to the Poetry Friday Roundup. Children's Author/Poet Buffy Silverman is hosting today, She is celebrating the publication of her newest children's book     ==================>.  

November enters with gratitude for life and living.

TIME TO CELEBRATE POETRY FRIDAY

#smallpoem for Anastasia Suen's November Challenge