Summer Passes By

As the calendar turns its page to the middle of September, the weather moves forward between two seasons. There are beautiful summer days and summer rains with damp weather but this past week in Northern Virginia widespread thunderstorms and cool weather were the norm. It was jacket and raincoat weather due to 60-degree weather. Then, all of a sudden the temperature climbed up and the humidity went down. It felt like a combo of the summer season and early fall. 

While summer knows its boundaries, nature decided to play between the two seasons. Summer days lessened. William Shakespeare stated, "Summer's lease hath all too short a date." Will Summer pass by us as Fall decides to make a grand entrance with her royal carpet of leave?  Will Summer hold on or graciously pass the baton to Autumn for the beginning of the Fall event? Here is my haiku sequence.

summer holds on

knowing what will come next

change approaches

summer pauses

feels the seasonal pressure

time is precious

summer steps in

a chance to shine is needed

fall winks takes its turn

©CVarsalona, 2025

As Summer transitions into Fall, I picture a gallery of artistic expressions created.

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Invitation to All

Summering is a state of mind that brings feelings of joy and relaxation. It revolves around the best of summertime and the ability to savor those feelings year-round. 

I invite poets, writers, photographers, and educators to consider using this prompt to create an image poem, inspirational quote, or a photograpy on: How do you engage in summering during the summer season? Do you have a special photo, piece of artwork and/or poem to add to the Summering Mini-Gallery that I will create.

Thank you to Mary Lee Hahn and Janet Fagal for participating with their image poems on summering. You can send your offerings to cvarsalona@gmail.com by October 3, 2025. I  will gather the artistic expressions and create the mini-gallery. 

I am delighted to send this invitation forth to the fabulous book reviewer, baker,  and literary buff, Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

Inquiry: Is anyone attending the NCTE Convention in Denver this November. I am interested in rooming with someone. Please let me know if your are going and planning on sharing a room. Thank you, friends and a special thank you to Matt Forrest Esenwine for asking me to present with his team of Georgia Heard  and Allan Wolf.

Navigating Reality: Touch of Hope

Photographer: March-Olivier Jodoin at Unsplash

"Today...I open my heart's hand to allow the touch of hope.”

Julia Cameron

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I feel the sorrow of loss and grief

Wondering if flowers feel the same

While wilting in the heat?

Summer heat reminds me that

Your hand no longer gently holds mine

But there is hope waiting

Beyond my spinning dreams. 

Today under an azure sky, nature

Splendidly welcomed morning's peace.

I opened my bleeding heart to life and

Felt the warmth of nature's healing

Peeking through the slats on the shades.

I accept the invitation to indulge in life

Because where there is an open heart

Possibilities open as well!

CVarsalona, draft, 2025

I shall carry this thought throughout the day with hope for peace to settle in.

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This month, the Poetry Sisters, Tanita at{fiction, instead of lies}, Laura at Laura Purdie Salas, Tricia at The Miss Ruphius Effect, Sara at Read Write Believe, Mary Lee Hahn at Another Year of Reading, and Liz at Liz Garton Scanlon, invited  writers to write a couple of couplets and make a raccontino. I am glad they explained the format that I have never tried before. A raccontino is a form that follows these rules: composed of couplets (any number) even-numbered lines that share the same end rhyme, the title and last words of the odd-numbered lines tell a story. I must admit that I struggled with this poetic format.

Silent Disease

Would I have known

What the future planned

When my heart was full of sorrow

And there were multiple demands?

Caregiver was the title given

But I could not withstand

The extent of sorrow

Nor could I understand.

There was a trip to take,

A birthday treat that was grand

To a place of ease

A beach filled with sand,

Summering during winter's end,

Yet you could not fully stand.

Life withered over our last days

Until what was left was in God's hands.

draft ©CVarsalona, 2025

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A Special Thank You To:

Jama Rattigan for lifting my heart and helping me navigate my reality with a special gift, Healing After Loss by Martha W. Hickman. This book inspires me to write about my journey with a touch of hope that summer will open my heart to joy.

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A new poetry friend, Shirley Thacker, shared a lovely poetry swap filled with poetic goodness. She sent me her book, Wind Beneath the Pines, that provides various types of poems which she wrote. This book is special because it comes from the heart. Shirley's husband urged her to "write the stories-the tales about life" and so she did. I am thrilled that Shirley shared her love of poetry with me in such a special way. You can read more about Shirley at Jone Rush MacCulloch's blog. Click here to read Jone's Interview with Shirley. I enjoyed Shirley's poems especially Grandchildren. Her six-word  poems shared her wisdom.

Courage each

Day, walking

Life's road

©Shirley Thacker

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I have lingered a long time trying to make sense of life while piecing the raccontino poem together. I gardened outside with the sun's warmth. Hope touched me, yet I still am unsure how to navigate reality. Healing after loss is a process. I am determined to continue this journey with stride. I thank family, friends, and the poetry community for their support. 

Now I turn my attention to the Poetry Friday Roundup that is hosted this week by one of the Poetry Sisters, Tanita Davis. This week she penned two poems and provided her process. I look forward to reading the contributions of all those who are adding their poems to the Roundup but I go at a slow pace these days.

In ending, I decided to take Shirley Thacker's 6 word poem 

Courage each

Day, walking

Life's road

and write Golden Shovel as inspiration to be present in life daily.

Finding courage

is not easy on each

summer day

perhaps walking

will provide life's

journey a new road

©CVarsalona, 2025

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.

Autumn: The Season for Letting Go

Now that fall has officially arrived, I watch the environment change slowly. It is the season for letting go and breathing in smoky and woody scents. It is the time to sit still, have a cup of spice tea, and agree with F. Scott Fitzgerald that "life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." 

Have you ever reflected on the magnificence of a fall day? I found a digitized photo I created last autumn and began falling in love with fall all over again. The digitized image below is of a "second summer" day, the revised name for "Indian Summer".

"second summer" days

glitter in golden hues

nature's bequeathal

©CVarsalona, 2023, Virginia

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Nature finds its way to transition easily from one season to another. Living in New York State afforded me wonderful venues to witness nature's beauty. I thought those were strikingly appealing and peaceful but now that I am living in Virginia, I find the beauty of Autumn in another state. See below the beauty of the Virginia countryside I was able to capture in 2019 before we moved. 

I added a poem with a challenge presented by the Poetry Sisters. It is called a diminishing poem. I must admit this challenge was a CHALLENGE! You can read more about this poem at Writer's Digest and see samples written by Tanita S. Davis. Her blog post for today's Poetry Friday will point you in the right direction to read other Poetry Sisters' and #PoetryPals poems.

Autumn enters with plans to PLEASE.

Agrees to take an extended LEASE

Designing fall landscapes with EASE.

©CVarsalona, 2023, Virginia, diminishing poem

Autumn is the season of transformational beauty. The scenic vibes allow for peaceful contemplation and restorative feelings. I am ready to "just be" and let go of worries. 

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Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn.” —John Muir in The Mountains of California

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Have you seen my Destination: Summer's End Padlet? This week Michelle Kogan added her image poems and Margaret Simon offered three poems by her students. Please take a look by clicking on the title above. I hope more writers, poets, and students add their artistic expressions to the padlet this week. Thank you, Robyn Hood Black, Linda Baie, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Karen Elise Finch, Patricia Franz, Jane Heitman Healy, Sally Murphy, Janice Scully, Anastasia Suen, for your poetic offerings.

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It is now time for Poetry Friday hosted by the marvelous hostess, Jama Rattigan. Be sure to follow me over to Jama's blog for some satire and poetic goodness.

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What's Coming Soon

Book Review of Amy Ludwig Vanderwater's The Sound of Kindness  published by Magination Press

Book Review of Matt Forrest Esenwine's The Thing to Remember About Stargazing

More poetry!

Museum of Happiness

Today I read a fantastic blog post written by Jama Rattigan for Poetry Friday.  Jama ended her post with a question based on the poem, "Happiness" by Stuart A. Paterson.

What does your Museum of Happiness look like?

What an exciting query to ponder. I know that happiness exists in different stages of my life but have I paused to shine the light on it? Where does it exist? I love to visit museums but would mine be filled with artifacts of life that others would be interested in viewing? Questions and thoughts fill my head at the beginning of this day. I need time to reflect on Paterson's poem.

Invitation

come, visit my

museum of happiness.

the show starts now.

in boxes, in an attic

memories spill out-

artifacts of time-gone-by 

found and resurrected,

Wait, for the pitch, "just be".

Wait at the roaring ocean,

at galleries of artistic expressions

lining walls of internet space.

a new show opens.

in these sacred places,

silence brings peace.

writing flows freely.

take a ticket, find a seat.

share the experience.

happiness awaits 

as the pen flows 

a state of mind grows

a slice of life penned,

new poems ascend.

©CVarsalona, 2023, draft

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Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge
Day 12

November Autumn

This week, fall weather reminds me of November days when I was a child in upstate New York State. Winter usually visited around Thanksgiving and continued her journey up to Easter. The weather was always the center of conversation; now, Winter's nip in the air again interrupts Autumn. Instead of crispness in the air, the shock of blowing cold air leads me to wear triple layers of clothing in the early morning even though the sun shines brightly. Leaves are crinkly and create interesting sounds as they scatter underfoot. There are no birds soaring and chirping this week. Perhaps, they realize it is time to head south. The local meteorologist predicts a long week of cold weather and snow in some areas. Luckily, the heating system keeps it warm inside the house. The beauty of the season keeps floating back into my mind

"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and resign yourself to the influence of the earth."  - Henry David Thoreau

For me, Nature Nurtures the Soul!

Each Wednesday, Margaret Simon posts an invitation to write alongside her at This Photo Wants to be a Poem. Yesterday, she posted a photo of a cardinal that reminded me of a winter day several years ago. A cardinal perched on my picket fence and let me approach so I could take a photograph. Below is my response to Margaret's photo, Cardinal in the Cold.

Cardinal Ponders

May you enjoy the upcoming season of joy.

For now, stroll over to Jama Rattigan's blog,  Jama's Alphabet Soup, to enjoy the Poetry Friday Roundup and Jama's beautiful spread of Thanksgiving art, desserts, and a poem that is a parody of Thanksgiving.