September Memories on the New Pathway

The bright, warm sunshine of September opened with memories and a new pathway. I witnessed Nature's breathtaking artistry unfolding, so I stepped away from the next household task to sit down, basking in the warm sun. My thoughts circulated, not of the clutter that remains, but of the serenity of nature's peaceful landscape. September's glory comforted me, as I hoped this sacred space did for my husband, who was transported here at the Adler Center for his last breath.

⇦ Capital Caring Health Adler Center for Caring at Van Metre Campus

I sit, pausing on this morning of 9/11, returning to more thoughts. The horrific 911 tragedy broke through the sky with angst unknown to the children and teachers in my school. A few of us circled throughout classrooms trying to keep "the calm". Parents were shocked as they entered the building. Tears fell, hearts dropped, and people grieved. On the way to work, my husband crossed the bridge from New York to New Jersey and stopped in horror. He and other travelers watched the second 911 tragedy. He could not call home or come back to our family that night. It was a blackened day into the night before I knew when I would see him again. Meanwhile, my suburban community outside of New York City grieved as 45 people fell during 911, one of whom was the mother of one of my daughter's friends.

Today, my Virginia community hosts a flag ceremony remembering those who perished. September takes me down a fallen road and a new pathway. Thinking about this horrific event and my husband's last breath, I wrote the following poem.

LEANING INTO NATURE'S BREATH Capital Caring Health Adler Center

Each month moves with its own rhythm.

I lean into nature's healing breath,

revisiting past September moments

to lessen grief's heavy weight.

I snap a photo of a sacred space

where his final breath

was swept into the wind.

A gentle calm settles here,

even as the shadow of a darker history

stretches across my mind.

Autumn glory approaches-
another season to find solace
among nature's kaleidoscope of colors,
drifting across the changing landscape.

Draft - @CVarsalona 2026

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A REMEMBRANCE from ROCKVILLE CENTER, NY 2019

WE REMEMBER

as the bell tolls,
names are read,

flags unbound, waving proudly,

and heartbreaking headlines shared.

There's Still a Sadness in Hearts on 9/11.

So Many Stories, So Many Hearts Broken!

Remembering 911 Fallen Heroes,

numbered in the sky,

is our town's tradition.

Village Green is ready.

We shall remember

and wait for a 
Rainbow of Possibilities.

©CVarsalona, 2019, Rockville Centre, NY

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POETRY FRIDAY 

WITH our delightful host Linda Baie and her poem for the day

Let me tell you that life

can be hard-earned,

but still be lovely.

No matter the grief,

sometimes it comes with laughter.

We honor those still living,

also the lost,

those who gave with shadowed smiles,

walking in to help others--

Never forsaken,

remembered! 

Linda Baie ©

PLEASE VISIT LINDA'S BLOG TO READ MORE OF HER THOUGHTS AND BLOGS FROM OUR COMMUNITY OF POETS.

CLICK HERE

NOTE: I am happy to host the Poetry Friday Roundup next week.

Tonight my community is hosting a 9/11 Flag Ceremony.

⚑God Bless America and its Heroes!⚑

MARCH, a Mercurial Month

March is here with its mercurial spirit, continually changing from bitter storms to golden, sunny days. It's a month of transition for nature, from lion-like roaring to lamb-like gentleness. I march through March, a month of memories, a time to celebrate my husband's life, and honor his passing. The following poems come from my heart as I near the upcoming Year Two. 

  SUPPOSE-Then and Now  

we weaved through life 

like gentle lambs, calmer, calmer

moving through stormy weather

suppose we stretched across the sky

like billowing clouds of beauty, slowly, slowly

floating to nature's rhythm

   suppose we meet in evening dreams

like fairies whispering, circling, circling

into a magical web of forever  

(c) CVarsalona, March 2026 - based on Wendell Berry's poem, Like Snow

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

Thank you to Jone MacCulloch

for her Wendell Berry-like poem

Suppose we did our work

like winter, renewing and replenishing

Readying ourselves for spring

© Jone Rush MacCulloch, 2026

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

I offer my work to two writing communities

that I belong to: 

Poetry Friday

Linda Baie is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today at her blog site, TeacherDance. She offers us a few Friday the 13th superstition stories and a beautiful picture of the sky with an original poem about nature and loved ones.

 

Day 13, March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

The Art of Summering 2025 Sneak Peak

Welcome  to  the  Art of Summering 2025  

Mini-Gallery of Artistic Expressions

Summer passes and one remembers its exuberance.-Yoko Ono 

Summer dazzles in different ways:

captures the wonders of nature

soothes our senses and our souls

offers starlite moments

understands the art

of summering:

enjoy life

relax

"be"

©CVarsalona, 2025, nonet

🌞

In my invitation to write alongside me, I explained what the Art of Summering  means. 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 (adapted from AI thoughts).

🌞

Mary Lee Hahn offers the sweltering edition of the

Art of Summering 2025 Mini-Gallery of Artistic Expressions.

🌞

Janet Claire Fagal shares the beauty of Maine in summertime.

*Excuse the typos," They will be fixed.

Thank you to Linda Mitchell for her offering also. I am not ready to share her work just yet but stay tuned.

🌞

As one enjoys the art of summering, reflect on how you spent your summer days. I would love to share your work in my mini-gallery. Thank you to all the poets, artists, photographers, and teachers who enjoy the arts.

🌞

Below is my digital artwork created after enjoying a beautiful summer day relaxing in my chaise lounge. I was stunned and amazed when I looked up at the sun and saw a cloud that appeared as a heart. For me this was a sign that my loved one was sending me a heartnote from heaven.

🌞

Thank you to Linda Baie for hosting Poetry Friday today. Please read her illuminating blog post that offers connects Charles Dickens with these hard times we are in. Also, you will find other poetic goodness from the Poetry Friday writers.

Valentine's Day Heartnotes

On the eve of Valentine's Day, Mother Teresa's quote is a message for the world: 

Spread love wherever you go. 

Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.

heartnotes are love's messages from one heart to another

cherished

thoughts

spreading

cheer

cherished

love

notes

savored

cherished

heartnotes are love's messages from one heart to another

©CVarsalona, 2025, skinny poem

🩷

The following Poetry Friday writers joined me at my Heartnotes Padlet to send

their messages out into the world. I am grateful for their kindness:

Linda Baie 🩷 Rose Cappelli 🩷Karen Edmisten 🩷 Matt Forrest Esenwine

🩷 Michelle Kogan 🩷 Denise Krebs 🩷 Irene Latham 🩷Margaret Simon

🩷Susan Thomsen 🩷 Linda Kulp Trout  🩷 Tabatha Yeatts

🩷Avalyn, James, Marifay (Margaret Simon's Students) 

🩷

Call  To  Action

beyond Valentine's Day

let your heart

reach out to others-

connections

open doors to human kindness

©CVarsalona, 2025

🩷

Thank you to Linda Baie for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup with her walk down memory lane  Love Is In the Air message. She offers a memory, music to accompany it, and a creative poem written about her playlist. Click here.

🩷

If you would like to add a heartnote, inspirational quote, photograph, etc. please click here.

New Month, New Challenges

March is here once again. The ground hog's prediction for spring to come early is definitely coming true in Northern Virginia. The cherry blossom peak time for showcasing the white and pink bouquet of colors starts on March 23rd. Of course, this doesn't quite connect with our community's Potomac cruise to see the cherry blossoms on April 4th. So we won't see what nature offers in prime time but I will have a chance to take photos and enjoy the beauty of a lazy cruise ride and lunch. 

As I said last Tuesday in my Sneak Peek blog post, "It's time to take a peek at what will be during March's slice of life spree." But before I do that, I pause to step back to 2015 when I signed up for the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge. I am sure that you will get the picture of what happened during March back then. Yes, it was heavily snowing on Long Island, NY where I used to live. 

Story to Be Told - 2016

2015

One goal this March will be to look into the past while being in the present. Photos and digital designs will inspire me to write heartnotes to nature, family, and friends. In case, you missed my ramblings about heartnotes click here. In my sneak peek post, the last stanza of my poem stated that I would be ready to share my theme today. Heartnotes it is! There will be small deliveries from my heart to my readership each day that I write.  You will find memes, nature photos, digital designs, and perhaps more family photos. All will be wrapped in poetry as a prelude to National Poetry Month in April. 

What is a heartnote?  See the above package and imagine this.

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Fly across an indigo sky with me this March in search of mystical beauty or take a nature walk as I snap photos. Whatever delight there is outdoors this month, I desire to capture it. This past month, I spent most of my time indoors recuperating from a respiratory/sinus infection that does not want to remove itself from me. Perhaps, you will create your own heartnote and send it to me to showcase. We'll see what nature and life will offer. My notebook is ready.

📓

Now, it is time to kiss the stars goodnight. I thank Laura Shovan for her fun 12th Annual February Poetry Project that she hosted. While I did not feel up to writing each day, I added several new drafts to my notebook. The game was on and all the players brought their best game plan in the form of a poem to Facebook. You probably guessed that the theme was about games. Each day, prompts were posted by different poets, and poems were created by each member. On my day of posting a prompt, I shared this. "Your mission today, should you choose to play, has to do with childhood playtime. Think back to the era when you were a child." I had fun that day reading all the poems that were written. 

Here is one poem that I never had a chance to unveil. It was based on a memory of a college friend who did travel to Woodstock and The Who's famous hit song, The Pinball Wizard. I found out that The Who were at  Woodstock singing in 1969. Years later, I saw the Tommy rock musical on Broadway with friends. This is what I created about The Who at Woodstock.

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I am celebrating the beginning of the March Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge and the Poetry Friday Roundup hosted by my dear, long-distance friend, Linda Baie. Linda is sharing her acrostic poem, "Choice". Click here to read her acrostic poem that features questions for us to ponder. Then hop over to the Two Writing Teachers' community website for opening posts from around the globe. 

I look forward to reading blog posts throughout the weekend. 

-Carol Varsalona, 10-year Slicer, Poet

Happy March 2024!