Thank you, Margaret Simon for today's This Photo Wants to Be a Poem, and the quote from Asclepius, "Help me shed the skin of grief and put on the armor of hope."
I was inspired by the Healer title on the oracle card. I decided to dive into the what and why of a snake icon. I found the "symbol, the Rod of Ascelepius, has been associated with health care since the 5th Century BC." (National Center of Medicine) With thoughts of healing, I am ready to revive my mind, body, and spirit by nurturing myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Margaret, the following golden hinge poem slid from my thoughts and onto this page. I read and reread my words until I realized that my poem is a prayer from my heart to God.
Help me shed the skin of grief.
Me, finding my way, sheds tears of sorrow. The weight of loss is heavy. My skin shivers in darkened moments of unresolved sadness.
Join me as I continue to add poetry to my "Spring Seeds Gracing April Gallery and Padlet". I invite you to add at least one original image poem (or other options) to the padlet I created. You can find the invitation here.
CVarsalona 2026, first cascade poem. Duckling Nature Photo by Margaret Simon
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Margaret Simon stated: "At Ethical ELA,Erica Johnsonis leading us in writing a “Playful Cascade” which is a poem form that takes each line of the first stanza making them the last line of the next stanzas. I decided to use tercets, 3 lines per stanza."
Thank you to Heidi Mordhorst for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup here. I appreciate that Heidi has gathered two other poetry friends, Margaret Simon, and Jone MacCulloch to create a lively conversational video on poetry with and for kids! The key thoughts they explore are:
Approaches to the teaching of poetry with elementary-aged kids
Why it's important
How writing with kids inspires and sustains us, three middle-aging white ladies
The sky opened in a shade of gray yesterday morning. Sunlight was not evident, so I spent time meditating and hoping for peace. As I reached for my laptop, Margaret Simon's Wednesday blog, "Photo Wants to be a Poem,"popped up on my screen.
Margaret's photo from Louisiana showed a cardinal posing in a garden of silent stillness. In addition, Margaret shared her beautiful draft poem titled "Besotted". She also added a piece of Southern lore: cardinals visit humans who have lost a loved one. Other tales say that the cardinalscarry messages from a heavenly place to earth, as a spiritual sign of connection with the deceased. Lore or not, I was touched that the red cardinal, a carrier of love, offered comfort, especially during this grieving time of life. --- This was Connection #1.
cardinal's connection
you pose in stillness
waiting to connect
offering solace, comfort-
in nature's garden
love perfumes the air
draft CVarsalona, 2026, cherita poem
Photo by Margaret Simon
Connection #2: I am sending my poem with a link to Margaret for "This Photo Wants to be a Poem".
On Day 21 of Laura Shovan's February Poetry Project, Marilyn R. Garcia invited writers to explore the mystery between sadness and joy in their lives or the world around them. She challenged writers to write a poem about a time or period of life where the coexistence of sadness and joy was strong for you.
It is difficult to believe that it has been 10 months since my husband passed away suddenly. I found the above digital artwork that I created years ago. My journey since then has been one of unbelief, to anxiety, to grief. But it has also been a time of discovery. I tackle questions, such as who am I and where am I going.
My goal is to restore my soul, mind, and body. Plus, I realize that it takes many miles of walking on my spiritual journey to find peace. With sunlight not making regular trips this winter, grey clouds seem to agitate my mind. Recently, I wrote a blog post about holding the sun close to my heart. As the song, Restore My Soul, states, "revive my heart" is what I need.
I started this blog post with a proposed prompt to write a poem about a time or period of life where the coexistence of sadness and joy was strong for me. During the winter season, I have felt the sadness of loss and grey skies along with the joy of being with family, especially my three little grandgirls. The prompt by Marilyn R. Garcia asks us to take the lyrics from one of the Beatles' mysterious songs and make them make sense.
Keeping in line with the sorrow and joy of winter without continual sun is a mystery to me. Winter doldrums have brought unrest. The ending line of my blackout poem is what I would like to bring an optimistic point of view during this bereavement time.
Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles
Here comes the sun , doo-doo-doo
Here comes the sun
And I I say, "It's all right"
Little darlin'
It's been a long, cold onely , l winter
Little darlin'
It feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun , doo-doo-do
Here comes the sun
And I say, "It's all right"
Little darlin'
The smiles return ng to the faces
CVarsalona, 2026
A simple prompt helped me realize that sorrow and joy can coexist. If I hold on to hope and faith, my journey may not be as bumpy as it has been. I look forward to a smile opening each day.
Writing grounds me!
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I thank Irene Latham for her recent blog post with an inspiring ending line to her poem "Watermelon, you"-:"Teach me how to hold the sun when the day is anything buy joyful".
winter's sun offers
both darkness and light with love
mystery of weather
CVarsalona, 2026
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In addition, I am adding my draft poem for today's Poetry Sisters' February Challenge with Sara, Tanita, Tricia, Mary Lee, and Laura. I choose to use the 25th Poet Laureate of the USA, Aurthur Sze's First Snow poem as my mentor text. I offer a Golden Shovel draft poem with the strike line: the world of being is like this gravel.
dreams melt like the
falling snow in our swishing world
that holds the challenges of
of my swirling life - being
part of continual uncertainty is
unmeasurably worrisome - like
rabbits jumping from here to there this
journey reminds me of winter's icy gravel
(trying to melt what is in my way)
draft-CVarsalona, 2026
The companion photo will be created at a later time.
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I join the Poetry Friday Roundup with our host, Margaret Simon, educator, author, poet, and friend. Margaret is offering us three lovely poems she penned for the Ethical ELA Open Write.
It is late at night, and I still wonder why it is taking me so long to find my 2026 One Little Word. I usually find my guiding word before the end of December. Other times, the word finds me. You know that this past year was a series of ups and downs, so I need assurance that one of the six words surrounding me (space, healing, restore, peace, quietude, forward) will be a positive guide for 2026. The following poem has undergone numerous revisions. God, can you please help me choose a word to kick off this new year?
God, I think I understand now. Restore is an effective, actionable guiding word. With your intervention, my OLW will inspire me to make meritable choices daily. The task of restoring my mind, body, and heart is challenging but essential. I turn to Psalm 51:12. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Now that I am starting bereavement therapy, I feel hopeful beyond tears to continue my spiritual journey. As a faithful traveler who believes, I can successfully restore my joy of living. With your help, I will be able to rise from the chaos of loss. Thank you for listening and supporting my spiritual journey. You know that it is difficult for me to enjoy winter with a fractured ankle and grey skies, but I am trying.
On my family's journey to celebrate my husband's life, I was touched by the beauty of nature, longed for the ocean dancing beyond the beach, and felt a feeling of family togetherness. Looking back on life, I realized that sunshine and the beach were an important part of my marriage. We gathered there with family and friends, listened to concerts, and walked barefoot in the sand. My daughter's wedding took place in a beautiful church, St. Mary of the Isles, a block away from the ocean, so it made sense that one way to honor my husband was to be near the Atlantic Ocean.
"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
This month, the Spiritual Journey group of writers under the leadership ofLinda Mitchellis writing to a singular word, barefoot. The prompt is simple and timely for me since my family has been lovers of the ocean, shore, and sand for decades. To honor my husband's life, my small family traveled to three beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean: Cape May, the South Shore of Long Island, and Coney Island. The journey was filled with multiple therapeutic moments.
I borrowed the beautiful logo for Poetry Friday fromMargaret Simon, host of thePoetry Friday Roundup. The picture brings me to another slow-down, calming moment or two. Margaret offers a love poem to silence that is lovely enough for several reads.
Sunshine peeks through my windows. Today's a writing day under the sun. I open my digital journal and consider the writing prompt provided by Jenna Korman fromTwo Writing Teachers: "What in your life is writable about today? Summertime surrounded bu beautiful gardens, layered sunrises, and tranquil sunsets always sets the mood for a dazzling day despite the heat.
I take out the drafts of poems suited to pair with the beautiful pictures shared byMargaret Simon, the host of This Photo Wants to be a Poem.Below you will find how lovely the summertime nature photos address the writing prompt provided by Jenna Korman.
Nature is filled with beauty that opens the sky each day.
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