Slowdown Summer Overflows with Poetry

What started this afternoon continues throughout the night. Crackling noises, flashing lights, and sudden darkness break through the sky. I sit here remembering the flash announcements and the fear of traveling home amidst a terrifying twist of nature. Passing by a five-car accident, fire trucks, and police cars brought the reality of the situation. What I thought would be slowdown moments of summer's ending became Earth in motion. The severe thunderstorm moved from one section of the highway to another. Six hours later, rain continues to make its mark on life. With a deep care for life, I sit and read William Wordsworth's thoughts and ponder the magnitude of what poetry is.

"Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility." 

This summer during slowdown moments, the annual Summer Poetry Swap found its way into fellow Poetry Friday friends' hearts. Under the superb direction of Tabatha Yeatts, writing to my poetry swap friend, Denise Krebs, became a reality. Denise became a Grandma for the second time as I began my swap writing to her. I was overjoyed by the blessing of her little pink blossom, the growth of her grandson, and the surprise mailing she sent me. The crocheted pieces for my kitchen made me smile but the clever poem from Health itself was a joy. The gift held a special message "to ponder the bounty of living in full abundance". 

Then, after receiving Denise's poetry swap gift, I found mail from Tabatha Yeatts awaiting my read. She focused on my thoughts about 48 years of my married life and created a Golden Shovel poem using the strike line from Kahlil Gibran, one of my husband's and my favorite poets.

I look back on the torrential rainstorm that just calmed down and compare it to the artistic card that Tabatha sent me. Stilled tranquility appeals to me more than an intrepid storm. The power of poetry brings sensory thoughts flowing from the corners of my mind. 

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 For the August Challenge the Poetry Sisters, Tanita, Lauras, Mary Lee, Liz, Sara, and Kelly, invited writers to create an ekphrastic poem. I decided to use the artwork sent to me. #PoetryPals

Photo from @TwinDesigns

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Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Susan Thomsen at

Chicken Spaghetti. She shares a funny poem that will make you smile so stop by.

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May a sense of peace and quiet fill your weekend as August hands the baton to September.

Spooky Season Creative Challenges

It's time for the spooky season to rise from creative minds thanks to

Jone Rush MacCulloch and her Spooky Spectacular Found Poems

 original digital art by CVarsalona

Early this month, Jone sent an invitation to her found poem spectacular palooza, spooky version. Those interested needed to choose a favorite horror or scary book, poem, or story to read. I found a very weird short story, Ashes, by C. M. Eddy, Jr. with HP Lovecraft to get me in the mood to write. I also read a short newspaper clip about the strange Halloween storm that devastated Long Island, NY's beach areas and nearby inland towns. Perhaps you have heard of Superstorm Sandy and its after-effects. My family spent 14 days without hot water, heat, or electricity. Schools :were closed. Food was scarce. Old, huge trees crashed through homes and houses near the water were destroyed. It was a monster of a storm that led to the name "Frankenstorm".

Media Article

In the days leading up to Oct. 29, 2012, Long Islanders were warned of “a once-in-a-lifetime storm” hurtling toward the Northeast. It was called “Frankenstorm” for both its timing right before Halloween and the mash up of weather elements expected to worsen its impact. People were urged to prepare for punishing rain and high winds as well as flooding made worse by the full moon.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey around 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29. That morning, Long Islanders awoke to states of emergency already declared in most Long Island towns, 100 people already in Red Cross shelters, and 400 members of the National Guard activated...

   Bewildered Befuddled!  

By Frankenstorm

    Truth Be Told  

 Warning, 

 Horror wrought! 

Frackenstorm strikes.  

  Full moon effects unfold. 

 Halloween mashup of 

 Howling winds and 

 Unprecedented, punishing rains 

 Haunt the region in a 

  Path of destruction. 

 Beware! 

 ©CVarsalona, 2023

Listen to the lyrics of  Nature's Way  by Spirit.

I'm returning back to a list of words that piqued my interest for the macabre from the short story, Ashes. The Poetry Princesses have a new challenge, Bouts-rimes, which in French means "rhymed ends".  I am modifying the poetry challenge to work solo rather than with a partner. I chose a set of  words from the short story and added 7 rhyming words to attempt to write a poem around the gruesome tale. The words chosen are: chill, devilish, will, wish, frantic, ashes, panic, rashes, horror, tortured, disorder, cornered, terror. I infused the Poetry Sisters' 2023 theme of Transformation into my digital  to illustrate what happens when my inner Halloween love turns me from a human into a gothic character. Now, I am debating what I shall wear to the Halloween costume party.

 

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Before I create a new costume for the Halloween party, I am joining the Poetry Friday community for more poetic fun. Carol Labuzzetta is our host this week at The Apples In My Orchard. As an enviromental educational specialist she is sharing information on bats. Did you know that "We need bats! They are important to us for insect control and pollination of several popular like bananas. Carol also offers a final invitation to join her Ekphrastic Nature Poetry Anthology filled with poetry goodness. It is going to be frantastic.

Dansa Poem #PoetryPals Challenge

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: 

it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity. 

-William Wordsworth

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Tranquil Thoughts

It starts with a gentle flow,

Like leaves dancing in the breeze.

Pleasant, slow movements that please

Awaken emotions. You know,

It starts with a gentle flow.

Body and mind are at ease.

Breath relaxed. Slow down, please.

Feel the rush of letting go.

It starts with a gentle flow.

Yogi listen, bend  your knees,

Down dog pose leads to heartsease.

Breathe in, breathe out, joy will grow.

It starts with a gentle flow.

©CVarsalona, Fall 2022, Virginia

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Yesterday, while in the yoga studio, I listened intently to my teacher. She led us through a series of gentle flows. This practice allowed me to relax while pushing myself beyond my comfort zone and reminded me of autumn's gentle flow. Yoga and nature's movements set the stage to write alongside the Poetry Sisters who challenged us this month to compose a dansa poem. Since I have never heard of a dansa poem, I really needed to pay attention to the format and start the process by using a simple refrain. The poem opens with a quintrain of 5 lines and an AbbaA rhyme scheme. Quatrains of 4 lines with a bbaA rhyme scheme follow. The  A repeats because it is the opening line of the first stanza and the final line of every stanza, including the first. 

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Do you know what belsnickeling is? It is a Christmas practice, inspired by early 20th-century German Americans, in which costumed groups would visit neighbors' houses, offer a short performance, and then, were rewarded with food if the neighbors couldn't guess their identities. My granddaughters and I enjoyed a variation of belsnickeling last weekend when we walked around the neighborhood with baskets of homemade cookies. My oldest granddaughter wore dentures to make the neighbors laugh. 

Belsnickeling Fun

Little creatures march around
With toothy grins and small treats,
Delivering gooey sweets.
For all the neighbors earthbound,
Little creatures march around.

Stomp, stomp they walk up and down.
See that pumpkin who overeats.
Down the dark and lonely streets,
Little creatures walk around.

They skip, sway, and eat a piece.
Head home when cookies decrease-
Belsnickeling fun found.
Little creatures walk around.
©CVarsalona, 2022, dansa poem, digital art & Pumpkin photo by Margaret Simon for This Photo Needs To Be A Poem

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It is time for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
Join me at Jone MacCullock's blog here to find out what our Oregon poet/photgrapher/librarian has as a sweet surprise. It will sure to be filled with poetic goodness and maybe a nature photo or collage.

Bundle Up, It's Cold Outside!

The theme for this weekend is Brrrr Cold!  Did I mention that this season in Virginia is looking like a New York winter? It is cozy indoors right now but late this afternoon snowstorm #4 or is it 5 comes my way? To prepare for another white blast, I join the Poetry Sisters' challenge, “poetry inspired by something overheard.” 

Since most people are not out and about in this very cold weather, I turn to the internet for quotes and thoughts about winter in preparation for my Winter's Embrace 2022 Gallery of Artistic Expressions. I also read a mentor text by Susan Thomsen who created several found poems based on overheard conversations. Check out Susan's link here.

Photos of the Week for #WintersEmbrace2022 Gallery

Bundle Up, It's Cold Outside

Baby, it's cold outside.

Snow flurries swirl around

people's legs like house cats.

Nothing burns like the cold.  It's

cold and cruel, to begin with,

but it's somehow beautiful,

sparkling like a million little suns

making our feet and fingers glow.

I wonder if the snow

loves the trees and fields

that it kisses them so gently?

Winter is the time for comfort.

Take the cold seriously.

The snow is coming!

©CVarsalona, 2022

Found poem, #PoetryPals

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Send offerings to my Padlet, Winter's Embrace 2022 Gallery of Artistic Expressions at:

https://padlet.com/cvarsalona/mpquz3os1m4x3viq

and or cvarsalona at gmail.com

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My Poetry Postcards are being sent out today.

I am truly enjoying reading the postcards received from poet friends.

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It's time to visit the imaginative and creative host for today's Poetry Friday, Irene Latham, here. Irene's post is filled with welcome and wisdom, her latest ArtSpeak poem, and other poetic goodness. 

 

Image collaged by Linda Mitchell