A Bump in the Road

There have been many bumps in the road as I journey, but I always try to move forward. After twisting my ankle In October, I tried the usual remedies, ice packs, and elevation but they did not work. A few days later, an xray showed a fractured ankle. While this  bump in the road made me antsy for days, I decided that I needed to bring nature inside. 

The healing time may have been and still is a bump in the road but with friends and family it became a time to move forward. Nature nurtures my soul during it's annual autumn fashion show. 

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bumpy rides are annoying

and at times soul destroying

 so to the countryside we go

spotting trees with color flow

nature eases antsy stresses

that life sometimes addresses

listen to fall's quiet voice

strike the cord and rejoice

Being in the moment is the positive choice!

©CVarsalona, 2025 

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A month later, I visited my foot specialist doctor once again. I waited with bated breath. Would she approve my travel to Denver for the NCTE Convention? After spending Zoom time preparing a presentation on free verse with my talented poet/authors, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Georgia Heard, and Allan Wolf, I was eager to take the trip. After all, the last time I saw my writer, poetry, and and literary friends was at the 2019 NCTE Convention in Baltimore. 

With an ankle that was still in the early healing stage, I was more than happy to wear the stabilizing boot, walking with a walker, and using a wheelchair in the airport. So off I went to Denver hoping  for four days of learning and enjoyment.  Both were found but that's another Slice of Life.

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A poem from the past that brings peace to me:

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Thank You To:

• Melanie Meehan for organizing a breakfast get-together for Two Writing Teachers' friends at  the NCTE Convention. 
• Matt Forrest Esenwine  and Irene Latham for their open invitation to the  Poetry Peeps evening event at  the NCTE Convention.

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I now join Two Writing Teachers on their special day, Giving Tuesday. "Every year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this organization leads a movement encouraging others to give. This could be giving your time, creativity, care, or any act of generosity you can share with others."

I give you my Slice of Life with inspiration from the season of autumn in Virginia, and nature photography turned into digital art image poems. 

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