Invest In Our Earth

 

Poster created by NASA. See the whole poster here.

Each year, Earth Day is celebrated around the globe. This year's theme is "Invest In Our Earth". As residents of the earth, we need to take on the role of steward and keep watch over the bountiful creation provided to us. 

"Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness."   - Eckhart Tolle 

This year, EarthDay.org asks people across the world to "invest in technologies and practices that can benefit the earth".   

Recipe for Change

Observe our beautiful earth through nature's eyes, protective and calm.

Become a watchful steward; recycle waste properly.

Commit to a green future; next generations need your help now!

©CVarsalona, 2022, sijo

Listen to Love Song to the Earth.

Quote  to Inspire Poetry:

The earth is what we all have in common. - Wendell Berry

There is beauty in fragile flowers, the

turn of light upon the grass. The earth

wrapped in shades of vibrant hues is

resplendent in springtime, but what 

if we neglect our mighty land?  Will we

deplete earth of its riches or of all

it has bestowed on mankind. Have

we forgotten what is necessary in

our haste to have superfluous interests in common?
©Carol Varsalona, 2017

On April 26th, I will gather image poems and artistic expressions that are offered

for my 2022 National Poetry Month Poetryliscious Gallery. 

You can find my padlet repository for the Poetryliscious Gallery here.

The Twitter hashtag is #Poetryliscious.

Thank you to poet-author-teacher, Margaret Simon, who is the host of Poetry Friday this week. It is Margaret's turn to add line 21 to the Progressive Poem and she does so with grace. Join me at Margaret's blog post to read other posts filled with poetic goodness for the Poetry Friday Roundup.

All Things New

There is a newness to life. I pause admiring the splendor of earth as I walk alongside my little granddaughters. There is much to be thankful for: a newly built home during COVID time, the arrival to Virginia after an arduous move, a new life journey, two little granddaughters whose smiles and laughter brighten the times I am with them, and faith. Although during the life move, I worried too much and brought on more stress than I should have, I held on to faith that all knots would be untied. 

Tonight, I pause to reflect on all things new and create a sijo of two stanzas ending with a haiku.

March springlike weather in Virginia

⁕

the cacophany of springtime chatter floods morning air

we pause to listen to the lilting music of frogs and birds 

toddler's curious inquiry stirs my imagination

the rapid swooshing of nighttime rain awakens my sleep

I listen to incessant pounding of nature's lament

quick weather changes bring on instantaneous mood swings

I pause to reflect

as nature stirs my thoughts

Easter hope rises

©CV, 2021

This has been a month of change. I longed for the positivity of all things new while trying to sort my feelings among the many stressors of a life move. Were there too many notions of newness amidst the multiple to-do lists? I often thought that I would not be able to make it through the rough patches of my life move. Everytime I tried to take care of one task others crept in making my efforts not reachable. 

Then, came the smile of an almost four-year-old and the laughter of one year old. In their presence, troubles were removed from my thoughts and happiness brought on a new feeling of joy. The newness of being only a half-hour away and being able to Grandma-sit when the baby had a rising fever bout and grandparents-sit when the girls' school was closed. These times melted away the angst of facing the same routine of unpacking boxes and organizing our new home each day. 

Romans 12:2 brought a new thought and a new hope that even in the darkest moments there is a bright light opening a passageway. We only need to look and have faith.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I am awakened to the call of renewal this Holy Thursday after a period of testing. I am ready to move closer to the Spiritual Guide who brings the peace of Easter joy, making all things new and beautiful. In gratitude for this journey of renewal in a new life, I sought a song to express this feeling of newness and what it means. I found "All Things New" and turned the poetic goodness of one line of the lyrics into a Golden Shovel poem of hope using the strike line: "Hope is found, you are here." 

It is time for hope

to be renewed. It is

the sweetness of goodness found,

the essence of You

who knows where we are

in relation to our past and our presence here.

©CV, 2021

Thank you to Karen Eastlund, our Spiritual Journey host this month for suggesting the prompt

"All Is New" and building a themed blog post around the concept of springtime newness. 

"New life is at our door. It blesses us. We have been given the chance to start over, and start with fresh slate. Anything is possible." -Karen Eastlund

This theme, All is New,  transitions me into a new state of being as I start a brand new life in Virginia. Unfortunately, the past months have weighted me down but the season of Lent has been the right time leading me to a new change of heart, mind, spirit, and location. Join me this month as I once again attempt to write poetry daily for National Poetry Month. 

Thank you also to Mary Lee Hahn for hosting Poetry Friday this week as she begins her National Poetry Month project of a haiku a day. I am blessed to be part of two fine writing communities that are filled with like-minded poets and bloggers who understand the potential of writing for peace and transformation.

Happy Easter!

First Day of Spring

Sixty degrees and sunshine marks the first day of spring. It is uplifting. I itch to go outside walking in nature but my honey-do list is endless. The work of organizing the kitchen in my new home simply has to be completed. A sense of nervous impatience to rid the house of unpacked boxes brings a decision to postpone a nature walk until later in the day. 

Finally, I am ready for a short ride to visit my granddaughters. The weather feels like warmer than earlier in the day. The ride is pleasant and the forest-like environment in the community of Reston where my little ones live is restful and peaceful. Tall trees line the road like elegant guardsmen, a welcoming sight, and the daffodils sprouting up in vivid clumps is delightful also. BUT, the best part of the first day of springtime is the joy of seeing two happy little granddaughters enjoying nature. 

Springtime turns a blank canvas into a colorful piece of art.

Daffodils dance under a golden sun while trees stand guard.

Children discover the gleeful joy of nature's playground.

©CV, 2021, draft

Thank you to slicer "Arjeha" for providing information on the sijo poetic format and posting his original poem. Click here to read all. Please feel free to comment on my first-time sijo poem in draft form.

Day 21 of Two Writing Teachers' March SOLSCI, #SOL21, March Musings 2021