November is For Thanks

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”- G.K.Chesterton  

There is a certain type of wonder during the month of November. It opens as the last hurrah of autumn. Daylight savings time slows down life's pace and as we move toward Thanksgiving, gratitude moments become more important. Autumn is an example of nature's gift as October grandeur sweeps its piles of leaves into November. I sigh with delight and give thanks as leaves cushion earth.

From one the west to east coast, autumn presents its colors in a wonder-filled array of happiness. When the weather turned a beautiful shade of sunshine sky, I decided to take an awe walk to clear my head of the noises of life and commune with nature. So off the family went to visit a nearby park that we had not walked through this autumn.

As we entered the park, I was immediately struck by the peacefulness of the November day. The duck community honked greetings, inviting us in. Light from the sun radiated across the pond illuminating the colors of the mallards. 

Looking into the park, trees tinged in autumn gold beckoned. 

The weight of the world lifted as

infrequent joggers and a sole skateboarder smiled in passing.

autumn touches earth

with its illuminating light

peacefulness settles

in mirrored reflection 

 November showcases fall

©CV, 2020

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At the end of the awe-walk, reeds were sassaying in the breeze. The scene reminded me of the constant election news shows with heated conversations. This image poem displays my first Naani.

Naani is one of India's most popular Telugo poems. Naani means an expression of one and all and consist of 4 lines, the total lines consists of 20 to 25 syllables.  The poem is not bouded to a particular subject, although generally it depeds on human relations and current statements.

"Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life." -Rumi

Indulging in an awe walk as a diversion from the weighty to dos of life was just the right medicine to fill my head with gratitude thoughts and make me smile.

I'm joining the Poetry Friday Roundup where Susan Bruck is hosting at Soul Blossom Living. Susan delights us with her silly poem series and accompanying illustrations that my little granddaughter would absolutely love.

An Abundant Dose of Gratitude-SJT

October's grandeur ushered in November's crispcool breezes and multicolored leafcovers this week. I step onto a blanketed earth with burgeoning feelings of gratitude. Despite life's stressors, I start the search for gratitude moments that will change my outlook and bring back a positive spirit. 

With the election as a key topic in the world, I feel unbalanced as do many others. The above photo shot by my daughter reminds me to be grateful for the beauty of nature this year while the following inspirational quotes are quick gratitude snaps that bring peace and harmony into focus. I hope these thoughts allow us all to find common ground and grow into wise individuals who do not grieve for things we do not have but rejoice for things we have in front of us (paraphrased from Epictetus, the Greek Stoic philosopher).

• "I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault
• “Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good. - Maya Angelou

From the above quotes, I created a found poem to lift my thoughts:

morning thanksgiving

for little things,

gratitude, and

faith to 

welcome

good

©CV, 2020

With internal thoughts comes quiet time and reflection. The following psalm I found holds a positive action step. I thank my friend, Ramona Behnke from the state of Washington, for her gorgeous nature photo that she offered for my Abundant Autumn Gallery. It has a tremendous calming effect.

Today is the day to take my anxiety down and change my perspective. I have been on a long journey of building a new house in Virginia, selling my home on Long Island, dealing with disability paperwork for my son, along with coping with #QuarantineLife during a pandemic. Stress levels are high so peace and resolve are needed to continue the next leg of the journey. 

An "awe walk" (a stroll in which you intentionally shift your attention outward instead of inward) will help me lessen anxiety down and boost my outlook. Life does not pause for our stressors. It moves on and so I look to the psalm for guidance and family and friends for support.

I send autumn thanks to this month's Spiritual Journey Thursday host, Ruth Hersey from Haiti, for suggesting the topic of gratitude and to my SJT community of friends for supporting my long journey. In thanksgiving, I created a Buncee Gratitude Snap for my faithful and supportive friends.

A Look Back to Halloweens Past

What is the Autumn season without Halloween? 

I asked this question back in 2016. This year, I wondered how children would celebrate the festivities with all the COVID-19 restrictions. I decided to look back in time at my former autumn galleries to enjoy some fun just in case Halloween would not be a wonder-filled one for all.

Back in 2016, my neighborhood was alive with laughter and costumed characters.

You can see more here.

In 2017, I invited all to join me in creating a spooktacular 

Halloween section of Autumn Ablaze Gallery. 

In 2018, I enjoyed creating a Happy Halloween ditty story for a read aloud during storytime.

You can access my Halloween Buncee here.

The following year, I created more Buncee posters for Halloween.

This animated Halloween Fright Night digital can be found on my Buncee dashboard here.

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This year, COVID-19 changed the way Halloween festivities would run. Despite the safety precautions and the restrictions on large gatherings, the day was a joyous one.  Sunshine added happiness after days of rain. Children dressed in inventive costumes. Families paraded around the neighborhood with smiles and Happy Halloween greetings flooded the streets. I created a few virtual haunted Halloween gallery walks for those who remained inside. You can see those mini-galleries here, here, and here.

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"It's Halloween, everyone's entitled to one good scare." 

-Bracket, Halloween (1978)

How did you celebrate Halloween? Did you have one good scare?  The night after Halloween, my family drove past the house with a yard full of macabre seasonal decorations and that gave me a scare. Take a quick look.

 

Join me now as I take a pleasant walk over to Two Writing Teachers

for the Tuesday Slice of Life.

Welcome to Dead End-Poetry Friday Rises!

Have You Ever:

Faced a dead end?

Wondered where life will lead you?

Seen pathways as a bookend

squished between few alternatives?

Brushed away sticky cobwebs and

tangled knots of this and that?

Searched for waves that in sunlight ebb

that lessen the dread?

©CV, 2020

↓

a place where fears rise

as phobias spiral into

a nebulous light of fright

 on Hallow's Eve.

As phobias spiral into

mounting terror

on Hallow's Eve,

moonbeams dance in a spectral mist.

Mounting terror

rises while stars swirl on a broomstick ride.

Moonbeams dance in a spectral mist

and costumed characters ward off fiendish howls.

Rising while stars swirl on a broomstick ride,

crispcool ghouls flash their razor-sharp grins

and costumed characters ward off fiendish howls.

Who seeks refuge in garden graveyards?

   Chrispcool ghouls flash their razorsharp grins

and scare the bravest lad

who seeks refuge in garden graveyards,

a place where fears R I S E.

©CV, 2020, pantoum poem

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The following golden shovel takes the strike line, mischiefs that on moonbeams ride, from Hallowe'en by Joel Benton to create a spooky poem. 

Listen to Benton's reading here for a Halloween treat. 

Within the dimness of night, mischiefs

rise as childish pranks spiral into that

vast expanse of fright on

Halloween. In the fractured light, moonbeams

shimmer as witches ride.

©CV, 2020

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All of the above images of spooky scenes were shot while walking through my neighborhood, then digitized to create an eery effect.

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Join me for the Halloween version of the Poetry Friday Roundup. I can't wait to see what poetic goodness our Denver host, Linda Baie, is serving. Below you will see the digital inspiration, One Halloween wish from Denver, Linda sent me for the "Haunted House Poemtober Journey" collection of my Abundant Autumn Gallery.

October's Transition

Because nature has brought a sense of peace to troubled times this season, I am grateful. October, the high point of autumn, paves the golden path for November to usher in a slower pace with thankful thoughts. For this transition, I have created my first pantoum.

A pantoum is a poem of any length, composed of four-line stanzas in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza serve as the first and third lines of the next stanza. The last line of a pantoum is often the same as the first. 

October's Transition

October ends its stay with slipsliding stride.

Crunching rustling leaves.

Spreading multicolored layers thin.

Preparing a way for more crispcool times.

Crunching rustling leaves,

October's evening blush dims,

Spreading multicolored layers thin

as enchanted evening dreams begin

October's evening blush dims

into a speckled indigo sky.

As enchanted evening dreams begin,

nature golddusts earth with thankful sighs.

Into a speckled indigo sky

November sweeps through like a feather duster

as enchanted evening dreams begin

flowing through crispclean air.

November sweeps through like a feather duster

refreshing late autumn's terrain.

Flowing through crispclean air,

October ends its stay with slipsliding stride.

©CV, 2020

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turns into November thanks

Autumn walks in beauty on days

of lustrous hues, muted skies, and

earth bedecked in dazzling jewels.

©CV, 2020

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To add a more gratitude for a season of grandeur, I honor the work of fellow slicers who write alongside me for my Abundant Autumn Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions.

Pandemic Getaway

Fall

reflects

pensively

on pandemic

woes as it invites

travelers to peaceful

shores filled with wishwells of joy.

Pause to bask in nature's grandeur

during getaways that provide rest

from the stresses of a compromised world. 

©CV, 2020, etheree

May October's beauty transition joyfully

into November's crispcool settling time.

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I am sending this Slice of Life to Two Writing Teachers.

#SOL20

Thank you to the following slicers for offering your artistic expressions on the Abundant Autumn Gallery of Artistic Expressions, Slicers' Edition.

Terje Akke

Ramona Behnke

Fran Haley

Bob Hamera

Kevin Hodgson

Molly Hogan

Margaret Simon

Haunted House Poemtober Journey

Join me for a strange Poemtober journey enroute to Halloween. Just stay a short time for a poetic diversion into the bizarre world of seasonal decorations. 

All it takes is one ticket and a few moments to enter a world of bloodcurdling howling and ghoulish fright with a cast of strange characters.

welcome to my world's

cemetery of dread-

enter at your risk

©CV, 2020

how dare you wake me

from a peaceful resting place-

day shift starts now

©CV, 2020

creepy clown sightings

rise from haunted spaces-

free hugz for all

©CV, 2020

trading toad, werewolf

bones for carnevil horror-

weird farmers market

©CV, 2020

ready for today's

decapitated offerings-

no tricks just treats
©CV, 2020

bloodcurdling howl from 

age-old decompositions-

tale as old as time

©CV, 2020

time to journey on

dear child, dreaded darkness nears-

sweet dreams yet to come

©CV, 2020

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Listen to "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics

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monsters are out tonight

rushing from their tombs

bony bodies full of fright

crushing autumn blooms.

©CV, 2020

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Thank you for taking a haunted house tour through my neighborhood. 

Sleep well. Monsters are only figments of our imaginations. 

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Halloween 2020 may not take on the same outdoor fun of years past BUT

this virtual Haunted House Journey will provide a new normal experience.

🍁👻🍂

I'm off on my virtual broom to fly into the Poetry Friday Roundup at Jama's Alphabet Soup.  Jama Rattigan, the ultimate hostess, always serves edible and non-edible treats of poetic goodness.