31

The challenge to write for 31 days used to seem daunting.
Now I look forward to it as a
Humbling and
Inspirational experience.  I’ve come to
Recognize my March writing as a unique opportunity
To pay closer attention to the world, myself, and
You.

Once a week writing will probably become the
Norm again soon, as my routines relax but
Every year I participate in this challenge, I increase my stamina and skills.  The joy of the experience has me looking forward to next year.

THANK YOU Two Writing Teachers for hosting this challenge!

 

 

full

writing to a prompt: full

I goofed last night and stayed up way too late.  After all, I’m on vacation, and wasn’t feeling the need to build up savings in my sleep bank.  So I sat at my computer and edited poems and photos, loading them into a template on Blurb.  I was having a merry old time oblivious to the clock.  At 11:45 my husband subtly asked, “How late do you think you’re going to be up tonight?”

I finally crawled into bed at 1:30 am.  Oh my goodness, what a goof ball!  I really didn’t have anything taxing to do today but I really shouldn’t have stayed up so late.  Lack of sleep made me a bit emotional in church today and snippy with my old dog who is antsy to go out every couple of hours.

So after watching Cosmos, I’m going to turn in and get a full night of sleep.  Nothing to wake up for tomorrow except a promised and much anticipated lunch date with my mom.

 

a genuine slice

Today I had the joy of beginning my spring vacation in the company of 13 women from my church.  It was a little “retreat” – only six hours together – but just the perfect way to spend a rainy Pacific NW day.

We were asked to bring a favorite poem, hymn, or Bible verse to share.  I listened to words from Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, Micah, Psalms, a Catholic hymnal, old family proverbs and a treasured picture book.

Now I am home and have gotten so wrapped up in creating a book of poetry and photos that I lost track of the time and am too late to post for today.  But I’m going to anyway.

invitation

The notice  for the women’s retreat invites me to bring a favorite Bible verse, hymn, poem, anything speaking to me right now. Wow, what a delightful enterprise to contemplate.

Since I’m right in the middle of reading favorite things, I’ll  leave this little invitation I created with Flowpaper for you all – especially if you are heading off into a spring break (like me) or into the end of your school year or just into April:

Come Dance!

seeds for a future

inspired by this quote: “Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.”  Lily Tomlin

Forgiveness

At last I stop in the middle of the day
and in the dusty rut of a well traveled road
I  lay my self
down.

The sun sets,
the moon and stars rise and show me my shadow.
Finally I am able to sleep,
and my dreams are all I remember
and all I want to know.

Glistening with dew I rise at dawn’s light.
Cupping my fingers in the moist, dense dirt
I fish the tiny seeds out of my pocket
and pat them gently into the earth at my feet.

Thank you Rody Rowe for helping me/us go deeper

add water

Of course the prompt “kitchen sink” brings to mind the phrase “everything but the kitchen sink” but there are other words I probably say- or think –  daily attached to those two words.

Have you said any of these words today?

just throw it in…

keep it away from…

be sure to drain…

unclog…

empty out…

soak it overnight in…

please clean..

everything but…

the kitchen sink.

 

Submission

Submission

One by one they came to me, dropping the event card in my lap.
Each would tap a finger on the bolded print,
nod their head and raise an eyebrow –
nonverbal cues to “do it.”

Local Poetry Contest

I haven’t entered poetry for publication since I was in high school.

27 lines including the title and spaces,
no more than 55 characters per line.
I’ve never counted my poetry before.
Discounted maybe,

thank goodness I’m no longer a vulnerable teenager.

 

 

Slice of dawn

chirrup    tweet tweet

chirrup     tweet tweet

this-is      my tree

I’ll-build-a-nest    for thee

come-live-my-sweet    with me

chirrup    tweet tweet

chirrup    tweet tweet

writing to a prompt: on the road

the blueberry, the bee and me

I know it only makes sense to me
but this is what I see:
a blueberry, a woman and a bee.
The berry is whole, perfect, singularly unique, a gift of nature;
the woman looks the way I want to feel, calm and happy in her world;
the bee has work she knows how to do and is good and busy at it
and it is work that matters.

I know it only makes sense to me
but this is what I weave:
a blueberry, a woman and a bee.
I’m trying to be whole and happy,
being and doing what matters.

On the Day Mama Passed

for Sharry (so sorry dear, but I found this record of your sweet memory and a poem called to me – I know it is close to the anniversary and yet you haven’t really had time to grieve)

On the Day Mama Passed

On the day mama passed……

On the day mama passed
we drove into the valley.

On the day mama passed we drove into the valley, and parked on the side of the road.

On the day mama passed,
we drove into the valley,
parked on the side of the road
and watched the swans.

On the day mama passed, we drove into the valley, parked on the side of the road, and watched the swans rise and take to the sky.

On the day mama passed,
we drove into the valley,
parked on the side of the road,
and watched the swans rise and take to the sky.
My heart kept time with their wings, pulsing as one towards the horizon.

On the day mama passed,
we drove into the valley.