Emergence Notes (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, published in Network: Fall 2022, edited by Michelle Miller and team, International Women’s Writing Guild, 2022. From July 2022.)

Emergence Notes

(on Margie Ann Stanko’s “Emergence” series, 

IWWG Conference, July 25-July 27, 2022)

1. Day one, “Unknowing”

Change Greets Me With Love

(cave’s signpost)

soft glow, scoots 

edges out of hiding: 

                   emergency supplies, 

                   apologies, 

                   medical records; 

hands note interweave:

                             hot tea, 

                             lullabies, 

                             click of Rosary beads–

                                   hold them now.  

2. Day two, “Resilience”

Eye Witness

What does it take to start looking inward 

and outward like an artist (or even better an 

heARTist) and sense what yet has to emerge?

–Margie Ann Stanko

Great Grandma Ginny, softest touch, “See this,

Honey” pulling out her Scapular, or setting out 

chocolate chip cookies, or ushering me into her 

quiet, breezy room. I can nestle here as the family 

chats--booming staccato. As I snooze before spaghetti

dinner, spot a cloud or two just outside. As inside flutter 

settles, eye blinks. Later, young adult eyes upon

my therapist, who says “Honey, what did Grandma

Ginny do?" Nudges consider in current scene,

my feeling powerless can only offer hand–-

listen, hush--as a memory’s up, of mask’s

slip, gentle hands having loosened its grip

                                                 

 not with speeches or with stuff but with

            space, a Presence–

                and enough.

3. Day three, “Thriving”

To Love Truth

To love truth

is true strength

is strength for peace

is peace beyond that of mind,

is of another kind,

kindness, tender touch,

being what touches

truth. 

*Images above, being part of each day’s prompts, are photos of sculptures from Frederick Franck's "Pacem in Terris", a contemplative sculpture garden in Warwick, NY.