A SoulCollage card made last night in loving memory of my Mother Jackie. Made before knowing the English translation for the French verse on it. Looking it up now, it’s:
As God gave food to the birds,
He sent His Son to you
O Lord, give rest to the soul of Thy servant Jackie.
May she rest in peace,
and may perpetual light shine upon her.
Amen.
*"Memory Eternal" is a traditional Eastern Orthodox phrase for honoring for the departed
(Wendy Cabell, January 28, 2025, feast day of Our Lady of the Green Scapular, Our Lady of Succor, the Totemsk-Sumorin Icon of the Mother of God, ("consolation after the loss of loved ones; strengthening of faith"), Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Cannera of Inis Cathaig, Blessed Olympia Bida, On Jewish calendar today, Rebbetzin Chana (mother of the Lubavitcher Rebbe) born (1879). Image from Joseph MacRae, horizontal Angel we saw in sunset 1/23… feels like a blessing.)
Sky-true
(Grandma Dee’s version of Disney's “When You Wish Upon a Star”,
Sometime 1970’s)
“Grandma, are they singing fate there, or faith?”
“Well, I’m not sure. But if it isn't faith, then it should be”
Like a bolt out of the Blue
Faith steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a Star
Your dreams come true
(Wendy Cabell, from previous post: a past poem revisited January 10, 2021, Sunday of the Blessing of the Waters (Eastern Orthodox); and feast day eve of Saint Luminosa of Pavia (patron of booksellers; represented with lily/three lilies) and of the above Yelets Icon of the Mother of God)
An early poem, Mom said it was one of her favorites, so reposting it to remember and honor her
Lily Song
And why are you anxious about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. - Matthew 6: 28-29
Sparkles are empty, now after the real,
And this longing for beauty is forever.
Breeze through the field now, blows where it will,
And this longing for beauty is forever.
Through sun, through dew, till we drop to earth, to sky,
And this longing for beauty is forever.
Sky too deep too blue to dazzle -- holy mantle,
And this longing for beauty is forever.
Sparkles are empty, now after the real,
And this longing for beauty is forever.
Breeze through the field now, blows where it will,
And this holding of Beauty is forever.
(Wendy Cabell, January 25, 2025, feast day of Our Lady of Bethlehem(Spain), Our Lady's Shroud, 3 Icons of of the Mother of God at Hilander Monastery ((above) Milkgiver, Akathist, and Priestly)), the Unexpected Joy Icon of the Mother of God, the Assuage My Sorrows Icon of the Mother of God, the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, Saint Gregory the Theologian, Blessed Archangela Girlani. Image from here.)
Upon running away from home, age 4
*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by “As Girl” by Annie Wenstrup. From Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, January 25, 2025.
(Wendy Cabell, originally from January 12, 2025, feast day of the Baptism of the Lord (Orthodox, afterfeast), (above) Our Lady of Guadalupe “Little Indians” festival, Our Lady of Conquering Love, Our Lady of the Rue Large, Milk-Giver, Akathist & Priestly, Icons, Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, St Caesaria of Arles, St Tatiana, Saint Aelred (quotes), St Parthena, St Eupraxia, St Benedict Biscop, Bl Lucia, St John of Ravenna, Sts Eutropius & Tigrius, Bl Bernardo de Plano (Mercedarian), St Bernard of Corleone, Bl Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung, St Satyrus (Cross miracle). Today's Jewish calendar Ezekiel Prophesies Egypt's Downfall, 424 BC. Image from here.)
To Weather Through
Forage the dictionary, scout for love
Old English lufian ‘to cherish’…
Hush into your softest dress. Candle the table.
Home the cup, warm blossom brew.
Solace the task at hand.
Christmas the day —
do we gift ourselves
each other
enough?
*Original draft of this was the last poem read to Mom before her passing. Inspired by January 12th’s video binge (10 ways to live like a Grandma in 2025, Grandma goes VIRAL ), and combined prompts: Freewrite as inspired by Audre Lorde’s “The Cancer Journals” (from Daisy Barrett Nash’s Legacy lines, January 29 and February 5, 2025) and “My Therapist Wants to Know about My Relationship to Work” (from Tresha Heaffner’s Write Games (the Poetry Salon), January 30, 2025).
Originally from 2020, revisited now in loving memory of my Mother
Little Rose Prayer
(a variation on the Saint Therese novena,
in gratitude after Mom's surgery, 2020)
Saint Therese please send
a rose from above,
Guide me to know that
God is love.
Help me in my
intentions this day,
and keep me on your
Little Way.
Amen.
(Wendy Cabell, published (also finalist in contest) in My Sanskriti in Teal, edited by Ruchi Acharya, Wingless Dreamer Publisher, 2023. Originally from May 14, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Bavaria, the Unexpected Joy Icon of the Mother of God, the Sweet-Kissing Icon of the Mother of God, the Yaroslavl-Caves Icon of the Mother of God, and feast day of Saint Matthias the Apostle, Saint Corona the Martyr, and Saint Maria Mazzerello. Image from our family photo album (previous image was from here, tree shrine to Our Lady of Bavaria.)
Originally from 2022, revisited now in loving memory of my Mother, who in her own way carried Grandma Otten's torch, who carried her Grandmother's, and on back....
Today’s Menu
World economy hires her waitress, ignores my order,
brings what pleases. No wonder this restaurant’s avoided.
Turn to Great Grandma Otten’s instead, opened in the Roaring
Twenties. Lost in the Great Depression. Though she kept the Rosary,
safe in her apron pocket, passed it on. This economy of time
paced smooth, circles round. Skirts the sound of crash
or rise, holds my hand. Each visit a surprise.
*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Moinica de la Torre’s “$6.82”; from Lisa Freedman’s Imagination and Justice BreatheReadWrite (IWWG International Women’s Writing Guild), May 14, 2022.
(Wendy Cabell, originally from April 22, 2022, feast day of Orthodox Great and Holy Friday, of Our Lady of Betharam (connection with Lourdes), of the Miraculous Lady (weeping Icon of Cicero, Illinois), and of Saint Opportuna of Montreuil and Saint Senorina of Basto. Earth Day. Jewish calendar today continues Passover, and commemorates Splitting of the Red Sea (Miriam in subsequent song, above). Image from here.)
Shared here in honor of my Mother's passage -- she who much loved the "baby angels"
Do You?
through a miracle... dance...
–Miriam’s Song, Debbie Friedman
I used to sense tiny wings,
nestled just behind the heart --
mine? yours? not sure, but
surely magic’s real,
now the eyes
are open
*From prompt: Freewrite a quick 5 line poem exploring "I used to_ ... now_". From Suni Storm's Improving Your Performance (MOCA, Jacksonville), April 22, 2022.
(Wendy Cabell, originally from February 26, 2021, feast day of Purim, whose heroine Esther is above. Image from here.)
Originally from 2021, revisited now in loving memory of my Mother
Solut
(age two’s celebratory walk after several months in cast from broken femur)
The Latin root solv and its variant solut both
mean "loosen"... -- from Membean, “Solved by a Root Solution”
Hurray, hurray, it is today! The Sun it spills on
sidewalk gray, as white shoes dance on feet at
play, while dear old Bonnie* leads the way, and
things with wings around me sway. And,
"Mom, do you hear that pretty sound? Of trees,
and wind, and O wow! rain. And never to be
in that cast again, not trapped, but out, and
Sun my frame",
Hurray, hurray, it is today!
"Time to go" , says Mom.
"Till next time!" , I say.
*Faithful collie Bonnie, memory eternal
**From prompt: Freewrite after the post-war celebratory walk in Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway–a giddy, flowing, moving, interactive-with-surroundings type of joy– (in this case it’s my childhood walk above). From Esther Linn's Quarantine Write-in (Hugo House, Seattle), February 25, 2021.
