To lean towards Love (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, February 16, 2025, Sunday of the Prodigal Son, feast day of Our Lady of the Thorns (burning bush), Our Lady of Sajópálfala, the Weeping “Tikhvin” Icon of the Mother of God, Saint Mariamne the sister of the Apostle Philip,  Blessed Bernard Scammacca, Blessed Filippa Mareri. Image from here.)

To lean towards Love: 

forgiveness

patience

joy

says today’s homily.

Our local centenarian’s twist, 

Walk on the beach. 

Work hard. 

Be kind.

*From prompt: Free write as inspired by “Trying” by Ada Limón.

From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, February 16, 2025. 

Mother’s Nature (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, February 10, 2025, feast day of (above) Our Lady of the Doves, Our Lady of Kurešcek, the Areovindus (Fire-appearing) Icon of the Mother of God, Saint Paul shipwrecked, Saint Scholastica (soul ascended as dove), Princess Anna of Novgorod, Saint Caedmon, Saint Merwinna, Blessed Eusebia Palomino Yenes. Image from here.)

Mother’s Nature

Years, footsteps up the mountain — my song dims.

Pansy’s song still wakes the Sun, Stars tuck the Moon. 

Man’s Best Friend, muscles in motion, keeps beside me.

Clockwork instinctive. Steady. 

Brims, brushes Sky with praise.  

Me, I have to remind myself to pray come eve. 

To down the pen, walk over to my Joseph. 

To let hands touch, heart humm. 

I know it wants to. 

I know the owls begin their watch,

the jasmine blooms. 

“Put your hoe down” Joseph tells me,

“work is done”. Or even if it isn't, 

night’s music has begun...

*Inspired by Mom's relationship advice: "Now here's what I want you two to do when you start to fuss. Just take a minute. Hold each other's hands. Look into each other's eyes. And say I love you.". And from prompt: Write about a struggle trying to connect with the non-human. From Tresha Heaffner’s Write Games (the Poetry Salon), February 10, 2025.

Queen of Heaven (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, February 2, 2025, Candlemas, feast day of (above) (amazing butterfly connection here), Our Lady of Coromoto, Our Lady of Good Success, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac. Image from here.)

Queen of Heaven,

waves they follow

if I could too.

Silk Your hem across my cheek,

                                 hymn Ave.

A babe lifted, my eyes fasten

upon You —

You, my sheerest passage

                                   Home

*From combined prompts: Freewrite in the spirit of love as worship, and love as pleasure, considering poems such as “Dulzura” by Sandra Cisneros, and quotes such as Adrienne Maree Brown’s “...part of the joy is in the feeling of enough… There is enough love in this world for me to experience…. the sustaining generosity… the interconnectedness of all life…” from “The Power in Pleasure”. From Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo’s Messy and Brite: Writing the Love Poem (The Poetry Salon), February 2, 2025.