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. 

Nature, she doesn't copyright (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, prompt of February 12, 2025, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Iviron and Our Lady of Argenteuil. Composed February 15 (Our Lady of Paris, and the Dalmatian, Vil'na and NiculaIcons of the Mother of God) Image from here.)

Nature, she doesn't copyright

(Can’t say Sun, dear, that’s piracy.)

She’s a copycat, luckily

Refrain for morning’s glory

drums the dew

Star’s splash

owl's evening sweep 

Before writing, heft your satchel —

 

                      Scout for seeds.

*Inspired by Edwin Morgan, who wished to see his unpublished works shared publicly (The Scotsman )

**From prompt: Reflect on this past year's engagement in Daisy Barrett Nash's Legacy Lines (Writers at Play), what stands out? Prompt given February 12, 2025, though piece written later.

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,

Earth-tides they follow

if I could too.

Silk Your hem across my cheek,

                                 hymn Ave.

World afloat, a babe lifted, 

eyes 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 “... joy is in the feeling of enough... enough love in this world for me to experience…. the sustaining generosity… ” from “The Power in Pleasure”. From Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo’s Messy and Brite: Writing the Love Poem (The Poetry Salon), February 2, 2025.