To Weather Through (WC)

  

(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

Hush into your softest dress. Candle the table. 

Home the cup, warm blossom brew.

Solace the task at hand.

Forage the dictionary, scout for love:

Old English lufian ‘to cherish’…

Christmas the day —

do we gift ourselves

    each other

             enough? 

*Original draft of this was the last poem read to Mom before her passing (passed January 20, 2025). 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). 

Today’s Menu (WC)

  

(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 20's.

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. 

World Seeks Mother (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, edited January 2025, but originally from August 26, 2024, feast day of Our Lady of Treille/Arbour, Our Lady of the Seven Arrows (softener of hearts), Our Lady of Częstochowa, Our Lady of Divine Grace, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and the deliverance of Moscow from the Invasion of Tamerlane, the Virgin of Tenderness Icon of the Mother of God of the Pskov Caves, Blessed Jean Bassano (spiritual director of Saint Colette), Blessed Margaret of Faenza (spiritual student of Saint Humilitas and Saint Teresa of Jesus Ibars. Image from here.)

World Seeks Mother

A joyful heart is good medicine…

--Proverbs 17:22

On this all factions can agree:

We’ve had enough of sorrow

Mom’s touch is spacious as the sun —

Its warmth seeps in for tomorrow

The tune she hums it sweeps the heart

scoots shadows far and near

newsfeeds can rest, this one life --

more to it than fear

*Inspired by my Mom, ever ready with good medicine! And from prompt: free write as inspired by “Red Tights” by Danusha Laméris, Kim Malinowski’s Poetry Salon class of August 26, 2024. 

At Guadalupe (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, revisted January 2025, a haiku-esqe gleaned from piece "Petals", originally from December 18, 2021, full moon, feast day of the Expectation of the Virgin Mary, and of the Mercedarians Redeemers. Jewish calendar commemorates Abraham Ibn Ezra's receiving Letter from the Shabbat Queen in 1159, as well as Purim Hebron. Image from here.)

At Guadalupe

Sky’s mantle,

    She smooths it out — 

                             petals 

                          slip 

               through… 

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Luis Eduardo Rendon’s “The Only Key to Heaven”. From Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, December 18, 2021. 

Peaceward (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, November 16, 2024, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Vilnius/Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn/Mother of Mercy (Saint Seraphim of Sarov devotion), Our Lady of Carmine, Our Lady of Chievres (dragonslaying legend and prayer here), Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, Saint Gertrude the Great, Saint Margaret of Scotland, Saint Agnes of Assisi, Saint Céronne. Image from here.)

Peaceward 

         Peace requires drastic action.

         — Josephine Nobisso, Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe

A blessing, my door being open that day. 

Neighbor Irene strolls by, spots the travel items about the bed. 

“Did you know?, Irene means peace”. I hadn’t. Lug my suitcase up, unzip. 

“I’m to Europe soon,” I explain. It’s where she’s from. 

“No, no!, not what you want, just pack what you need. 

I’ll be back in a bit” she says. And she is. 

My proud pile lies expectant, a barest branch. 

“Wonderful!” I hear, “Now cut it in half”. 

I didn’t. Not then, that Spring of 1997. 

I mean seriously, how do you cut a need -– It’s needed. 

I’d board my flight to Germany,  Motherland. 

My suitcase and two carry-ons in tow, such unruly children. 

Next time, I vow — I’ll travel light.

It never came. 

Hit by a truck that Fall upon return, permanent disability. 

My itinerary now? A permission of sorts. A daily choosing. 

Between need and need. Between good and good. 

*From prompt: Write a poem about advice/conversation, as inspired by “Lament for the Maker” by  Bonnie Naradzay. From Robbi Nestors generative writing class (The Poetry Salon), November 16, 2024. And inspired by productivity expert Alicia Cohen’s approach to decluttering one's schedule: not simply eliminating what no longer benefits, but choosing between the good and the good. 

Love comes armed (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, September 4, 2024, New Moon of  Elul (most notable for the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy), and feast day of the (above) Georgian (or Gruzinskaya) Icon of the Mother of God, the Unburnt Bush Icon of the Mother of God, Holy Prophet and God-seer Moses, Saint Hermione, On Jewish calendar today, Moses ascends Sinai for 3rd 40 days, 1313 BC; and Prophecy of Haggai Encouraging Building of the Second Temple, 353 BC. Image from here.)

Love comes armed

with Her bin and broom.

Gathers peace, grace

palest green that seeks the Sun.

All the rest: dust, pebbles

 

                                swish,

                                    sweep

  

                She keeps at it --

leaves nothing the same.

*From prompt: freewrite as inspired by “love is ___”, after considering Edwin Morgan's "The Unspoken". From Daisy Barrett-Nash’s Legacy Lines (Writers at Play), September 4, 2024.

Kairos (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, June 29, 2024, feast day of Our Lady of Linares, the (above) Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God (also connected with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Tatiana), Madonna of the Milk, Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Mary the Mother of John Mark. Image from here.)

Kairos

Nature does not hurry,

yet everything is accomplished.

― Lao Tzu

She sprints, my neighbor, umbrella clasped. Me, I’ll finish up that social studies report today. Maybe. Grandma Dee is of an odd mind that sick days are for resting, getting well. 

She’s at the stovetop now, I wander over. A rare thing, this having her to myself. No full house soundboom, everyone’s off... work, school. “Potato soup”, Grandma says, slipping the lid on the pot. Its cozy steam draws me near.

“Are you putting in any chicken for protein?” I ask, anxious to rebuild some strength. “No, that would make it something else. Your Grandma Otten always gave us plain old potato soup when we were queasy.”

“How about some carrots and celery for the nutrients?” “No, just potatoes and sea salt. Don’t confuse your body with a bunch of other things. Starch settles your stomach. Salt balances the electrolytes. That’s what you need when you’re sick, you know — for things to just be very simple.”

All day long I’m sipping that potato soup, nibbling on saltines, and looking out the window. It’s become a movie theater of sorts. I nestle in. Sun’s slow slide between glow and hide, the main feature. Thunder an intermission. A squeal from the toddler next door brings comic relief.

I suppose the homework can wait awhile. For the moment, I am... home.

Fifty years later now, it's a perpetual sick day — severe neck injury, Complex Regional Pain (CRPS), vision/respiratory/GI distress. So every day I’m at home. Outwardly such quiet, peace. Inwardly still my penchant for elements, to do lists, toppling pile of causes, effects.

That is till I feel a presence, scoots me close sometimes. Points to moon’s languid rise out the window. Turns to tug, inner tide...

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Li-Young Lee's “Persimmons", with an eye to remembering a conversation that has stayed with you, noting its setting, experience, and impact. From Robbi Nestor's Generative Writing class (the Poetry Salon), June 29, 2024.

Raise Us (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, June 9, 2024, National Children's Day**, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Ligny/Our Lady of Virtues, Our Lady della Fontenuova / Our Lady of the Plain, the “of the Passion” Icon of the Mother of God (in Catholic Church called Our Lady of Perpetual Help), Saint Ephrem of Syria, Blessed Anne Marie Taigi, On Jewish calendar Moses ascended Mount Sinai for the first time/Chosen people (1313 BC).  (Image from here.)

Raise us, Your children 

(after the Akathist to the Mother of God Nurturer of Children*)

Most Immaculate Merciful Mother

raise us your children

in the purity of childhood

Raise us to be poor in spirit

that we may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Raise us to weep,

that we may be comforted.

Raise us to be meek,

that we may inherit the earth.

Raise us to hunger and thirst for righteousness,

that we may be filled.

Raise us to be merciful, 

that we may obtain mercy.

Raise us to be pure in heart, 

that we may see God.

Raise us to be peacemakers,

that we may be called the sons and daughters of God.

O Mother, raise us, Your children,

to be made worthy of the Kingdom of God 

and heirs of eternal blessings.

Amen.

*The above is complied/adapted from the Akathist to the Mother of God Nurturer of Children.

**"The second Sunday in June rewinds time for a moment to celebrate National Children's Day. This day honors the children in our lives by slowing down our fast-paced lives, turning off the tech, and refocusing on the important things. Taking one day may not be enough, but using it as an opportunity to redirect our family life is an important way to stay connected with our children."--National Day Calendar