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.

Memory Eternal (WC)

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

Sky-True (WC)

(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

Lily Song (WC)

 

(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. 

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. 

Flying Lessons (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, published in Writers At Play Presents: Our Legacy, edited by Daisy Barrett-Nash, Equal Arts, 2022. Originally from September 8, 2021, feast day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and also of the Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God (and other Icons). Also the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the "head of the year" (first day here); as well as commemorating the (3760 BC) first very Shabbat on the seventh day of creation. Image from here.)

Originally from 2021, revisited now in loving memory of my Mother

Flying Lessons

(for my Mom, Jackie March... Angel-Mom, Sister, Friend)

 You can fly!

         You can fly!

         You can fly!

         --Peter Pan

 

The Wing’s the thing, unspoken mantra of my Mother -–

sorrow hidden, this her balm. There’s the spoken mantras too:

Okay, Baby Angels, we need a mini-miracle.

Let your Guardian Angel talk to his Guardian Angel, they’ll work this conflict out.

If you ever see a frown, do not let it stay,

as to this restless soul a feather's brush. 

Her hand on my forehead. Slow dawn 

of soft smile, knowing,

Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. 

(Meanwhile, directions from Disney,

There it is... second star to the right and straight on till morning!

         

but digressing.) And remembering, night not so long ago. 

I’m on the bed resting, stretching. Phone nestled by ear. 

True confessions: Mom’s climb out of depression 

just noticing the littlest of things. Magic's glow

tween thank and you — it got her through. 

So now I’m telling you, floats her voice.

    If after wings, your blessings sing -–

             The Wing's the thing.

*“If you ever see a frown…” adapted from Daniel Taylor's "Smiles", “Angels can fly because…” from G.K. Chesterson’s "Orthodoxy", Disney quotes from "Peter Pan".

*”If you ever see a frown…” is paraphrased from Daniel Taylor’s Smiles. “Angels can fly because…” is quoted from G.K. Chesterson’s Orthodoxy. Disney quotes are from Peter Pan.

**From prompt: Ponder the life lesson(s) that have meant the most to you, the setting, teacher/characteristics, way lesson(s) imparted/aha moments, impact. Find striking lines, sensory detail, theme to repeat. From Daisy Barrett-Nash’s Legacy Poetry, July 28, August 4, and September 1 & 8, 2021.