Earth-Muse (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, January 15, 2025, feast day of Our Lady of Banneux, (above) Our Lady of the Seeds, Saint Ita of Killeedy, Saints Salome of Ujarma and Perozhavra of Sivnia, Saint Cosmas the Melodist, Saint Placid, Saint Teath (daughter of Saint Brychan of Brecknock, Saint Tarsicia of Rodez (granddaughter of King Clotaire II of the Franks, and sister of Saint Ferreolus of Uzès), Saints Britta and Maura, Blessed Diego de Soto (Mercedarian). Image from here.)

Earth-Muse

Inbreath:

Say you weave, from earth’s inside

bud on the rise

Say a breeze, kisses soul first breath

Say you swoon, soft wake tug of moon

Say you spy, ever heed

Light of sun

Say a diamond, splits a rainbow

current sky

Say a ray, slides heartward –-

pushes pen

Outbreath:

Say, pushes pen

a ray — slides heartward 

Say current sky

a diamond, splits a rainbow

Say Light of sun

you spy, ever heed

Say tug of moon

you swoon, soft wake

Say first breath

a breeze, kisses soul

Say bud on the rise,

you weave -- from earth’s inside

*From combined prompts:  Freewrite as inspired by Audre Lorde’s “Poetry is Not a Luxury”, from Daisy Barrett Nash’s Legacy Lines series, January 15, 2025; and choose a poem of yours to refine (I chose above) by posing questions or hypotheses, as inspired by "The Conditional" by Ada Limon, and "Questions About Angels" by Billy Collins, from Tresha Haeffner (The Poetry Salon)'s Write Games, January 16, 2025.

Petals (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, revisted January 2025, as considering a rose petal synchronicity awaiting my Mom upon her moving to assisted living. Originally from December 18, 2021, full moon, feast day of the (above) 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.)

Petals

Sky’s mantle, She smooths it out

                 petals slip through -- 

                                       O Lamp

                                       O Staff

                                       O Root

                                       O Key

                                       O Dawn

                                       O Crown

                                       O Presence –-

                                         inevitable Her   

                                   u n r a v e l i n g 

                                  o u r  w a y

* “O…”: These stem from the seven O Antiphons, prayed during Advent. The O Antiphons are based on Isaiah’s prophecies, revealing the different titles given to the Messiah. They are also the inspiration behind O Come O Come Emmanuel.

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

Sunflower Song (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, January 8, 2025, afterfeast of Theophany, Synaxis of the Theotokos (old calendar) and feast of Our Lady of Refuge, (above) Three Joys, Help in Birth-giving, Kykkos, and Blessed Womb Icons of the Mother of God, and Saints Julian and Basilissa. Jewish calendar remembers the Septuagint "of the seventy", the Greek translation of the Torah (246 BC). Image from here.)

Sunflower Song

To be simple is 

to be like a sunflower…

--Saint Julia Billiart

Moon’s sway, gives way 

follows Sun 

Sky’s wriggle, soft shake

follows Sun 

Hope’s stretch, just a little

follows Sun 

As when world first wakes —

follow Sun 

*From combined prompts: Freewrite as inspired by the etymology of “first” (from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, January 7, 2025); and by “A Litany for Survival” by Audre Lorde (from Daisy Barrett Nash’s Legacy Lines series, January 8, 2025).

For the feast day of Our Lady of Medugorje/Grace, June 25, 2024 (WC)

 

                                                   

(Wendy Cabell, June 25, 2014, Postfeast/Octave of Pentecost, feast day of Our Lady of Medugorje and (above) Our Lady of Grace (Our Lady of the Bowed Head). Image from here. "The words ‘Monstra te esse Matrem’ (Show thyself to be a Mother) are traditionally added to every copy of the image. They are taken from the hymn Ave Maris Stella.")

For the feast day of Our Lady of Medugorje/Grace, June 25, 2024

Our Mother entreats us pray

for peace in heart-home-world

while mind she tries to forget 

her squabbles with Joseph this morning

while soul she winks, whispers: 

A Mother will understand

*From prompt: Free write as inspired by “We Never Stop Talking about Our Mothers” by Daniely Antigua. From Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, June 25, 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 

Unfinished (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, April 14, 2024, feast day of Our Lady of Kamalen/Guam, Blessed Virgin of Grace (Italy, Robegano district apparition, 1534; somewhat related image above), the Vil'na Icon of the Mother of God and Saint Lydwina of Schiedam. Image from here.)

Unfinished

task (n.): from Latin tasca, “ a duty, assessment”

Joseph’s boat (see it just out back window, his tools tossed round nearby) Seeds as yet planted, lying out front door here on the porch My schedule needing weeding A partially filled commemoration list, prayers for the living and departed (shouldn’t this be topping the list?) Yet to be covered books Snoozed emails Jumbled papers Crowding in my head Paintbrushes patient, nudging My arms, they need s o m e b r e a t h i n g s l o w f i l l b u o y a n t -- m o s t

w e l c o m e b a l l o o n

*From prompt: Free write as inspired by “My Sister, Who Died Young, Takes Up the Task” by Jon Pineda, and the etymology of “task”. From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, April 14, 2024.

What are we (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, January 19, feast day of the Finding in the Temple, Our Lady of the Cave, and Saint Liberata of Como. Image from here.)

What are we

but magic and dust,

share our breath with rose with dove

warm whoosh, soft prayer — flight!

*”What are we but magic and dust” is from Suzanne Westhues’ “Free Write One”, used with permission. From prompt etymology of “lung” and relevant quotes, Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, January 19, 2023.

Valley View (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, May 8, 2022, Mother's Day, feast day of Our Lady of Pompeii, Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of Spoleto, Apparition of Saint Micheal the Archangel, Eastern Orthodox Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women and the Noble Joseph, Catholic Sunday of the Good Shepard. Feast day of Saint John the Evangelist and Theologian, Blessed Teresa Demjanovitch, Saint Ida of Nivelles, Blessed Marie-Catherine de Saint Augustin, and Blessed Ulrika Fransiska Nisch.  Jewish calendar today commemorates Jerusalem Walls Dedicated (at rebuilding, 335 BC). Image from here.)

Valley View

(for Mother’s Day, 2022)

Memories of a seventies kid, 

San Fernando Valley, California—

fairies, gnomes, Holly Hobbie. Mattel dolls,

their hybrid of charm and anatomy 101 —

Baby Brother Tender Love, for one, leaves no doubt he’s what he says.

And Mom, not one to miss a teaching opp, grabs a diaper, catches my eye. 

         Now when changing your real little brother, cover his winkie first — 

         Like this. Unless you want showers in the forecast. 

         Trust me on this one.

 

While Baby Snow White fires her questions with pull of string, 

          Do you live in an enchanted forest too?

          Umm...no, Snow, I’m a valley girl, remember? 

and nostalgia’s for before one’s time, used to think.  

Now sideglance at lifeline turns pink. So Snow, another pull at that string? 

         Yes. I live in an enchanted forest, funny thing –-

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by etymology of diaper; from Lisa Freedman’s BreathReadWrite, May 8, 2022.