Just Outside (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, Good Friday, Eve of Passover, feast day of Our Lady of Kieff (Vladimir), Our Lady of the Divine Mercy (Benin), Saints Basilissa and Anastasia, Saint Huna of Slattakra, and Saint Hunna of Alscance. Jewish calender today commemorates the Passover Offering, Fast of the Firstborn, and the birth of Maimonides (1135 AD). Image from here.)

Just Outside

(from Holy Week’s journal, 2022)

When they got out on land,

they saw a charcoal fire there,

with fish lying on it, and bread

–John 21:9 (see also here, here)

1. Holy Monday, upon awakening

rain dome,

coo of dove just outside

freed of fowler’s net

2. Holy Monday, upon arising

broken Rosary--

my Joseph spots Crucifix,

opening door to snow

3. Holy Thursday, upon retiring

hands warmed

at belly’s fireside,

heart leaps towards

4. Good Friday, upon awakening

faint rooster crow,

clear humm of neighbor's furnace

lights my own

*From prompt: Free associate on concept of “alone”, considering can only enter the “pond” (Basho’s metaphor for Oneness) alone. (Surfaced: alone as being in state of spaciousness and warmth/love, where can be authentic self--sometimes, though not necessarily, being literally alone; virgin archetype.) Then write haiku centered on your own doorway to Oneness. From Gerry Grubbs’ Writing From Where You Are (The Hive, Cincinnati), April 11, 2022.

Twinkle (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, Good Friday, Eve of Passover, feast day of Our Lady of Kieff (Vladimir), Our Lady of the Divine Mercy (Benin), Saints Basilissa and Anastasia, Saint Huna of Slattakra, and Saint Hunna of Alscance. Jewish calander today commemorates the Passover Offering, Fast of the Firstborn, and the birth of Maimonides (1135 AD). Image from here.)

Twinkle

as in wink, spark

(zip-brush-ignite)

be it star, smile or mile--

alight; lifts, shifts the

gaze now to diamond's

gleam, nestled deep

and deeper still

in soul

*From prompt: After listening to Francisco X. Alarcon’s Words are birds, make list of some favorite words, turn one word into diamante poem, then flesh out into new poem. From Brooks Decker’s One Word: Metaphor and Storytelling (MOCA, Jacksonville), April 15, 2022.

How Her Garden Grows (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, April 11, Monday of Holy Week (Jesus visits Bethany, Mary anoints Him), feast day of (above) Our Lady of Fourviere (from earliest oratory in Gaul), of Saint Gemma Galgini, Saint Metchtilde, Saint Sancha of Portugal, Saint Godeberta of Noyon (who extinguished fire with the Sign of the Cross!), Blessed Elena Guerra (Sisters of Saint Zita). Jewish calendar today commemorates Miriam's Passing (1274 BC) and Israelites Cross Jordon (1273 BC). Image from here.)

How Her Garden Grows 

(for Grandma Dee, remembered on eve of her birthday)

A pink azalea bush for our entry, she decides,

after all there’s the roses next door.

While in hand are Rosary beads-- 

song to Mary,

all that is worthy, noble and grand

has come from you Mother, 

from your guiding hand

while her own hand shapes the dough, bowls a strike,

shifts the channel to Little House On the Prairie.  

Her own house once so pristine only the pool left as vista, 

out the window by sewing machine. Come winter accompanied

by Elvis' Blue Christmas, as little french horns drape the tree.

Jimmy and I would toot them, later mimick them, convening our

Tickle Bug Club -- sneak under table, tickle the Bunco ladies’ feet.

Switch to silence in Buick’s back seat, slip tiny tissue bits

into Mom and Grandma’s beehives, they'll gracefully enter

Marie Calendar’s (none the wiser) for our potato soup.

Of course, Grandma’s was much better. Of course,

each sip remembers. Of course, each Rosary bead too --

potent brew. Whose seeds pass now to you,

well knowing your own garden knows

exactly what to do.

*Quote is from vintage plaque that hung in Grandma Dee's kitchen; a version is here.

**From prompt: Write a poem remembering an ancestor, as inspired by hearing several poems (Angela C. Trudell Vasquez’s In the Discount Lot, Luther Hughes’ My Mother, My Mother, Tupac Shakor’s The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Aileen Cassinetto’s Legacy, and Jasmine Harris’ Mama’s Recipe). From Jasmine Harris’ The Family Speaks: Sentimental Poetry (MOCA, Jacksonville), April 11, 2022. 

Spring Journal (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Puig (dating from Roman time), of Saint Kynesburga, Blessed Ursuline of Parma and Blessed Mary Assunta. Image from here.)

Spring Journal

1. Rosh Chodesh Nissan, 1971, Glendale, California

Pink moon’s crescent,

Rosary’s click, her hand in mine–

“We’re only passing through”

2. Not yet Passover, April 7, 2022, Alsea, Oregon

Wild cherries tease

–-till quick, shut windows–-

“Achoo!”

3. Nearly Passover, April 7, 2022, Alsea, Oregon

Extra hour of light

comes in handy crossing borders,

sway of daffodils

*From prompt: Write haiku on themes of stranger, not a stranger, and where are now (not necessarily in that order); from Gerry Grubb's Writing From Where You Are (The Hive, Cincinnati), April 4, 2022.

In Cahoots (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, published in Mindful Poetry Moments, third edition, edited by Stacey Simms and Eddie Gonzalez, The Well (in partnership with NPR's On Being Project), 2022. From April 6, 2022, feast day of (above) Our Lady of the Conception (Flanders), of Saint Brychan of Brychaneiniog (his daughter Saint Tydfil above), Saint Galla of Rome, and Blessed Pierina Morosini. Jewish calendar today commemorates Spies to Jericho (1273 BC). Image from here.)

In Cahoots

(memories of a San Fernando Valley girl)

Fairies in the Foothills merge force

with other winged things -- choir unseen,

growing ring –- as I open shade, grab 

an apple, trudge uphill. Dawn at mountain’s 

base being soft, cool hand (before the bake) and

being a being without wings I break my fast, turn

home at last, humming...

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Alberto Rios' Into the Desert; From Mindful Poetry Moments (NPR's On Being, and The Well), April 6, 2022.

Dropped-stich (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, April 6, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of the Conception (Flanders), of Saint Brychan of Brychaneiniog (above), Saint Galla of Rome, and Blessed Pierina Morosini. Jewish calendar today commemorates Spies to Jericho (1273 BC). Image from here.)

Dropped-stitch

meaning going back before going on,

meaning unpicking a whole evening’s work,

meaning morning re-membering only

what actually matters -- gathers

heart to soul. 

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Ciaran Berry’s Liner notes , whose “like a maiden aunt unpicking a whole evening’s worth of knitting over the dropped stitch that means she must go back before she can go on.” was used/adapted above. From Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, April 6, 2022.

Regarding Root Anatomy (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, April 6, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of the Conception (Flanders), of Saint Brychan of Brychaneiniog (his daughter Saint Tydfil above), Saint Galla of Rome, and Blessed Pierina Morosini. Jewish calendar today commemorates Spies to Jericho (1273 BC). Image from here.)

Regarding Root Anatomy

Warm day, “Nice one” they say, circle

of friends, young families. Tugging

picnic baskets, brushing grass, lighting 

barbeques. My cry at the sight, dreaded 

playpen. “Just let her run," says Dad,

“you know she hates that thing.” “I can’t 

watch her and cook” says Mom, “I’ll watch,

says Dad, rejoining volleyball

game. Me in the corner of his eye. 

Me behind him as he zeros in on

the ball. Me hugging his leg like I 

always do. Him startled, falling back. Me 

under him, leg twisted in sprinkler, snapped

in two. 

But that’s not what happened. Mother’s instinct 

saying “No” to Dad’s direction, but she silenced it. Dad’s

voice saying “I’ll watch her”, but he didn't.

But that’s not what happened. Mother cooking, 

feeding, as Mothers do. Healing milk. Father’s 

saying--and meaning it--”You are the apple 

of my eye”. 

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Warsan Shire’s Backwards. From Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, April 6, 2022. 

Seamless (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, March 29, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Ara Coeli (interesting Sybil history), Saint Gladys (above; daughter of Saint Brychan, wife of Saint Gwynllyw, mother of Saint Cadoc) and Blessed Berold of Mount Carmel. Image from here.)

Seamless

Never too big for a little red dress

whispers the winged one upon the rose

slipping on clogs for wiggly toes and 

sweeping the mind of all unkind–-

who'd have imagined

a border so fine

*From combined prompts: response to a poem mentioned in March 29, 2022’s BreathReadWrite, Kim Addonizio's What Women Want; as well as post-meditation reflecting after Jamie Deering's Mindfulness in Relationships (Priory of Saint Placid, WA), March 8-29, 2022.

Tea-Strainer (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, March 25, 2022, feast day of the Annunciation, of Saint Dismas, Saint Miriam Sultanah Dsanil Ghattas, Saint Margaret Clitherow, and Blessed Margaretha Flesch. On Jewish calendar today, the Mishkan (Tabernacle) assembled for the 1st time; "Seven Day of Training" begin (1312 BC). Image from here.)

Tea-Strainer

,ie what held to:

Mother’s smile,

Father’s land

and this “M” wrinkles form in

the hand, which is given to 

understand

is enough. 

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Joyelle McSweeney’s Tea-Strainer, whose  poem title is used here; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, March 25, 2022.

Labyrinth, ie Examen (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, March 4, 2022, feast day of (above) Our Lady of the Guard, Brother and Sister Martyrs Paul and Juliana, Blessed Marie-Louise-Elisabeth, Prince Saint Wenceslas, and Saint Gistilian of Wales. Today on Jewish calendar commemorates the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar II, the plague of darkness (1313 BC) and Ezekiel’s foretelling of Egypt’s downfall (421 BC). Image from here.)

Rosh Chodesh Adar II, 2022, upon sensing the examen as labyrinth

She circles as She cradles

I circle as I ask Her:

guide me to the good

When In Overwhelm (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, feast day of (above) Our Lady Della Croce (of the Cross), of Saint David of Wales, Saint Domina the Younger of Syria, Blessed Aurelia of Wirberg, Blessed Giovanna Maria Bonomo. Image from here.

When In Overwhelm

Few people realize the immensity 

of vacancy in which the dust of the 

material universe swims–HG Wells

Shifting slowly, this Immensity

to where it should be -- to You, from me,  

the immeasurable list of yet-to-be’s

placed in the Hand of One who sees

all ways, straight through

to door opening. 

Amen.

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by the etymology of immensity/beyond measure. From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, March 1, 2022.