Venice Beach, California, 1988 (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, July 17, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Humility, Our Lady of Campitelli, The Svyatogorsk Icon of the Mother of God, Saint Alexis of Rome, Saint Queen Hedwig of Poland, Saint Marcellina, Saint Marina/Margaret of Antioch, Royal Passionbearers of Russia, and Holy Roman Empress Constance of Aragon. On Jewish calendar, today begins the period of hopeful mourning known as the Three Weeks ("A sense of purification accompanies the fasting, a promise of redemption pervades the mourning, and a current of joy underlies the sadness. The Ninth of Av, say our sages, is not only the day of the Temple's destruction—it is also the birthday of Moshiach.") Image from here.)

Venice Beach, California, 1988

…where the Aphrodite mural jolts me, not even 

the original is as I remember, shift to scoot 

sidewalk for clues, for the sea breeze from 

which she comes, for the heart that replaces

stone with shy glance

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Fernando Valverde’s “Edgar Allan Poe Is Reached at the Baltimore Harbor by the Shadows That Pursue Him” (its "the sea breeze from which they come" is used/adapted above); from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, July 17, 2022.

Venture (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, published in Writers at Play Presents: The Art of Letter Writing, edited by Daisy Barrett-Nash, Equal Arts, 2023. From July 5, 2022, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Refuge (also yesterday), the Seven Joys of Mary, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, and Saint Modwenna. Archduchess Margaret of Austria also remembered today. Image from here.)

Venture

(an itinerary for when mind swirls,

journal jumbles; after Drew Gardner)

venture (n.)...a variant of adventure (n.)

Trusting honesty

moving toward form, 

its buzzy rich sound,

its hands round what 

heart feels and knows yet 

not, trusting -- trusting 

honesty, moving

toward form 

*From combined prompts: Freewrite as inspired by Drew Gardner’s “Five Essays”, from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, July 5, 2022.

I Am Here (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, June 29, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Buglose, of Our Lady of Linarejos, of Our Lady of Feniers, the (above) Kasperov Icon of the Mother of God, and of Saints Peter and Paul, Mary Mother of John Mark, Saint Hemma (Emma) of Gurk, Saints Salome and Judith of Niederaltaich, Saint Ilud Ferch Brychan, and Saint Ciwg ap Arawn. Image from here. See also here.)

I Am Here

(in honor of Mary-Mom)

I am here to watch over your birth.

I am here to make you laugh, smile, wiggle, sigh.

I am here with a canopy of mist, oasis in the desert. 

I am here to feed the spark growing glowing within you.

I am here to keep watch, keep all safe. 

I am here for whatever ails you, ever. 

I am love. 

I am here. 

*From prompt: After listening to Dane Nichols’ “Dust and Dazzle”, write a quick instinctive “I am here to” statement for six of your (shuffled) SoulCollage cards–-in this case the six completed during this workshop series. From Kimberly Lee’s Journal to the Self With SoulCollage, May/June, 2022.

Turnabout (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, June 9, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Ligny/Our Lady of Virtues, of Our Lady of Grace and (above) Mary the Helper (two of the oldest titles for Mary), of Our Lady of the Plain, and of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Five Persian Nuns, Saint Ephrem of Syria, Saint Columba of Iona, and Saints David Gareji and Lucian. Image from here.)

Turnabout 

(in gratitude to the One who

created us creative)

I love when out of nowhere!:

curtain flutter, soul she stretches wake –-

Unknown where this carpet’s off to,

only where it’s from,

only time grab coat, pen, mug.

Just these just now --

Just enough.

*Reference to the One who created us creative is directly inspired by Rabbi Adina Allen's practice of Jewish Studio Process. From here: "Just as a blessing is always recited before starting Torah study, a volunteer also reads a blessing before starting the creative practice: 'Blessed are you God, Source of Life, who creates us in Your image and invites us to renew daily the work of creation. Blessed are You, who created us creative.'

**From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Dean Young’s “Quiet Grass, Green Stone”; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, June 9, 2022. 

While Waiting For a Poem (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, June 9, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Ligny/Our Lady of Virtues, of (above) Our Lady of Grace and Mary the Helper (two of the oldest titles for Mary), of Our Lady of the Plain, and of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, Five Persian Nuns, Saint Ephrem of Syria, Saint Columba of Iona, and Saints David Gareji and Lucian. Image from here.)

While Waiting For a Poem

...for words unruffled unraveling,

for joy welling up in my chest–-

turn to tidying up

for said guests

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Luljeta Lleshanku’s "Waiting for a Poem”; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, June 9, 2022. 

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.

In Wake (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, May 5, 2022, feast day of the  Inexhaustible Chalice Icon of the Mother of God, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of Europe (Gibraltar), Our Lady Queen of the Apostles, Saint Great Martyr Irene, Conversion of Saint Augustine, Saint Touteria of Verona, Saint Tosca of Verona, Blessed Judith Prussi (above), and Blessed Caterina Cittadini. Image from here.)

In Wake

(from the journal, May 5, 2022, Oregon)

Mind migrates of late, to my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Otten. How she moved from her native Germany to the US in 1920's, opening her own restaurant. How she lost it in the Great Depression and became manager instead. Throughout it all, a Rosary nestled in her apron pocket. Even during her busy workday, she'd stop right where she was and pray its beads whenever a brief moment allowed. Our family still has one of the little creme pitchers that graced the tables in Grandma Otten's restaurant. But the real heirloom has been a continued family devotion to the Rosary. 

This September will be the first anniversary of her son’s, my great-uncle Art’s, passing. This May begs an early glance, amidst its dew and bloom–-Mary’s own month. Uncle Art’s passing was so simple, so peaceful, while praying the Rosary with his children. His funeral left strange hope where grief should have dwelt. I carry it still.

Mother, full of grace

beads of thanksgiving tend pace–

morn and evenin round

*From prompt: As Spring continues its lean towards Summer, and considering the power of longing, craft haiku (here playing with haibun) about the “song” that carries you through your life/work; from Gerry Grubbs’ Writing From Where You Are (The Hive, Cincinnati), May 2, 2022.

Toddler's Wand (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, May 4, 2022, feast day of Our Lady the Helper (Normandy), Our Lady of Gray (France), the Staro Rus Old Russian Icon of the Mother of God, and Saint Monica, Saint Pelagia of Tarsus, Blessed Margareta Kratz, Blessed Jean-Martin Moye, Martyrs of England etc, and the Shroud of Turin. Image from here.)

Toddler’s Wand

“Do it again!”,

sky blue-yellow-red—

recreation, inebriation, 

celebration of all that’s not 

quite yet. 

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by three colors of choice; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, May 4, 2022. 

Mindfulness a la Mary (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, Lady Day/May Day-Beltaine, 2022,  Saint Thomas Sunday, feast day of )above) Our Lady Tabernacle of the Most High (South Africa), Our Lady of Puy of Estella (also May 25), Santa Maria la Real Roncesvalles (Navarre, Spain), Our Lady of Giubino, Our Lady of Lebanon (interfaith) and many others, the Unexpected Joy, Myrrh-Bearing, and Andronicus Icons of the Mother of God, and Rosh Chodesh Iyar. Feast day of Saint Joseph the Worker, Prophet Jeremiah, Saint Tamara Queen of Georgia, Saint Thorette, Saint Bertha of Avenay, Saint Bertha of Kent, Saint Mafalda of Portugal, Saint Peregrine, Saint Sigismund of Burgandy. Image of Our Lady Tabernacle of the Most High is from here; see similar images of Our Lady of Puy of France, eg this image.)

Mindfulness a la Mary

(for Lady Day, 2022)

You too are such a Tabernacle; believe it.

--Our Lady, to Sister Reinolde May 

it’s here this morning,

fire at sea, loaves and fishes, water to wine –-

new agenda: whatever He tells you