(Wendy Cabell, January 22, 2022, Chinese New Year (Water Rabbit), and feast day of (above) Our Lady of Bethlehem, Saint Wendreda (her "angel roof" here, here, here) and Saint Blaesilla. Jewish calendar today marks end of winter ("as per Genesis 8:22, the year consists of six 2-month 'seasons': seedtime, harvest, cold, heat, summer and winter"). Image from here.)
BFF
…as your breath goes out,
you go out with…
—Chögyam Trungpa
gone pilgrimagin, as
horizon opens for me and thee
most steady, most pleasant
your company
**From combined prompts: Freewrite as inspired by new year of Water Rabbit, etymology of “breath”, and relevant quotes, as well as by “Spring Poem For the Sake of Breathing, Written After a Walk to Foster Island” by James Masao Mitsu. From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, January 22, 2023.
(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.
For Starlight
I am the root and
the offspring of David,
the bright morning star.
-Rev 22:16
Words they are bowls for Starlight. True joy in the smoothing, the holding them. True fear in the thinking that's all there is. But
no worries–-
words they are bowls
for Starlight
(Wendy Cabell, November 2, 2022, All Souls Day, and feast day of Our Lady of Emminont, Our Lady dell' Anima, the (above) Ozerianka Icon of the Mother of God, and of Saints Baya and Maura, and Saint Winifred of Wales. Image from here.)
Front Porch
Sit or not, just settle.
Swing or not, its motion an
elixir, find-fix cracks in the
minutes, hours; the opened
calendar page it's simply
a window
From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by “A Perfect Mess” by Mary Karr and classmates’ journal excerpts; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite Containing Our Multitudes series, November 2, 2022.
(Wendy Cabell, October 17, 2022, feast day of the (above) Purity of the Blessed Virgin (“Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin most pure because you are full of grace… You are full of grace, the Lord’s free gift and it overflows in you filling your soul with every virtue and perfection”), Our Lady of La Pampa, Our Lady of Milan, and of Saint Bonita Brioude, Saint Domna of Tomsk. On Jewish calendar, today is Hoshana Rabbah, the 7th day of Sukkot, which unfolds into Simchat Torah. Image from here.)
Yes! No!
(after Mary Oliver)
How important it is to walk along,
not in haste but slowly,
looking at everything and calling out
Yes to these honey wood walls, move round by touch.
No to a tendency to stockpile, now a bit too much.
Yes to presiding Icons, their gentle nod.
No to long list “Must Transcribe”, oddly silent.
Yes to these honey wood walls just now
Yes
*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by (and in this case writing after) “Yes! No!” by Mary Oliver; from Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, October 16, 2022.
(Wendy Cabell, October 7, 2022 (heart/seed of the poem), feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, of the “Tenderness” Icon of the Mother of God, and of Saint Osith and Saint Pelagia of Tarsus. Revisited June 8, 2024 (Our Lady of Sunday, the Yaroslavl Icon of the Mother of God, Blessed Maria of the Sacred Heart, Saint Melania the Elder, and Chosen People 1313 BC). Further edited/revised June 13, 2024 (Feast of the Ascension, 2nd day of Shavuot, Our Lady of Tears Fatima, Our Lady of the Cave, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Petka the New and Blessed Marianna Biernacka) and June 24 (Saint John’s Day, Pentecost Octave (Eastern Orthodox) and feast day of Our Lady of the Fjords). Image is of Puerto del Rosario, from private collection of Arvid van Maaren (used with permission) -- Viewing this lovely image spurred the memory shared.)
When born a wave (still am)
1. Venice Beach at dawn, May, 1992
Awaken.
Everything else, it can wait.
Stroll three blocks from this rented room.
Meet shock of sky, silk tide, with bare feet.
Stash the blue dress by the rock –- and dive,
tote your lessons:
- dip under, not over, a coming wave
- infinite space here in which to glide
- fellow rovers, they cruise in tandem
(though can’t see them),
2. there! down where sun resides –-
kind dolphins sweep below
ride their whisper tide
mend a path for moon to glow, she
sends her delegates:
osprey
otter
golden goose
and shakes a few stars to settle
into waiting heart, new
loose
*First half from combined prompts: Freewrite as inspired by Arvid van Maaren’s photo of “Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura”, and “Beaches. Why I Don’t Care For Them” by Wanda Coleman, from Lisa Freedman's BreatheReadWrite, October 7, 2022; later revisited/revised at Robbi Nestor's class of June 8, 2024 (“Roadside Attractions with the Dogs of America” Ada Limón) and Kim Malinowski'‘s class of June 24, 2024 ("Pineapple Sage" by David Rosenheim), with an eye to zeroing in on a favorite place (its sensory details and feelings it brings forth), while also subtly evoking someone who shared this place with you. Second half from prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Dick Altman's "Scenes From a Chalice of Waters/Victory, from Kim Malinowski’s class, June 17, 2024 -- her take on editing: “Revision will add creativity."
(Wendy Cabell, August 25, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Rossano, Nuestra Senora del Rosario, Translation of the relics of Saint Hilda of Whitby (above) and feast day of Saint Louis IX, Saint Hunegund of Homblieres, and Saint Aebbe/Ebbe the Elder. Image from here.)
Summer Cloister
(feast day of Saint Hilda of Whitby)
It is the monotony of our lives which frees the spirit;
all the imminent things drop away–-Mother Thekla,
Monastery of the Assumption, Whitby
Feet long now, for a
Nun’s slow steps,
slow deliberate.
Slow watching
noting the shift of sky.
Though on variable terrain (mind’s eye)
a measured step never minds. Never being
too big to ponder and ever a road --
swept in welcome
*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Sheryl St. Germain’s “Going Home: New Orleans”; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, August 25, 2022.
(Wendy Cabell, August 4, 2022, feast day of Our Lady of Dordretcht ("The healing water soothes troubled minds, brings relief to aching brows and strength to weakened limbs, as Mary’s sick children come to her for aid"), Our Lady of Font-Romeu (Pilgrim Spring), and of Saint John Mary Vianney, Saint Ia of Persia, Blessed Ioan Balan, Blessed Cecilia Cesarini, and the "Seven Sleepers" of Ephesus. Jewish calendar today commemorates First Temple Invaded (423 BC), and the Three Weeks" of mourning continues. Image from here.)
Regarding Wing Anatomy
Man, like the bird,
has two wings to fly:
creativity and freedom
--Our Lady, to Angela Volpini
Lavender Fairy,
Sweet Pea Fairy,
Candytuft Fairy,
Heliotrope Fairy,
Blackthorn Fairy,
Apple Blossom Fairy,
neat deft paint, German
plates of 1979-81. Sold to a
neighbor in 2001 so I can
buy groceries: pasta, meatballs,
ice cream. Aka
Esau’s porridge.
But that’s not what happened.
Knocked downhill by a heavy
truck hauling furniture, leaves
nerve damage, complex neck injury,
severe chronic pain. Aka not simply
whiplash. Newly reversed cervical curve,
radiculopathy down right arm. Disabled (ie
suddenly no income). Family disbelieves, leaves
to fend. Seasons continue regardless, 2001 now,
apartment midst coyotes and Joshua trees, impossible
to pay rent, future's terror stares--unblinking. And
a girl's gotta eat, if
nothing else.
But that’s not what happened.
1979-1981, limited issue. Mom and I
flying to the collectibles shop for each
release–-fragile plates (like their fairies’
wings.) Fragile joy, as summer dusk,
winter moon sweeps us home. Our shared
room in Grandma’s house gains hidden
shimmer–-fairy winks–-amid schoolbooks,
Andrew Lang, roller skates. Out room’s
door now, glow markedly diminished. But
table beckons, lasagna, speak of school,
holidays, headlines. And new-fortified
for tonight’s swim, it’s splash!,
starburst, into silence. Soul wash,
invited wish. For what, I’d tell you--
but then it wouldn't come true. And I have
it on good authority, from those who
won’t be banished,
Apple Blossom Fairy,
Blackthorn Fairy,
Heliotrope Fairy,
Candytuft Fairy,
Sweet Pea Fairy,
Lavender Fairy,
that it will.
*From prompt: Though is no formal prompt for this piece, I suspect that the Litany of Trust, recently discovered, stirred the waters...
