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).

Staircase (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, January 7, 2025, feast of (above) Our Lady of Egypt. Image from here.)

Staircase

(for Jubilee year 2025)

Morning new, to-do list ancient:

Bed's make, candlelight, first thing. 

Day's tasks, one at a time.

Wiggles of any kind, even ten minutes, woven in.

Rest stops often, to read, reach out.

Sensing — even for a second —

                                                   most soft 

                                                       and gracious 

                                                                    space

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by “This Birthday” by E.J. Koh. From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, January 7, 2025.

Selkie-song (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, December 29, 2024, afterfeast of the Nativity, 4th day of Chanukah, feast of (above) Our Lady of Spire (impacted Salve Regina prayer), Our Lady of the Flowers, the Holy Innocents, Saints David/Joseph/James, Blessed William Howard. Image from here.)

Selkie-song 

“Such a shame to sign Anonymous!” Mr Poitier pokes his head out of the editor’s office, starts to scribble my name.  “I want it back then,” I say. It’s freshman year. I’d circled past this door once, twice, held my breath — before slipping it in. My first submitted work. One of the poems has a sketched seal, her baby fur warm in the Arctic spring. Mr Poitier sighs,  “Anonymous it is.” Then he smiles. The last verse must’ve etched itself in somehow, remains: 

like the seal I shift

change, become a new person —

yet I’m still the same

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by excerpt from Just Kids by Patti Smith. From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite Studio time, December 29, 2024. 

Light Play (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, December 21, 2024, Forefeast of the Nativity, Winter Solstice, feast of the Virgin of Peace, Saint Peter Canisius. On Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism, Ezra's Address (347 BC), Tanya Published (1796). Image from here.)

Light Play

(Advent, 2024)

halo round garden’s pansies

                           glint in the eyes of ox and donkey

                                           flash of wings nigh to shepherds

                                       spark of star out back window

           now in paint’s splash upon Christmas cards —

warm weight of heart, eastward turning

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by “The World” by Jennifer Chang. From Lisa Friedman’s Winter Solstice BreatheReadWrite, December 21, 2024. 

Here (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, November 23, 2024, afterfeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Mother of God into the Temple, feast day of (above) Our Lady Concepción, Granada, Blessed Enrichetta Alfieri . Image from here.)

Here

where I'll calm and craft

keep on digging

find the rhythm

its  s  p  a  c  e   apart,

warm hands, kind walls, 

Sunday dinner —

It’s enough

*Freewrite as inspired by Thomas Lux, “Poem in Thanks”. From Tresha Haefner’s Gratitude gathering (The Poetry Salon), November 23, 2024. (rl: baptism cert.)

Peaceward (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, November 16, 2024, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Vilnius/Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn/Mother of Mercy (Saint Seraphim of Sarov devotion), Our Lady of Carmine, Our Lady of Chievres (dragonslaying legend and prayer here), Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, Saint Gertrude the Great, Saint Margaret of Scotland, Saint Agnes of Assisi, Saint Céronne. Image from here.)

Peaceward 

         Peace requires drastic action.

         — Josephine Nobisso, Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe

A blessing, my door being open that day. 

Neighbor Irene strolls by, spots the travel items about the bed. 

“Did you know?, Irene means peace”. I hadn’t. Lug my suitcase up, unzip. 

“I’m to Europe soon,” I explain. It’s where she’s from. 

“No, no!, not what you want, just pack what you need. 

I’ll be back in a bit” she says. And she is. 

My proud pile lies expectant, a barest branch. 

“Wonderful!” I hear, “Now cut it in half”. 

I didn’t. Not then, that Spring of 1997. 

I mean seriously, how do you cut a need -– It’s needed. 

I’d board my flight to Germany,  Motherland. 

My suitcase and two carry-ons in tow, such unruly children. 

Next time, I vow — I’ll travel light.

It never came. 

Hit by a truck that Fall upon return, permanent disability. 

My itinerary now? A permission of sorts. A daily choosing. 

Between need and need. Between good and good. 

*From prompt: Write a poem about advice/conversation, as inspired by “Lament for the Maker” by  Bonnie Naradzay. From Robbi Nestors generative writing class (The Poetry Salon), November 16, 2024. And inspired by productivity expert Alicia Cohen’s approach to decluttering one's schedule: not simply eliminating what no longer benefits, but choosing between the good and the good. 

Morning, September 11, 2024 (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, September 15, 2024, afterfeast of the Elevation of the Cross, feast day of Our Lady of the Way of Leon/Our Lady of Camino (related Cathedral images here, here), the Our Lady of Sorrows/Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, (above) Novonikḗta Icon of the Mother of God, Saint Catherine of Genoa and Saint Oranna (deaf, hearing miracles). On Jewish calendar today Nachmanides (Ramban), 1194. Image from here.)

Morning, September 11, 2024

“I love it when they show stages like this” I say. Joseph smiles over the hanging garden he’s brought in. Being homebound with chronic injuries, neurological disorders, sure miss my nature walks, their sweep to soul. I cup an early flower – thrilled to find this gate to our wet wild earth. Such a shy little bloom. Yet she bears a crown, mini star-buds all in a ring. A later stage flower bursts layer upon layer of petals. 

my country, tis for thee –

rowed petals unfurl as stripes 

stars glow their patch of sky

*Freewrite as inspired by “Lacrimosa” by Traci Brimhall. From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, September 15, 2024. yest

Love comes armed (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, September 4, 2024, New Moon of  Elul (most notable for the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy), and feast day of the (above) Georgian (or Gruzinskaya) Icon of the Mother of God, the Unburnt Bush Icon of the Mother of God, Holy Prophet and God-seer Moses, Saint Hermione, On Jewish calendar today, Moses ascends Sinai for 3rd 40 days, 1313 BC; and Prophecy of Haggai Encouraging Building of the Second Temple, 353 BC. Image from here.)

Love comes armed

with Her bin and broom.

Gathers peace, grace

palest green that seeks the Sun.

All the rest: dust, pebbles

 

                                swish,

                                    sweep

  

                She keeps at it --

leaves nothing the same.

*From prompt: freewrite as inspired by “love is ___”, after considering Edwin Morgan's "The Unspoken". From Daisy Barrett-Nash’s Legacy Lines (Writers at Play), September 4, 2024.

On Unitive Force (WC)

  

(Wendy Cabell, August 28, 2024, feast day of the Dormition of the Mother of God (old calendar), (above) Our Lady of Kiev, Saint Anna the Prophetess, Saint Agnes of Cologne (companion to Saint Ursula), Saint Junipero Serra, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Joaquina Vedruna Vidal de Mas, Several Martyrs in England and in the Spanish Civil War, Saints Theodora and her daughter Theopiste, Martyr Susanna, Queen of Georgia. On Jewish calendar today is Hasmonean Holiday (circa 100 BCE) (Hellanist secular law replaced). Image from here.)

On Unitive Force 

Love grows, generates [plant soul]. 

Love senses, enjoys [animal soul]. 

Love transcends, understands [human soul]. 

Love moves all things…

–adapted from minervawisdom.com, 

“Aquinas on the Levels of the Soul”

1. The Maize’s Tale Up, out -- blade, ear, grain. Love Herself tends, brings map: one pure and magic Land. And our seed, so vale-familiar finds! a Heart Who understands, finds! a Heart Who understands. 2. The Lioness’ Tale She spots movement across the plains, soft blink of a golden eye. Neighbor’s cub it turns out. The lioness turns towards. There'll be jubilation, no doubt, upon the little one’s return –- to the warm and welcoming fur of her Mother, to the warm and welcoming fur of her Mother. 3. The Author’s Tale (Portland, Oregon, 2006) Once volcano, we hike mount’s rim. A hawk circles. Draws us in. Onto library, spot ancient lore grants us passage, most kindly Shore grants us passage, most kindly Shore –-

*Inspired by Radcliffe Hall’s oft ignored Christianity and Catholic faith.

**From combined prompts: Free association around various words, and freewriting as inspired by Radclyffe Hall’s “Tramping Poem” and “Tradition”. From Daisy Barrett-Nash’s Legacy Lines (Writers at Play), Summer, 2024.

Spark-seek (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, August 19, 2024, afterfeast of the Dormition, Super Blue Moon, feast day of (above) Our Lady Star of the Sea, Australia, the Don Icon of the Mother of God, Matriarch Sarah, Saint John Eudes, . Image from here.)

Spark-seek

(for the Afterfeast of the Dormition, and Super Blue Moon, 2024)

            Joy is holy. That's why the world is so sad. 

            There is no joy outside of the Living God.

             –Father James Blout

My daily declutter-reminder to Joseph: The floor is not storage space.

Spying the half full bag of white cheddar popcorn he left out on the table, 

now we’re talking. Or rather munching

and thinking about last night’s full moon. “You have to come out ~right now~” he said,

no time for my sweater, or decision. 

So worth it. Clouds hold an angel, then a mantle outstretched. 

Moon reappears out of a newly formed heart.

“Let’s go inside right now”, I whisper,  

heart’s soft solidity, beats and billows, still in view.

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by "Please Call Me By My True Names" by Thich Nhat Hanh, being super specific to you/this time and place; from Kim Malinowski’s Poetry Salon class of August 19, 2024.