Remnants (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, composed sometime near before Pope Francis' passing, date chosen is just a guess)

Remnants 

I find the tile shards on the sand. Artifacts really, a prehistoric air. Swirls and spirals. Silent. They wait just near the card table at which I’d spoken with Pope Francis. In this dream, he makes an impromptu visit to Venice Beach. I remember breakfasts of younger days, I’d scan for dolphins at dawn. Now, I confess the fusses I’m having with Joseph. Our mounds of clutter. Debts and dust. The Pope, he waves this off.

Shards like stars -– Sweep of

Spirit. Each pass of paintbrush,

pen, dry bones they rise

When Entangled* (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, composed sometime in February but gathered March 3, 2025, Beginning of Great Lent, feast day of Our Lady of Miracles, Our Lady of Angels, the Volokolamsk Icon of the Mother of God, Saint Non of Wales, Saint Katharine Drexel, Saint Teresa Eustochio Verzeri, Blessed Concepcion Cabrera de Armida. Further edited After Pope Francis' passing on Bright Monday April 21, piece was further edited on Bright Thursday April 24 (also Molcha/Molchensk/Ladder Icon of the Mother of God, and passing of Patriarch Joshua). Image from here.)

When Entangled*

(for Pope Francis)

Come from the four winds, O breath,

and breathe on these slain,

that they may live -- from Ezekiel 37:9

Seeds fallen among thorns. 

Bills and bicker, borders...

                    

Be simple, 

Our Mama says, 

                 breathe...

Love -- extraordinary bloom -- needs time, needs space,

bed, chair, glow-table, hands across.

A few words: Sorry. Thank you. Please...

Everything else is secondary.

*A cento-esqe poem inspired by all the sources linked to above (Matthew 13:7 and Our Lady of the Thorns, Our Lady of Mercy/Pellevoisin, André Frossard, Pope Francis, 2 Kings 4:8-11, and again Pope Francis, respectively). Most notably inspired by the following quotes from Pope Francis (Amoris Laetitia/The Joy of Love): 

To lean towards Love (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, February 16, 2025, Sunday of the Prodigal Son, feast day of Our Lady of the Thorns (burning bush), Our Lady of Sajópálfala, the Weeping “Tikhvin” Icon of the Mother of God, Saint Mariamne the sister of the Apostle Philip,  Blessed Bernard Scammacca, Blessed Filippa Mareri. Image from here.)

To lean towards Love: 

forgiveness

patience

joy

says today’s homily.

Our local centenarian’s twist: 

Walk on the beach. 

Work hard. 

Be kind.

*From prompt: Free write as inspired by “Trying” by Ada Limón.

From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, February 16, 2025. 

Nature, she doesn't copyright (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, prompt of February 12, 2025, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Iviron and Our Lady of Argenteuil. Composed February 15 (Our Lady of Paris, and the Dalmatian, Vil'na and NiculaIcons of the Mother of God) Image from here.)

Nature, she doesn't copyright

(Can’t say Sun, dear, that’s piracy.)

She’s a copycat, luckily

Refrain for morning’s glory

drums the dew

Star’s splash

owl's evening sweep 

Before writing, heft your satchel —

 

                      Scout for seeds.

*Inspired by Edwin Morgan, who wished to see his unpublished works shared publicly (The Scotsman )

**From prompt: Reflect on this past year's engagement in Daisy Barrett Nash's Legacy Lines (Writers at Play), what stands out? Prompt given February 12, 2025, though piece written later.

Home Fires (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, February 11, feast day of (above) Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Corteza, World Day of the Sick, Saint Gobnata/Gobnet, Saint Caedmon, Holy Empress Theodora, Saint Blaise. On Jewish calendar today is Auschwitz Liberated (1945), passing of Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah Schneersohn (1942). Image from here.)

Home Fires

(grief’s current juncture)

Have I misunderstood mothering, wounds being cradled?

Not just sisterhood, it's more I seek --

home, welcoming light. Now a travel trailer.

I fuel with artmaking, bolster with clutter. 

And wonder, sometimes, why the fire fantasy, 

the quick now, just grab the essence! …a sideways glow? 

Some inward eavesdropping: 

Over here, Flo. Yeah, I like this table too. Careful, the tea's pretty hot. 

Oh, well that makes sense, that's why your name is Flo. It's what you need.

Well, I've had it with this house mess too. I'm serious Flo, you’ve an ally here! 

Noooo, I can't just toss ~everything ~. And I need to go through it first.

Thanks for the offer Flo. Really. 

But we don't have fire insurance, remember? We'd be in a bad way. 

But water, how’s that for a start, a bit of cleaning? 

I'll hand you the matches, promise. Light all the candles you want. 

But dear, could you stand here beside me as we sort this stuff, 

help me go with the flow?

*From combined prompts: Freewrite as inspired by “Money” by Dana Gioia, excerpt from “less hope” by Danez Smith, and “To Be Self-Evident” by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha (from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, February 11, 2025); and by considering what would like to inaugurate in own life this new year, and by imagining sitting down at table with one's anger, to chat with as with a friend (from Hugo House Quarantine Write-in with Naa Akua, January 21, 2021).

Mother’s Nature (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, February 10, 2025, feast day of (above) Our Lady of the Doves, Our Lady of Kurešcek, the Areovindus (Fire-appearing) Icon of the Mother of God, Saint Paul shipwrecked, Saint Scholastica (soul ascended as dove), Princess Anna of Novgorod, Saint Caedmon, Saint Merwinna, Blessed Eusebia Palomino Yenes. Image from here.)

Mother’s Nature

Years, footsteps up the mountain — my song dims.

Pansy’s song still wakes the Sun, Stars tuck the Moon. 

Man’s Best Friend, muscles in motion, keeps beside me.

Clockwork instinctive. Steady. 

Brims, brushes Sky with praise.  

Me, I have to remind myself to pray come eve. 

To down the pen, walk over to my Joseph. 

To let hands touch, heart humm. 

I know it wants to. 

I know the owls begin their watch,

the jasmine blooms. 

“Put your hoe down” Joseph tells me,

“work is done”. Or even if it isn't, 

night’s music has begun...

*Inspired by Mom's relationship advice: "Now here's what I want you two to do when you start to fuss. Just take a minute. Hold each other's hands. Look into each other's eyes. And say I love you.". And from prompt: Write about a struggle trying to connect with the non-human. From Tresha Heaffner’s Write Games (the Poetry Salon), February 10, 2025.

Queen of Heaven (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, February 2, 2025, Candlemas, feast day of (above) (amazing butterfly connection here), Our Lady of Coromoto, Our Lady of Good Success, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac. Image from here.)

Queen of Heaven,

Earth-tides they follow

if I could too.

Silk Your hem across my cheek,

                                 hymn Ave.

World afloat, a babe lifted, 

eyes upon You —

You, my sheerest passage

                                   Home

*From combined prompts: Freewrite in the spirit of love as worship, and love as pleasure, considering poems such as “Dulzura” by Sandra Cisneros, and quotes such as Adrienne Maree Brown’s “... joy is in the feeling of enough... enough love in this world for me to experience…. the sustaining generosity… ” from “The Power in Pleasure”. From Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo’s Messy and Brite: Writing the Love Poem (The Poetry Salon), February 2, 2025.

Memory Eternal (WC)

A SoulCollage card made last night in loving memory of my Mother Jackie. Made before knowing the English translation for the French verse on it. Looking it up now, it’s:

As God gave food to the birds, 

He sent His Son to you

O Lord, give rest to the soul of Thy servant Jackie.

May she rest in peace,

and may perpetual light shine upon her.

Amen.

*"Memory Eternal" is a traditional Eastern Orthodox phrase for honoring for the departed