'No Write' February

-- Seasons in a writing life

Winter Window

~ My ‘No Write’ February ~

I’ve been away on another staycation

with visiting offspring from hither and yon 

from over the ocean and far away places

they flew all directions to be by my side

to celebrate birthdays, meet up with

siblings and feast with each other

 all five

We each took leave of normal routine

to rekindle our hearts for a time

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~ And Now It’s March ~

my muse is sweetly sleeping

I will not rush to wake her, as

my soul, too, must wake from

welcome rest after a month of

lively chatting with family here

now all returned - while quiet

slowly seeps, centering me

 to write again

JoMae

3/3/22

Dear Heart

~ Dear Heart ~

The last gift you left me

only perceived in the

aftermath of grief

after a time in the dark shadows

of the valley of your leaving

the deep depth of sorrow

<><><><><><><>

the last gift you left me was the

confidence we knew together

which blossoms ever more

in the wake of your dying

to

transform the emptiness of loss

into new purpose anchored in

the strength we shared, into

a good life now on my own

JoMae

1/17/22

Dancing With Words

~ Dancing With Words ~

When mourning turns to dancing

in the rhythm of the words that

pour onto the page to purge

the depths of sorrow, rage

to search for meaning in

disaster, comfort in the

loss as insight buried

deep within rises to

the surface of the

mind — bearing

wisdom stored

for such time

as this 

like a firm

fishing pole

patiently finds

its catch so my

pen  plumbs the

depths of my quest

to understand a loss

so deep, yet wider than

any ocean, as empty and

disorienting as being adrift

at sea — until answers begin

to emerge in the shape of hope

and direction as to navigating this

unknown world with new purpose

JoMae

1/14/22

Love Stays

 ~ Love Stays ~

Loss cannot destroy our love

only change the shape  of

how it stays with us, now

an  echo beating in the

heart, a foundation to

build a new life upon

new forms of

Joy 

JoMae

1/4/22

Love  Loss LifeLessons MovngOn NewJoy 

Morning Routine

~ Morning Routine ~

I come with coffee

to my pondering chair

where I begin to read or

write or wonder for a while

until something stops me in

my tracks, compelling me to

write down what it brought to

mind a poem memory or new

insight to explore to help me

understand,  enjoy this life

this gift that I’ve been led

to after loss.  This new

person I am finding in

the quiet of my day

This New Joy  

JoMae

1/4/22

A poem emerging...

Psalm 98 Echo

~ Divine Love ~ Justice With Equity ~

Psalm 98 

(adapted)

O sing to Jehovah a new song

for Godde has done marvelous things!

Your right hand and your holy arm

have gotten you the victory and you

have made known your righteousness.

You have revealed your vindication

in the sight of the nations and have 

remembered your steadfast love and

faithfulness to the house of Israel

(and to me)

The ends of all the earth have

seen the salvation

of our Godde

Make a joyful noise to Jehovah, all the earth;

break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

Sing praises to Yaweh with the lyre,

with the harp and the voice of a psalm.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

make a joyful noise before Jehovah 

Our Monarch

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

the world and those who live in it.

Let the floods clap their hands;

let the hills sing together for joy

at the presence of Jehovah, for

Godde, who is coming to judge the earth,

will judge the world with righteousness

and the peoples with equity.

adapted by

JoMae

1/2/22

An echo passage - adapted for personal praise and thanksgiving

WE

Shadows, Trees and Clouds of Light

~ WE ~

I wish I were an artist

I would draw a tree

a tree strong and

vibrant and I’d

name it We

next I would sketch that tree

struck  asunder by a storm

split right down the middle

half, dead on the ground

the other half still standing

yet appearing to be dead

until, as seasons turned

starts to sprout instead

small branches now begin to form

blossoming anew -- while on the

ground all around the fallen half

life is nourished, flowers grow

We, now separated

continue each to serve

half reborn and blossoming

half lives in another realm

singing a new song

JoMae

1/1/22

Prompted/inspired by Joy's medium post: Deeply Rooted

https://medium.com/@lydalrydal7/deeply-rooted-958d4fee6e50

Pivot

 Learning to turn

Artist, NancySpoelhof.com

~ Learning to Pivot ~

When

life’s curves catch us off guard

stun us and block our way

we must learn to pivot

to learn a new route

to bypass, detour

the threat

Sometimes the pivot comes from within

when we simply know it is time to find

a new direction, remake ourselves

and set out to conquer life again

JoMae

11/22/21

Mirrored Lessons

The Child

~ Mirrored Lessons ~

My aged mother, now long gone

has moved into my mirror

she smiles at me when I walk by

reminding me of long ago

when both of us were younger

the child came crying, all forlorn

for lack of any friends, so mom

showed her a mirror, where

a good lesson formed

see how much nicer your face appears

when you smile, she said - had me

practice for a while then

sent me off to play

next morning, climbing on the bus

grinning ear to ear - the same girl

yet not quite the same, tried to

spread good cheer

these days, each time I see mom’s face

glancing out at me, I remind her how

important a smile proves to be

and there she is, grin intact, 

smiling back at me, still

sending me off into my

day - skipping

JoMae

12/14/21

Wreating

 ~ Wreating ~

This is a wonderful wreating day

with nothing else I need to do

I have claimed these hours to

read, ponder and then write

here at my sweet spot with

a gentle snow fall drifting

through the woods just

beyond the windows

of the sunroom you

built for me before

you too quickly

left this life

our life

me

No sun in here today, dear heart

only love’s warm glow remains

to soothe my soul remember

our long lived bond a while

before returning home to

begin chapter six in this

new story on my own

building on love we shared

discovering new echoes

of who I have become

apart, yet connected

by the gift, melded

together, living

on in me

JoMae

11/30/21