Imagine the Possibilities

tangled
on the pale spires
of the broken flowers
of the lost summer
-Mary Oliver

It’s Poetry Friday!

Right on cue, the weather reminded us that this week marked the beginning of fall. The lines above from “The Snowshoe Hare” by Mary Oliver also reminded me that fall is in the air and inspired these lines. Although I love the word “autumn” (probably a more poetic word), sometimes “fall” just fits.

The Garden in Fall

is filled with fading flowers
bending now toward the earth
remembering summer
remembering sun
ready to sleep in rich black soil
remembering life
Draft, RoseCappelli2026

I also found several of my previously written poems about why fall is a favorite time of year. Here’s the latest version of an older one:

For the Love of Fall  

mountain’s quilt of red yellow orange
cool, crisp air kissing cheeks
the smoky scent of a crackling bonfire
everything pumpkin (and pumpkin everything)
warm afternoons, cool evenings
apple picking
football kicking
honking geese
Halloween
that oh-so-close harvest moon
Draft, RoseCappelli2026

Whether autumn or fall, I hope this one is happy, healthy, and spectacular for all of you!

Tricia has the round up today at The Miss Rumphius Effect where she introduces us to the inner confessions of her sometimes-naughty dog. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

It’s Poetry Friday!

Thanks to Margaret Simon, I was inspired to check out the September poetry prompts offered by Audrey Gidman here. In addition to the prompts, I am also finding many new poems and poets. Yesterday’s challenge was to read “If You Have Had Your Midnights” by Mari Evans, then write a two-stanza poem in her style, beginning each stanza as she did – the first with “If you” and the second with “I.”

To the Hummingbird Who Visits Daily
(after Mari Evans)

If you have had
your fill at the feeder
and it has laden
your tiny belly
with nourishment

I seek you safety as you journey
and joy
and insects along the way
Draft, RoseCappelli2026

I can never write today’s date without remembering the events of this day twenty-five years ago. Here’s a small offering

In Remembrance

as buildings collapse
bravery knows no bounds
heroes among us

Linda has the roundup today at Teacher Dance where she is also remembering. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

It’s Poetry Friday, and today I’m honoring Wendell Berry who passed away this week. One of his most celebrated poems is “The Peace of Wild Things”:

The Peace of Wild Things
by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

There is much to love in this poem, my favorite line being “And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light.” I wrote alongside Wendell Berry this week, and while I didn’t use his line in my poem, I was inspired to contemplate the lessons we can learn from nature.

Beginning
by Rose Cappelli

When questions ping-pong my brain –
what’s next?
how much?
why?
I consider the diligence of the bees,
the brilliance of the maples,
the courage of the monarchs
(who journey beyond
what should be possible).
In a world of changing circumstance
they know what to do.
I breathe deeply
and begin.
Draft, RoseCappelli2026

Photo taken at Longwood Gardens.

Patricia has the roundup today at Reverie where she writes alongside Emily Dickinson, Be sure to stop by for lots more poetry goodness.

It’s Poetry Friday!

Today I’m sharing a few haiku that found themselves onto the page this week. The first comes from an idea proposed by Mary Lee. If she solves Wordle in three, she uses those words to craft a haiku. I don’t know how well that will work for me since I almost always start with the same word, but I decided to give it a try. On Sunday my words were slate, crony, olden.

i
atop the slate roof
Gargoyle cronies wait and watch
as in olden days

The weather has been very comfortable the last few days. I took advantage of the cooler nights to sit outside as the moon waxed to full. And wow – was it ever noisy!

ii
full moon glow spotlights
a midnight insect concert
nature’s lullaby

The last one comes from an experience I had at the PennDOT Driver License Center. There’s often a very long wait of more than an hour that can fuel an unpleasant experience. The woman in the cubicle next to me was very distressed after learning that she would have to return on another day and wait in line yet again. This would be a burden since she cares for her ill spouse and is facing surgery herself. I thought she might cry until the man helping me reached over to her, offering what amounted to a “go to the head of the line” pass. Usually those must be used on the same day, but he made sure it was good anytime she needed it. I was touched by his kindness.

iii
simple kindnesses
shown in gentle words and deeds
human to human

Mona has the roundup today at her website here. Be sure to stop by to read about her wishing rock and for lots more poetry goodness.

Thanks for reading!

It’s Poetry Friday!

I love coming across writing invitations that work to get my creative juices flowing, especially when I’m stuck. In her mid-month Heart Beats newsletter this week, Georgia Heard shared an exercise she conducted during her workshop “Words That Sing and Soar” with Irene Latham given through The Poet’s Studio. She chose five words to share with participants and asked them to write a poem using all five words. I thought that might be a good exercise for the Nevermores (my poetry group), and since I was the facilitator for this month’s meeting, I decided to give it a try.

I chose a Mary Oliver poem that appears in Little Alleluias titled “The Morning Walk.” Here is the beginning of that poem:

There are a lot of words meaning thanks.
Some you can only whisper.
Others you can only sing.
The pewee whistles instead.
The snake turns in circles…

I chose five words from the poem: thanks, whisper, can, tree, shine. We all took ten minutes to write allowing the words to inspire thoughts and ideas. The words took us all in different directions, which is what you might expect. Here’s mine:

As Summer Fades to Fall

Thanks to the maple
rising high
touching sky
whispering have a safe journey
to passing geese–
because it can.

Soon, in the last stretch
of its season, that same tree
will shine gold and red
in a dazzling display of life
even in death–
because it can.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

Thanks for reading today. Denise has the round up today at Dare to Care. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.