Imagine the Possibilities

Last week I was on a personal retreat at the Highlights Foundation. It was wonderful sharing ideas with friends and taking the time to write and refresh in such a beautiful place. I always look forward to my Highlights visits where I am nurtured as a writer. I went with no expectations of what I would accomplish, although I did have a list of possible ptojects I could work on.

To my surprise I started revisions on a manuscript I haven’t looked at in several years, figured out a structure I might try for another manuscript, read poetry, wrote poetry, and even did a little sketching. And, thanks to Janet Wong, Sylvia Vardell, and many Poetry Friday friends (Patricia and Marcie I’m looking at you!) I also fooled around with Canva.

Outside the Barn at Highlights is a word garden. I took a few pictures, then let this one inspire a haiku.

I hope everyone enjoys a Thanksgiving full of food, family, and fun. Jama has the round up today, so be sure to head over there for some poetry goodness.

Happy Poetry Friday!

Lately I’ve been watching our dear puppy, Cyrus (who is not so much a puppy anymore), move gracefully into old age. Once a rambunctious, exuberant lover of life, he has calmed down considerably now that he is almost ten. I watch him sometimes in the morning, pausing at the top of the stairs before he cautiously finds his way. Is he waiting for his eyes to focus, for a hand to guide him, or maybe for assurance from the voice inside his heart? There was a time when he sailed down those steps, barely touching one, let alone all nine.

My poem was inspired by this poem:

“Something Told the Wild Geese”
by Rachel Field.

Something told the wild geese
It was time to go.
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered,—‘Snow.’
Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned,—‘Frost.’

You can read the rest of the poem here.

The Voice Inside
by Rose Cappelli

He pauses at the top
of the stairs
where once he bounded down
without a care.

Now something warns
Beware.
One cautious step,
another follows
when something whispers
Take it slow.

His eyes adjust,
he’s on his way,
then something tells him
You’re okay.
Draft©2022RoseCappelli

Buffy has the round up today here. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness. I’m at the Highlights Foundation for a writing retreat with my critique group members and a few other friends this weekend. Tonight the moon is shining, the stars are out, and inspiration is in the air. I can’t wait!

A few years ago I started a practice of recording observations that I call “Snippets.” It was a response to Mary Oliver’s suggestion to “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” I recently realized that some of my recent observations were more like diary entries than the musings or thoughts of a writer. I was inspired by Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems (Janeczko/Sweet) and Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature (Davies/Hearld) to not only be more consistent with this practice, but also to do a better job of observing through the eyes of a poet. This week I spent some time paying attention and trying to discover what it was that astonished me. Here are a few examples:

Autumn Snapshots

Lunch
squash and apple soup
chases away the quick chill—
October delight

Hornet’s Nest
papery swirls
once hidden behind lush leaves—
lanterns in the bare trees.

Intruders
the deer,
content in her reverie,
raised her head as we
drove by.

Shadows
silhouette trees
on the concrete overpass
as hidden traffic
whizzes and whirrs,
rumbles and roars.
Draft©2022RoseCappelli

I hope your weekend is full of beautiful fall snapshots. Please take some time to head over to the Poetry Friday Roundup at Heidi’s Blog My Juicy Little Universe for a special musical treat and lots of poetry fun.

Happy Poetry Friday!

Bridget at wee words for wee ones has the round up today. This month she’s celebrating the first anniversary of her 10.10 Poetry Anthology: Celebrating 10 in 10 Different Ways. So head on over to meet poet Angela deGroot, find links to all the other poets Bridget celebrated so far this month, and find the links for today’s Poetry Friday offerings.

Do you struggle with occasional sleepless nights? I periodically go through periods of sleeplessness, never quite sure what is causing it. Sometimes it’s my dreams, upcoming events, and often a full moon. This week it was words. I tried to capture it all in today’s poem.

Insomnia

Some nights
words swirl,
fast and furious.
I write them down
on something more permanent
than my memory,
before losing them
forever.

Some nights
dreams twirl,
cozy and comforting.
I never want them
to stop,
always want to remember.

Some nights
thoughts hurl,
worrisome and wild.
I wake
hoping to forget.

Some nights
light curls,
peaceful and luminous
through my window.
And I wonder,
just wonder.
Draft, 2022RoseCappelli

Do you remember doing leaf rubbings? I remember taking my kids on long walks to collect the perfect leaves. They’d bring home piles, then transform them into works of art that adorned the refrigerator and bedroom walls. I made them with kids in school and in the Children’s Garden at Longwood. What a delight to see faces light up when the leaf outlines magically appeared!

The leaves are just beginning to turn here, but after some heavy rains this week, the trails are lined with early droppers. I picked up a few on my walks and transformed them into my own works of art. I had almost forgotten how relaxing leaf rubbing can be, and how much fun it is to feel like a kid again.

Leaf  Rub

green to gold
leaf shudders, flutters
down
down
down
where small fingers
scoop and smooth and rub

like the palm of a hand
lines emerge, converge
under crayon strokes
green to gold to crimson

a masterpiece
Draft, 2022RoseCappelli

Matt has the round up today at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme where you can get a sneek peek at his newest book, A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human and lots more poetry fun.