One Little Word for 2021

Posted on December 31, 2020 by rosecappelli

I’ve been choosing a OLW since 2014. Sometimes they really stick and have meaning, sometimes I need to think hard about halfway through the year to remember my OLW. Last year I chose ASTONISH. It was a way for me to put into practice the advice that Mary Oliver gives about living a life:

Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

My goal was to record something every day that I noticed, appreciated, contemplated, or astonished me. It was a way to reflect on the life I was living. By February the practice was almost abandoned, until I figured out that while there were many things that surprised and astonished me on a daily basis, I didn’t have a good way of recording them. It wasn’t part of my routine. That is, until I started using a simple word document I called Daily Snippets and made it a daily bullet task. As with any new routine or habit, it took a few weeks to really stick, but recording a thought, observation, or daily (mostly) surprise has become a practice.

Today I read through all my snippets. Many were about nature (the magic of raindrops, the whisper of snow, viewing crocuses and daffodils as nature’s hugs), some were short poems or thoughts about hope (inspired by the pandemic), others were observations about color (the gray of a winter’s day, leaves of gold and crimson, the beauty of a red cardinal). They were little things that helped me appreciate the world at a time when appreciation was so needed. I plan to continue this practice into 2021 as I incorporate my new OLW – TRUST. The word came to me as I was reflecting on my writing successes and disappointments for 2020. When I looked up its meaning I discovered that confidence, hope, and belief are all a part of what it means to trust. Since I need to develop more confidence in some areas of my life (yes, even as a septuagenarian), and hope and belief are so important to maintain as we move into 2021, I think trust will be a good word to live by. I will look to establish trust in my personal actions and decisions, reflect on how I demonstrate trust, and be on the lookout for new ways to maintain and spread trust.

I wish all of you a very happy and healthy 2021. While there may be times of darkness, the light will surely follow. Trust me.

Posted in Sharing Our Stories Magic | 8 Comments

Poetry Friday: Around the Block

Posted on December 11, 2020 by rosecappelli

Later this month my grandson will celebrate his third birthday, so I’ve been working on his poem. I got the idea of writing a poem for each of my grandchildren’s birthdays from a friend who has been writing poems for her grandchildren for years. I think about something special that we did together, or something I noticed about them, or really anything that might have meaning in years to come. This year the pandemic has kept us apart more than we’ve been together, and on those special times when we do get together we are limited in our activities. But one thing we always do is take a walk. Alex loves to be outside and explore nature. He delights in showing us his neighborhood and the things he has discovered, and he is fascinated by drains. So today I’m sharing the poem I wrote for Alex’s third birthday.

Around the Block

Let’s take a walk
around the block
and see what we can see.

Pick up a stick,
a bloom,
a stone –
a treasure to take home.

Wonder what’s
inside that drain –
leaves,
or mud,
or bugs?

Take my hand
and we will learn
together,
you and me.

Buffy Silverman has today’s Poetry Roundup here where you can find a fabulous interview with Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell, plus a chance to win a copy of Hop To It: Poems to Get You Moving. As always, there will be links to lots and lots of wonderful poems.

Posted in Poetry Friday | 14 Comments

Ozzy Octopus: A Holiday Helper

Posted on December 7, 2020 by rosecappelli

Since it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, it must be time for Susanna Leonard Hill’s Annual Holiday Contest. This year’s challenge is to write a story for children about a holiday helper with no more than 250 words. One of the most celebrated holiday helpers I know is Rudolph. But what if that story took place in a different setting, like the ocean? Instead of Rudolph, you might meet Ozzy.

Ozzy, the Extra-Armed Octopus (248 words)

by Rose Cappelli

Ozzy Octopus wriggled into the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve under the sea.He was happy to lend an arm, especially since he had a few extra – sixteen to be exact. Given the chance, Ozzy could reach deep into a cave for a special gift, hang a string of lights faster than a bottlenose dolphin, or lickity-split bake a batch of cookies. But no one wanted Ozzy’s help. The other sea creatures just chuckled at his array of appendages. So Ozzy nestled near his favorite rock in the tide pool, gazed at the starfish in the sky, and dreamed of escape.

Kaboom! Kapow!

Santa’s sleigh zipped across the sky and landed like a beached whale. Ozzy watched in wonder as Santa donned scuba gear and got to work. He unlatched and unlocked, pressed and pulled.

Klunk! Klunk!

Something was wrong. Santa jimmied and pried, but that sleigh would not transform to the submarine he needed.

Santa peered into the tide pool. He scratched his beard.

“Ozzy, is that you? I sure could use your help tonight,” said Santa. “Can you lend me an arm, or better yet, all sixteen?”

Ozzy and Santa dove down, down, down. With Ozzy’s extra arms they delivered all the gifts long before the light from the starfish faded into dawn.

So, next Christmas Eve, if you see a sleigh zipping through the sky, look a little closer. You might get a glimpse of Santa’s new helper – Ozzy, the Extra-Armed Octopus.

Be sure to head over to Susanna’s blog for more stories about holiday helpers, and thanks for reading.

Posted in Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Poetry Friday: With Thanks

Posted on November 20, 2020 by rosecappelli

With Thanks

This week Margaret Simon challenged writers to think about gratitude with the beautiful photo of the magnolia blossom on her blog. Over at the Sharing Our Stories community, gratitude was also the theme of the invitation to write. So I started making a mental list of the things I am most grateful for and appreciate. Even though getting together with family is different now, the family is there. Even though the world feels a bit different now, we are all still connected. Even though we may have to look closer, there is much to appreciate and be thankful for. I let Margaret’s photo guide me as I wrote.

With Thanks

Like a flower bud,
I hold
secrets of the heart.
As each petal unfurls,
let me sing with thanks
for family
for faith
for hope
for peace.

Today’s Poetry Friday Roundup is with Suzy Brisson at The Poetry Garden.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Poetry Friday: Can You Wiggle Like a Worm?

Posted on November 13, 2020 by rosecappelli

HOP TO IT: Poems to Get You Moving by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell is a gem of a book! And I feel so honored to be included and in the company of such wonderfully talented poets. I’ve had so much fun spreading the word about this book and participating in a couple of Zoom gatherings.

After I came across the call for submissions and what Janet and Sylvia were looking for, I started thinking about the many classrooms I worked in over the years. Often when I would go in to do a whole-class lesson, the teacher would greet me then say something about helping the kids get their wiggles out first. A quick song or chant with movement would follow. So when I came up with “wiggle” and “jiggle” I put them together for my first stanza.

Can You Wiggle Like a Worm?
by Rose Cappelli

Can you wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Like a worm, worm, worm?
Can you jiggle, jiggle, jiggle
As you squirm?

Can you paddle, paddle, paddle
Like a dog, dog, dog?
Can you hop, hop, hop
Like a frog?

Can you climb, climb, climb
Like a cat, cat, cat?
Can you flap, flap, flap
Like a bat?

Wiggle, jiggle,
Paddle, hop,
Climb, flap,
STOP!

You can order HOP TO IT at QEP Books here. Robyn Hood Black is hosting a Hop To It blog tour today along with Poetry Friday here. Thanks, Robyn, for hosting.

Posted in Poetry Friday | 15 Comments