Yesterday I mentioned having written a quadrille for DVerse’s prompt, and today I wrote a better one, which is the one I am sharing. The word of the week is bell.
Bells, signifying the end and the beginning
Of class, students as hundreds or thousands of
Pavlov's dogs showing their conditioning;
Bells, ringing out to celebrate holidays
Or weddings, promises of love and peace;
Somber ones for funerals
Bells, signifying the end and the beginning
This is a sijo for this week, using the word “party.” I wrote one earlier this weekend because my family got together on Saturday to celebrate Independence Day, my dad’s birthday, and my twin brother’s and my birthday (the birthdays were celebrated about 2 weeks late, but that’s fine!). Anyway, that’s not the one I am sharing today.
Grown weary of seeing only the elephant and donkey,
Same old discourse has become long stale, without doing anything:
I strongly believe that we need more party animals.
To all who observe Good Friday, have a blessed day! To everyone else, I still hope your Friday is good. 🙂 As could be gathered from the title, I wrote this one last night.
Watch and pray –
the second garden,
preparing for the new tree,
undoing the grave fall in Eden –
stay with Me
Because my green shirt is in the laundry currently, the only green thing I had to wear today is a bracelet… featuring Saint Joseph! 😅 I wrote this triolet about it.
A cherita. Update: shared with DVerse OLN: live edition!
She finally has somebody:
Finally these flowers are not from Dad,
She has a heart-shaped box
Of chocolates all to herself
Yet something deeper is sad —
Not sweetened by added sugar.
The prompt for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge is fascinating: “Picturing the past.” I figured, why not take part again. These photos are the ghosts of Valentine’s Days past. 🙂
“Holidays” is the prompt for MLMM’s Tale Weaver from a couple of days ago. One of the questions that our prompter, Stephanie, asked is, “What do holidays mean to you?” so I wrote this sevenling.
In wider society “the holidays” means
Singing about Santa and snowmen,
Feasting with family and, above all, shopping
Whereas to many, and to me, this is the
Mass of Christ’s birth, the reason we
Sing and feast, joyously gift-giving
And it hurts when family does not see.
The first thing I think of when I look at the word “Memento” is always, “Memento Mori” — “Remember you will die.” Isn’t that such a fun thing to think about on Christmas? Thinking more about it, however, I realized it’s more appropriate than one might realize: Yes, today is a joyous day when Jesus was born, but He came into the world to save humanity, because everyone was lost without Him. He came into the world, ultimately, to die in a horrible way and then to conquer death by rising again.
As a newborn child, Jesus was placed in a manger — a place where animals ate from. This foreshadowed Him becoming the Bread of Life and giving us Himself.
I’m not a theologian, but that’s just what I’m thinking of, reflecting on Jesus’s birth and the fact that, because He is God, he knew the reason for which He came, even from the first instant. Even His birth foreshadows His death. Thankfully, “Memento Mori” does not have to be too dark of a phrase because death is not the end; death is only a new beginning.
This is a photo that I took this morning before Mass. I was struck by the fact that, among all the Christmas trees and happy decorations, Jesus was on the crucifix. Interesting juxtaposition, yet very appropriate.
Merry Christmas to everyone, even if you’re not Christian! Happy day! 😀
My response to Ingrid’s “Festive Sonnet Sunday” (on Monday). Also for FOWC: Product and MVB: Vivid. This sonnet describes how many people feel this time of year. I tend to vacillate between the 2 halves of the poem.
Appreciate the lights around the tree,
Vivid, although the angel is not lit:
Enjoy the many ornaments to see,
Fighting against the dark a little bit.
I care not for the products underneath
The tree, but love which gifting represents
Is precious and does lasting joy bequeath —
This is the loveliest munificence. Continue reading
Lower the Christmas decorations
From their place in the cabinets and rafters,
Raise voices in song and celebration
Even while decorating for that day,
Holding space inside hearts for the
Christ-child to come, even while
Mourning for too many saddening absences.
revivedwriter 