Friday, November 5, 2021

Spiritual Journey Thursday, Poetry Friday & Sharing Our Stories: Gratitude

Denise Krebs at Dare to Care 
is gathering our gratitude posts 
for Spiritual Journey Thursday. 
 

 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading 
is gathering all things poetic for Poetry Friday
.
Fall is a favorite time of year for me and November is one of the best months of the season. I proudly call myself a fall fanatic. You can see my 2020 collection of favorite fall photos here. November's slower pace (before the rush of December) gives me pause to reflect on my many blessings. The rains have settled in (and we celebrate rare moments of sunshine), the cozy season has arrived (sweaters, blankets, good books, hot chocolate), and fall colors continue to enliven our gray palette (for a bit longer). 
 
The first two poems are an attempt to try my hand at a new-to-me form, the hay(na)ku, a form introduced to me by Denise Krebs. Here's Denise's explanation of the form:

"Traditionally, Hay(na)ku have:

  • 3 lines
  • A total of 6 words – 1 in the first, 2 in the second, and 3 in the third
  • No syllable, rhythm, or meter constraints.
  • You can also write reverse hay(na)kus." 

Red 
and green
prelude for December


My daughter and her husband have a Pie Night each year in November (at least they used to before the pandemic). They bake many pies and invite other families over to eat pie and visit. I love this pic I snapped two years ago of siblings who couldn't wait to return to the world of words after their pie.
Enchanted 
words bewitch
to fantastic worlds
 

My final poem is a "free-from-form" poem.
No syllable counts or words of gratitude, 
just leaving you with a touch of whimsy! 

NOVEMBER'S BOUNTY

The table is heaped

and every chair is filled.

Come, my friends, to share our abundance.

BYOR 

(Bring your own rake)!

Enjoy this John Rutter composition of a virtual choir from Georgetown University Music Ministry singing one of my favorite hymns, For the Beauty of the Earth

Ever grateful for "..friends on earth, and friends above.." (especially friends online) who enrich my life each day. Happy November!

I love to join my friends at Sharing Our Stories on Thursdays!

13 comments:

  1. I'm having fun with Hay(na)ku (sharing mine on Twitter). Six words a day is do-able, and I like the routine of gratitude. Your photos are fabulous, as are the poems that accompany them!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ramona, I celebrate your fall fanaticism with you for the beauty of the earth. You chose one of my favorite songs to earth. I will add that to my Bedecked In Autumn playlist. Gratitude comes in small packages of lovely poems and images. I want to share your work because we all know that you love your trees and environment. I will send you what I am capturing. I think you will be pleased how the digital inspirations looks for my gallery, Bedecked In Autumn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I sent you the digital inspirations that I turned into image poems to your Twitter account.

      Delete
  3. A wonderful combo post, Ramona. I could use some pie! I love fall, too. The hay(na)ku form is carrying me through daily gratitude. Love your prelude to red!

    ReplyDelete
  4. November’s Bounty!!! I’ll be sharing that one with friends who have yards full of trees!

    I really love the red and green prelude. Perfect combination of words and photo.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, Ramona, I love that red and green photo so much, and the sweet line "prelude for December." And so much additional delight in this post. The pie night sounds super, and the little readers taking a break reminds of my daughter who would be known to do this at her birthday parties. The whimsical fall leaf invitation is wonderful too. I would love to come and BMOR; it's been a long time since I was able to rake a pile of leaves. Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful new form done with such excitement, Ramona. I love the 'prelude' & I have a table similar to yours, in the reality & in the 'BYOR'. It's an every day activity! Love seeing those kids reading, too, & pie night! Happy November!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, do I love that prelude to December. And, that full table...lol. Great bit of fun. Thanks for the music. You made a beautiful post. I'm so glad I stopped by.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well, thanks for sending me down the hay naku rabbit hole! I'm curious where the gratitude-specificity comes in, and very interested to discover that the name comes directly from Filipino: https://www.tagalog.com/words/hay-naku.php
    Might be time to jump in!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful memories! I love the combination of words and photos here.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ramona - your hay(na)ku are glorious! The color-prelude to December, the enchantment of reading, fantastically exporting us to other worlds... and perfect accompanying photos! Also love BYOR - made me laugh aloud. I for one am very grateful you're a fall fanatic and a noticer of all things, which find their way into your posts and into our hearts <3

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ramona, I loved the poems and the photos. Exquisite! I need to implement PIE DAY! What a great idea. Your posts are always so rich with ideas and reflections. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ramona,
    I so enjoyed your poems and photos!
    Pie Night! How wonderful is that!

    ReplyDelete