Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Kiss the Sky

Kiss the Sky

 

Undulating waves at the end of the day

Bid farewell to the sun’s last rays.

 

 

And shimmer against the gathering clouds

As they raise their voices on chords aloud.

 

 

With the moon’s rise illuminating their path

Their throngs kiss the sky as they roll on past.

 

 

I wish them well as they travel along

And hold in my heart the last strains of their song.

 

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

In late November, while walking at dusk with the moon rising, my husband and I witnessed thousands of geese migrating over us….we lost count at 30 groups, moving higher and higher as they sang their glorious song of farewell.  This poem was created on that walk.  I will be taking a hiatus from blogging for a few weeks to devote time to enjoying the season without the rush.  I’ll see you after the New Year.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

I leave you with a few additional words about the Kiss the Sky.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Spring’s Song

Spring’s Song

 

Light flickers at the edge of my sight

And rouses me from sleep and the dark of night.

 

 

Breaking before the warmth of a fine spring day

With fire in the sky riding the sun’s drowsy rays.

 

 

Only whispers of a cooling breeze tickling the dew

Finding open windows to gently waft through.

 

 

The birds lullaby adds to my tranquil repose

As I open my eyes and wake from this languid doze.

 

 

And sweet honey scents drift through my dreams

Waking the shadows with dancing, dappled sun beams.

 

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

I wrote this poem as I thought about those first true warm spring days where the light, and sounds and scents all change and add such an excitement.  And I am dreaming of those spring days now and that light, and the sounds and especially the scents.  All are gone in winter….replaced by a different canopy.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

I leave you with a few additional words about the Spring’s Song.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Surrendering to the Light

 

Surrendering to the Light

 

Dark and dingy on this misty day,

Soul searching in the weathered decay.

 

 

Once colored gems found among the green,

Soon all is gone to a barren scene.

 

 

Quiet melancholy heavy in the air,

Tears rush forth while heartache is declared.

 

 

Let the grief well up, spew and flow,

While the water washes me clean as I let go.

 

 

This wearisome heart must not yield to the disdain,

Surrendering only to the light and a restful peace regained.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

I am thrilled to be back blogging and writing again.  It has been over 4 months, and I am feeling healed and much better.  I aggravated an old back injury, had vertigo and then blood pressure issues (not related to the vertigo).

I started this poem when life had me down and the weather seemed to amplify the sentiments.  With this rainbow last week, on a particularly warm November day, I was remembering what is important in my life if I am to live it to the fullest even on the darkest days.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

 

I leave you with a few additional words about Surrendering to the Light.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: The Waiting Game

 

 

The Waiting Game

 

 

Sitting in the airport

waiting for the plane,

Where is the pilot-

here we go again.

 

 

Waiting for the shuttle,

where are we to go,

Does the driver know the way-

unfortunately, no!

 

 

Waiting for a meeting,

will it be starting soon.

Three hours later and no word yet,

oh lord, it’s almost noon.

 

 

Waiting at the grocery store,

waiting in this line.

Do I really need these items,

my patience is out of time.

 

 

Now the traffic stops again,

I sit and ruminate.

Six lanes going nowhere fast

so I wait, and wait and wait!

 

 

It seems with all this technology,

all the ways to go,

We are not really moving anywhere,

except at a snail’s pace, slow!

 

 

So what to do with all this time,

of waiting and nowhere to go?

 I’ll just make up this little poem,

and remember to just go with the flow.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

I wrote this poem a few years ago while waiting a full day to testify in a labor case for a former employer’s dispute.  It was frustrating waiting in a room for 6 hours with nowhere to go and no phone…..just a book and a pen and paper.

As I wrote it, I thought of all the times I have had to wait in long lines…..the end wasn’t quite developed but I was able to revisit the poem and find a perfect ending recently.

 

These pictures are from a recent trip waiting hours for flights….a perfect illustration!

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about The Waiting Game.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Our Lost Stories

 

Our Lost Stories

 

Our stories lost between the pages of time

Whispers no longer heard

Dates on gravestones never seen.

 

 

Who were these souls

Their names forgotten?

Who is remembering their sacrifices,

Their tears, their joys, that brought us here?

 

 

Their legacy is ours

Whispered from one generation to the next

Forever on the wind as the dust stirs

Part of each cell and fiber-

A family found again; our heritage.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

I found this poem that I wrote a few years ago, in an old journal.  It may have come about when I was trying to work out some of my family’s ancestry.  I thought it would a great poem in honor of my my father’s family on this Father’s Day here in the U.S.

The top picture is of my father’s family in the early 1930s.  He is pictured lower right and my Irish grandmother, Margaret, behind him.  The other’s are my aunt (grandmother’s sister Esther), uncle (Fred, Esther’s husband) and cousins (Esther and Fred’s children, Myrtle and Fred).  The bottom picture is from around 1901 and is my grandmother’s baby picture.  We are discovering many old pictures of family we do not know or cannot recognize as the only one left now is my mother who has the accumulated history of her family and my father’s.  It is sad to have lost these family stories with each relative who is gone now.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about Lost Stories.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: The Wild Child

The Wild Child

 

A wild, playful child alone in her world

A digger of the earth joined in its holy sepulcher,

In solitude she finds her truth

Becomes her most vulnerable self

Belongs not to the world, but of it

Not to anyone but herself alone.

 

 

She will not sacrifice who she is.

She is everyone, everything, and no one.

She is surefooted now on her personal quest.

Believing in her most precious self.

For she lives her truth-

 

 

Willful, dogged, persistent in her accountability

Integrity flows abundantly, courageously

Loving kindness kindled and generously shared

Delivers on her word and deed knowing limitations

 

This wild child was born a thousand times and lives now, again, and will forever.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

 As I was contemplating recent readings, the term Wild Child came up and this poem poured forth.  It is autobiographical, and it is a song to all of us who are working on our inner selves.  I offer it to all who are called or feel like a ‘wild child’ as I move into my 61st year.

 

And yes those pictures are of me when I was about 8 or 9 years old.  Both pictures hold very fond memories, as I loved to swim, and go fishing.  That was the first big fish I caught, a lake perch.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about The Wild Child.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Flower Woman

 

Flower Woman

 

A flower woman

Keeper of the land,

Tilling fertile soil

With her gentle hands.

 

 

Architect with seeds,

Of meadows rich with dew

Preserving the territory,

Creating anew.

 

 

Student of pollywogs

And pollinators  galore,

Enlightening this steward

With tales pure as gold.

 

 

A comrade to nature

She celebrates the rebirth

When the sun rises nearer

Singing sweet songs to the earth.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

 

__________________________________________________________

The idea of this poem was originally written as a birthday tribute for a true flower woman who creates fields of flowers from seed.  I kept the idea, but changed it to reflect the birthday of another gardener/flower woman, me.  I am celebrating my birthday next week, and am pleased to have lived and loved for 61 years now.

The pictures are of native lupines.  They were seeded in my meadow by this flower woman’s hands.  They symbolize imagination.  So apt as I imagined creating this beautiful meadow, and have not been disappointed.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about the Flower Woman.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: The Drought

 

The Drought

 

Clouds drift along in the blue-grey sky,

Words and phrases obscuring the sun.

Drifting in and out of my consciousness,

Not wanting to be captured on paper.

 

 

I am like the earth and sky

Seeking balance between rain and drought.

My heart knows when

It will be time to come home again.

 

 

Distracted at present-

A monarch floats into my line of sight,

While a hummingbird peeks through the window

To see only its reflection against the vast darkness.

 

 

For now I am content

To let the words drift among the clouds.

Soon enough they will meld into a storm, and

Rain down freely again, singing on the page.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

This is a poem that was started a few year’s ago, and like the poem says, it drifted in and out of my consciousness until it fully formed recently.  Poetry can come easily or be a bit elusive….but I don’t obsess about it.  I keep a journal of phrases, lines, ideas, and revisit them until they decide to rain down fully into a poem.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about The Drought.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Expectant

 

Expectant

 

 

Under the dark new moon

Where diamond dust is sprinkled against the black, velvety sky

I plant new seed in fertile soil.

My breath slows becoming one with Mother Earth

Her energy flows through me

Joined with the Universal energy of the heavenly bodies.

Intentions are made, blessed and released

Watered, waiting, expectant.

 

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

__________________________________________________________

This poem has a double meaning for me…the expectancy of spring and spring planting, and the expectancy of growth along my personal path as I read, learn, experience and share my life lessons.

As the full moon is upon us, I am reminded that spring planting by the phases of the moon is said to enhance harvests.  Some gardeners suggest sowing seeds for crops that yield an above ground harvest between the new moon and full moon.  Root crops are best planted when the moon is going from full moon to new moon.  While I have never tried this, I have gardener friends who swear by this planting method.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about Expectant.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: A Renewal

 

A Renewal

 

My tears glisten in the sunlight

And drop, nourishing the seed

That lingers within.

 

 

They streak my red cheeks

Making rainbows, sparkling

On my eyelashes.

 

 

A renewal has sprung forth,

New sprouts warmed-

Born from the tears of joy.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

 

__________________________________________________________

On this Earth Day, we celebrate 48 years of awareness about being kinder to our home planet….to protect our environment even in the wake of the horrible policies and environmental agenda of this country.  This poem has many levels….a renewal of my garden, the earth and of me personally that always happens in spring with new growth.

The pictures are of early organic lettuce growing in my garden last year.  With our cold spring I have not started my lettuce in the garden yet.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

 

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about A Renewal.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Dear Kindness

 

Dear Kindness

 

Dear Kindness:

 

You are the best part of me~of all of us.  And we desperately need to let your light shine out from our hearts and souls now more than ever.  I am feeling lost, forlorn and deeply dark within as your light is being overshadowed by hate and fear.

 

You have taught me that to know you, to be part of you, I must make a commitment.  For you are a practice~one I must exercise daily or become atrophied, rotted, forever in despair.  And only with practice can I know you better, can I become more accomplished at letting your light shine.

 

But most of all I must not forget that kindness must be given willingly to all; nature and mankind alike.  None must be forgotten, none must be left out or left behind.  Nor should I forget the most important kindness, to myself.  For without that I cannot hope to bring you to the rest of the world.

 

So as I move forward, dear kindness, I must not lose faith in you.  I must remember that I do not have to live in the dark recesses of a hopeless, anguished world.  Not as long as your light is stoked, fed and tended within….bringing out the best in me!

 

© Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

I am bringing you another epistolary poem from a letter I wrote in April of 2016.  This one has been edited quite a bit in light of the world in which we live.  A world that is desperately in need of kindness….for all.  And not easily found.

The pictures are of a spring wreath looking out into my March spring garden covered in snow.  The crystal stick is a special rainbow maker from a dear friend.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about Dear Kindness.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

 All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: I Flow Like Water

 

I Flow Like Water

 

It starts with a drop falling,

A stream melting down the mountainside.

It bubbles up through rock and crevice.

Moving over, around and with each obstacle encountered on its way.

 

 

Each break and fall brings renewed energy

Moving with grace and determination,

It may ebb but does not cling for long

Coursing forward, onward through darkness and light.

 

 

With breakneck speed it joins itself to the larger body

Into the communal whole it tumbles fearless

Merges to the vastness beyond the separate, singular drop

Becoming something greater, brimming beyond its boundaries into the unified flow.

 

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

I recently have been reading May Sarton’s, Journal of Solitude, and Brené Brown’s, Braving the Wilderness.  Both books have been speaking to me of my path, my inner work.  And this poem was born of that reading and work.  It is how I feel myself evolving.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about I Flow Like Water.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: I Wonder…

 

I Wonder…..

 

 

I wonder what the bird sees when he sees the sun rise.

As he calls across the meadow and the forest far and wide.

Does he see what I see with my wizened hazel eyes?

Yes, I wonder what the bird sees when he sees the sun rise.

 

 

I wonder what the bird thinks as the sun burns bright in the sky.

As the colors shift to azure blue and clouds come rolling by.

Does he think what a beautiful day to go out for fun-filled fly?

Yes, I wonder what the bird thinks as the sun burns bright in the sky.

 

 

I wonder what the bird smells on a warm earth-scented day.

As the flowers open and leaves stretch out to bask in the breeze and play.

Does he smell the aromas of berries ripe and seeds on tall stalks as they sway?

Yes, I wonder what the bird smells on a warm earth-scented day.

 

 

I wonder what the bird feels while grasping the branch so tight.

As the rain pours down, and winds whip round, giving one a fright.

Does he feel the awe beneath him, is he enveloped with delight?

Yes, I wonder what the bird feels while grasping the branch so tight.

 

 

Is there color in his day, and sweet delectable bites?

Is he anxious to be winging and soaring to new unimaginable heights?

Does he feel the astonishment I do when he gazes at nature’s sights?

Yes, I wonder all this as he softly sings me to goodnight.

 

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

This poem’s opening line came to me one day when I was walking out on a bright lovely morning, hearing the birds singing.  And I wondered……

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

 

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about I Wonder.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Dear Truth

 

Dear Truth

 

Dear Truth:

 

My goodness I was glad to see you!

 

To speak your name~well rant it for a good, almost, 10 minutes.

 

You shook me upside down when I heard you speak.  And rung my emotional bell until it hurt from my head to my belly.

 

But you had to come, you had to speak, Truth.  And I am so happy you did.

 

Although next time can you add a dollop of love with your words so they don’t leave me too splayed upon the ground when you are done talking.

 

Yes I am glad you came and spoke, Truth, through me, from me down to my very soul.

 

Truth can set you free they say.  It turned me inside out and landed me on my ass.  But I had that coming.  After all I kept you at bay for far too long, Dear Truth!

 

© Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

I am bringing you another epistolary poem from a letter I wrote in April of 2016.  This one was freeing to write.  It seems when I hold back from speaking up, the truth backs up until it bursts free.  I am learning to speak up more and more especially these days.  And especially to those who feel free to lie as a matter of course.

With the #enoughisenough movement, Truth is a friend to many again and speaking loudly through thousands, finally!

The pictures are of a witchball; a gift given to me by a dear friend.  Historically, witchballs were hung in windows to ward off ill fortune and bad spirits.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about Dear Truth.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: The Yearnings of Spring

 

The Yearnings of Spring

 

There is a deep, urgent longing to break this icy dam winter has cast over me.

 

Where my skin again feels the glowing warmth of the sun,

Where bare feet are tickled by cool, soft, new grass,

Where my eyes catch the young, fresh growth of plants emerging,

And I breathe in the earthy scent of the garden thawed.

 

Where my hands cast seeds imagining a future harvest,

Where the heady perfume of new flowers overwhelms me,

Where every buzz and chirp has my heart beating faster,

And where the water splashing the rocks in the pond invites me to play.

 

As I patiently wait for spring to arrive, I dream of merging with nature.

Yearning to break this icy dam winter has cast over me.

 

© Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

Even with the vernal equinox coming this week in the northern hemisphere, the first day of spring never quite arrives according to the calendar.  It shows up when it is good and ready…each year a different date.  And this year winter is unrelenting, and March seems to be the new February, with cold and almost 4 feet of new snow in the first two weeks.  Now we are frigid again with snow piles everywhere….no spring thaw in sight for weeks perhaps.  So as I wait, I am thinking about what I am yearning for when spring finally does show itself in earnest.

The pictures are of native Bloodroot from my garden.  They are one of the first native flowers blooming.  You have to watch for their blooms, and savor them while you can, as they fade fast.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about the Yearnings of Spring.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: As Winter Yields, And Spring Sighs

 

As Winter Yields, And Spring Sighs

 

 

As winter yields, and spring sighs…..

 

 

the ice on the pond relaxes, relenting its hold

 

the ground gives way, a slow warming

to allow the snowy liquid to be absorbed nourishing

 

courageous early bloomers rise with trepidation,

breaking through to finally stretch toward the sun

 

winged natives, begin their songs of gratitude and praise,

and make ready for the mating season

 

 

March is so mutable, such a fickle one.

Do not underestimate its hold on winter, unrelenting.

But winter is nudging me, and saying goodbye in such subtle ways.

It is time for spring to make plans to visit, sailing in on warming winds.

So I am readying for spring’s hello, and winter’s goodbye as March traverses along.

 

© Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

In spring I see the subtle signs of spring….those I listed above.  And this year as February ended those signs appeared.  Unfortunately we had a beast of a storm on March 2nd that dropped a foot and a half of snow on us.  And more snow comes daily with cold winds. So now we wait for the signs of spring to come again perhaps by March end.  You can read more about the storm and my garden in this post.

The pictures here are from my garden.  Snow covered back garden, and pond thawing.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about Winter yielding, and spring sighing.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: I Am Called

I Am Called

 

I am called from deep slumber
To awaken now.
A dynamic spark firing through me
Beckons me from hibernation.
Emboldens me to germinate
Seeds of inspiration.
And as the icy shield melts from my body,
I feel a creative fire building inside greeting the sunrise
On this first spring day!

©Donna Donabella 2018

 

__________________________________________________________

As March begins, my thoughts turn to spring, a season that takes it time to show up this far north.  And as I await spring, I keep preparing by starting seeds early for the veg garden in late May.  And I clean and clear the garden as the weather permits.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

 

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about I Am Called.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: You Have The Right

 

 

You Have The Right

 

 

You have the right to remain silent

Anything you say can and will be used against you,

But so what–

Is it better to remain mute,

To not give voice to what assails my soul?

 

 

While silent, I give approval to insults, to violence, to cruelty.

While silent, I give up my rights.

And while silent, I condone bigotry, harassment and assault,

Based on nothing but the color of one’s skin or sex.

Based on only a name, ethnicity, or religion.

 

 

But isn’t it my right to also be free of these wrongs,

To be free to worship, to be free to be who I am.

There has been too much silence for far too long.

 

 

The silent ugly underbelly of a nation’s people,

Raised on freedoms taken for granted.

Believing there is no racism, and that

Women are treated fairly, equally and are valued.

 

 

But no~the ugliness was still here in this silent nation.

Blindly condoned and quietly strengthened,

Until one day a government gave it credence~

Gave it voice~made it legitimate and perfectly fine

To say the most vile, hateful words about its citizens.

 

 

Ignorance is not bliss anymore.

We cannot afford to be ignorant or stand idly by

As the very freedoms and foundations

We hold dearly are slipping into the abyss.

 

 

Lives lost fighting for these freedoms,

Now anguished in the soil of this fetid land.

Pride in a country where these freedoms were held scared,

Now fear runs rampant instead.

It is all there is some days,

No brave voices rising from the silence to be heard.

So many mute giving approval,

As silence kills.

 

 

You have the right to remain silent

Anything you say can and will be used against you,

In the court of life.

Will you remain silent?

Or will you give voice to the warriors

Needed to take back a country once lost.

 

© Donna Donabella 2017

 

__________________________________________________________

This poem has been rattling around in my soul waiting to break free as my anguish with each horrific day goes by with more lies, more acts of violence, hatred, bigotry and on and on with hate.  And so many still stay silent as words and acts by our government bring us daily to new lows.

The irony of this poem’s opening is purposeful.  They are the opening lines of the Miranda Warning said to all who are arrested.  And who knows if our acts of resistance will get us arrested, but I have hope we will overcome the insanity and fear.   So this poem is my rant to those who are still silent, as I give my voice to those trying to change the dialogue, and not allowing my silence to condone any more of this insanity.

 

The pictures are more goddess selfies I created last year.

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog, and I am joining Sherry for her Thursday prompt at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads; Being The Change.

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about You have the right.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Born of Water

 

 

Born of Water

 

I was born of water; body

Surrounded by and made of creator’s tears,

Unwilling to enter this landlocked life.

 

 

And whenever I can, I return home-

To a vast sea, breaking against rock and shore.

Spraying me with turquoise delight

Swirling, swimming around my limbs-

These disappearing as I am reacquainted.

 

 

I long for this reconnection again,

For a homecoming.

And I will venture far on a pilgrimage,

To reunite my soul with my lost aqua world.

 

 

Each visit will have to sustain me,

Until I can come again.

Perhaps for a longer visit.

Perhaps to live closer one day,

Perched on the water’s edge

For my daily communion.

 

 

© Donna Donabella 2017

 

__________________________________________________________

I have long known that the ocean is my home.  I come home to the ocean and am reconnected to my creator…..my soul.  There is an exhilaration I cannot find anywhere else on this earth.  And I long to be in its environs whenever close.  So upon a recent visit to the ocean, I was reminded of this deep connection….to the creation of life in the soup of the sea.  And this poem poured forth.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

 

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about Born of Water.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.

Posted on

Poetry Sunday: Given Freely

 

Given Freely

 

Sometimes in the most hurried, stressful situations, it is worth our while to remember that a smile can light up our world….it can light up the whole world.  One small act of kindness, can change everything around us.

 

So with that in mind, in a very busy airport recently, I decided to make it a point to smile at everyone.  To excuse myself as I weaved and bobbed.  To joke with, and be polite to the TSA agents as they examined my bag one more time.

 

Even if smiles were met with frowns, and thank yous were not forth coming as I gave away space at my table or in line to get food, I still smiled.  I still persevered, and kept kindness front and center.  Letting it pour forth from my soul.

 

And what was the effect of this grand experiment?  Well, I cannot tell you it made any difference in anyone else’s life, but I know it did mine.  I was calmer, happier and more centered.  Each smile I gave away, made my day brighter.  And I have to believe it helped shift the world a little, that day, to the kinder side of life.

 

 

Smile given freely

No cost exacted save for

Soulful connecting

 

© Donna Donabella 2017

 

__________________________________________________________

This poem, a haibun, was an experiment I decided to conduct in a crowded airport.  To smile, be courteous, polite and kind no matter what.  Not an easy task when traveling as it is a stressful time made worse by time constraints, tired feet, discourteous people and knowing I am about to be strapped into a cramped space for hours while flying 35,000 miles suspended above the earth.

The pictures are fun selfies I created in a course I took using the phone apps, Pixlr and Prisma.

 

I am joining in with Poets United for their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.

 

__________________________________________________________

I leave you with a few additional words about given freely.  I welcome you to download the photo and share it.

All other photos and original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Living From Happiness, 2014-2018.  Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.