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 Unitedfor 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.
I started this poem late last fall when winter started. And this past week, winter has come too early with 3 storms in a row and 2 feet of snow with frigid temps in the teens and 20s…..making me lament for a bit more fall as we have had very little.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about the Landscape is Released. 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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!
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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!
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
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.
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 Unitedfor 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.
It feels good to write your name on this page….another year older, new numbers for this new year. And the new numbers come easily to my pencil and fingers. Most years, I will continue to write the old year, correcting myself numerous times as if I cannot let go….not fully accepting the change the new year brings.
But not this year, 2018. It is as though I have erased the old year and never want to write it again. I certainly never want to see it again~or so I think! Yet this new year looks foreign and foggy to me. I am not sure what to make of it, except it feels good; stronger with lots of promise.
So I begin this New Year with these thoughts….I will Tend this year lovingly for myself and others. A bit more kindness and love given. A bit less judgment and fear. Yes 2018, I am remaining open for you and all you will bring. Hopeful you will make sense and bring some order to this world.
I wrote this epistolary poemin my new journal as the New Year began. The flowers pictured here are commonly known as Amaryllis, scientific name Hippeastrum. Red amaryllis are often associated with the holiday season, and typically mean determination, beauty, and love.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about Dear New Year. 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.
Every year I pick a word to help guide my year. This year TEND came up with ease, shining down giving me peace and healing just to say it. I started a healing path in late 2016, and found my ROAR, my voice and power, again this past year…..now I want to TEND to my inner fire, my home within and surrounding me.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with an additional image for TEND. 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, 2014-2017. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
Another epistolary poem, in the series I am writing, from a letter I wrote in April of 2016. This poem was written on a morning of brilliance as the sun rose. I hope to post one of these a month. I will be taking time off for the rest of December….enjoy your holidays and I will see you around the New Year.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about Dear 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, 2014-2017. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.
I was recently inspired to speak out again about the most basic hypocrisies in our world and country…..judging others and the erosion of truth. I wrote this poem in response to all the trolling and name calling. Calling out the trolls and calling for a resurgence of sanity, values and the ‘real’ truth.
These pictures are selfies I created earlier this year when I was taking a course in how to creatively us photography phone apps.
I am joining in with Poets Unitedfor their weekly poetry link up for poets who blog.
I leave you with a few additional words about Judge Me. 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, 2014-2017. Any reprints or use of other photos or content is by permission only.