Provision (WC)

  

(February 11, 2021, feast day of Lady of Lourdes, Saint Theodora the Empress (above), Saint Caedmon, World Day of the Sick, and eve of Rosh Chodesh/new moon, for Hebrew month of Adar. Image from here.)

Provision

(after Jane Kenyon)

I slid out of bed today,

strolled 'round these our walls.

It might have been otherwise. 

Feasted on quinoa porridge, its

nutbutter, squash, swirled. 

It might have been otherwise. 

Prayed in Ireland, phoned to Portland, 

read to France, studied in Seattle, wrote to

rhyme, with lay-overs on cozy bedsheets, 

         cycling in space.

It might have been otherwise.

Even at night's mulling it's sensed: it might 

have been otherwise. But it's warm here by the 

heat with Joseph. Fresh bread, tea, incense and 

yes, chocolate. And candlelight. And it's this last

one catches. Croons "stop now, hold to heart", 

safekeeping for day the rest 

might be otherwise.

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by Jane Kenyon's Otherwise...a gratitude list, varying some short sentences with long one(s); from Esther Lin's Quarantine Write-in (Hugo House, Seattle, WA), February 11, 2021. 

Sustainable (WC)

(February 5, 2021, feast day of  the Seeker of (or Recovery of) the Perishing Icon of the Mother of God, the Elets- Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God (above) Saint Agatha of Sicely, Saint Agatha Hildegard of Carinthia, and Saint Theodula. Image from here.)

Sustainable

When my oldest daughter read the story of St. Ia, I asked her what stood out most to her about it. "I think it's cool how God uses ordinary things, like that leaf, to perform His miracles," she replied. - Seven Holy Women: Conversations with Saints and Friends, Melinda Johnson, et all.

A tree born

has sap for nurse. Flows 

from root to sky, and

branches out its pulse, 

as world. Till

"That one," the man donning

logger hat says, and a pile forms

of smooth glow

concentric circles. Till

"That one," the artist says,

palms its weight, traces paths

form a slanted Cross. Carves

out the hollow, then stem. And

"That one," I think, turn to

favorite wooden spoon. "Why 

it's like a tree, look!, this handle its 

trunk," tell my Joseph. Who glancing

at his old logger's hat, drifts 

to forests all his own.

*From prompt: Freewrite as spurred by David Hernandez's Moose In Snow, following a familiar object's history, in reporter's laying down the facts and chronicling tone, ending with full circle moment when the object is present in your own life; from Esther Lin's Quarantine Write-in (Hugo House, Seattle), February 4, 2021.