L'Chaim (WC)

  

L'Chaim

In Hebrew, the word for life is chai…root word of a common

Jewish toast, L'Chaim, which means “To life!”--the Lerner School

Sourdough bread on the tongue

(awaiting its fennel and dandelion tea),

the room settles, toasty warm, heater humm. 

‘Course the candlelight helps (why, the gold

flecked Icons they glow!). Scent of frost still

on this nightgown, dried outdoors. As Joseph

rolls in, fresh from a sighting–-sparrow hawk on

the porch. Him still as tree not to startle 

her. “Could've cupped her in my hand”, he

says, cradling steep nettle tea now,

raised in toast--

*From a letter composed through Daisy Barrett Nash's Writers At Play, letter writing series, 2022.

When You Awaken (JM)

(Joseph MacRae, November 23, 2022, day before Thanksgiving; related image here.)

When You Awaken

Return, O my soul, to your tranquility,

for the LORD has been good to you

–Psalm 116:7

It’s a good day

when you awaken

alive and able.

Thank God for the present

a gift of another day

as my Mama liked to say,

probably still likes to say

up there in Heaven.

Use this moment wisely

and keep the faith.

When the evening comes,

thank God for His gift.

A day well spent. 

May God bless us as we sleep,

      and awaken us to yet

           another day.

*From prompt: written as part of a letter; from Daisy Barrett Nash's Writers At Play (Letterwriting Series), November 23, 2022.

Transmission (JM)

 (Joseph MacRae, a piece from one of Joseph's letters composed through Daisy Barrett Nash's Writers at Play, letter writing series, Winter 2022.)

Transmission

(a how-do)

being that history, it's not a race--

speed of walking more the brain’s pace,

gives us just the space

for handing it down...

Along the Alsea (JM)

  

Along the Alsea

Nestled here, along the Alsea river, 

this small valley–-can hear, see, feel 

the rhythm of this land,

the rhythm of the flow

of the Alsea. Rhythm of

change of seasons.

Rhythm of the wind as it caresses

these trees, sometimes gentle, 

sometimes strong, even fierce. 

With tune of 

      

                spring green

                to autumn gold

                to the white blanket

                      of winter snows,

everywhere you look, can feel it–-

the rhythm of our Earth Mother. 

*From a letter composed through Daisy Barrett Nash's Writers At Play, letter writing series, 2022.

Now Comes To Mind (JM)

 (Joseph MacRae, published in Writers at Play Presents: The Art of Letter Writing, edited by Daisy Barrett-Nash, Equal Arts, 2023.)

Now Comes To Mind 

how I used to look forward 

to a few days of Indian Summer 

with mornings crisp and cool.

A reminder of Jack Frost 

just around the corner. 

With harvest season coming to an end, 

the days sunny and cool with afternoon breeze, 

as the sun hangs low. 

As leaves being to turn to yellow and gold, 

soon to make a winter blanket for the forest floor. 

Till life returns anew in the distant Spring. 

 *From a letter composed through Daisy Barrett Nash's Writers At Play, letter writing series, 2022.

Eulogy (WC)

 

(November 18, 2022, feast day of the Rosary Virgin of Chiquinquira, Start of Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, and feast day of Saint Mabyn of Cornwall (related image above) and Saint Rose Philippine Dutchesne. Image from here.)

Eulogy 

(after Joy Katz)

Fast forwarding to (as in joint memory), 

seems I'm composed of the notes of

partner's stance as we round Rolena Loops, 

fly up Five Mile; the notes of Mom’s green

thumb, hands smoothing blanket (cat jumps in);

the notes of a palm-held goldfinch, as of yet

just right out window--splash of sunglow gold

awaits nest

*From prompt: Freewrite as inspired by “Death Is Something Entirely Else” by Joy Katz; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, November 18, 2022.

Cupworthy (WC)

 

(November 15, 2022, feast day of the (above) Kupyatich Icon of the Mother of God, the Fragrant Flower Icon of the Mother of God, and of Saint Paisios Velichkovsky, Blessed Lucy of Narni (inspired Lucy of Narnia?), and Blessed Helene-Marie Philippine. Image from Joseph MacRae.)

Cupworthy

(a shout out)

Morning wakens, heartened with synchronicity.

Morning’s Scripture at Mass:

I know your works;

I know that you are neither cold nor hot.

I wish you were either cold or hot.

So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,

I will spit you out of my mouth.

–Revelation 3: 15, 16

 

Morning's poetry at class: 

Surely there's something better to do, though, than to drink a cup of

instant coffee. Such as meditate? About what? About having a cup of

coffee. A cup of coffee whose first drink is too hot and whose last drink

is too cool, but whose many in-between drinks are, like Baby Bear's porridge,

just right.

–Ron Padgett, “Prose Poem (‘The morning coffee.’)

Wait a minute, the parallel is contrast. Or perhaps not. Synchronicity is, what…reframing? Not renaming this yet, or anything yet, haven't even had my tea. 

An hour later now, fortified. Later still, my Joseph will step in from daily garden rounds, “Might be the last snap-dragon of the season” offered in palm. And I’ll say, “Guess what’s the feast day today? The “Fragrant Flower” Icon Mother of God!” But right now he’s still sleeping. And I’m still pondering this coffee-tea thing. And wakened, he’d likely mourn the fading coffee hour. No longer has his buddy table at McDonald's. Left with stories (earth she knows the scent of history*), like when out at Thorne Bay, Alaska, '94. Younger crew members take their filled coffee cups back to rooms--

“Coffee’s a personal thing”. 

Joseph disagreeing, a buddy joining, on their off time they pick up a percolator in town, nestle in at kitchen table—offer place to all as they enter. Heads shake, head back to their rooms. 

 

“Why is it

no one does coffee anymore?”,

Joseph says. 

*Quote is an adaptation of “Because the earth knows/The scent of history,/It gave the people sage.”, from “The Tea and Sage Poem” by Fady Joudah.

**From combined prompts: Freewrite as inspired by “Prose Poem (‘The morning coffee.’) by Ron Padgett, and by  “The Tea and Sage Poem” by Fady Joudah; from Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite Three’s a Charm series, November 12, 2022.