Hello, blog friends ~ 

Today I'd like to offer a personal reflection as well as a poem. I've combined the two for this week's Tanka Tuesday.

As far back as I can remember, I had questions. It didn't matter the topic. I always wanted to know more, and I especially wanted to understand people - their journey, their beliefs. I'm pretty certain that my whys were irritating to my parents. As farmers, the world was straightforward to them. But it wasn't to me. 

My questioning nature led me to explore different lands, different religions, different ways of seeing. I found a home among mystics, because they universally embrace one common tenet - Love. And that tenet resonates with me. 

My mom was a Catholic and my dad was a Protestant. I never heard them argue one belief or another, but Mom kept a picture of the Shroud of Turin in the bedroom. Everyday I'd look at it and wonder, could it be?

Last week, my sister shared that the little Catholic church I attended as a child would sponsor the traveling photographic display of the Shroud. Brawley, California is definitely not Turin, Italy, nor is the display the actual Shroud. Nevertheless, I'm excited to see the exhibit. Hubby and I will travel to my hometown tomorrow.  

If you've questions or interest, there is plenty of research about the Shroud online. My poem focuses on the question, Could It Be? 

 Hello blog friends,

It's #TankaTuesday and Selma Martin has a new prompt for us. She invites interested poets to write a Badger's Hexastich, which is a form that requires a syllable structure of 2-4-6-6-4-2. She also asks that we mention what we enjoy doing in Spring.

I've shared this tidbit before, but top on my list of favorite things to do is walking/hiking in nature. I love listening to its special silence -- of birds singing, of leaves rustling, of little creatures scampering. It's a heart conversation for me, and in that setting, I find profound peace. 

My poem attempts to capture the above dynamic. I've coupled it with a photo taken last year when my family gathered in Idaho. Trails stretched across the mountains and through the trees. It was extraordinary. I hope you enjoy both the poem and photo.​

In my part of the world, it's beginning to warm. Folks are exchanging coats for windbreakers, and knitted winter hats for baseball caps. I hope the same for you!

​Have a wonderful week, dear friends. 🌞

~ this past week ~ 

I hope you have a wonderful week, full of laughter and sunshine!  

Hi, dear blog friends,

It's Tanka Tuesday, and poet Colleen Chesebro has another wonderful prompt. She asks that contributing poets use synonyms for Create and Bright. How perfect for this changing season!

My poem emerges from a reflection on home - where it is and isn't. Like many, I've lived in multiple locations (see below). Perhaps because of this, home isn't a house on a specific street, but rather it is a sacred place deep within.

Each state/country has a distinct beauty and culture, shaped by its history, but the one common thread is our human nature. No matter where I've pitched my tent, I've found that people are the same at heart. We are a family. Whether we live on the East Coast or West Coast, in the desert or in the mountains, on a lake or next to a prairie, we are more alike than different.  

My simple poem: ​

Have a wonderful week, dear friends. I am traveling and with family, so I won't be on social media much. Wishing you much laughter and a multitude of ways to celebrate the gift of life. ❤️