Imagine the Possibilities

It’s Poetry Friday!

Today I’m sharing a few haiku that found themselves onto the page this week. The first comes from an idea proposed by Mary Lee. If she solves Wordle in three, she uses those words to craft a haiku. I don’t know how well that will work for me since I almost always start with the same word, but I decided to give it a try. On Sunday my words were slate, crony, olden.

i
atop the slate roof
Gargoyle cronies wait and watch
as in olden days

The weather has been very comfortable the last few days. I took advantage of the cooler nights to sit outside as the moon waxed to full. And wow – was it ever noisy!

ii
full moon glow spotlights
a midnight insect concert
nature’s lullaby

The last one comes from an experience I had at the PennDOT Driver License Center. There’s often a very long wait of more than an hour that can fuel an unpleasant experience. The woman in the cubicle next to me was very distressed after learning that she would have to return on another day and wait in line yet again. This would be a burden since she cares for her ill spouse and is facing surgery herself. I thought she might cry until the man helping me reached over to her, offering what amounted to a “go to the head of the line” pass. Usually those must be used on the same day, but he made sure it was good anytime she needed it. I was touched by his kindness.

iii
simple kindnesses
shown in gentle words and deeds
human to human

Mona has the roundup today at her website here. Be sure to stop by to read about her wishing rock and for lots more poetry goodness.

Thanks for reading!

It’s Poetry Friday!

I love coming across writing invitations that work to get my creative juices flowing, especially when I’m stuck. In her mid-month Heart Beats newsletter this week, Georgia Heard shared an exercise she conducted during her workshop “Words That Sing and Soar” with Irene Latham given through The Poet’s Studio. She chose five words to share with participants and asked them to write a poem using all five words. I thought that might be a good exercise for the Nevermores (my poetry group), and since I was the facilitator for this month’s meeting, I decided to give it a try.

I chose a Mary Oliver poem that appears in Little Alleluias titled “The Morning Walk.” Here is the beginning of that poem:

There are a lot of words meaning thanks.
Some you can only whisper.
Others you can only sing.
The pewee whistles instead.
The snake turns in circles…

I chose five words from the poem: thanks, whisper, can, tree, shine. We all took ten minutes to write allowing the words to inspire thoughts and ideas. The words took us all in different directions, which is what you might expect. Here’s mine:

As Summer Fades to Fall

Thanks to the maple
rising high
touching sky
whispering have a safe journey
to passing geese–
because it can.

Soon, in the last stretch
of its season, that same tree
will shine gold and red
in a dazzling display of life
even in death–
because it can.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

Thanks for reading today. Denise has the round up today at Dare to Care. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

It’s Poetry Friday!

A few years ago, I planted milkweed to attract monarchs. The first year I was able to spot several chrysalises and butterflies. But after that, the visitors were few and far between. Last summer there were none.

On Sunday I did my usual garden walk after returning from vacation and was delighted to spot a monarch happily sipping on a Joe Pye blossom. The next morning, I found a caterpillar, then another! For this tanka, I took the liberty of condensing the life cycle, making “yesterday” and “today” more metaphoric.

As the Monarchs Return

yesterday an egg
today a caterpillar
welcome back monarchs
stay strong and journey safely
the world awaits your beauty
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

I can’t remember who in this community alerted us to the documentary Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World but thank you! I saw it this week with my daughter, and it was wonderful. If it’s not in a theater near you, it’s scheduled to be shown on PBS at the end of the month. So inspiring!

Molly has the roundup today at Nix the Comfort Zone. Be sure to stop by to try out some word play and for lots more poetry goodness.

It’s Poetry Friday!

I think of summer as a time to slow down a bit, notice more, fill the well of ideas. I’m trying to be more appreciative of nature’s treasures. Sometimes it’s a flower that just happened to pop up, sometimes a new bird at the feeder. A few weeks ago, it was some spiders who paid me a visit. Three different locations, but all in the same day.

Spider Encounters

A tiny yellow spider crawled
from the cut zinnias.
I marveled at its color,
then returned it to nature,
hoping it finds its way.

Another, this one brown,
explored the basil, then
looked up, greeting me
as if it wanted to converse.

But the most glorious sight of all
was not the spider itself,
but the dew-spangled web
attached to the bluebird box.

Gifts of nature,
all sizes, shapes, and colors –
a mirror of our world.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

This photo was taken during my round of checking bluebird bozes at Longwood Gardens. You might have to zoom in to see the web hanging on the side. No bluebird nest or eggs, but a wonder of nature nonetheless.

Jill has the roundup here today! Be sure to stop by to learn how to make a zine and for lots of poetry goodness.