Poetry Monday: Nature

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is ..... NATURE.

Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, contributors in the comments -- and, at the last minute, me -- as we explore this fine topic. You can leave your poem in the comments here or post on your own blog; if you do the latter, please leave a comment here so we can find you and applaud. Use the topic, or choose another. You may also share a poem by another author if you prefer. Enjoy the process.

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First, thank you yet again for your words of support and encouragement. It means a great deal to me. I have relatively few listening ears in my non-blogging life, and, of those, two individuals are experiencing serious illnesses of their own which makes me reluctant to burden them further. Your kindness and caring make a big difference in my life.  

I was going to sit out the poetry challenge this week but the topic spoke strongly to me. In the past month my husband's health problem has become quite severe. He has finally been given the first diagnostic test (aside from blood work) that the doctor requested five weeks previously. The test was delayed by some kind of communication glitch between the doctor and the hospital -- not once, but twice -- but a very kind bookings clerk took me at my word that an expedited request had been made and scheduled my husband right away. That was last week.  And as a result of that test, he was immediately booked for further testing later today.

As you can no doubt imagine, I have been feeling quite stressed. It is so hard to see a loved one suffer, and be helpless to do anything about it. It's hard to see anyone suffer, for that matter. There is also the extra physical care for my husband and being up at all hours wearing on me. I am also doing some of the more vital yard work that my husband usually does. And I've been emailing and calling family to keep them in the loop.

In the midst of all of it, nature has been my solace. My deck garden, although not a great success this summer, still gives me a reason to get outside even if it's just for five minutes at a time. Yard work is therapeutic and helps me feel I am getting some real exercise. And most of all, going for a walk is a way to unwind, to process what is happening and what may lie ahead, and to calm my anxiety and soothe my sadness. And it is simply a pleasure to walk; the cool air we've had lately is invigorating, and much easier on my twitchy airways. 

When thinking about the topic this week, I kept associating the word "nurture" with the word "nature", probably because of the frequently-discusssed question of how children develop -- whether "nature" or "nurture" has more impact on them. And I realized that there is another way to relate the two words that perfectly describes how I feel about nature, particularly right now.

This has got to be the longest preamble ever, for the shortest poem ever. You all get gold stars for sticking with it.

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In My Opinion *

Nature ...
Is
Nurture ...

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*Original title was "Maybe That's Why She's Called Mother". Edited to remove unintended sexism.   Because fathers nurture, too.

Yep, that's it, that's all. Like I said:  short.

And let us have a picture of wee kittens to smile over:

Until next week, I hope you have other reasons to smile, too, and can get out to enjoy nature's benefits.

Next week's topic is ..... THE KITCHEN ..... brought to us by Mimi -- thank you, Mimi! 

Poetry Monday: Tomatoes

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is ..... TOMATOES.

Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, and contributors in the comments, as they try their poetic hand at this juicy topic.

I will be sitting out once again, but feel free to leave your poems in the comments and they will be published as usual.

Use the topic, or not; the idea is to enjoy the process.

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Thank you for all the comments on my last post. Once again, I am touched by your support and good wishes.

There is still no progress on a diagnosis for my husband, but I will update you when there is news.

In the meantime, here is a link I hope you enjoy.

Click here :  Kitten watching cartoon

And for those who prefer a picture, here is a screen grab from the video at that link:

But the video is better :)

(This is one way I deal with anxiety - looking at pictures of kittens and videos of kittens. Another way is, believe it or not, cleaning things. Heresy, I know, but useful.)


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The topic for next week will be ..... NATURE ... brought to you by Diane.

Mimi has suggested "The Kitchen" for the following week. Thank you, Mimi.

All suggestions are very welcome.

Have a good week, everyone.

Thank you all

Just a note to say how much I appreciate all your good wishes.

You are all such kind people, and I feel lucky to have your support.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

There is nothing to add as yet, but I will update you whenever there is.

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and enjoy this little picture.

Poetry Monday: Responsibilities

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is ..... RESPONSIBILITIES.

Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, and contributors in the comments in writing on this weighty topic. You can leave your poem (or a poem by another author, with credit) in the comments, or post on your own blog. If you do the latter, please leave a comment so we can find you. Use the topic, or not. The idea is to have some satisfying fun and work our brains.

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My husband is quite ill, and we are having trouble getting a diagnosis.

It's not the coronavirus; it started long before that. He is a very private person and I have not wanted to break that privacy by writing about it.

For a long time, I was able to compartmentalize (a skill I had to learn during my father's years of disability and illness), but this week I have hit the wall. All I can think of is my husband's health.

So I am taking a break.

Please feel free to leave poems in the comments - I will publish them as usual.

Carry on, my friends.


Updated:  Next week's topic, courtesy of Diane, is ..... TOMATOES ..... good luck :)

Poetry Monday: Dreams ..... And Somewhat Related Funnies

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is ..... DREAMS.

Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, contributors in the comments section, and me! You can leave your poem in the comments, or post on your own blog. If you do the latter, please leave a comment so we can find you and your poem.

Use the topic or not; the idea is to have fun and work our brains.

You can also provide a poem that's not your own; be sure to give the source.

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Langston Hughes ... Pablo Naruda ... Walt Whitman ... Ogden Nash ... and many more ...

I love all the dream poems in the links above, but I just can't compete with them on this topic.

Oh, heck, I can't compete with them on any topic.

But particularly on this topic, I am out of my depth.

Figuratively and literally.

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On Being Short And Dreaming Big

Sometimes I dream I am six feet tall
Reaching high shelves like it's nothing at all
Having the mirror at just my height
Pushing a lawn mower without a fight
Strolling a path with long legs when I walk
And easily seen in a crowd when I talk

I know this can't happen, though it would be heaven
To someone whose growth stopped at four feet eleven

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And funnies! All about hopes and dreams and plans and goals ... and other stuff, too ...

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I hope your week is a dream come true ..... or at least not a nightmare :)

Next week's topic is .......... RESPONSIBILITIES .....

Good luck!

Poetry Monday: Masks . . . And Funnies

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is ..... MASKS.

Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, contributors in the comments, and me, as we cover this topic. (Cover. Get it? Okay, okay! I'll move along.)

You can leave your poem in the comments, or post on your own blog. If you do the latter, please leave a comment so we can find you and your poem.

Use the topic, or choose another. You may also share a poem by another author if you wish. Have fun and exercise your brain cells :)

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Are masks mandatory yet where you live?

In my home province of Nova Scotia, last Friday was the first day they were required in indoor public spaces.

Confession:  I've had a bit of difficulty getting used to wearing one.

It came as a surprise, actually. I'd worn disposable paper masks when my dad was hospitalized for pneumonia in the last weeks of his life. It wasn't what I'd call fun, but it wasn't terrible, either.

But the first time I tried to wear a cloth mask, I felt short of breath after just a few minutes, and after twenty minutes I finally had to remove it. (Don't worry, I was at home, just checking to see how it would go.) The light-headed feeling stayed with me for about a half an hour afterward.

There were several reasons why this might have happened. It was a hot, humid day. Even with the air conditioning, it was just barely comfortable inside our house. The mask was two layers of soft cotton (rather than smooth quilting cotton, which is recommended) so it seemed to trap the moisture in my breath. Also, I have asthma, which makes it harder to breathe in humid conditions.

So I made a second mask, of quilting cotton, with only one layer. That might be cheating; I don't know. But I'm slowly getting used to it. And I figured it was better than not wearing a mask at all. And soon I will try a two-layer mask again. The weather will be cooling off here a month from now, and that should also help.

In the meantime, I go out as little as possible. I keep six feet away from others as much as possible. And I am thankful our province brought in the mask rule.

Here's my entirely predictable take on "masks".

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Not To Put Too Fine A Point On It

Wearing a mask is
The right thing to do
It saves you from me
It saves me from you
Cover your air holes
Prevent the germ's spread
Working together
Will mean fewer dead

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Whoa! Kind of blunt at the end there, huh?

Time has been short here. I bet you can just tell.

But there has still been time to look at lolcat memes.

There's always time to look at lolcat memes.

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I hope you all have a safe and happy week.

Next week's topic will be ...... DREAMS.

Thank  you for the great topic, Diane, and good luck everyone :)

Poetry Monday: Leaves . . . and Funnies (Another Random Edition)

It's Poetry Monday again - what's with the weeks going so fast, anyhow? - and this week's topic is ..... LEAVES.

Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, contributors in the comments, and me, as we try our hand at this topic. You can leave your poem in the comments, or post on your own blog. If you do the latter, please comment so we can find you and your poem. Use the topic, or choose another. Write your own poem, or share one you like from another author.

The idea is to enjoy ourselves and work our brains a little.

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At first, I wasn't sure what approach to take with "leaves". The phrase that kept running through my head was "eats(,) shoots and leaves", made widely popular by this book - based on this joke - as an example of how punctuation changes the meaning of a sentence. With the comma in there, the sentence describes what a panda eats; without the comma, it describes what a hungry, armed panda does just before he/she goes somewhere else.

I like correct punctuation, as I know many of you do also. I even use it some of the time! Admittedly, I have slacked off in my blog, but, still, I appreciate good punctuation when I see it, and I am being super careful to use it today, while it's uppermost in my (and your) mind. (Normal service will probably resume on the next post, unfortunately.)

But reading the newspaper or online news can make me cry almost every day with the lack of appropriate punctuation, especially commas. Using too few commas makes those long sentences - of which news writers seem so fond - harder to follow, sometimes requiring several readings to really grasp what it is they are trying to say.

Sometimes it cannot be grasped at all, as one interpretation is as likely as another, even when they are polar opposites.

Using too many, commas, is just, as bad, as you can see, here in this, sentence.

I blame lack of proper use of punctuation on lack of proper instruction at every grade level in school.* Some kids learn proper punctuation more easily than others, especially keen book readers who absorb proper usage subconsciously along with the story line. Other kids find it harder: kids who aren't interested readers, those with dyslexia or another reading disability, or those whose home lives do not include or place importance on written skills. But kids have much less chance to learn anything if it is not given a place in the school curriculum, simply because they spend so many of their waking hours in school. (Well, at least they did, before the pandemic.)

Punctuation no longer seems to have much of a place in either school or university curriculums, if even journalism students, who intend to write for a living, are not taught the basics.

*All opinions my own. My kids have been out of school for many years and I no longer have the advantage of direct observation of the curriculum. Here's another opinion: I blame lack of proper use of punctuation on laziness. I'm guilty of that one myself.

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Well, that took an unexpected turn. I didn't expect to end up passionately defending punctuation, particularly while admitting at the exact same time to being careless with it myself, when the topic was something else entirely.

It's a good thing I don't drive a bus. Passengers would get on expecting to go to Halifax, and end up in Sydney. Or vice versa.

A map to help you understand that last bit:

Halifax and Sydney are our two largest urban areas, but they aren't in the same neighbourhood. Not even close.

As an aside, for those eagle-eyed readers who note that "Sydney" is also a very large city in Australia, why, yes - incredibly - people have gotten the two confused! Including travel agents. There have been multiple news stories here about folks thinking they are going to one Sydney and ending up in the other one, 17,029 km away . The only thing the two places have in common is that they are on the ocean. Usually, of course, folks want to end up in Sydney, Australia. But, instead, they end up here in Nova Scotia. And that's why we read about it in our newspapers. Because it's not news in Australia. Because the travellers don't end up there, wishing they were here . . . oh, never mind.

Again, I'm straying off the topic.

So, here's my poem. As sometimes happens, I seem to have veered off the beaten path and into the ditch. I'm not pome-ing about leaves after all, but commas.

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Small But Mighty

The comma's a tiny and wonderful thing;
A "dot with a tail" that can make our prose sing.
When not used enough, it can lead to confusion;
When used overmuch, it may signal effusion.

I'm keen on the comma, but too short on time
To write about comma rules in perfect rhyme.
So if it's a quick comma lesson you need,
Just click on the link here to get up to speed :)

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And now . . . what you've all secretly (or not so secretly) been waiting for . . . today's funnies.

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Wishing you a week perfectly punctuated with smiles :)

Next week's topic will be ......... MASKS.

Good luck!