Repeating….Repeating….Repeating

Silently rolling,

        and growing,

                    CRESTING,

        crashing, roaring

    retreating,

repeating…

                            Silently rolling,

                                   and growing,

                                              CRESTING,

                                   crashing, roaring

                                retreating,

                            repeating…                   

Silently rolling,

        and growing,

                    CRESTING,

        crashing, roaring

    retreating,

repeating…

                            Silently rolling,

                                   and growing,

                                                CRESTING,

                                    crashing, roaring,

                                 retreating,

                            repeating…

repeating…

                    repeating…

                                        repeating…

                                                          repeating…..

While on vacation at the beach, I was mesmerized by the beauty and music of the waves. They are so meditative with the continuous repetition of building, crashing and retreating. There are small moments of silence right before the next breaking roar of the oncoming waves. Sitting in the sun, watching the sunlight dance on the highest peaks of the waves was pure beauty. The water looked bedazzled! Each wave seemed to wash ashore more and more peace and relaxation and pull the worries and stress back out to the sea. So grateful for these days of relaxing by the ocean.

With my poem,  I tired to capture that meditative feeling through the use of repetition so I can carry this moment with me when I am away from the ocean. 

Bathing in a Forest

Dipping toes into fallen gold leaves,

Submerging beneath bare tree limbs,

Washing with nature’s cool breath,

Soaking in the silence,

Scrubbing away stress,

Rinsing with sun,

Laundering

my soul-

Cleansed

To begin my Sunday morning, I went forest bathing for the first time.  This means taking in the forest through our senses. It is not exercising but just being in nature and connecting with it through our multiple senses. 

I am thankful that Yoga with Linda offered this experience today. A small group of us walked, meditated and journaled out in the woods. We sat under the blue sky surrounded by crunchy, dried fallen leaves and soaked in the sounds, sights and smells of nature surrounding us. As I sat there, I could feel my muscles relax and my shoulders lower. I was able to let stress of the week go and feel refreshed by the end of our time. I definitely felt cleansed.

**During our journaling time, this nonet poem began to take form.  A nonet poem has 9 lines. The first line has 9 syllables, the second line has 8, the third has 7 and so on until the last line has 1. **

Summer Slips to September

Anticipation is so high in the

Beginning of summer.

Classes end,

Days grow longer,

Energy of possibilities pulses.

Freedom from routines

Greets us on 

Hot, humid hundred degree days.

Ice cream drips down sugar cones

Junking up hands with stickiness

Kids licking both in delight.

Lightning bugs flash on and off these

Moonlit

Nights

Offering

Peaceful

Quaint lighting

Round our bonfires, relaxing us.

Sun sinks into waves, a

Tapestry of nature’s artistry as

Utter beauty paints the sky.

Vacation lessens with each sinking.

Winds of September bring cooler air.

X’s on the calendar mark each day’s passing. 

You hold tight to summer’s pace

Zoning out for one final day. 

So yesterday was Labor Day and today is my final day of summer vacation. School begins tomorrow. All of this brought me to reflect on the summer. Oh, how quickly it seemed to pass. 

Those days of…

Waking up at a time of my choosing

Soaking up the sun in hours spent outdoors- hiking, biking, yoga

Reveling in the beauty of nature - capturing it in photos

Writing for myself- filling notebooks with the joys of this summer

Devouring books just for the delight of reading and escaping

Vacationing with family- hiking, games, laughter, meals, cherished times

Oh July and August what treasures you brought!

I decided to honor my last day by respecting summer’s slower pace. Taking the time to just be throughout this final day. I know the schedule, rushed routine and stress return tomorrow. I am savoring these last moments of summer… how delightful it truly is. 

Poetry Form: Alphabet Poem

Summer Lights

 glow

                                glow

          glow

Did you know?

Summer vacation is a go!

                               FLASH

flash

                flash

No need for the daily dash

just sit back, relax and crash.

glow                           glow

        GLOW                               GLOW

                       glow  glow

A June nighttime show

announcing summer vacation is a go!

As a teacher you truly live to say- "School's out for the SUMMER!"

On my first night of no alarm clock the next day, I sat in my backyard at dusk. As it darkened, I was treated to a natural light show. Fireflies were in abundance. Lights were flashing here, then there throughout my garden. It looked like strings of fairy lights had been laid in my bushes as they twinkled with this summer light. It added a party feel to my yard. It felt like the world was cheering that I had made it through this challenging and unique school year. The here and there again lights bubbled joy within me and launched me into my summer mode of beginning to slow down and rejuvenate. Embrace those summer nights!

Photo from Shutterstock 

My photo did not really catch any fireflies glowing. It was just black.