Words from the Heart

My granduncles and aunt - NYC 1925 at the base of the Statue of Liberty after immigrating from Kassabella in what  is now Slovakia. Looking back, I realized that I have been writing poetry for sixty plus years. I have been teaching the art of writing poetry for forty plus years. I can sincerely say that poetry is an intricate part of my life. But what has poetry done for me or those in my life? First, poetry gave me a voice when everything around me was telling me to be silent. Then, poetry took me to places I would have had difficulty getting to on my own. Finally, poetry became my art, the way I painted a world that was too confusing, too complex, so beautiful that mere words couldn't capture the emotions.  Today, as we near the end of the 30 Poems in November challenge, I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to teach my students the joy of writing poetry. Always, I am awed by their ability to use a language that is foreign to them to express such deep emotions in such a

  November is here!  Time for the 30 Poems in November Challenge! Why do I participate in this challenge?  The primary reason is that I love teaching and my students. The Center for New Americans is where I teach. CNA is a nonprofit organization. While the Department of Education funds us, we must find other ways to add to our funds so we can assist our students and clients throughout the year.  30 Poems in November is our major fundraiser. In addition, as an English teacher, I love teaching poetry and sharing this art form with students who are learning English as a second language.  If you would like to support my efforts during 30 Poems in November, please click this link:  https://cnam.org/civi/pcp/info/?reset=1&id=701

 As I enter the last decade of my sixties, I have been thinking about all I have learned thus far. Thought I would share some thoughts (half of what my age is) with you all. 1. Change is the only constant in life! 2. Kindness doesn't cost a penny. 3. Everyone is connected. 4. A cup of tea helps make things better. 5. Grandchildren are life's greatest delight. 6. The Divine is Love; Love is the Divine. 7. We are all stardust; therefore, we are all related. 8. Life lived in full bloom is joyful. 9. A positive attitude is contagious. 10. Being content with what you have saves you from a lot of stress. 11. Watching flowers grow remind us of life's joys. 12. Gratitude changes lives. 13. Give thanks daily! 14. Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself. 15. Poetry allows us to speak from our souls. 16. Music calms, inspires and entertains. 17. Laughter IS the best medicine. 18. Binging on Star Trek series, spin offs and movies can get you through a pandemic. 19. We ar

  The whiteboard still has the  date of our last day of class. Next week, I will be returning to my classroom to prepare for summer classes.  This will be the first time since March 12, 2020 when I left for the COVID lockdown.  To be honest, I a bit nervious. The time between then and now has been limited to teaching on an 18 inch computer screen, long-distance, with no physical contact.   When I go next week, I will be attempting to create a warm and welcoming room that puts students (and myself) at ease.  The importance of having a space that will encourage learning is as important for adults as it is for children.   So, as I dig out of over two years of time capsuled stuff, please keep us in your prayers. I truly want our summer classes to be filled with joyous learning rather than worry and stress. Vocabulary  and calendar from March of 2020

Today in Massachusetts, for the first time, we are legally celebrating Juneteenth. For many people across the state as well as the nation, this is an unfamiliar holiday; however, for many others in our country, this is their long-awaited Independence Day of their ancestors.   On the website of the National Museum of African American History and Culture , we learn, "On “Freedom’s Eve,” or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States. Only through the Thirteent

  The news these past few weeks has been horrifying. However, the inaction of our leaders is even more disturbing. To use a time-honored phrase heard in my childhood neighborhood, "What the F....!" Mass shootings have been a horrific part of the history of the United States as far back as the 1920's. In the last ten years, they have escalated to an unthinkable tally.    In a twelve-year study done by Everytown Research, the statistics are staggering. " Between 2009 and 2020, 1,363 people in the United States were killed and 947 more were wounded in 240 mass shootings, an average of 20 shootings each year. Among the casualties were at least 362 children and teens killed as well as 21 law enforcement officers killed and 35 wounded. These numbers are staggering, yet they represent just a small portion of the lives forever changed after a mass shooting shakes a community with terror and grief. "   What makes me sick about this is the partisan rhetoric being thrown a

Today, I have the pleasure of sharing my blog with author, Lynda Faye Schmidt .  Her newest book, The Holding is being released today, so we are celebrating with this blog post. I want to thank Lynda for her words and for the courage to share herself with the readers. I would also like to thank her publisher, Anne O'Connell for the opportunity to read and review The Holding .   There Can Be Miracles: The power of faith  by Lynda Faye Schmidt The world is weary, the energy is heavy, two years later and Covid still a force to be reckoned with. Fear, lockdowns, restrictions, illness and death have taken a toll on everyone across the globe in some form or another. It can be easy to get caught up in the negativity when it seems to come at us from every tv channel, newspaper, and social media platform. But we don’t have to. We have a choice how we respond to life’s challenges. In my opinion, our attitude, beliefs, mind-set and faith, all fall under a similar umbrella. They are choices w

  In The Holding , author Lynda Faye Schmidt masterfully weaves together a story of a father's love and his daughter's struggle with childhood trauma.   Cate Henderson, the protagonist of this novel, struggles from childhood with the after-effects of childhood sexual abuse, bullying and dysfunctional relationships. However, throughout her life, her anchor - her rock, is her father whose love is unconditional and constant. Even when she cannot see her worth, her father always does. What I found in this novel was that Lynda has the ability to talk about the tough subjects of abuse - in all its various forms - while creating a story woven with hope and healing.  The character, Cate, uses a journal to keep her dark secrets as well as her dreams and hopes. Journaling has been well documented as a means of healing from all forms of illness, addiction, abuse, and mental issues. This novel gives a powerful example of this. I highly recommend this book because of its message of hope in

  I was prompted by this picture of my grandchildren enjoying the beach together, building childhood memories of peace-filled, joyous times of wonder and awe, to write the following poem to the leaders of world.  My grandmother's heart aches for my daughters and their spouses and all the young parents of this world as they navigate the days ahead.    Fear, at times like this, can eat away at the soul, which is why I was looking through photos the other day, coming upon the one above. Seeing the faces of loved ones, transporting my mind to happier times, allows me to keep fear at bay, which of course is something one must do to get through the days ahead.  May we all find a place of peace. May the leaders of this world soften their hearts, open their minds, and realize that, to survive, we must learn to live in peace. The Grandmothers’ Plea    To the men in suits,  leading nations of our children  and our children’s children:  Stop!  Stop taking our young ones  to war on each other.

Last year, my word was "savor." I felt it was a great reminder to be in the moment and linger with life, not rush through to the next task or undertaking.  While the days since that particular post seem to have flown by, I feel that I did a pretty good job of living in the now, most of the time.    Last night, as I hit the Word of the Year generator , I was not happy with my "inspirational" word - toast, so for the first time, I hit the generator again. The second time, I got "hope." More like it, I thought.  But then, as often happens when I need to pause and think about things, I was led to check the etymology of "toast," which I was thinking of in the noun form, not the verb form. The etymology states, " toast - a call to drink to someone's health," 1690s (but said by Steele, 1709, to date to the reign of Charles II) ." With the pandemic still raging, what better thing to do than to wish someone good health? Therefore, for 2