OctPoWriMo Day Five - Autumn's Sonnet

Today's prompt was to write a poem about the Autumn Season. While I waited on my ride to take me to the second session of General Conference, I spent a lot of time looking out of my window. Now Autumn may be here in my town season-wise and weather-wise, but visually, it's not quite here yet. Most of the leaves are still green. But I saw some (a few, rather) in the parking lot of my complex fly and swirl as the wind blew. I thought, why not write up Autumn as a person, and that moment where the leaves had flown could be caused by her blowing kisses? Why not write about how the daylight comes later during the Autumn season and make it seem like Autumn is sleeping late?

So here's my attempt.

Autumn's Sonnet

The Summer seems to sleep very little
During her time here quite long are her days
Leaving discretely before the air becomes brittle
Just as quietly Autumn makes her way
The Autumn sleeps a little later than the Summer
Her light for the day may come a little slow
But, oh is she still quite the stunner
Coming dressed in dazzling colors to show
Colors that flow and sway with the wind she brings
She blows gentle kisses so those leaves can fly
Slowly dancing along with the windy song she sings
She offers us those delicate moments we cannot buy
Yes, the Autumn does awaken a little late
Maybe it's so that her beauty we can appreciate

- LWV

Sending a big thanks
To you, Hyde Park Poetry
It was a great week! :-)
-L. Verella

OctPoWriMo Day Three - Beacuse of You

The prompt for day three is "sweet." The question was, "What brings sweetness to your life?" I spent my commute to work pondering this. What does bring sweetness in my life? Is it desserts? Was it the road trips that I used to take with my friend Joe? Was it the long quiet nature walks I would take during the weekend? I created a list in my mind, and  (all of these things do bring sweetness in my life) I realized what brings the biggest sweetness in my life are my friends who are my fellow AVM Survivors. I call them my AVM Survivor Family. My sixth anniversary as an AVM was on September 15th, and my AVM Survivor Family was there to remind me of who I am, and that I am more than my disability. It helps me to quiet the voices of others that tells me that I am stupid and pathetic.

The poem is written in a Swap Quatrain. I may edit it or add to it since I feel that there's more that could be added to it. Then again, I feel that way about most of the poems that I write.

I hope you enjoy.

Because of You

For so long I've searched for a safe place
Some understanding, a friendly face
A place where one like me can belong
I've searched for a safe place for so long

Much much rejection I always find
When I ache for comfort in this difficult time
If I am worth loving I often question
I always find much much rejection


You come along out of the blue, out of nowhere
Among the crowd where no one seems to care
 You help me to break that façade of strong
Out of the blue, out of nowhere you come along

Throughout all of my faults and flaws you loved me
You opened my heart and eyes so I can see
The person I truly am, which you always saw
You loved me throughout all of my faults and flaws

You helped me to repair my broken being
Find love for myself which was ever so freeing
I learned to see what what was truly there
My broken being you helped me to repair

My disability I am so much more than
There's many qualities I have which are grand
How can I thank you for helping me to see
I am so much more than my disability?

Because of you I have the strength to go on
In this recovery that does seem so long
Now shattered are those lies that say I'm pathetic and obtuse
I have the strength to go on because of you

- LWV

OctPoWriMo Day Two - Two Many Strings

I hope that as this month goes along, I will get into the swing of things. :-) The prompt for today was the number two. I decided to rewrite a poem that I had written in June of this year, which I had planned on rewriting. The poem is "Two Many Strings" inspired by a Gypsy Jazz rendition of "The Breeze and I" by the Hot Club of San Francisco. If you have a Rdio account, you can listen to it through this link.

It is difficult to put such beauty as that song into words. But this is my attempt.

Two Many Strings

Just the two of us with our many strings
Which we bring as we enter the empty auditorium
I with my acoustic and you with your violin
We begin with a simple rhythm, unsure what what we'll play
Nevertheless we play along into our song's beginning
You with a strong stroke against your strings of four
Bringing along the drama and smooth vivacity
Me on my strings of six do I strum along
Bringing along a quiet romance and subtlety
The two of us with each our different sound
At our best together creating one beautiful song
All from our many strings
The melody of our song, so enchanting, so serene
The gentleness of the sound floats around this empty room
Allowing for our imaginations to run free and wild
While continuing the creation of this symphony
It creates a story with no words needed
But how can one put such beauty into words?
These lovely sounds with bringing life to the silence
To prolong this fluid melody is what we wish
As we get lost in this harmonious  moment
Just the two of us with our many strings
Creating one beautiful song

- LWV

OctPoWriMo Day One - Butterfly, Broken Butterfly

It's the first day of October Poetry Writing Month, and as always the first day is a struggle for me! But I managed to get something written. This is a poem based on my AVM experience. After my rupture, it seems like life for me has stopped, and for years I've felt so lost and broken. I had to and am still learning on how to live my life with a broken brain - in a way learning to fly with a broken wing. I still hold on to the hope that I will one day fly.
The idea came about after remembering a trip that I had taken to Skyline Drive, Virginia with my friend, Joe. It was the season of the butterflies which we had gone to see. I noticed among the many butterflies that there was gone with a broken wing, but it still flew. I hope that one day I will too.
 Also, the (green) butterfly is the symbol of the AVM Survivors Support Network. 

Butterfly, Broken Butterfly

Butterfly, broken butterfly
Once on your way to fly so high
A broken wing now your plight
The chance to soar now seems denied

Butterfly with the broken wing
Feels so lost not sure where you're going
That lost feeling such pain that stings
But the hope to soar your heart still clings

Butterfly, broken yet still beautiful
The beauty you still have do you know?
Your wing may be broken it's there still
Your dream to fly will one day be real

Butterfly do you see how far you've come
Through your journey is not yet done
You may still have a long way to go
The course may be bothersome, often slow

But once you get off of the ground
With thriving strength that now abounds
You'll fly twice as higher than before
May you soar, butterfly, may you soar
- LWV

 This photo was from my friend, Barbara H. I don't know the original source.

Autumn by the Lakeside

Since today is the first day of Autumn, I thought that I would post one of my old Autumn poems: Autumn by the Lakeside. This was written last year for October Poetry Writing Month, and I thought that I'd share with you. Happy Autumn! 

Autumn by the Lakeside

I take an amble to the lakeside for an evening
where its calm awaits me
I sit and welcome the Autumn with awe
now that Summer days are over and
long gone

Trees once with
leaves of green
are now of brilliant orange, yellow and red
I watch as one leaf
falls slowly, gently
landing on the ripples of the lake
I watch as it floats calmly along
on the water's gentle flow
I hear no sounds now
I just feel a perfect stillness
speaking serenity to me

© 2013 Lita Verella

My Rememberance

Since today is September 11th - thirteen years since that tragic day) I thought that I would post this poem below which was written last week. This is my take, or view rather, of that day.
My heart goes out to those who had lost loved ones that day, and everyone affected.

My Remembrance

It is looking like an empty sky to me
Where the World Trade Center was long ago
No longer are those buildings that had once stood high
I see with my eyes after returning home after ten years or so

I let my mind go back to that morning early
Where it had started out just as another forenoon
Then into those buildings those planes had torn
With smoke covering the district in its gloom

Years ago I remember when I was in my youth
When into the city we could go on our days out
Out of many buildings those towers stood out to me
They were hard to miss on our weekend travel routes

And now this teenager watches with shock and bewilderment
As the story begins to unfold on every news station
Was she mature enough to understand what is going on
At this moment now and how it would affect our nation?

I now visit here as an adult and look at the empty space
All of those memories race through my brain
Once again feeling for those who had lost their lives
And those affected victims whose lives may never be the same

That hateful act has never killed my life long hope for peace
Unity in the world is not a dream or illusion for I
In my view and in my heart I look to fill that space
Now I dare to see hope for the future in that once empty sky

© Lita Verella

Beyond Clouds

I'm really sad to have written this poem today. This poem, "Beyond Clouds" is written in memory of a friend, Mike Nichols who had lost his battle with Cancer on Monday, August 4th. My heart goes out to his friends, family and his bandmates of Truth N Tempest. Keep rockin' in Heaven, Mike. You will be missed.

Beyond Clouds
As I take a look up and amongst the cloudy skies
Beyond those clouds I wonder would you be there
No rainfalls here, just the one falling from my eyes
As I take a look up and amongst the cloudy skies
I silently tell myself that this is not forever goodbye
We will meet again someday in the Heavens fair
As I take a look up and amongst the cloudy skies
Beyond those clouds I wonder would you be there
© L. Wilson Aug 2014