Mar
2018
Poetry Friday: Lenten Poems
We finally made it to England to visit our daughter and back home again! It was a fabulous trip, and I have lots of pictures and notes to inspire much poetry once I catch up with myself. I’ve been trying to keep up the writing habit with a poem each day. I almost made it even through our trip to England, but missed a few days. I usually had time to catch up a day or two later while on a train or plane. That counts, doesn’t it?
Throughout this season of Lent, I have again taken up a practice of creativity. Rethink Church offers a photo challenge for Lent (and also Advent) where they list a word for each day. The challenge is to take a photo that illustrates each word. I’ve also added a short poem to each image. I like meditating on the word each day as I look for an image to capture something about it. Here are a few from the past week. They even include images from our trip to England!
This is what is left of the abbey ruins in York.
TRUE
Things of this world
will pass away with time–
My truth remains.
This stained glass window is called the Five Sisters. It’s found in the north (I think that’s the correct direction) side of the Yorkminster Cathedral in York. It is also one of the first (and for awhile the only) memorial to honor the contributions of women to World War I and later World War II.
CELEBRATE
Celebrate
in remembrance of me
through the ages.
This is the prayer bench used daily by John Wesley. It is still located just off his bedroom in the John Wesley house and Museum of Methodism in London
WORSHIP
Every day
spend time in worship
commune with God
We came across this guy performing on a sidewalk in London. Yes, he is playing music on a traffic cone. I wish I had had enough memory left on my phone to record some of it. The song he played was beautiful and haunting and unlike anything I have ever heard. Thanks to Linda Baie’ suggestion, I checked out some of the videos on YouTube. (There are quite a few of them!) This video was taken several yeas ago, and I don’t think it’s the same guy, but the song he’s playing reminds me the most of the one I heard.
SEE
What do you see–
an opportunity to make music
or an obstacle?
Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Linda hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Teacher Dance. She offers a warm welcome for spring despite the snow that insists on falling across parts of the country. Drop by and see what poetry morsels are offered this week.
LifePoemProject
April 20, 2018 at 12:08 am (6 years ago)Your poem affected life?! Yes, you can share your lovely poem and its great “after story” with the world… Submit now on LifePoemsProject.com
Kathryn Apel
March 21, 2018 at 6:09 pm (6 years ago)Ok, Kay, I am so thrilled you got to go and see your daughter! Having just done the same with our son, I know how important that is. It changes everything! Being able to walk around in their new environment, and share their lives again… This post made me smile – so much! Also loving your Lenten poems. Especially the first. And sentimental me is in awe of that photo of John Wesley’s prayer bench! Link is open, so I’m off to watch that youtube vid. 🙂
Mrs. McGriff
March 21, 2018 at 8:36 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Kat! It was wonderful to see her in her new temporary home and meet some of the people she’s befriended–and see how much she has grown already from the experience. I was in awe, too, when I saw Wesley’s prayer bench. The guide said we could even kneel at it, but I was afraid I might break it. (All the other furniture was strictly no-touch due the the fragility of age!)
Michelle Kogan
March 17, 2018 at 6:45 pm (6 years ago)Any one seizing the moment to make music is fine with me–I see/hear music. I like your image and poem of the “Five Sisters,” any opportunity to toot the horn for women needs to come to light. Looks like you had a lovely trip, hope to see more images appearing on future posts, thanks!
Mrs. McGriff
March 17, 2018 at 9:16 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Michelle! It was a lovely trip–and you will be in luck. I have pictures to share and poems to write for a long time! I agree–I choose to see music!
jama
March 17, 2018 at 10:57 am (6 years ago)Enjoyed all these poems and pics, Kay! I love York and was happy to see the abbey ruins and the cathedral window. Like the idea of writing a poem each day with a photo for Lent!
Mrs. McGriff
March 17, 2018 at 12:56 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Jama! I’m thrilled to have a collection of pictures from our trip to pull from this year.
Carol Wilcox
March 17, 2018 at 7:42 am (6 years ago)I love, love, love the idea of carving out time each day during lent to be still and write. It seems like such a perfect way to prepare your heart for Easter. And I love your poems and images. I think my favorite is the one from the abbey ruins in York. Such a contrast between the building and His word…
Mrs. McGriff
March 17, 2018 at 12:55 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Carol. I’ve participated in Lent and Advent in this way for a couple of years, and I find it very helpful.
Carol Varsalona
March 16, 2018 at 10:19 pm (6 years ago)Kay, it sounds like a remarkable trip that provided you with many memories to write about. I particularly like the Five Sisters. You should send that out with the hashtag #InternationalWomensDay to sing the praises of women from the past. Your Worship one seems to be appropriate at this late hour as a nighttime thought.
Mrs. McGriff
March 17, 2018 at 12:54 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Carol. It was an incredible trip. I was impressed the Yorkminster had such an early tribute to women’s contributions to the world wars.
Donna L Fowler-Marchant
March 16, 2018 at 2:23 pm (6 years ago)Kay, your pictures and words are wonderful prayers. Thank you so much for sharing them — and your trip with us. I know that you will reflect on this journey for a long time to come. <3
Mrs. McGriff
March 16, 2018 at 3:19 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Donna! It was an amazing trip. You are right that I will be reflecting on it for some time. I would love to talk with you about the visit to Wesley’s house and the museum. I was looking forward to visiting, but was still surprised at how it affected me.
Brenda
March 16, 2018 at 11:32 am (6 years ago)What an amazing thing to sit down and play a traffic cone like a didgeridoo. I wish I could have heard it, too. Lovely poetry. Looks like a beautiful trip.
Mrs. McGriff
March 16, 2018 at 12:32 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Brenda! It was a fabulous trip! I want to go back again one day!
Irene Latham
March 16, 2018 at 8:42 am (6 years ago)Thank you for sharing a bit of your trip with us… I particularly like the last one, because isn’t it a choice? music or obstacle. We are in charge of our attitude/mindset/perspective! xo
Mrs. McGriff
March 16, 2018 at 12:32 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Irene. That is exactly what I was trying to capture with that last image and poem!
Linda Baie
March 15, 2018 at 10:45 pm (6 years ago)Quite amazing that you had this trip and still took the time for poems, Kay. Each one pairs with the picture beautifully. I love that “Five Sisters” very much. And I searched for your traffic cone musician-lots on YouTube. Maybe yours is there, too!
Mrs. McGriff
March 16, 2018 at 12:31 pm (6 years ago)Thanks, Linda. I didn’t even think of checking YouTube. I’ll have to look some up and see if I can find this guy. I have a friend who makes instruments (horns) out of PVC pipe and various other objects. I thought of him when I saw this musician.