“A world of grief and pain, flowers bloom—even then.” -Kobayashi Issa
Carol’s husband died recently and as she navigates her grief, I am pleased that she still wants to be involved in the wider world of blogging. I love the quote she offered by Issa. I received Georgia Heard’s newsletter in which she invites us to write small. Writing that is small can carry a large load or it can capture a small moment. Here’s Georgia’s May calendar of invitations.
scents the whole kitchen with breaths
of grandma’s perfume
Flowers have brightened my daily walks this spring. With the sun rising by the time I head out with Albert, I’ve had more light to walk in. Sunrises, too, delight me. A spiritual journey is a daily practice of presence.
I invite you to write #poemsofpresence this month. I will post daily on Instagram. I will also give myself grace if I miss a day or two. May is about keeping myself grounded as the whirling ending of school presses upon me.
Reflections on the Teche 
Oh, Margaret, thank you for the invitation. I do want to join you and others in writing #poemsofpresence. The scent of your grandmother’s gardenia perfume is a memory to last a lifetime. Lovely post. (I need to get on my computer and try opening Georgia’s link.)
I overlooked Georgia’s calendar of invitations. Thanks for the link. I’ve printed it, ready to go in my notebook. I remember well that whirling ending of school. Good for you taking on poems of presence in such a busy month. I love how the gardenia in the kitchen brings back such vivid memories.
Margaret: Thank you for your post and for inviting us to write poems of presence. Your gardenias reminded me of a corsage I received in college. Sweet breath indeed! I have been reading more poetry than writing lately… so much going on. Still, I must try some poems of presence. You have inspired me. I wish you peaceful walks in the morning, full of beauty and birdsong. Blessings.
Thank you for sharing the calendar of invitations to write small. I do love the small writing – – it feels good and it gets read, I think, more often than those long ones. I see that gardenia and wish mine were blooming – – it’s right by the front door so I check it first thing each day. Oh, that scent, that lovely sweet smell of summer.
Margaret, there are so many things I love about this post. First, the gardenias. They’re my favorite flower. Their fragrance is heavenly. The littlest bloom can perfume an entire room. I think I love them most because two bushes grew beside the front door of my childhood home and they are one of the happier connections to my mother. A flower and fragrance so very tied to memory, as your poem says. I also love the images of you and Albert enjoying more sunlight on your walks – we need more walks in the light, do we not?? And this – this hits me exactly where I am, with the poem-writing: “I will also give myself grace if I miss a day or two. May is about keeping myself grounded as the whirling ending of school presses upon me.” TRUTH. April was that way for me also and I did not try to write every day of VerseLove (I managed most of them, not all). Giving oneself grace is vital; it takes some pressure off. Very often we are the ones putting the most pressure on ourselves in the first place. God is gracious – yoke easy, burden light – the world will only burden us until we are utterly paralyzed under the load. The beauty of the earth, however, as in these flower-blossom photos, reminds us to be still, and know him. Thank you for all of this.
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Margaret, it difficult for me to understand how I read your SJT May blog and did not respond to you immediately. I am on the winding road of grief looking for comfort.
Small/tiny writing is a lovely way to capture a thought or event without the pomp and circumstance. In your small poem you found the right word choices and I could smell the fragrance of gardenias that I wore at my wedding. Thank you.
You get a pass on reading blogs. God bless you!
Thank you, Margaret. I am glad that I had time this afternoon to ready your blog. Of course, poetry is a better read than business-type paperwork!
Walk into the sunshine with grace as you enter your next chapter of the Margarel Simon Journey!