Category: Time Of Singing A Journal Of Christian Poetry

Books

The WordPress Prompt today is Toy Story.  We are asked to reflect upon our favorite plaything as a child and possible connection to today.

My answer is books.  While technical areas are hard for me, I do not remember learning how to read.  I read book after book.

I still love the beginning of John’s Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word . . .”

This love of books, and now blogs as well, is a comfort and challenge every day.  You may remember Quiet Christmas Poetry, a large print chapbook that Karl and I published last year.  We donated all proceeds to Time Of Singing. There is information on the TOS books page, if you are interested.

The Christmas blog is a free version of the book.  When I spent time with my mother in a nursing home, I saw writing classes for the residents.  One of my ideas is that the simple book may be a bridge to blogging for an older person who would like a new hobby and conversations.  I see so many blogs with different interests:  birds, crafts, poetry, food, family, watercolors, gratitude, etc.  More ideas than I ever imagined before.  So much creativity and hope.

And I think it is great the way print books and journals, and online ways of creating, can reinforce one another.  Lately, I ‘m also beginning again with crafts I used to enjoy; for example, knitting and coloring my own drawings of flowers.

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Post updated on June 23, 2015.

patterns on my floor

Grief And Acceptance

pictures-of-trees-5

patterns on my floor
moving with the breeze
sun from the West
highlights
branches of leaves

Published in Time Of Singing,
Spring 2011.

Watching the light through the seasons, and the repetition of the seasons themselves, is a source of comfort.

The picture is from Karen’s Whimsy.

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Poetry notes

As I was reading the new Time Of Singing, I remembered that Betty Spence has a blog.  I read her work first in TOS.

Today I see a wonderful poem by Darlene Moore Berg in my WordPress reader.  I remember first reading her poems in TOS, when I was caring for my mother, and maybe before then.

Darlene’s site is Darlene’s Poetical Pursuits.

As many of you know, Lora Homan Zill is the editor of TOS and her site is the blue collar artist.

Blessings, Ellen

Easter Dinner

EASTER DINNER

The background is red
Her hair has become silver
And her dress is rust.
Her smile these days is pure gold
And her eyes sparkle anew.

* * *

This poem was published first in Time Of Singing, years ago.  It was written for my mother, after my father’s passing.  I included this poem in my first chapbook, And So My Soul, which was illustrated by Charles A. Waugaman (2001, Elin Grace Publishing).

Yesterday, I was happy to see that And So My Soul is included in the Haiku Bibliography, edited by Charles Trumbull, at The Haiku Foundation.  My book includes a few haiku.

Quiet Christmas Poetry (2014, Elin Grace Publishing) is my second chapbook.

It is good sometimes to reflect upon the mystery of time and how projects vary in their individual journeys.

My parents, Harold and Enola Borgh, were both teachers, and they volunteered as teachers after they retired.  They would be happy to know of my volunteer work in education at The Haiku Foundation.

Blessings,

Ellen Grace Olinger

childhood memories

palm-yonge

childhood memories
of singing in the choir
Palm Sunday

Holy Week
lily flowers
wait to bloom

Ellen Grace Olinger

* * *

“Holy Week” was published in Time Of Singing (Spring 2014).

I included these haiku in my post, Short Poems For Lent And Easter, on my site, Easter And Spring Poetry.

The picture is courtesy of Reusable Art.

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