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Ode for Blossom the Possum

“Possum in the Window Well”
January 3, 2018
Palmyra, WI
Photo Credit©Jane H. Johann

 

Strolling through the winter snow

All of a sudden I fell below

Strange as the window well was to me

The bottom was lined with apples and sunflower seeds

The human tried to help me out

But I would not budge and would not shout

Instead I “played possum” you see

A great old trick between you and me!

For two nights I kept warm against the house

Snuggled and content, waiting for a mouse!

Finally, Dave Schmidt came to my rescue

But not to place me on the eating menu!

Instead, he lowered the net over my body

Such care and kindness he did embody!

Lifting me high over the well

Everything now has turned out swell!

Once again I ran freely over the snow

Happily running to and fro!

 

“Blossom the Possum” January 4,2018 Palmyra Countryside, Palmyra, Wisconsin Photo Credit©Jane H. Johann

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Wordless Wednesday

“Wisconsin Farm”
December 11, 2017
Hwy.106 On the Way to Fort Atkinson Photo Credit©Jane H. Johann

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Anthology of Poems: THE POETIC BOND VII

“THE POETIC BOND VII”

PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

Publication 17 NOV 17

Willowdown Books present poetry by

Jane Johann

Layers of Being : The Lone Star :

sometimes dark doesn’t move

Her poems will appear in the international poetry anthology, THE POETIC BOND VII; ISBN-13: 978-1978098039, ISBN-10: 1978098030 

 

Biography, Jane Johann (Wisconsin, USA)

Jane Johann, a Wisconsin native, published in the anthology, “Slices of Life”, and blogger on WordPress: she invites you to read more of her poems at FootprintsofThoughts@wordpress.com.

 

Summary Review of her work included in The Poetic Bond VII

 

“Layers of Being – Indeed a poem of many layers, exploring what it is to be human”

“The Lone Star – This seasonal evocation of autumn places man firmly within nature … a  well-structured and well-written piece.”

“sometimes the dark doesn’t move – Precisely structured, short piece with a big message.  The non-moving dark is a strong metaphor for the social funk many of us find ourselves within.”

 

(Trevor Maynard and the editorial Team, The Poetic Bond Series)

The Poetic Bond VII  

POETRY THAT BINDS, POETRY THAT BONDS   POETRY THAT FREES US

Editors’ Notes

  1.  50 poets from 11 countries were selected through a submission process in which there were no restrictions on form, style, length of subject; instead the choices made were on the basis of emergent themes and congruency in the pool of work; a snapshot of the poetry of new media NOW, seeking to capture the zeitgeist of the moment.

 

  1. FOR A PDF PRESS COPY OF THE POETIC BOND VII, contact Trevor Maynard at poetry@trevormaynard.com on 0 44 7966 079968 or by snail mail at Willowdown Books, 105 Crockford Park Road, Addletone, Surrey, UK, KT15 2LP

 

  1. Trevor Maynard, UK based poet and writer, manager of Poetry, Review and Discuss Group, a major poetry group on LinkedIn.  His new poetry collection is GREY SUN, DARK MOON was published September 14 2015).  He is also the author of several plays.  Further information at http://www.trevormaynard.com

 

  1. The Poets of The POETIC BOND VI (2016) are; Amber Jimenez-Flores (US)/ Annel Bell Martin (US)/ A.D. Fallon (US)/ Belinda DuPret (UK), Betty Bleen (US) / Melissa Bird (UK)/ Diane Burrow (UK) / CE Maynard (UK)/ Christine Anderes (US), Cigeng Zhang (China) / Darrell Wright (US) / Deborah Nyamekye (Ghana/UK) / Denisa Parsons (US) , Elaine Battersby (UK)/ Fiona Sullivan (UK) / Bon (Bonnie) Flach (US) / Flavia Cosma (Canada) ,Gilbert A.Franke (US) / Kelli Gunn (Canada) / Pamela Hope Deluca Price (US) / Jane Johann (US) ,Joseph J.Simmons US) / Karen Henneberry (Canada) / Karen Rothstein (US) / Kayla Matheson (US) Sajida Khan (UK) / Lee Landau (US) / Lexene Burns (Australia) /  Madeline Lipton (US) ,Lizzie La Pool (UK) / Tatjana Lončarec (Croatia) / Low Kwai Chee (Malaysia)/ Marcia Weber (UK)  Mariangela Canzi (Italy) / Marie Youssefirad (US) / Mustofa Munir (US) / Nancy Scott (US) ,Pedro Cunha (Portugal) / Richard Glen Smith (US) / Robin Ouzman Hislop (UK/Spain) / Joseph Sinclair (UK) / Suzanne Askham (UK) / Nana Tokatli (Greece) / Tom Sterner-Howe (US)/ Vensa Arsenic (US) Brian Walker (UK)/ William DiBenedetto (US) / Vi De Vries (Canada) / Lynne Zotalis (US)
  2. The submission for The Poetic Bond VIII opens March 31st, 2018

 

PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

The Poetic BondTM
The Poetic Bond VII

The Poetic Bond Poets’ Choice Award Winners’ 2017, are Betty Bleen, Flavia Cosma, and Fiona Sullivan

The Poetic Bond VII is now available, $19.99 / £14.99, on Amazon Prime

The Poetic Bond I – VI available for $12.99/£9.99
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Candle in the Window

“Christmas Candle”
Photo Credit©Jane Johann, Dec.2017

My friend, Bette, and her husband Rick, are two very kind people that have blessed my life and I am sure, they have also been a blessing to countless others. Both were teachers, so their giving touched many young lives through the years. This past Christmas, Bette shared a story that happened at their home on Christmas Eve.

As was her custom, Bette had put a lighted candle in the window. It was a tradition she said she had experienced in her past as a young person, and each Christmas, she continued the tradition.  The lit candle served as a sign to passersby, that if they were in need, they could knock on her door and she and Rick would be of help to them.

This particular Christmas Eve did bring a knock to their door.  A young man and his son had veered off the country road and into a ditch that was filled with Wisconsin snow. They asked if they could borrow a shovel.  Of course, Bette and her husband, Rick, gave them a shovel and a flashlight to help them out. While they were outside digging their car out, Bette and Rick prepared a Christmas Box for the two travelers. They had received an abundant supply of grapefruit and oranges from Florida as a Christmas gift and they decided to share the fruit with the father and his son.

How wonderful that the lit candle brought the travelers to a safe place in our weary world. How wonderful that generous and caring people still live among us. How wonderful that a beautiful tradition of being available to help someone in need when a lit candle in the window leads the way!

le Caoimhghín Ó Brolcháin

1. Scuab an t-urlár agus glan an teallach,
‘s coimead na grísaigh beo,
Ar eagla go dtiocfhaidh siad anocht,
Agus an domhan ‘na chodladh go suan!

 Traditional

Brush the floor and clean the hearth,
And set the fire to keep,
For they might visit us tonight
When all the world’s asleep!
2. Ná múch an coinneal ard bán,
Ach fág é lásta go geal .
Go mbeidh siad cinnte ar aon
go bhfuil fáilte is fiche roimh cách
Sa teach ar an Oiche Nollag naofa seo!		 Don’t blow the tall white candle out
But leave it burning bright,
So that they’ll know they’re welcome here
This holy Christmas night!

SOURCE:  http://irishpage.com/noel/Kerynoel.html

The Irish tradition of placing a lit candle by a window at Christmas time seems to have originated in Ireland. Although, it is also a traditional German custom, as well, dating back to the time of  Martin Luther. Historically, it seems to have begun in the 17th Century in Ireland when the Penal Laws of Ireland were in place. Catholics were forbidden to gather in Churches for Mass and the priests had to hide or be killed. As a result, Catholics had to devise a signal for the priest that he would be welcomed into their home to say Mass. The signal was a lit candle in the window. The government became a bit suspicious with all the candlelit windows so the people simply said it was in response to the Christmas Story that tells about Joseph and Mary looking for shelter for themselves and their child that was about to be born, Jesus.  The tradition, even to this day, emphasizes the hospitality of the Irish people, who are known for their welcoming spirit to a friend, to those who pass by or to those in need.

 

Other Interesting Sites about “A Candle in the Window”

http://www.celticchristmasmusic.com/christmas-traditions/candle-in-window-laden-table-in-ireland.htm

http://www.amishnews.com/featurearticles/germanchristmas.htm

http://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/blogs/the-irish-christmas-candle-in-the-window

 

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“Postage Money”

“Mom’s Little Gift–Postage Money”
©Jane H. Johann
Palmyra, WI 2017

Early this morning, before the sunrise, I was rummaging through yet another box in my effort to declutter my basement.  My basement is akin to the garage–used as storage rather than for its intended use. I have been working on both the basement and the garage for the past few months…okay, I will fess up…the past five years!

Oh, I have my excuses lined up as to how this clutter happened: cuddling, raising up, and letting go of three daughters, with each returning at various times for a few months  and then leaving their memories behind; teaching full-time for thirty-six years;  studying and obtaining my Master’s degree; cutting the lawn; doing the laundry; paying the bills (missing a few)attempting skill within the culinary field (at least no one died from my trials!); keeping the cars oiled and tired. Through it all, I did attempt a bit of sanity. Nevertheless, CLUTTER wore the crown!

However, there is a bright moment. I came across a tiny envelope:”Postage money.”  A tiny envelope that helped me to refocus on the priorities of life. Tucked inside this little envelope was a dollar towards stamps to remind me to write. The handwriting on the envelope was unmistakable. Immediately, I knew that the envelope was from my Mom as a gentle reminder that she needed to hear from me.

My Mom was so thoughtful and generous. She was meticulous in finding just the right gift for her friends. She would carefully select something the person would enjoy and like!  She could be seen spending an hour or more in a Hallmark store, reading each card and looking for the phrases that would highlight the character of the person to whom she was sending it. My Mom’s sensitivity was deep and caring and so unique.

Taking the time to go through each box was worth finding this little envelope from my Mom. It reminded me to connect to others as she did, to think of the other before myself, to share what I have and to let others know they are important in my life.  The Postage Money envelope is a treasure to me along with the tears that remind me of the blessings I received being loved by such a good and sensitive person.

Mom with her great-granddaughter, Nadia
©Jane H. Johann
January, 2009

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Wordless Wednesday

“Ottawa Sunset”©Jane H. Johann
Palmyra, WI 11/28/2017

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Tapestry of a Woman

“Quilt by Audrey Neu”
2016
Photo Credit©Jane H. Johann
Palmyra, WI

 

dedicated to Audrey Neu

 

dream at dawn takes shape during the night

cascading into patterned diamonds of delight

*

colors and hues lend tone to the day

creating a fabric of generosity in her kindhearted ways

*

inspiration guiding the imagination–buttering her knife

village squares extending into a pattern of life

*

the triangle design –God, you and me–

woven in and out with the needle you see

*

taking the abstract into the concrete

concern for others is her mystique

*

offering furniture to the immigrants

opening her pocketbook and lending a hand

*

creating time to listen to those in need

community minded…the song in her deeds

*

sharing laughter inside out

colors of caring painted in cloth

*

nurtured by her love of God with little fear

onward she prods, strength layered through the years

*

joy and faithfulness are her threads

as she tends to the hostas in her garden bed

 

“Quilt by Audrey Neu”
Photo Credit©Jane H. Johann
Palmyra, WI 2016

 

The two quilts pictured above were sewn by Audrey. She has created over 100 quilts after  45 years of being a Principal and Teacher in the Catholic Schools in Milwaukee, WI. Each year she creates a quilt for the House of Peace in Milwaukee. Each quilt takes about 3 months to complete.

This poem is a small gift to Audrey for all the help and support she has given me through the years and mostly, for her friendship!  Her grandmotherly like kindnesses to my children and grandchildren were pure gift! Thank you, Audrey!

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Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credit
©Jane H. Johann
“Winter Walking along Whatcom Creek in Bellingham, Washington”” 2015

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The Caterpillar said, “We can always begin again!”

“My Gentle Granddaughter Nadia with a Gentle Caterpillar at age 5”
Copyright
©Jane H. Johann, Palmyra, WI 2014

The Caterpillar

I watched the caterpillar move confidently up the length of the stem, up and over and around and down again. She repeated her pattern from stem to stem. Suddenly, it found itself introverted –suspended upside down. As the blade of grass bent with the breeze, the caterpillar’s mind found itself in a spiral whirlwind, moving freshly into a new reality, a new awareness.

Yes, just like the caterpillar, we can never go back to where we once were. There is no back, only a forward movement. Each touch, each experience is similar in some way to what was previous but now with a different nuance, a different perspective. We are forever changed, evolving on the spiral staircase. Like the caterpillar, our life presents to us new opportunities with each step forward. Each encounter brings something new to us, offering us a new choice, a new beginning!

Ever ending is a new beginning…

How beautiful is that! We can always begin again!

Monarch Caterpillar ©Jane H. Johann
Palmyra, WI 2016

 

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Important words to take into our hearts…

I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nations, ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has happened in America, what we call “Turtle Island.” My words seek to unite the global community through a message from our sacred ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our ways of beliefs in the Creator.

                                                                                                                                                                  We have been warned from ancient prophecies of these times we live in today, but have also been given a vital message about a solution to turn these terrible times.

To understand the depth of this message, you must recognize the importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what is happening today, in the reflection of the continued massacres that are occurring on other lands and our own Americas.

I have been learning about these important issues since the age of 12 when I received the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its teachings. Our people have strived to protect Sacred Sites from the beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and have brought us to the predicament that we are in at the global level.

Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations, and we are on the brink of destroying the possibility of a healthy and nurturing survival for generations to come, our children’s children.

Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota, “Heart of Everything That Is,” from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view of this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that it is in the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like a heart pumping.

The Diné have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver of the earth, and we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the coal there and the poisoning processes used in doing so.

The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth’s blood purifier.

The indigenous people of the rainforest say that the rainforests are the lungs of the planet and need protection.

The Gwich’in Nation in Alaska has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich’in as “Where life begins.”

The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the animal nations. The death of these animal nations will destroy indigenous nations in this territory.

As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we will witness much more extinct animal, plant, and human nations, because of humankind’s misuse of power and their lack of understanding of the “balance of life.”

The Indigenous people warn that these negative developments will cause havoc globally. There are many, many more original teachings and knowledge about Mother Earth’s Sacred Sites, her chakras, and connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future generations.

There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of energy that are safe for all Nations upon Mother Earth. We need to understand the types of minds that are continuing to destroy the spirit of our whole global community. Unless we do this, the powers of destruction will overwhelm us.

Our Ancestors foretold that water would someday be for sale. This Prophecy was hard to believe! The water was plentiful, pure,  full of energy, nutrition, and spirit. Today we have to buy clean water, and even then the nutritional minerals have been taken out; it’s just clear liquid. Someday water will be like gold, too expensive to afford.

Not everyone will have the right to drink safe water. We fail to appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out the minerals and gifts that lay underneath them as if Mother Earth were simply a resource, instead of the source of life itself.

Attacking nations and using more resources to carry out destruction in the name of peace is not the answer! We need to understand how all these decisions affect the global nation; we will not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing continual contamination of our food and land is affecting the way we think.

A “disease of the mind” has set in world leaders and many members of our global community, with their belief that a solution of retaliation and destruction of peoples will bring peace.

In our Prophecies it is told that we are now at the crossroads: Either unites spiritually as a global nation or faced with chaos, disasters, diseases, and tears from our relatives’ eyes.

We are the only species that is destroying the source of life, meaning Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral resources, and ownership of land. Using chemicals and methods of warfare that are doing irreversible damage, as Mother Earth is becoming tired and cannot sustain any more impacts of war.

I ask you to join me in this endeavor. Our vision is for the peoples of all continents, regardless of their beliefs in the Creator, to come together as one at their Sacred Sites to pray and meditate and commune with one another, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining Peace.

As each day passes, I ask all nations to begin a global effort and remember to give thanks for the pure food that has been gifted to us by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional energy of medicine can be guided to heal our minds and spirits.

This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony, or it will bring the end of life as we know it. Starvation, war, and toxic waste have been the hallmark of the vast myth of progress and development that ruled the last millennium.

To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth falls the responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction. You are the one who must decide.

You alone – and only you – can make this crucial choice, to walk in honor or to dishonor your relatives. On your decision depends the fate of the entire World.

Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind.

Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time of such terrible danger?

Know that you are essential to this world. Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You are desperately needed to save the soul of this world. Did you think you were put here for something less? In a Sacred Hoop of Life, there is no beginning and no ending.

 Chief Arvol Looking Horse is the author of White Buffalo Teachings. A tireless advocate of maintaining traditional spiritual practices, Chief Looking Horse is a member of Big Foot Riders, which memorializes the massacre of Big Foot’s band at Wounded Knee.