VerseLove Week 1

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It’s Poetry Friday. Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm, & Rhyme is hosting today, on this book birthday of his anthology, A Universe of Rainbows. It’s National Poetry Month, and my plan for this month is two-fold. 1) To read poetry posts by my Poetry Friday friends and 2) to write a VerseLove poem each day at Ethical ELA. We’ve written two poems so far. I may have written an Ars Poetica poem in honor of the Inkling challenge this week.

April 1, 2026 – prompt by Sarah Donovan – VerseLove Opening

Inside me there is a kaleidoscope
of place privilege,
in a position to be
received with impunity

Inside me there are Two Waters*
fresh and sea
rich and poor
safe and bombed

Inside me there is a home in Bahrain.
Though I’ve left, it remains within.
Now missiles hit that peaceable kingdom
that doesn’t want any part of this.

Inside me there is a conflict–
to be so comfortable here
in this place that starts wars
with impunity
____________________________
*Bahrain translated from the Arabic is “two waters.”

April 2, 2016 – prompt by Leilya Pitre – Look Around Here is a Poem

There are poems in this day
The sweet lyrical murmurings of Yasmeen
The pride Michelle has when she cleans teeth
The valuable volumes donated to future readers

There are poems in this day
The ripe heirloom tomatoes in my bag
The thinly sliced spicy skirt steak on my tacos
The hum of the newly installed water pump

There are poems in this day
The native seeds sorted
and waiting to mix with the fall rains
The darting hummingbirds sipping nectar

There are poems in this day
And there will be more tomorrow

Spiritual Journey Thursday – Service

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Today is Spiritual Journey Thursday and Ruth Hersey is hosting. Thank you, Ruth. A blessed Holy Week to all.

Maundy Thursday

A black out about Maundy Thursday from “What Happened on Holy Thursday?” on Christianityinfo.com

Maundy means command. Do we call this holy day Maundy Thursday because Jesus gave a new commandment to his disciples that day? “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) And Jesus also gave another command: to wash one another’s feet. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:14-15)

I find great reward in serving others, but this reminds me of Jesus’ command to love your enemies, not just the ones who are easy to love. I do find reward in serving others, especially people I love and like and know appreciate my service. What would it look like to serve others, to serve the world, who then turns around and kills you? That’s what Jesus did.

Do you know Benjamin R. Cremer? A pastor who is speaking truth about God, the Bible, and Christian nationalism in America. I’m including a powerful message he wrote on Palm Sunday.

Slice of Life – March 31, 2026

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Happy last day of March, 2026, Slice of Life Story Challenge! It’s been a month of war and longing for a better world. It’s been a month of whimsy and wildflowers. It’s been a month of protest and poetry, of family and fun, of teaching and trials, of literature and love, and much more.

Over at Kim Haynes Johnson’s blog Common Threads, it’s been a month of meeting living poets and centos galore. Centos have been showing up on other blogs this month too, thanks to Kim’s inspiration. I decided to write a cento for my last post, with one line from each of my March Stafford Challenge poems.

Life is the rhyme and rhythm of dancing,
tenderness to bring us life.
Planted here,
filled with memories,
a little vulnerable, but we hang on.
One has cut itself off
on what real Love looks like–
mi hermana–muy bueno con
people’s hopes for their
Armageddon wars.
Will I ever call you that?
Before they are lost in the future,
Jesus, hold them
for a spring snowfall
gifted to play
lighting up
that we are at risk
tsunami of hope
I feel my heart counting moments
to go there with you. Is that sometimes
in difficult circumstances, and she,
created to blossom into zeal,
but you can know and say her name.
A country that rises out of ashes, with a new
power to act,
stand firm, resolute to engage.
Are we there yet?
Pity the nation that starts wars
together in this inhospitable place.
Come into the light
you are the aurora, and I am the midnight.

Thank you to all those who have written, commented, and been part of this community during March. It’s been a challenge and a joy. Many blessings to you as you keep writing!

I’ll be writing poems each day in April at Ethical ELA’s #Verselove. Maybe you’ll join Kim Johnson, Glenda Funk, Sharon Roy, Margaret Simon, Rita DiCarne, Erica Johnson, Barb Edler, me, and many others. No need to sign up. Just join us here: https://www.ethicalela.com/verselove/

Slice of Life – March 30, 2026

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I started this One Line a Day Memory Book last year. March 30, 2025, was the first day I forgot to write in my journal, so I jotted this down the next evening, “How did I forget? Oh, I remember. Keith fell changing a lightbulb at bedtime. He was in pain.” It was in a motion sensor light on the ceiling in the hall. We have a small table with those slippery round metal feet nailed on the bottom of each table leg. These make it very easy to slide the table around the floor, but it is not made for standing on. That’s what Keith used to reach the light fixture. The table slipped out from under him and he splatted onto the floor. Yes, splatted is the correct word. The noise when he fell was jarring and scary, and I thought he was going to be in very bad shape. However, we didn’t have to go to the hospital, but he slept in the Lazy Boy chair that night.

The next day he was worse, but he gradually healed without any serious damage. I also spent a few hours with Rocio as she wept and wailed about the death of her brother in her country. Sadly, when she learned the heinous truth that her brother had been poisoned (likely by the government), it was not as shocking to her as it would have been for you or I to get similar news.

I have appreciated this second year of my Five-Year Memory Book. It is good to look back on the anniversary of so many events and happenings, exactly one year later. Tonight I will write a line or two or three or four about what I did today in 2026.

Slice of Life – March 29, 2026

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It has been a long time since I’ve been to church regularly. I went to a Spanish speaking church in our area with Rocio for several months before she was detained by I.C.E. (Click on the photo of us on Palm Sunday last year to read her story.)

Rocio and Denise on Palm Sunday, 2025.

Today was Palm Sunday again, and I went back to my church, St. Joseph of Arimathea. We had a palm procession into the church, and everyone participated in a long version of the passion story, read in parts.

I was welcomed back so warmly, and I know I need to be here regularly. I have missed the fellowship. Other Christians help strengthen my faith.

Slice of Life – March 28, 2026

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It is No Kings Day. We’ll be hearing more over the coming days about how many participated. Will No Kings become a regular day of mourning, rage, whimsy, and activism for the foreseeable future? Or were there enough protestors to force change this time? (3.5% of a population makes nonviolent mass movements succeed, according to Erica Chenoweth.)

Today, the nonviolent movement in Joshua Tree on four corners of Park Boulevard and Highway 62. It was marked with hundreds of protestors (maybe a thousand) and included silly costumes; breezy, brilliant, and brash protest signs; bubbles; cookies; ice cold water bottles; a first aid station with sunscreen and bandages; and lots of singing and chanting (when I wasn’t too choked up and crying, I joined in). We chanted and sang things like:

““The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe.” (James Baldwin)

“We are the movement,
liberation moving,
for every single human,
we have come to win.” (Lu Aya of @ThePeacePoets)

Joshua Tree, California, March 28, 2026

Poetry Friday – Ovillejo

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It’s Poetry Friday, and Marcie Flinchum Atkins is hosting. Thank you, Marcie, and congratulations on your new book coming out on Tuesday, When Twilight Comes.

the coy cottontails
gather at dusk to confer
are there greens to munch?

This week the Poetry Sisters are writing ovillejos. Tanita explains their challenge on her blog. Read more about ovillejos at dVerse at Poets Pub. I wrote two other ovillejos–in 2020 and in 2021, but here is an ovillejo with a message for those of us living in 2026.

No Kings 3 is on March 28, 2026

Know the truth of what’s being said
Use your head
Empathy’s not sin, it’s a start
your heart
Do the work, carry out the plans
your hands
We the people can make demands
Balance whimsy with righteous rage
Stand firm, resolute to engage
Use your head, your heart, your hands

On Strength

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Strength. I’m thinking of the strength of Jesus today versus the strength of American Church Empire.

I see American Church Empire say that Jesus is primarily as fire insurance for hell. Until it comes to bombing other countries, then Jesus becomes Mars, the god of war.

I see American Church Empire denounce and ignore clear and overwhelming politics of social justice and liberation in the Bible, but they embrace a puny and war monger god created in their own image.

I see American Church Empire align only with power, as usual…throughout history “Christian” Rome and the Middle Ages “Christian” Crusade wars against Islam.

Speaking of Islam, I see American Church Empire look at Islamist extremists as if they represent the whole of Islam. Then they blindly refuse to call out Christian extremists, and instead they become them.

I see American Church Empire claim war is peace.

I see American Church Empire delight in bombs in the name of Jesus.

I see American Church Empire proclaim Jesus will come again when we screw up this world so badly that God will finally do something about it. Entrapped in a domination system so brazen they seek to dominate God with bombs.

As a life-long Christian, I am trying not to lose my faith. Last month for Spiritual Journey Thursday, they wrote about strength. I didn’t participate, but I did start this piece. Today I choose to share it with anyone who may be interested. What do you see going on with the American Church right now? Has it always been like this? Do you care about what is going on with the Church? Do you have any hope?

I see pastors like Mariann Budde, Benjamin R. Cremer, Judy Howard Peterson, Brian Zahnd, Rev. William Barber, II, Cece Jones Davis, and Brad Jersak speak out about how the American church is mixed up. There are so many Christians speaking up. Who have I neglected to mention? I want to follow them. These saints try to show the true Way of Jesus — Love, Light of the World, Lamb of God, Bread of Life, Word of God. The bleeding-sacred-heart-of-Jesus kind of faith. These and Marcus Borg (who isn’t living any longer) have been helping me gain perspective and continue to have hope and faith.

Slice of Life – March 25, 2026

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We went to our favorite local Mexican food restaurant, La Casita Azul, today. Did you know that Frida Kahlo’s family home in Mexico City, now the Frida Kahlo museum, is “la casa azul”? This print of Frida Kahlo is tucked down a hallway at La Casita Azul. It’s always the painting I look for, so I stopped to get a photo today.

Chips and salsa are my favorite part of a Mexican meal, and I usually eat 95% of them because my husband likes to wait for his meal.

Árbol de la esperanza, mantente firme. ~Frida Kahlo

In these savage war days,
when voices far and wide
understand the suffering
but don’t have
power to act,
Tree of Hope,
stand firm.

“Don’t build a wall around your own suffering – it may devour you from the inside.” ~Frida Kahlo

Join a local No Kings march on Saturday, March 28. We are not alone in our suffering.