Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite thing to do, but not my favorite holiday. In America, it is strangely focused on food, and most of this food is too sweet to my Polish taste. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows on the top? Ugh... However, being thankful is a life-saving attitude that we all should practice. It opens the door to new, amazingly inspirational adventures. 

At this time, I'm thankful for everything, the beautiful gifts of love, friendship, air, sunlight, water, and all that exists, in oneness, for we are all one with the One universe and its Creator. I'm also thankful for specific things, such as Independence Day Parades, pears, starlight, pomegranates, and all sorts of fruit, music, and singing, and birdsong, especially the mockingbirds in my garden. I'm thankful for Light and Love.

Here are some links to stories and poems about unusual things to be thankful for.

First, translucent blue skies, and beautiful landscapes that I am so grateful to see everyday around me.

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2021/08/august-tales-from-garden-and-sea.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-i-love-my-sapphire-azure-periwinkle.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2019/10/morning-noon-evening-in-california.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2019/08/today-im-perfect-poetry-of-blue-skies.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2017/11/on-oaks-maples-gold-leaves-and-angel.html

Second, poet-friends, friend-poets, to share beauty and joy with, to be inspired by:

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2018/05/grateful-conversations-poetry-anthology.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-spirituality-of-spring-cleaning-in.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2018/04/california-poetry-in-california.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2018/02/black-history-month-at-phoenix-house.html

Third, let's be thankful for celebrations, private and traditional, Christmas, Solstice, New Year:

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2017/12/after-solstice-happy-holidays-and-best.html

Fourth, gratitude is a spiritual insight but also is felt for spiritual insights, the landscape within.  It is best shared with others, often through poetry and art. 

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2022/12/12-poets-in-crystal-fire-poems-of-joy.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2017/09/does-meditation-dissolve-hurricanes.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2017/08/jewel-rainbow-meditations-and-great.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2021/12/on-autumn-delights-california-in.html

My Declaration 

I am a sovereign citizen​ of the galaxy

My heart goes out​ to the mountains​.​

My feet grow roots​ in the light​.​

My eyes touch​ the firmanent of stars​.​

I breathe gold air​ of goodness​.​

I drink lucid​ water of joy​.​

​Nourished by divine affection, 

I thrive, ​l​inked ​to all living beings​ -​

​snow crystals, seeds, ​trees, and sunlight​.​

​In ​harmony,​ we sing the chorale​ of dawn​.​

I choose to love all,​ live in love​.​

I am a sovereign citizen​ of the galaxy​.​

A full version of this poem is on the following page, starting the new year 2017, the year of Fire Rooster, my year:

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2017/01/2017-new-year-of-joy-loving-kindness.html

May the blessing of light be on you

Light without and light within

May the blessed sunlight shine on you

and warm your heart

till it glows like a great peat fire

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2016/10/into-light-poetry-of-spirit-in-north.html

https://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2016/12/new-years-gifts-of-poetry-enchantment.html

I walk down

 a sandy road, straight

into childhood

The question is, as usual, what is the best thing to do. Do I write this or that, go here or there, dig and plant in the garden, or write on my laptop all day, go swimming alone, or to lunch with poets, take that collect call or not... The question is, how am I to be sure that what I do is the best for me, and the best for everyone, and the best for the whole planet?

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2016/09/my-declaration-purpose-and-intention.html

Here are the Poetry Laurels links to poems and reflections about more traditional  Thanksgiving:

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-are-we-thankful-for-autumn-leaves.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2013/06/on-henry-brants-music-stand-and-summer.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2012/11/on-virtues-and-gratitude-in-time-for.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2012/03/on-golden-hands-of-mercy.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2012/02/on-manna-dead-sea-and-divine.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2011/10/from-grief-to-thanksgiving.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2011/08/living-in-moment.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-importance-of-compassion.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-sky-poem-of-found-images.html

http://poetrylaurels.blogspot.com/2010/10/in-praise-awe-of-mountains.html

On the Moonrise Press Blog, I started a series on entries dedicated to the translations of my poem, Memento Vitae. Here's the poem in English and the links to various translations are below:

http://moonrisepress.blogspot.com/2013/01/memento-vitae-now-in-spanish-translation.html

http://moonrisepress.blogspot.com/2012/02/meditations-on-divine-names-114-poems.html

http://moonrisepress.com/divine.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/maja-trochimczyk/meditations-on-divine-names/paperback/product-20537898.html

The anthology of poetry on religious and spiritual themes, Meditations on Divine Names, has been published as a print book and an e-book. The 140 poems by 64 poets are organized into the following sections: Naming, Names, Earth, Water, Air, Fire, He, She, Being, Loving. This framework avoids the conventional divisions into Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, or Light and Darkness, or Yahweh, Allah, and Christ, or Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Similarly, there is no separation of poems into different religious denominations and spiritual traditions. Different themes are intertwined in each poem and their order follows thematic threads within each section - bread, sunlight, birth, mothering...

The poets belong to different religions or religious denominations. They see the manifestations of the divine in many aspects of life - personal prayer, religious ceremonies, singing of psalms, family relationships, nature, sun, sky, bread making, loving, and love making. They admire the colors of the sky and the liquid nourishment of water. The clarity of mountain air and the gentleness of human touch. From the four letters of YHWH to Lada or Pele, the anthology catalogs some unusual divine names. Poets reflect on the act of naming, the facts of knowing and unknowing of our God(s). They give testimony to their hopes and beliefs, and share what they find beautiful and inspirational, or, sometimes, disturbing. There is darkness around and death, but the poets look for ways to ascend above, to illumination.