Last weekend I soaked up the cool, crisp atmosphere of autumn in the Pacific Northwest.
The warmth of sunshine compensated for the chill in the air.
Grand trees displayed their fall finery of vermillion, pumpkin orange, and gold.
Birds sang cheery farewells, assuring us they’d be back in the spring.
A chipmunk even scampered close to where I stood, paused for a moment, then leap-hopped to a nearby tree.
And ten other women who love to write, draw, and/or create in other ways gathered at the Grunewald Guild in Plain, Washington, to learn, be inspired and encouraged.
Our very capable facilitators, Jody Lee Collins* and Kimberlee Conway Ireton* pushed our thinking and stretched our creativity. One activity: poetry-writing.
Yes, it was a bit intimidating at first. The likes of John Milton, Charles Wesley, and Christina Rossetti always leave me awestruck by their prowess and power with words.
But Kimberlee challenged us to give it a try, jump-starting us with samples, a quick lesson on alliteration (words within a line that begin with the same sound), and a framework to build upon.
We all began our poems with “Glory to God for…” and ended with “Praise him,” based on “Pied Beauty” by another stellar poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins.
For the lines in between, Kimberlee spread out on two tables hundreds of words, printed on slips of paper, suggesting we search for those that shimmer with possibilities, and build a poem from the ideas that bubble up. We were given twenty to thirty minutes.
I found several pairs that sparked ideas: garb and garden, mystery and memory, shift and sheen.
But several false starts soon left me discouraged.
Oh-oh. I’m going to be poem-less! I thought. How embarrassing. Lord, help me find SOMETHING!
He did. Wisdom and woods caught my attention, and I began to write:
Glory be to God for
The wisdom of the woods –
Proclaiming perseverance
Through drought and storm,
Demonstrating ongoing praise
With outstretched limbs,
Growing steadily year by year –
Roots deep, leaves green,
Fruit in abundance.
He enables, provides, attends.
Praise Him.
It’s not Milton, that’s for sure. But I personally love the visual connection between the words that shimmered on the table, wisdom and woods, and the scenic wooded property of the Grunewald Guild – two delightful memories of the weekend entwined by imagery.
Oh. And one more aspect of the weekend is woven into the lines — the theme for the weekend: Abide (John 15:1-11).
*Do visit Jody’s and Kimberlee’s blogs; you’ll be glad you did. Meet Jody at Three Way Light (http://threewaylight.blogspot.com) and Kimberlee at Kimberlee Conway Ireton (http://www.kimberleeconwayireton.net/).
(Photo credit: Nancy Ruegg)
From the Inside Out 
“Abide.” One of my favorite God-words. So rich with meaning. Abide in Me = make your home in Me. (John 15:4) I appreciated this spiritual reminder, Nancy!
Love that synonymous statement: make your home in Me. Speaks of comfortable togetherness, pleasant company even in silence, calming confidence in his all-sufficient presence. Thank you, Mitch!
wow beautiful and made me – one who doesn’t like fall/winter – pause and breath in its beauty and praise God for all seasons. really quite well done!!
Thank you, Jean. I’m delighted the post breathed a bit of fall beauty into your life. Praise God!
Beautiful poem! I can’t believe I didn’t ask to hear it sooner.
Thank you, Heather, and no worries. I’m delighted you read it here.
Oh, friend, I’m so glad you persevered! I wish you could see my smile! (Remember to post your blog link over at Glory Writers FB page.)
Thank you, Jody. So glad to make you smile! And thank you, too, for the invite to link up over at Glory Writers. Done!
Wow. So much more understandable than Milton, and thus, more impacting to me. (and I love Milton, difficult though he is) Nancy, this is lovely. The beginning words of “The wisdom of the woods…” just leaped out at me, and with all that followed, well, I am blown away. I’m copying this to put up on my writing wall. Well done!
Bless my soul, I am honored to be on your writing wall! Thank you for your encouragement, Rebeca.
Delightful poem, Nancy! I love words and the word ‘shimmer’ is lovely. I particularly loved the imagery of trees with outstretched limbs…giving praise to God. Personal note: To finish my credits at Taylor I needed five hours of something so I chose a Poetry class. We had to write a sonnet… The is a definite framework to a sonnet, 14 lines in iambic pentameter…which made it easier for me to be creative. Mine was about Vietnam; very dark, patterned after John Dunne’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’. I got an A but I like yours much better!
“Shimmer” was the word Kimberlee used to guide our thinking as we perused all those word slips. Isn’t that a great way to describe how certain words and phrases grab our attention? I’m impressed that sonnet-writing is in your skill set, Cheri! And thank you for your kind assessment of “Wisdom of the Woods.” (Your poetry professor might have a different take! 🙂 )
Thank you, Nancy, for writing about a seemingly exciting experience. Sounds like a great exercise for PW. Oh my, I will tell them about it and await their responses with expectation. Fall colors are so beautiful and I miss the beauty we used to experience when we lived in Pennsylvania. Thank you for sharing.
The weekend was a delightful mix of creativity, camaraderie, rest, and worship. Indeed, the fall foliage has been spectacular this year, both in Washington and here in Ohio. Glad I could at least create some images with words for you!
[…] From a few of the attendees who shared their reflections: Nancy Ruegg – The Wisdom of the Woods […]
Thank you, Emily! I enjoyed reading your reflections from the retreat also, especially about the pillows! 🙂 (I STILL sleep with a cozy collection because of my back!) Thinking of you as you prepare for tomorrow night’s gathering…