calmkate

kwansaba

d’Verse, Kwansaba and Blessings, Grace

rituals soothe our souls calm our minds
and warm our hearts while healing within
shared food and hearty chats simply divine
for like minded others open our heart
faith joins us with others giving purpose
create walk blog write compose art music
bring unity joy bliss and wise bles’ngs

The defining features of Kwansaba are:
1.a celebration of family and African-American culture, a praise poem.
2.a septastich, a poem in 7 lines.  (To be clear, it is only 1 stanza).
3. measured by 7 words in each line.
4. written with no word exceeding 7 letters.

*Unity, family
*Self Determination
*Work Collectively
*Cooperative economics
*Purpose
*Creativity
*Faith

my photo

Blessings

each morning I awake
blessed to be alive
blessed to have good health
my forever home
and plentiful to cover the bills
blessed to have all my faculties
an exquisite beach to walk
good kind friends to talk
a delightful d’Verse connection
blessed to know like minded people
activists for our environment
for endangered species
and climate change
blessed to know some who discern
not sucked in by propaganda
intelligent thoughtful people
who vigilantly tame their minds
blessed to live rurally
with fresh sea air
and kindly neighbours
there are far more blessings
than challenges coz that’s my focus
life has purpose and passion
and blogging a cathartic outlet
creativity community and connection

great choices, I had to try both … was a struggle to keep words down to 7 letters in the first one!

38 comments

  2. Lovely post, Kate. The Kwanza poem seems to be quite a challenge! Yours reads well. Love your photo of the jacaranda in bloom and the beautiful poem about the things you are thankful for. You have chosen and created a good life for yourself. Glad you are enjoying it. ❤

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  5. The first poem sounds like music. I hear it sung by Africans. It is a hymn to the family and a thanksgiving.
    The second is also presented as a thanksgiving but also incorporates your passion for the preservation of nature. I share this with you, Kate .
    I admired the photo with the superb tree .
    I appreciate your poems. ❤
    Love ❤
    Michel

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  6. Love them both. The first one speaks of shared love and warmth. As to the second, you are indeed blessed in your own home, community and in the blogging community.

    Have a great holiday and happy new year!!!

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  12. Both, Lovely poems, full of positivity like I like them. Not that I don’t see the craziness but because we need to stay in the light of positivity. Your poem took me there, Kate. Love it. And that tree. Looks like a jacaranda. Anyway, I love all points here. Thanks for sharing and stay lovely, positive. Happy holidays to you and your family.

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  17. A lovely shot of a unique tree, looks perfect.
    Your wornderful words remind me of a quote,
    “When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Tecumseh”

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  24. New here. Hope you don’t mind my peeking. Your creativity with the prompts is wonderful. I enjoyed each poem. Thank you for sharing them.

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