A Blessed Day

 

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It’s a blessed time that brings the Chinese new year and Ramadan
and enough of a pause in our nation’s anti-Democracy to notice
and wish joy to those who celebrate and fast, celebrate and dance,
celebrate in the time-proven ritual respect for the universe.
 
We’re heading toward springtime, with winter still in force
and more winter of the spirit to come, though some
celebrate strength and persistence in the face of anti-
Democracy, witnessing and stopping masked armies.
 
Some of us watch, heart in throat, for our turn, grateful for
the lessons of citizen activism that we can learn from before
the buds of government overreach blossom in our cities. 
Blessed be the hopeful, blessed be the peace of this day.

 

For Sherry's prompt "Blessings" at What's Going On? 

 

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright

© 2026 Susan L. Chast 

Creation

 

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Let this be a poem seed that grows bigger
than a lilac bush and that smells as sweet.
Let this be a poem-pod that scrolls rainbows
across the sky and rains out dirt complete.
 
And once the colors grow and glow, let’s build
An ark of freedom, an act of kindness
so that not color nor language nor tone
arrests, so ICE contracts certain blindness.
 
And then let’s walk along the nearest stream,
and talk about the flies, frogs, fish, and birds
we see, talk about life, love, and how to
create so we can move beyond these words.
 
The more we can picture a future free,
The more likely that free future will be.

 

For my prompt "Creation" at What's Going On? 

 

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright.

© 2026 Susan L. Chast

Shelter

 

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Sing Gimme Shelter along with the Stones,
rolling along in their hell
of 60 years ago.
 
But lie down on your sturdy mattress and dream
you're high in the branches of a giant redwood tree
far from the turmoil below.
 
Sing Rock-a-bye Baby on a tree top
The wind cannot shake you, the bough will not break,
You will wake safely up here, my dear.

 

For Mary's prompt "Shelter" at What's Going On? 

 

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright

© 2026 Susan L. Chast 

A chair by a window

 

Writing haiku with
my cup of coffee grounds me.
I look out a window.
 
No words come to mind,
but, fingers on the keys, words
flow onto the screen.
 
Today’s haiku: 1/27/2026

“A clear and sunny
day rewards us after days
of shadow and pain.”

 
The pain and shadow
are still here as ICE still harms
our lives and takes lives—
 
but sun heals, and so
far, merciful quiet frames
news not yet turned on.
 
In this quiet time
I notice I’m sitting as
my grandmother sat:
 
taking the chair shape
writing while hunched over keys
responding to news.
 
She looked up and out
her window from her white house
on a wooded hill.
 
As long as she wrote
she had hope. Daily she rued
poison in our air.
 
Daily she told me
to enjoy life, to smile,
to be kind, to care.
 
Daily she wrote page
after page, letters for miles,
a little red hen
 
working for us all.
each letter was a prayer
for a better life.

 

For Sherry's prompt "Help for Hurting Hearts" at What's Going On? 

 

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright

© 2026 Susan L. Chast 

Bring the peace

 

Eating a poppyseed bagel with cream
cheese and raspberry preserves feels like peace:
an unhurried knife slice cuts the bagel,
leaving two sides to slather with goodness.
 
Sitting with coffee, looking out on land of
green grass or crisped white snow, is peaceful.
Pine and deciduous trees hold city
out of sight--or dot city parks and streets.
 
Peace lies in measured inhale and exhale
when the mind takes a break from endless strife,
or when little ones slow and gently touch
your hands, heart, and spirit for more life.
 
When leaders threaten so many people,
Inner peace brings strength to seek peace at all.

 

For my prompt "Peace" at What's Going On? 

 

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright.

© 2026 Susan L. Chast

Imagine a new beginning

 

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In winter, as days grow longer, it’s easy
to imagine new buds on last year’s trees and
flowers.  Daffodils and crocuses pop, and
I can almost smell the purples of lilacs
and wisteria, and the white of lilies
of the valley. I can almost feel the soft
touch of azaleas and apple blossoms. 
 
I hold on to nature’s renewal to stay
grounded when the only cure for the present
political crisis is to reinvent democracy,
a new improved democracy in which greed and
violence and dishonor do not get free passes,
where no one is above the law, and no one
expects lies to be accepted as truth.
 
Our current president’s actions were once unimaginable.
Who will he clear of murder next?  Another masked ICE
agent?  Another unmarked plane hitting small boat owners?
What country will he engulf after Venezuela?
Which criminals will he pardon?  Which employees
and departments will he cut? And how will he
escape from Epstein tapes and snuff films?
 
Let spring come with the return of bluebirds,
robins, and spiders.  Let them build safe nests
and safety nets among the returning foliage.
Let me reach up and touch a bunch of lilacs before
taking another step into the morass of state.
Let me imagine enough of the new to prepare
and plant it for a better country and future.

 

For Sumana's prompt "A New Beginning" at What's Going On? 

 

My blog poems are rough drafts.

Please respect my copyright

© 2026 Susan L. Chast