Author / Cheryl Batavia

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Posts by Cheryl Batavia

A retired teacher and mother of three adult children, I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida with my soulmate, Robert. Leisure activities include discussing current events with Robert, watching movies, and playing Scrbble. Robert usually wins! I also enjoy going to the beach and taking road trips with my daughters. One of our favorite pastimes is observing the wonderful wildlife that surrounds us. I keep busy writing poetry, and I would be delighted if you visited my website!
by Cheryl Batavia

At One with the River

Photo from Pexels/Pixabay.

At One with the River

Time of river…

River of dreams

blissfully reflecting

sky blue, trees green.

Feeling peaceful,

gently flowing past

heron sentinel,

sunshine in mind.

Consciousness of stream,

underwater wonders,

fish inquisitive.

Joyful making memories.

At one with the river, time flowing by…

Memories making joyful.

Inquisitive fish,

wonders underwater,

stream of consciousness.

Mind in sunshine,

sentinel heron,

past flowing gently.

Peaceful feeling,

green trees, blue sky

blissfully reflecting.

Dreams of river…

River of time.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

This Little Boat

Man rowing, Finland. Photo by Joakim Honkasalo from Unsplash.

This Little Boat

In all honesty, man-to-man,

I am rowing this little boat as fast as I can.

Courage, friend, as forward we go.

If you keep bailing as I row,

we may reach the shore, I think,

before our little boat begins to sink.

Photo by Mina A from Unsplash.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Among Friends

Photo by Bruno Martin from Unsplash.
Photo by Zachary Nelson from Unsplash.

Among Friends

Day-by day, we live on earth.

Face-to-face and virtually, we greet each other.

Eye-to-eye, we often see.

Toe-to-toe, we engage in friendly competition.

Side-by-side, we work together.

Arm-in-arm, we walk along.

Hand-in-hand, we share life’s journey.

Moment-by-moment, we face life’s uncertainties.

Heart-to-heart, we know we are not alone.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

❤ Happy Valentines’ Day! ❤

Happy Valentines’ Day to all my WordPress Friends

&

to my Best Friend, Robert!

Robert and Cheryl in front of a banyan tree about 2015.
by Cheryl Batavia

Quest for the Holy Grail

Painting of Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper from a mural by Leonardo DaVinci. Photo from Pixabay.
Holy communion bread and wine. Photo by James Coleman. The holy grail is the communion cup used during the last supper. Many adventurers have searched for this holy relic, but it has never been found.

“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Alexander Pope

Some adventurers engage in one one risky venture after the other, unprepared, trusting in luck, giving up too soon.

Quest for the Holy Grail

Upon our worthy quest, the fates will smile.

We venture forth in faith and confidence.

Our fervent zeal inspires each lonely mile,

and hearts sing gratitude to providence.

With compass and a map, we chart our course.

At night we have the stars to guide us there.

We endure for better or for worse,

through rough terrain and weather foul or fair.

We tire of questing for the holy grail.

Our hopes are dead, our dreams all turned to dust.

This foolish enterprise is doomed to fail.

We doubt the grail exists…In gold we trust!

Now seeking pirate wealth from days of old,

we’ll share with God our glory and our gold!

Photo by Tim C. Gundert from Pixabay.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

Shakespearean Sonnet Written for D’Verse https://dversepoets.com

by Cheryl Batavia

Bat in the Afterglow

Photo by McKayla Crump from Unsplash.

Bat in the Afterglow

Last night, we stepped outside

into the gilded light of the sunset’s afterglow.

A bright crescent moon graced the twilight sky.

Beneath it shone the evening star.

Silhoutted against a sky of muted blue,

a bat flew toward the rosy horizon and back again,

looping in circles above the quiet street,

a moment of pure delight right outside our door!

Fruit bat in flight, Maldives. Photo by Ishan seefromthesky from Unsplash.

We’ve never seen a bat on our street before.

Maybe, little bat, you live near one of the canals.

I will be watching for you in the evenings.

A hearty welcome to our street!

Where do you sleep all day, little bat?

Hanging upside down under a dried palm frond?

Rocked to sleep in swaying Spanish moss?

Or do you live in a condo under a canal bridge?

Do you dream of flying, as I often do?

Pleasant dreams, little bat, wherever you are.

I hope to see you again on our street,

dining on mosquitos in the afterglow.

Roosting bat in Denmark. Photo by Nils Bouillard from Unsplash.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Hurry Up and Wait!

Many good things in life require a lot of waiting!

Hurry Up and Wait!

Traffic passes

like molasses.

We must wait.

Can’t be late.

We must accelerate.

Hard not to stress,

wondering why, I confess,

we’re in this mess.

Early departures avoid distress.

What terrible angst it creates

to be five minutes late!

Waiting…Earth we could circumnavigate.

After endless wait, we celebrate.

Good outcomes justify the wait!

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

Robert’s cataract surgery went well yesterday, and he has started to see improvements in his vision. Thank you to my fellow bloggers for their encouragement and good wishes. It means a lot to me. ❤

I wrote this poem to distract me and pass the time while I was waiting for Robert’s surgery to be completed. The form is a ZIGGERAUT: two lines of two words each, three lines of three words each, four lines of four words each, and five lines of five words each. The rhyme pattern is aa, bbb, cccc, ddddd.

by Cheryl Batavia

A Desert Rose

Cultivated desert roses in a garden. Photo by Meggie from Pixabay.

A Desert Rose

Our little world envelops us in love,

transcending chaos that surrounds us now,

safe haven from earth’s dark duplicity,

a green oasis, peace in desert heat.

Affection in your eyes, my hand in yours,

a gentle word, a loving touch…encouragement

along our earthly path’s uncertainties.

Your inner strength sustains my fainting heart.

When threats of war surround on every side…

vile pestilence, pollution, and unrest,

ambition fades, possessions matter less,

but love endures and blooms, a desert rose.

This poem is dedicated to Robert, who fills my everyday life with happiness and joy.
Robert in a park on the Myakka River. Photo by Cheryl Batavia.
Desert rose in the African Sahel. Photo by bory67 from Pixabay.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

Like the Shakespearean sonnet, BLANK VERSE is a sixteenth century form of poetry written in iambic pentameter. Unlike a sonnet, blank verse is unrhymed. It was used extensively by Shakespeare in his plays and is found in the work of John Milton and other poets of that time.

Robert’s cataract surgery is scheduled for February 1st, and the hectic schedule of appointments begins. I may be very erratic on WordPress in February. Thank you to all who sent good wishes to Robert.

by Cheryl Batavia

Beyond Earth

Astronauts walking on the moon in 1969, Planet Earth is in the sky. Photo by Joe Han from Unsplash.

Beyond Earth

Hidden by the moon

are stars brighter than the moon…

our earth-perspective.

Beyond the boundaries of earth,

we explore wider vistas.

This morning I woke with a poem I wrote when I was about sixteen years old running through my mind. I wrote the tanka poem above, paraphrasing the poem I remembered from nearly sixty years ago, an update for today. I don’t have a copy of that old poem,”Stars,” but I have reconstructed it from memory and posted it below.

Full moon and stars. Photo by Josh Miller from Unsplash.

Stars

Hidden by the moon

are millions of stars

brighter than the moon.

Because we are small,

it is so.

Because we are wise,

we understand.

Space suit worn by a Russian Cosmonaut, Moscow museum. Photo by iman_os from Unsplash.

When I was eight years old, Russia launched Sputnik, the first satellite, and the “space race” began. Antique relics from early space exploration are on display now in museums. In 1969, when I was twenty, Americans landed on the moon. For the first time, there were photos of the whole earth taken from space.

Planet Earth from space. Photo by NASA from Unsplash.
International Space Station. Photo by NASA from Unsplash.
Space Shuttle. Photo taken in Mexico by Ivan Diaz from Unsplash.

Now, in 2022, fifty-two years after astronauts landed on the moon, unmanned spacecraft routinely photograph distant planets and send the images back to earth. Satellites are used for spy missions and international communication. They show us hurricanes from above, and help to predict weather. Commercial Space travel is in its infancy. Drones are used in warfare and by amateur photographers. Many dead satellites and other “space junk” orbit the earth.

Andromeda Galaxy seen from Russia. Photo by Tengyart from Unsplash.

Humans have much bigger dreams for future travel in space. Before us lie some important lessons about restoring and protecting this beautiful Planet Earth and living in peace with our neighbors. If, in the future, we settle in new worlds, we need to remember those lessons, respect and preserve those new environments, and live in harmony with any civilizations we discover. Star treks, yes…star wars, no!

Sunset in Goa, India, one of the beautiful places on Planet Earth. Photo by Ashutosh Saraswat from Unsplash.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

Dear Fellow Bloggers,

After two failed root canals, a tooth extraction, and extensive testing of his eyes with different eye drop prescriptions, Robert has finally been cleared for cataract surgery. Numerous appointments have been scheduled for February. I may sometimes be absent from WordPress in the weeks to come. We look forward to Robert’s pre-cataract vision being restored. Many thanks to all of you who have expressed concern for Robert.

Kindest Regards,

Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Tribute to My Son

Joe Batavia

Tribute to My Son

My son Joe

makes his mother proud…

envisions

an ideal

world: ethical, kind, just…

and he lends a hand.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

My Children…Ellen, Joe, and Katey. Joe’s service dog BABY.

Joe advocates for the rights of disabled people and disabled people with service dogs. During the pandemic, when homeless shelters closed their doors, Joe prepared hot food and delivered it to homeless people on the street. He helps homeless people whenever he can, finding information for them, giving them food, a pair of socks, or a haircut…
by Cheryl Batavia

Thoughts on the New Year

Setting Goals for 2022. Photo by Trent Erwin from Unsplash.

Thoughts on the New Year

1

Twenty-twenty-one…

Goodbye! Goodbye! Good riddance!

I won’t miss you much!

2

I am used to you,

twenty-twenty-one. You are

the devil I know.

3

What is worth saving?

What needs to go in the trash

as we move forward?

4

A shiny new year,

like a new diamond ring…

So full of promise!

5

Time to reflect…

Welcome twenty-twenty-two!

Time to turn the page!

Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

It’s time to pause, to reflect, to write, to make New Year’s Resolutions (or not). I will focus on these objectives from now until 2022, and may not be as active on the blog as usual.

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!