Rhonda Bronte Brown is a National Board-Certified Teacher and retired teacher/counselor whose work has appeared in Better Than Starbucks, The Trouvaille Review, Meat for Tea, The Orchards Poetry Journal and The Best Haiku 2025 international anthology and several online journals. She holds both a BS and a Master’s degree and writes children’s literature and poetry exploring nature, SEL, and STEM.
November 2022
Vol VII No IV
See final version on published work page
A Pastoral Cacophony
As morning's first blush slips through the mizzling mist, dawn's chorus begins. The woodland world wakes, nestlings fluff their feathers, squish together and listen to their twitter song.
Blackbirds sing a low mellow tone blending choral notes to a day-spring chant. Red-breasted robins' antiphonal tweets, twitters back and forth.
A cool zephyr breezes through the budding trees, and a hermit thrush adds a rhythmic woodwind harmony. Chee-pippety-chee-chee, Jenny wren joins in with a light peppy lilt, stepping up the beat.
Colorful warblers echo a descant as tiny rainbows shimmer in the twilight's dew. A Capella chorus in one voice, sings a spring aria.
Songbirds greet the morning with a pastoral cacophony.
"siiih "siiih" "chink chink chink. Suddenly, the tempo changes and the chorus fades. A mockingbird's catcall signals a tail twitching taunt, kitty in the weeds.
The aria ends with the soft adagio from a mourning dove. coo-ah coo-AH, Coo-OO-oo coo-coo-coo.
Morning's first blush slips through the mizzling mist, dawn's chorus begins.
Antiphonal tweets, robins, warblers, blackbirds sing day-spring's symphony.
The woodland world wakes, feathers fluffed, nestlings listen, to their someday song.
Blending choral notes, blackbirds add a mellow tone to twilight's day-song.
Chee-pippety-chee, chee-chee, Jenny wren joins in with a peppy lilt.
A rainbow shimmers in the morning dew, colorful warblers echo a descant.
An Acappella chorus singing a spring aria, songbirds unite.
“siiih, siiih" “chink chink chink," a sudden signature change, the sunrise song fades.
A blue jay's catcall signals a tail twitching taunt, kitty in the weeds.
The aria ends with the soft adagio from a mourning dove.
perch-coo, coo-COO-coo, coo-ah, coo-coo-coo,
Antiphon: alternate singing by two groups.
Adagio: A tempo having slow movement; restful at ease.
Lilt: a pleasant gentle swinging rhythm, a characteristic rising and falling in the tune.
kitty in the weeds bluejay's catcall a tail twitching taunt #HaikuSeed taunt
warblers' echo shimmering in the mist, morning descant
ending with a soft adagio of a mourning dove, coo-Coo-coo, coo-ah, coo-coo-coo
Explore Grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
A gift freely bestowed to all who accept.
Heavenly Destination
Gift of the Holy Spirit
Knowing our Heavenly Father (so much to say here)
Explore the path of rejection
1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
2 Tim 4:3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itching ears, they shall heap to themselves teachers in accordance with their own lusts.
Explore the only path for salvation
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace
Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in
2 Corinthians 3:16
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Explore the fact that Hell is for real.
Jesus' favorite name for himself was the Son of Man because He, the eternal, infinite, chose to become finite for a little while.
People see God's grace every day in His creation. They are awed but they have a veil over their hearts.
This is what we see here on earth through a veil:
Life and Death
Light and Darkness
Love and Dementia
Now Imagine a place where there is no life, only death and eternal separation from God. Darkness fills the mind with no understanding of your existence or meaning and love is replaced with dementia.
Hell is very real and just like we see glimpses of heaven, we also see the horrors of hell.
Ignorance is bliss until it bites you in the butt. How can we let our friends, family, neighbors go to hell in ignorance?
Everyday God reveals His Glory, His Magnitude, His Wonder, so we are without excuse. It is true that pride and arrogance go before the fall; but it does not have to be our pride that keeps us from sharing the gospel.
NOW:
Let us pray and EXPLORE ways to expose deception wisely in love with one word, one thought, that turns the heart back to Jesus.
WE must speak the whole truth in love.
Explore ways to tell God's Truth to your friends/family who delude themselves.
Speak from love and wisdom with the Holy Spirit as your prompt.
This was not what I first was writing about. I was making a bucket list. My pastor as of late (I mean more so), has a real concern for the lost and those who are under strong deceptions.
Moons of MarchSky looks down on earth
with the dark eye of a new moon,
spring winks at the stars.
Seeds shed winter's shield
roots stretch in fertile dirt-
March howls for spring's warmth.
Loam stirs, breaking free-
muddling nightcrawlers rise
under the worm moon.
Foretoken of spring
Marsh marigolds in damp fields
Hoverflies delight
Terrestrial tides collide
rising high, but twice a year.
sun and moon poised.
A morrowless day
arriving on the equinox
perfectly balanced.
Sugar Moon shines down-
sweet maples release sap
as March winds breathe change.
Coffee (or tea) can mean something different to each person. For some people, it is the aroma that wakens the morning senses; for others, it is downing the first cup that kick starts the day. For others, coffee is the elixir necessary for clarity of vision. without it, the newspaper would be useless. With all its sensual clues, one still has to acclimate to coffee’s bitter taste. But once you find the right blend, coffee is your friend.
Morning coffee is a bit like life with all the sweet, savory, bitter, sour bits, and yet when blended with the perfect pairing, satisfying. (Coffee and a donut)
Time to tie that morning coffee with awakening to God. Life is full of flavor, emotion, sight, sound, and meaning. Walking with God in the light of His Word brings a perfect pairing to healing old wounds, finding a grateful attitude, a sense of worth, and blessings during trials. Bitterness, saucy tongues, doubt, and more will be a part of this life but God’s Word is the perfect pairing to counter life’s bitterness.
Spring sings, “Birds, sing your morning song. Praising Him to whom we belong. Wind, blow the seeds. Loam, provide their needs. Clouds water the flowers. It’s time for God’s showers.”
We sing the Singer’s gospel message, praising the one who saved us. Holy Spirit is our guide to plant the gospel message in another’s heart. God waters and causes the seed to grow. Spring calls us to sing His gospel message.
I moved my younger brother into a nursing home. He is my brother, but the burden was heavy. It made my heart sad. Yet, he had a remarkable recovery from the time he entered till I left.
The word the last week was easy. It was not easy to pack up his belongings, clean out his home, essentially his life, and store them. Yet, it reminded me not to put store in the things of this world.
We let temporal things measure the sum of our lives. Yet, the sum of how we live has an eternal value.
Spring Fling Contest 2022/ revised for another submission
Winter howls at Spring like a middle schooler's biological clock clanks. "It's too early," Winter yawns. "Autumn has arrived in the southern hemisphere," says Spring. "Not yet." Winter flops back, adding another blanket of snow. "The Cold Moon will be full soon," says Spring, offering Winter an enticement. Spring knows Winter loves to hang out with Cold Moon on the longest night of the inverted season. "Okay, I'm up." Winter sits very still, blowing another chilly breeze. "Come along," says Blizzard. Winter stands and stretches. "I see you've been at work. It's a resplendent day in pastel hues," Winter says to Spring. "Thank you, Winter." Winter bows, whispering, "See you next year." Spring smiles, turning to the Sun, "It's time to melt the crusty earth and direct your rays to tickle the fertile dirt." "As you wish," replies Sun.
Zephyr carries the seeds. Loam provides for their needs. Clouds water fertile dirt. Bouquets rise from the Earth.
Trouvaille Review, March 23, 2022 PublicationThe Hummingbird
Swiftest things that run the world,
Hums and beats, their wings unfurled.
Hummingbirds need constant fuel.
Brilliant blooms attract this jewel.
Forward, backward, upside down.
These dashing (feisty) fliers zip around.
Golden flowers brilliant blooms
Entice birds with shiny plumes.
Blazing Star to Geranium,
Coral Bells to Delphinium.
Flower meadows, patchwork plots,
Scattered seeds in local lots.
Hopscotch with seas shells and whirlybirds in the air, singing weeee and swinging high swing high, flying free, landing barfoot in the grass
Cousins taking turns Counting to one hundred hands in sync, switching without missing a beat the ice cream maker's hand-crank keeps churing.
Walking with cousins Playing with friends, hoping summer will never end.
No school, outside and free, it is time just to be me. Gliding on the porch swing, a bowl in my lap shelling peas with purple fingers- I prefer to snap green beans, please.
Straight from the garden, a summer snack. Chores done, potatoes stored in the shack. Childhood summers make me wish for more, tree climbing, river-side camping on a sandy shore and so much more.
The pulse is weak, a vanishing vapor, Thanatos grins when breathing ceased. Death's grim triumph- of the Afghan thirteen, fallen, betrayed, left behind.
A country's demise by the hands of a few won't be forgotten. America's heart bleeds.
Hope hurts and hope heals, shattering the grip of hate- past and present repeat. (1776)
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