The Poetry of Cathy Quaglia The Writing Forum’s Writer of the Month - December 2011   POET’S BIO: Cathy Quaglia grew up in New York and moved to Killington,Vermont in 1975, establishing Aspen East Ski Shop with her husband, Lee. With the emergence of snowboarding, they started Surf the Earth Snowboards, and continue to run their retail and online stores together. During all this, she was a certified professional ski instructor and resort real estate broker. She has hosted many events at the shop, including book signings with best-selling authors, Linda Greenlaw, Reeve Lindbergh, Karen Lorentz and Wendy Clinch, and The Ski Channel’s movie “The Story” to a large audience at The Summit Lodge in January 2011. She created Watercolor Words, a collaboration with fellow Killington Arts Guild member, artist Alice Sciore, combining Cathy’s poems, “Ode to Skiing”, “Reflections on Snow” and “Mountain Home” with watercolor paintings that Alice created for them, which are now available for sale as art prints. She is working on a book of poetry and images called “Light on Life”. Cathy’s page at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cathy.quaglia Email: cathyq@aspeneast.com    CATHY QUAGLIA’S POETRY  Click on the button next to any title in the list  below to be linked directly to that poem:   Pule (prayer)   Fifth month haiku, Maui   Irene   Maui Mana (haiku)   The Fortune Teller to the Princess   Today at Hookipa (haiku)   senryu   Farewell, a Letter   haiku string   Time and Tide   Through the Looking Glass   LIFE CERTIFICATE   Picture me on Pike   Margaret’s Song   The Road from Here to There   For Jacquline, May 2010   So Much Fun   haiku (2)   Goddess of the Sea   Ode to Skiing   Reflections on Snow   Mountain Home   Pule (prayer) Pacific mother baptize our needy souls tradewinds, set us free ~*~ For Mother’s Day, May 13, 2012 ©Cathy Quaglia, Haku Mele   Fifth month haiku, Maui Blue sky and ocean Living in green abundance Refresh our spirits   Irene She screamed from the sky unleashing her storm fury sending torrents of rain brooks became raging rivers she tossed boulders, plucked trees heaved them into the Roaring Brook consumed whole farmhouses feasted on historic covered bridges fields flooded, hillsides slid away country dirt roads didn't stand a chance highways collapsed into chasms for miles disconnecting towns from each other Kent Pond rose and filled with mud from Thundering Brook but the loons kept calling and we will rise above the rubble to display our autumn beauty and a wintry landscape of snow © Cathy Quaglia   Maui Mana (haiku) Golden setting sun embracing the 'ohana with love forever © Cathy Quaglia   The Fortune Teller to the Princess You are astounding like a warm gentle rain with a flash of lightning. You have touched my heart inspired me in ways I have yet to realize. You are a sweet sister of beauty and energy who will never disappoint. You are destined for greatness there is much to discover when one seeks to be a queen. © Cathy Quaglia   Today at Hookipa Blue swells crest on reef windsurfers chase flying fish white waves crash to shore ~*~ ~AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hookipa is on the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Maui   senryu It is what it is until you make it better It is what it is   Farewell, a Letter Sorry I left you so suddenly but God called and I said "Yes". Wish I could have heard your voice held your hand gave you a kiss just one more time to say goodbye. You couldn't come along but know in your heart that I am happy and at peace safely back home at last. So when you wonder smell new spring flowers watch clouds gather and pass by listen to the wind's song feel snowflakes in your hair it is Me there in every moment.   haiku string Accompany me along the road to the sea glimpse eternity Feel the warm soft sand powerful waves deep blue green rolling on the land Breathe in salty air intoxicating senses under vast skies fair Listen closely now magical music of life gulls cry and whales sing Tonite wind blown dreams catch reflections from full moon stars silvery light Accompany me along the road to the sea glimpse eternity © Cathy Quaglia   Time and Tide Time and Tide will not wait for me and surely not for you for I've hoisted the sails and the Sea is calling. I do not know what the sea holds for me but I do know what you do not hold for me and I must sail now or not at all for the Sea is calling. Time and Tide will not wait for me and surely not for you for the sails are filling with wind and my Life is calling. © Cathy Quaglia 1974   Through the Looking Glass Alice played the game of "Let's Pretend" and gazed in the mirror without end to find a world where chessmen screamed and flowers quarreled and made a scene. Where the silly twins, Tweedledum and Tweedledee fearing a giant black crow, ran under a tree. Where the dozing Red King dreamt of Alice dreaming of the King and her own crown and palace. Where Humpty Dumpty unraveled "Jabberwocky" and should not have acted quite so cocky. Where Lion and Unicorn never won and never lost and plum cake sliced itself, of course. Where the kind White Knight, the great inventor couldn't ride or invent, but on her way he sent her. Where Alice eagerly jumped the last brook to Q-8 to wear a golden crown and scepter was clearly her fate. Where Red Queen and White Queen put her to the final test but Royal Alice was wise, and soon captured the best. Alice played the game of "Let's Pretend" and gazed in the mirror without end to find her world was a vision borrowed from time and life a dream fashioned by the mind. © Cathy Quaglia 1974   LIFE CERTIFICATE You do not                                         You can not choose                                               choose the time                                             the moment and place                                          and setting of birth                                               of death All the choices are in between © Cathy Quaglia   Picture me on Pike Picture me on Pike I am skiing effortlessly here with you, my loving friends and the greats of Pico past. Hear our laughter in the distance as we swing our skis like kids from chairlifts always ready to whisk us away, up to KA. We make first tracks together arcing perfect turns, again and again on a long white glistening carpet of freshly fallen snow. It's forever wintertime for us the air so cool and crisp wind whispers through the trees skies crystal clear and bright. We fly down our mountain from dawn to Sunset Schuss beneath stars on Summit Glades where there is never a last run. For Doug Hastings © Cathy Quaglia   Margaret's Song I am a child          sister          daughter I am a student          singer          friend I am a woman          wife          mother I am a dreamer        Kahlil Gibran        Jonathan Livingston Seagull        Shangri-La        Gift from the Sea I am strong          weak          human I am grateful          home again          at peace I will always be        everything I am        loving you all forever. For my Mother, September 19, 2009 © Cathy Quaglia   The Road from Here to There I walk along another way A pristine path of light and love In gardens of eternal rainbows And warmth of summer days. It leads to peaceful meadows Silent rivers flowing to the sea Evergreen forests in the distance Mountains glistening in snow. My spirit soars amongst the stars To another season called joy. I dream along another way This life-long gift complete My heart is at rest in paradise The journey home so sweet. © Cathy Quaglia   For Jacquline, May 2010 As winds caress and sunlight fades She sits atop clouds smiling, watching us sending flowers out to mother ocean on tides flowing in and out, again and again As winds caress and sunlight fades When the mists arise to blind our eyes may beauty shine through the rain to comfort faith lift us up on gentle waves of memories a flood of healing for our hearts and souls As winds caress and sunlight fades Let us whisper words of remembrance to honor her love, her life, to give us hope and wish sweet peace in her heavenly home with us forever in our dreams, an Angel on Earth As winds subside and sunset falls © Cathy Quaglia   So Much Fun You start slowly, gliding easily, breaking the silence with the soft “shhh…shhh…” of your skis as they sweep up sprays of powder at each turn. Here and there, the sun catches snow crystals, turning them to diamond dust. Ever so gently the slope steepens, drawing you into widening, flowing, sensuous arcs. And suddenly, magically, you’ve found the mountain’s rhythm! You’re flying, soaring, feeling your spine tingle, laughing inside at the incredible feeling of freedom and beauty and motion, because you just can’t believe anything in this world could be so much fun. (NOTE: When you turn the paper sideways, the words form a mountain’s shape.) © Cathy Quaglia   haiku (2) Huelo Through Ulalena rains night riders show at twilight in golden red mist ~*~ Waipio Bay Against brisk tradewinds rocky cliffs stand strong and still my palms dancing hula © Cathy Quaglia   Goddess of the Sea Namakaokaha’i goddess of the sea travels from Tahiti across ocean and reef over burled coral beds her soul perches high on a white curling lip waves climbing cresting riding on the colossus wondrous wall of water rolling ever shoreward engulfing sand and lava rock. She’s gathering mana creating pulsating surges feeding on the rumble from her ocean depths to destroy her sister Pele torment and banish her from every new island home and extinguish her fires in the craters of Haleakala until the final legendary battle rages thunderous volcanic eruptions against pounding flooding surf. One hundred foot waves could not breach Kilauea where Pele resides forever with her two brothers strong sons of Haumea, canoe gods of Hawai’I Nei who control the tides and currents rejoicing in sunsets together reflecting the moonlight and scattering stars as Namakaokaha’i dwells defeated in faraway Tahiti. © Cathy Quaglia   Ode to Skiing Give me the fluff of bottomless powder and an untouched glistening mountain at dawn waiting for my lonely winding tracks and I’ll show you what freedom is. Show me a challenging trail to conquer some soft moguls to put me in flight and I’ll show you what excitement is. Give me the blistery cold and ominous sky whistling winds that bend the trees a few unexpected spills to slow me down and I’ll tell you what respect for nature is. Surround me with familiar voices filled with laughter shared tales of wild ski adventures and I’ll tell you what friendship is. Give me the joy of sunshine, a suntanned face a wine and cheese picnic at the summit spectacular view of endless mountains and I’ll tell you what spring skiing is. Warm me with a little brandy by a blazing fireplace someone special to share it with and I’ll tell you what contentment is. Give me changing shapes of crystal snowflakes the cool sharp smell of an evergreen forest glory of an azure sky and a starry night and I’ll tell you what mystery and enchantment is. © Cathy Quaglia   Reflections on Snow  Snow’s origin, not so obvious as glancing in a mirror catching your image in a puddle or standing at the edge of a lake. Snow possesses more depth and magic falling flakes slowly pile up like minutes and months and miles nature’s glistening white story. Each unique shape, a cold ornament artfully decorates the forests roofs, hillsides, brooks all transform into one resting blanket of silence. Sun warms and combines invisible crystals rising moon provides a vast night light wind patterns the landscape and the elements play their game. Past child imagines and excites in the wonder creates and plays out an adventure now skillful gliding curves renew the freedom as we soar over varied frozen surfaces. Drifting thoughts suggest balance found in snow’s purity, truth and promise reveal meanings in winter’s bright gift ever grateful for mountain life. © Cathy Quaglia   Mountain Home Mountain home where we play and find some rest from yesterday. Walk thru snow against the wind gaining strength and peace within. We gather wood and build our fire time slows down as we desire. These moments rare cherished much bring us together keep us in touch. © Cathy Quaglia