Okay, so I borrowed the title of this blog from the current issue of Thema. There is a reason for that. More than a year ago I saw the invitation on the Thema website to write with this theme. Probably a year before that I had written a poem triggered by seeing the wood violets blooming beneath the trees in my yard. When the invitation came in this issue of the magazine, I could see a fit between my poem and the idea of light and shadow. I pulled “Growing” out and did some polishing before sending it in. Thankfully, the editors also thought it fit.
“Growing” is now published in the summer 2024 issue of Thema. Little did I know when I first wrote it or when I brought it back out for submission how appropriate it would be for my own life as this year has progressed. Ironically, my own words spoke back to me as I read them in the magazine.
Growing
Into the forest,
shadows deepen –
gloom and darkness,
filtered with sunbeams,
playing chase
on the forest floor –
light and dark,
sunshine and shadow,
growing
a wood violet.
Into life’s way
shadows deepen –
trouble and pain,
filtered with joy,
playing chase
on the heartstrings –
light and dark,
happiness and sorrow,
growing
a human soul.
You may want to order the magazine and check out what other writers did with the theme. As usual, I am enjoying the variety of takes in Thema by different writers for its current theme as they speak to me as well. The website for subscriptions or purchase of past issues is https://themaliterarysociety.com.