Poetry Corner was created in collaboration with Aramark and their employees. Thank you to Catherine Prentice, Registered Nurse from Bethany Cochrane, for submitting this month’s poem. All employees at Bethany and Aramark are welcome to submit their poetry by the end of every month to marketing.communication@bethanyseniors.com.

Together

Sometimes things happen that are out of our control

And there’s nothing that any of us can do about that

All we can do is our best with what we have

To start we need to look at where we’re at

The road isn’t looking how we imagined

There are obstacles we didn’t expect to see

We have to get climbing to get over the first one

Then just think how different the view is going to be!

By the second we’ll know that we can do this

Because we conquered whatever came before

Take my hand and let me pull you further

Together we can do a little more

-Catherine Prentice

Poetry Corner was created in collaboration with Aramark. Thank you to Michael Quiano, Aramark Operations Associate Manager, at Bethany CollegeSide, for submitting this month’s poem and picture. All employees are welcome to submit their poetry by the end of every month to marketing.communication@bethanyseniors.com.

Shhh…

Slowly… Quietly…Softly

(Summer camp in Kananaskis)

Shhh…Go, settle down hectic mind,

Under the spec of clouds go unwind.

And leave behind what worries you

Rather, excite your thoughts to anything new

Slowly…quietly…softly

Shhh… Go, captivate the gentle river rush

Pause for a while with easing hush

And float on rippling water flow

Follow the tide and be mellow

Slowly…quietly…softly

Shhh…Go, hike the mountains with pace

Trek the rugged slopes with grace

And picture the scenes of what you see

For memories, soon it will be

Slowly…quietly…softly

Shhh…Go, lay beneath the bluish sky

‘Til the glaring sunlight waves bye, bye,

And bare your mind of what happened yesterday

Instead, reflect of what has happened in you today

Slowly…quietly…softly

Shhh…Go, breathe the soothing air

Feel the breeze while it’s still there

And let the gale blow from snowy peaks

Moisten your lips and your rosy cheeks

Slowly…quietly…softly

Shhh…the whistling wind has lured me to rest

Underneath, the scented green forest

And pondered the day that had passed

A moment framed I know will last

Slowly…quietly…softly

Shhh…as my day shifted so smoothly

Unnoticed, the sun drifted silently

And thank you prayers were said peacefully

To God who loves us so dearly

Slowly…quietly…softly

-Michael Angelo B. Quiano

Welcome to the Poetry Corner!

In collaboration with Aramark, we have created this space for poetry contributions. Submissions by all employees are welcome.

This month, we received two poetry contributions. The first one is called In a Summer Sky A Blue Jay Came, written by Michael Angelo B. Quiano, Operations Associate Manager, Aramark at Bethany CollegeSide.

In Summer Sky A Blue Jay Came – June 2022

Beyond the horizon of sunshine blue,
Morning awakens to something new.
While the sky glares its clearest view,
My thoughts of summer are always true.

Beyond the clouds; I look,
As I wash my feet on flowing brook
Uttering, I whispered your name,
In summer sky-a Blue Jay came.

In the air I hear her tweet,
A morning whistles, so gentle and sweet,
She flies over me and watches over me,
All in view of summer scenery.

She follows me wherever I go,
On a river as I float and row,
The bird hushes her singing,
Joyfully, my heart beats and smiling,

She chirps while I hike,
She glides while I bike,
Up to the mountains,
Down to the fountains.

I sat in the park,
She pecked on a bark,
She hums in music,
While dine in a picnic.

On a tiring day, she rested on the tree,
While I nap in a cozy tepee,
As the moonshines, and stars twinkling,
My graceful Jay is soundly sleeping,

Summer will cool away,
Other seasons will never stay,
But my pretty Jay will remain with me
No matter what, the day would be.

-Michael Angelo B. Quiano

The second poem is called Hope, written by Janie Rushton, Spiritual Care Practitioner, from Bethany Calgary.

Hope

What is hope?
Maybe it’s inside me, being ever optimistic.
Or desires for a certain something,
Meeting goals by my own gumption.
Or living out a passion, hunger for expression
Through my own creative action.
Or trust in God to give what’s needed,
My prayers in grace and mercy heeded.
Or in being there for others and accepting help from sisters/brothers.
All this is hope.

Which kind of hope is mine?
Good news – I don’t have to choose.
For they all belong to me.
Yet deep inside I wonder
When no replacements for my lost hopes can be found
Will I be resilient, or despairing?
Or just too stubborn to give up? (For that too, is hope)

Pain eroded the strength I thought I had,
But then along came my friend
Who loaned me some, and then, inspired, my own rebounded.
Hope transferred.

I cried out to my God,
And He lifted me up and renewed my strength.
I will not grow weary.
Hope assured.

I sought my strengths
And tended them like energetic seedlings.
Wrote new chapters of my life in joyful colours.
Sought hope’s reflection in my daily missions.
Hope fostered.

May I be like the seed that bursts when watered,
And breaks new ground and grows towards the light.
And waits with patience through the night
For each new day to dawn.
Hope embraced.

Hope’s tiny blossoms furled and yet unseen… AWAKEN!
For it is spring and the season of hope.

– Janie Rushton