We never heard back from RIM, but we did pray that the right door would open up.

As of tomorrow morning, Trace will be at an inpatient rehab in Rochester.

I’m hoping beyond hope that she is home soon, but more than that we want her to be able to walk again. We are missing her so much.

Thank you all for your prayers and for hanging in there with us on this adventure.

As far as my poem for today goes, I have been working on the Trijan Refrain, a poetry form created by Jan Turner. It consists of three 9-line stanzas, a total of 27 lines. Line 1 is usually the same in all three stanzas, although a variation of the form is not to repeat that same line with each stanza. I chose to repeat half the line.

In this form, the first four syllables of line 5 in each stanza are repeated as the double-refrain for lines 7 and 8.

The Trijan Refrain is a rhyming poem with a set meter and rhyme scheme as follows:

x. x. x. x. x. x. x. a. 8
x. x. x. x. x  b. 6
x. x. x. x. x. x. x. a. 8
x. x. x. x. x. b. 6
R. R. R. R. x. x. x. c. 8
x. x. x. x. x. x. x. c.  8
 R. R. R. R. 4
R. R. R. R. 4
x. x. x. x. x. x. x. c. 8

It’s a tricky little form, but I rather like it. I’m going to post the poem today with stanza 1 and 2 together. Tomorrow I will add the third and final verse.

1.
friendship unpacks a history
rich with joy and sorrow
and days unfold with mystery
where twists and turns abound
walk in the light when days grow dark
and life seems bleak and rather stark
walk in the light 
walk in the light 
rejoicing in each tender spark.

2.
friendship unpacks a new season
that’s not at all thrilling 
I know things happen with reason 
without our request or willing
walk in the light when times get tough
walk in the light when times are rough 
walk in the light 
walk in the light 
finding hope when life seems enough.

—a work in progress by Carla Picklo Jordan