Regarding our optional theme for this month, I first heard the phrase "safely gathered in" as part of a church hymn. The full line is "All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin." My grandfather was a farmer, and this wasn't just a nice phrase for him. Getting crops harvested and stored against the winter was a critical part of survival - for his animals as well as for his family. I have fond memories of helping grandmother with her canning. Lots of peeling and paring and coring. My favorite part was making applesauce and apple butter. The old manual equipment was fascinating and fun.

However, there are more things than just crops that need to be safely gathered in. From earliest childhood to the end of life, people need a place where they can feel "safely gathered in." Families, friends and relatives can all be places where we shelter from life's storms. For me, music and literature have been a refuge and they have brought me unexpected friendships as well.

Verse-Virtual, though not perfect, aims to be a place for poets and friends to gather and support each other. We make our own safe place as a community. Thank you for caring and nurturing that feeling.

Submissions for November will follow the guidelines found HERE.