Happy MAY !

Greetings!

"Between our two lives, there is also the life of the cherry blossom."

~ Bashō Matsuo

May is my birthday month. I grew up in the suburbs of New York. On the front lawn of my Fresh Meadows home, my parents planted a cherry blossom tree. What I remember most about my childhood is how the tree bloomed every year on my birthday. I would sit on the pink-carpeted lawn and toss the pink petals in the air. I felt very connected to that tree, and one of the saddest moments for me was moving away for college. I revisited my love for cherry blossom trees during a trip to Japan about ten years ago. I felt like I had returned home.

As you know, May is also the month when we celebrate Mother's Day, a holiday that I'm very proud to celebrate. My pregnancies were all challenging, and I wouldn't change motherhood for anything in the world. My three children, Rachel, Regine, and Joshua, have grown up to be wonderful humans and parents. I could not be prouder. I also feel blessed to have six magnificent grandchildren. Every day with them is a blessing.

As it turns out, my forthcoming poetry collection, Walking Myself Home: Haibun & Haiku, will be released on my birthday, May 7th, 2027! What a celebration that will be!

Here's a timely haibun from the collection:

PINK BLANKET

The Sakura or cherry blossom is a reminder of life’s fragility. During springtime, a time of new beginnings, they enchant us for one week a year. Blossoms signal the beauty of Japanese culture. The Wabi-Sabi way of being. Accepting what is. During my trip to Kyoto, I was mesmerized by the delicate, pale-pink petals slipping to the ground in the gentlest breeze. If you listen carefully, ancestral melodies dance as the pink flakes fall upon and coat the green blades of grass.

my childhood front lawn

petals of blossoms dip down

a magical carpet

My Sacred Circles for women 60+ at Godmothers Books in Summerland, CA, have been fun and successful. This month, we will discuss Mothers, Mentors & Matriarchs, and I look forward to many interesting discussions.

Wishing you a wonderful month of May! Please remember to get out into nature and smell the roses or whatever flower you choose!

https://www.dianaraab.com

Who is a woman whom you admired?
Who is your favorite female author ,and why?
Write about a woman who has been a mentor to you.
Write about your mother, grandmother, aunt, or another important female figure.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED WORKS

"Body Talk." (poem). Quibble Lit. March 2026.

"The Bartender." (poem) Superpresent. April 2026.

"Small Ecstacies." (poem). Brown Bag Lit. Issue 11.

"The Secret to Poetry." (article) Psychology Today. April 13, 2026.

"The Secret of Poetry." (article). Sixty and Me. April 14, 2026.

"The Secret to Poetry." (article). The Good Men Project. April 16, 2026.

UPCOMING APPEARANCES

~~January 10, 2026 - SOLD OUT~~

~~February 21, 2026 - SOLD OUT~~

~~March 14, 2026~~

~~April 11, 2026~~

May 16, 2026

June 28, 2026

July 11, 2026

(Each session has a different theme)

Saturdays

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Sacred Circle:

Women 60 and over

Godmothers Books

Summerland, CA

For more details and registration:

https://godmothers.com/events

*****

June 21-26, 2026

Santa Barbara Writers Conference

Memoir Writing

Santa Barbara, CA

To register: Click here

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Bread of Angels by Patti Smith (memoir)

I have read Smith's other memoirs, and I must say that I enjoyed this one the most. In her usual poetic style she is transparent about her childhood and young adolescent years. She calls her child a Proustian childhood, often being quarantined due to illnesses. Her father used to recite the Kipling poem, "If." The opening words resonated then and clearly do now for her. ("If you could keep your head when all about you/are losing theirs). She realized early that everything was a potential poem.

Her life has been marked by some very deep losses among her loved ones. Time and time again, she turns to creativity to get her through.

Her words, "People have the power," originated in her work with the International Peace Foundation, where she met and worked with the Dalai Lama.

This is a beautiful memoir and an even better Mother's Day gift!

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (memoir/inspirational)

This book is the 70th anniversary edition and much of the information in it is still timely. When I was a young writer, I had the opportunity to meet Reeve Lindbergh, Anne's youngest daughter, at a writers' conference in Florida. We had some terrific conversations. She's now in her nineties.

Anne wrote the book as a young mother, inspiring herself and her readers. It is a classic and a reminder to seek peace and meditation. Over the years, I must have given this book as a gift to everyone I knew and loved.

There are so many terrific passages in the book. Essentially, it's an inspirational book. In this latest edition, the last chapter is called "Gift from the Sea: Reopened," which she wrote since being widowed. She highlights the importance of women aging on their own and finding their true center. She discusses the strength of today's woman and how she is more honest, more courageous, more confident than ever!

Another beautiful and timeless Mother's Day gift!