Thank you, Winston the Stick

Summary

Jenine Bsharah Baines expresses gratitude through a dodoitsu poem dedicated to a succulent named Winston, inspired by Winston Churchill, and submits it to Trista Signe Ainsworth's new publication, "Thank You Notes."

Abstract

The website content is a personal reflection by Jenine Bsharah Baines, who draws inspiration from a seemingly barren succulent stick named "Winston," after Winston Churchill. Despite months of seemingly futile care, the stick eventually bloomed and produced offspring, teaching Baines a lesson in perseverance. She commemorates this experience with a dodoitsu poem, a Japanese poetic form, and submits it to Trista Signe Ainsworth's publication, "Thank You Notes," as a gesture of appreciation for the inspiration and support she has received from Ainsworth and the Medium community.

Opinions

Baines admires Winston Churchill's qualities, including his courage, eccentricity, and ability to inspire.
She believes in the power of persistence, as demonstrated by her continued care for the succulent.
The act of naming the succulent "Winston" signifies respect and a personal connection to Churchill's spirit.
Baines finds joy and value in the Medium community, particularly in her interactions with Trista Signe Ainsworth and her readers.
The poem and the act of writing it serve as a thank you note to both the succulent and the people who have enriched her life.
Baines has a fondness for Japanese poetic forms, which she incorporates into her expression of gratitude.

if sticks can bloom so can barren we

Photo copyright of jenine bsharah baines

“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.” Winston Churchill

Watering a barren stick day after day after day I stopped paying attention My hose soldiered on

Watering a stick? Senseless except one night the stick bloomed… such succulent instruction! Savor miracles

Winston’s fattened with power, every pup so eloquent – and how he loves a good joke! My soul laughs thank you’s

Winston Churchill has fascinated me forever. His courage, his out-of-the-box thinking, his eccentricity, his battle with depression (which he called “the black dog”), his love of painting, his astonishing facility with words, his wit, his ability to inspire, his loyalty.

So when the sad succulent — truly a stick — I stuck in the ground actually birthed pups after months and months and months of what felt like a lost cause, I knew I had to christen him “Winston.”

Winston has taught me an invaluable lesson. This poem is my thank you note.

Oh — I almost forgot! Dodoitsu is like haiku or tanka, except it’s four lines with this syllabic pattern: 7/7/7/5

I picked a Japanese poetic form because I know Trista Signe Ainsworth loves Japan…and this is my maiden submission to her new publication, Thank You Notes.

Thank you, Trista. You have taught me so much since we met via Medium. Ditto, dearest readers. Thank you for your support, comments, and love. I pray I return these to you one hundredfold!

three dodoitsu — Japanese poetic form

Thank you, Winston the Stick

if sticks can bloom so can barren we

Thank You Notes News #1

Our first writing prompt is given with joy