Patchwork Poetry and Parenting

Three Word Wednesday

2011-05-11T10:16:00.002-04:00

"And the time came when the pain to remain tight in the bud became greater than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

Today, my creative juices were tweaked from Three Word Wednesday ...Brandish...Forbid...Manage....three words which best describe my experience last night with my young son.

Thunderstruck!
Lost in the roll,
Brandished by forbidden fear.

Manage to find peace
In the place of the witness.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T08:27:00.003-04:00

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. ~Oprah Winfrey

Look at that, it's been almost 2 years since my last post... I have started up again because I have missed writing my poetry, and I am now taking some time to do what I love. I have no special plan for this blog other than to weave my life through the poetry I write. I continue to heal as I parent my trauma ridden child....it is a daunting but fulfilling experience.

Today I am using the word prompt from Weekend Wordsmith which is LOCK

clouds slide apart

freedom erupts as rays burst

unlocking the darkness

One Single Impression

2009-05-19T22:58:00.004-04:00

The sources of poetry are in the spirit seeking completeness. ~ Muriel Rukeyser

I have missed my weekly participation in one single impression...so here I am again.

This week's word is TOLERANCE given to us by Gina of Kilauea Poetry.

I have written a haiku...

a veil of droplets

spread tolerance to spaces

open to receive

15 Words or Less

2009-04-30T15:32:00.002-04:00

Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary. ~Kahlil Gibran

With the above quote I would also add...thesaurus, as I use it a lot when I write poetry.

Anyway...this week Susan Taylor Brown is hosting 15 Words or Less...it's a great photo, easily stimulating one's imagination. Head on over and join in...everyone's welcome.

Here's my contribution:

Puzzle pieces
placed upon
nature's background.

One Single Impression

2009-04-28T08:05:00.003-04:00

This week on OSI the prompt is WORD...a word close to my heart, as my husband is unable to use them at this point...so it brings many emotions and thoughts to mind...here is what I came up with.

Silent Words

your eyes speak
words,
your hand speaks
words,
I listen...
frustration mounts,
you slouch,
I say your
words,
you listen...
your eyes
smile,
I understood your
silent words.

Life's Decisions

2009-04-19T08:55:00.003-04:00

"Life is a process. We are a process. The universe is a process." ~ Anne Wilson Schaef

Today, my quote is about life rather than poetry as that is what has been happening in my days...LIFE...so much so I have had little time to write, other than personal poems...which by the way gets me through my life. With my current situation of being a care giver to my husband and my youngest very high needs son my writing time is limited, so....

I am in the process of prioritizing my writing and have found that blogging, both reading and writing them, and dealing with emails, takes up far too much of the free time I have allocatied for writing. In other words, I am getting very little 'real writing' done...you know the kind that potentially can earn me money and/or recognition.

So... I am going to be doing less blogging, less constantly checking emails, and reading other blogs...Starting tomorrow I will focus on my 'real writing' projects and get lots of things submitted... :>)...including additional intro packages to educational publishers and other poetry and fictional work.

Oooh...I feel elated about this process. Have you ever noticed that the process of making a decision is the difficult part...actually making the decision is the peaceful and exciting part!!!!

I will be blogging, just not as often...only as time permits, and I will be keeping track of my writing time on slimtimer and posting weekly on my writing blog...time permitting, of course ;>)

See ya' around...yee haw!!!!

One Single Impression

2009-04-06T21:34:00.004-04:00

A poet must never make a statement simply because it is sounds poetically exciting; he must also believe it to be true. ~ W.H. Auden

These week's prompt at one single impression is LISTEN, and here is my lanturne...head on over and join in

Paint

wild strokes,

spring sprouting,

nature listens,

peace.

Poetry Friday

2009-04-03T17:59:00.005-04:00

Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason. ~Novalis

I know...I know...I'm late with today's lanturne. I have decided to write one to help promote my online teacher and friend, Laura Purdie Salas' new book, to be released this Monday April 6, 2009. Her book is titled, Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School.

Wild

poems!

Stampede your

way to the store.

Read!

It looks like it's going to be a great book, based on it's wild cover and the few tastes of her poems I've read at jama rattigan's alphabet soup.

15 Words or Less

2009-04-02T08:35:00.005-04:00

"The eye is the notebook of the poet." ~ James Russell Lowell

Today's photo at 15 words or less is a fan, and in keeping with my daily lanturne for national poetry month...read on and you too can participate, and link up at readwritepoem.

fan

sweeps space,

splashes breeze

upon glistened

face

One Single Impression

2009-04-01T08:19:00.008-04:00

Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits. ~ Carl Sandburg

To start off National Poetry Month I am using the prompt from One Single Impression to write my lanturne. The word this week is SMOKE... and as the picture at OSI depicts I have written mine with the thought of incense, as I love the smell of it...

Twirls,

upward,

the sweet smell

encircles with

love.

National Poetry Month

2009-03-31T08:21:00.005-04:00

Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. ~G.K. Chesterton

Tomorrow is the dawn of National Poetry Month and there will be tons of poems to read and or receive throughout April.

I plan to write a poem-a-day in the form of a Laturne. If you're interested in participating by writing a poem every day for the month of April (weekends included, I assume:>)) you can sign up at readwritepoem, and from there you will be able to read many poems on many blogs.

You can also receive a poem-a day by email. Sign up at poets.org.

I am also going to read a poetry book a day and post it on the my side bar.

Even if you don't think of yourself as a poet, give it a try. It'll be fun and you will definately learn a little, if not a lot...so come along for the ride, and you could even write a poem about cheese (see the above quote)!

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-03-28T10:18:00.004-04:00

To see the Summer Sky
Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie -
True Poems flee.

~Emily Dickinson

Weekend Wordsmith's writing prompt is JUMBLED. I like that word and all it conjures in my frazzled brain. So this is what I came up with midst the jumble of my life :>)

Jumbled

Juggling the jumble of
Piles protruding,
Lists lengthening,
Time trumpeting,
Jingle jangle...

gotta start somewhere!

Stampede to an online Launch Party

2009-03-28T09:46:00.009-04:00

"Poetry lies its way to the truth.” ~ John Ciardi

This morning's post is to invite you to Laura Salas' online la unch party for her new book, about to be released, Stampede! To Celebrate the Wild side of School!

Let's join her in celebration on April 6, 2009!

Poetry Friday

2009-03-27T09:36:00.003-04:00

"Poetry is an orphan of silence. The words never quite equal the experience behind them.” ~ Charles Simic

A few days ago, I picked up a poetry book written by an 11 year-old boy. His name, Mattie J.T. Stepanek. He began writing poetry at the age of three, to help him deal with the death of his older brother. Mattie had a rare form of muscular distrophy, and somehow this young soul was able to feel and see life for what it really was...living our lives listening to our heartsongs. The Journey through Heartsongs, the book I read, has poems written by a very young Mattie, age 3 to age 11. There is much to be learned by his poetry...I would hope that I too will listen to my heartsongs...

Here is an excerpt from a poem written by Mattie, age of eight, in his book titled, Journey through Heartsongs..

Swinging

So high. . .
Wind tickles my tummy
Plays with my feet
Gives my hair a ride.
So high. . .
Grab a leaf from a tree
Reach a so-far-up branch
See over the edge of my earth.
So high. . . read the rest..

Julie Larios is hosting Poetry Friday today. Check out the roundup here.

Three Word Wednesday

2009-03-25T14:55:00.005-04:00

"Poetry...tells of capturing a moment...because it's going to live." ~ Nikki Giovanni

This weeks 3WW had me stewing. I wanted to write something for children, but that just wasn't coming out of me. And besides the words weren't really kids' kind of words, but I did come up with something but I couldn't quite get it done and it was time to move on to other projects with self imposed deadlines...so the following is what came out, instead (and it's not intended as a children's poem :>))...

The three words are: earnest, layer, reactive.

Beneath the layers

emotion sleeps,

standing at attention

for the moment

of reactive fear

to plunge me into

earnest tears.

2009-03-23T18:31:00.006-04:00

"Never let the mud puddle get lost in poetry--because in many ways the mud puddle is the poetry." ~ Valerie Worth

It's been a while for me but here I am once again ready to write a poem from One Single Impressions prompt, which this weeks is 'equals' representing March 20, the vernal equinox, when day and night were the same length.

In my minds eye I saw the sun sinking into the horizon to give night an equal share, and wrote the following haiku...

day leaves, shaking hands

with night, sun sinks out of sight,

moon's light takes over.

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-03-22T09:22:00.005-04:00

"Poetry is indispensable --if I only knew what for." Cocteau, Jean

This weekend's Weekend Wordsmith is Passport.

I was finding myself stumped. Throughout Saturday I had tried several times to come up with a poem (because that's what I like to write from my prompts). Nothing was coming, so this morning I remembered something I learned in a poetry course...add an extra word to a poem to give it some more depth.

Well I added two extra words to the prompt, Red and Trampoline, and before I knew it words flowed, and out came a poem of sorts. Not only that, similes showed up, too. This was a great exercise for me, and reminded me of the usefulness of continued education :>)

Bouncing from city to city
Like a trampoline,
Eyes as red
As delicious apples,

Feeling as used
As a passport,
Announcements unfiltered
Like a rock concert,

Will it ever end
Like a book?

Yes

Smiles greet me
Like open envelopes
Hugs as welcoming
As…well hugs

Home at last…

15 Words or Less

2009-03-19T08:31:00.007-04:00

"Writing is a delicious agony."~Gwendolyn Brooks

Ahh...my favourite poetry day, photopoetry Thursday and 15 Words or Less...today's pciture is...well...peace provoking. Head on over to Laura Salas' blog and join in...for the fun of it...

Here's mine for this week, P for peace...

P for Peace

petals protruding
persuading
the world to
embrace
Peace

My Peace Poems

2009-03-17T13:53:00.002-04:00

A smile is the beginning of peace.~~ Mother Teresa

You may have already seen the letter below floating amongst writers blogs regarding the gathering of peace poems. Please feel free to participate and help in your own way to bring peace into your life and others, as well as help Judy reach her goal.

Here are my poetic contributions, one is an acrostic and the other a diamante

Perpetual
Essence of
Acceptance
Cradled for
Eternity

War
fearful, hostile
struggling, battling, conforming
bloodshed, survival, tranquility, freedom
understanding, accepting, embracing
harmonious, serene
Peace

3-1-09

Dear Family and Friends of mine,
Peace and love are on my mind now all day, everyday...Do you remember the story of Sadako the little girl who died as the result of the Hiroshima bombing? Her goal was to fold 1,000 origami cranes before she died, an act of hope and
peace. She died before she finished, but since then, children from all over the world continue to send thousands of colorful peace cranes to the Peace Museum in Hiroshima. Thus, they show their support and faith.

I traveled for two weeks in November with Patch Adams and 25 other clowns on their 24th annual humanitarian clowning trip to Russia. We visited sick or abandoned children in hospitals, orphanages and home hospices, clowning and sharing love, laughter and peace.

Action: I am gathering poems, quotes and prose pictures about peace* from writers around the world, of all ages and backgrounds, published or not. They will be arranged in a book, the proceeds of which will go exclusively toward building in West Virginia, the world's first silly hospital, a proto-typical model of health care delivery. See www.PatchAdams.org; Patch Adams: Gesundheit (Patch Adams & Maureen Mylander); Housecalls (Patch Adams).

This one-of-its-kind hospital will treat patients free of charge using the most modern medical technology and alternative methods including humor, drama, art, music, playful architecture and old fashioned family-doctoring. There will be no insurance required or accepted.

Arnold Adoff, Maya Angelou, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Zilpha Keatley Synder and Jane Yolen have already contributed their poems. Honor Moore will help. I have asked the Obama Family, Patch Adams, Robin Williams and Shel Silverstein’s publishers to participate in 1,000 pieces of peace. Would you please join us?

What: send one or more peace pieces *
When: DEADLINE: March 30
Where: judy.fisk.lucas@gmail.com
Why: To do something for peace

Thank you from the center of my heart,
Judy Lucas, M.A.
SCBWI Member & CSUCI writing student
Camarillo, CA

2009-03-12T12:08:00.006-04:00

Poetry is not always words. ~Audrey Foris

Ah...it's Thursday again...15 words or less day over at Laura Salas' blog. I have great fun writing poetry from pictures. I find it very inspiring and all kinds of ideas pop into my head from a photo. Head on over and try it...it's for fun, no pressure. Today's photo is titled 'Secret Door'. Doesn't that just make you want to take a peak???

Here's my creation:

Squirreled away
Bark hair drapes the curved archway
Awaiting new life

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-03-07T16:31:00.005-05:00

"What can a poem do? Just about everything."~Eve Merriam

This weekend's prompt at Weekend Wordsmith is MEDAL. As you'll notice in my poem it has absolutely nothing to do with the word medal. What I picked up on was the word science written on the medals in the picture. This in turn triggered a thought about how one of my son's do not like science...and this is what I came up with...(the metering is a little off...oops!)

I hate science,

I hate math,

Spend umpteen hours

With homework's wrath.

I like recess,

I like phys. ed.,

For those there's no

Need to use my head.

I like my friends,

I like being cool,

So I may as well

Stay in school.

15 Words of Less

2009-03-05T20:08:00.006-05:00

"Poetry helps us travel beyond ourselves."~X. J. Kennedy

Head on over to Laura Salas' blog for this week's 15 Words or Less...write a short poem from a posted picture...it's for fun and is fun to do...meant for anyone who just wants to try. Below is my creation for this week.

peaceful wind
carries me-
forgotten below
the speed of life.

Three Word Wednesday

2009-03-04T10:22:00.003-05:00

"Poetry should be like fireworks...ready to explode..." ~~Lilian Moore.

Today, on Three Word Wednesday the word prompts are:

Avenge
Genuine
Ramble

An interesting combination which produced this result from my rambling brain...

The need to avenge
the force of life
through time,
Rambles our need
to find
our genuine self.

Monday's Poetry Stretch

2009-03-02T16:17:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I've done Monday's Poetry Stretch. This one was fun to do...not only inspired by the prompt of writing a personal ad poem, but also by Jane Yolen's poem she posted first thing...rhyming poems are fun to write...

Next!

I'm tall and slim
And somewhat prim,
My hair a mess
I must confess,
But eyes of blue
And that is true.

I love to read,
My biggest need,
To you I'll talk,
And mend your sock,
Do you believe?
Then how naive!

My dogs, my cats,
My birds, my rats
Mean more to me
Than drink or tea.

I live a life,
And need a wife
To cook and clean,
I'll be your queen,
You'll be my king,
I'll take your ring...

It's no, you say
Well that's okay,
I'll not resist--
Next! on my list...

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-02-21T19:51:00.006-05:00

Poetry makes nothing happen. It survives in the valley of its saying. Auden, W. H.

The prompt on this Weekend's Wordsmith is 'TIME', and I have come up with a sort of haiku..

purple petals sway

caught by the camera's eye

time stopped~

15 Words or Less

2009-02-19T20:16:00.011-05:00

"Poetry is the journal of a sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the sky."-- Carl Sandburg

I see it's been a week since I last posted...oh well! Life is kind of getting in my way. I'm busy with Laura Purdie Salas' non-fiction course and then there's regular life with kids, husband, pets, and of course, me :>)

Head on over and try your hand at writing a 15 word or less poem prompted from this week's photo...it's a strange one...but lots of neat poems and thoughts have been posted.

Here's mine for this week, inspired from my eldest's son fear of clowns when he was young:

hidden behind

my painted smile,

frowns,

searching for happiness.

15 Words or Less

2009-02-12T10:04:00.005-05:00

"A poet's autobiography is his poetry. Anything else can be only a footnote."-- Yevgeny Yevtushenko

This week's photo at 15 Words or Less, although it is definately a winter picture, reminded me of spring, because we are having a rainfall warning here and it feels a little like springs arrival as the snow seeps away into the soil...

Spring sprouts,
Soaking ice,
Skating saved,
Swimming soon!

Three Word Wednesday

2009-02-11T11:18:00.010-05:00

Poetry doesn't belong to those who write it, but to those who need it. ~Unknown, Source

This week on Three Word Wednesday the three words are:

Disarray, Rabble, Validate

As a side, I love the way the word 'rabble' rolls from the mouth...and my poem for the week is;

Aphasia

Rabble words

in a disarray,

Unable to connect, and

Validate his existence.

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-02-08T21:53:00.004-05:00

Poetry is plucking at the heartstrings, and making music with them. ~Dennis Gabor

I'm a little late with Weekend Wordsmith, but as they say, here I am...I guess that's not really what they say....just what I say ...

This weekend's prompt is Boom and I've come up with a very simple acronym.

Blasts

Own

Mistakes

15 Words or Less

2009-02-05T10:40:00.008-05:00

Poetry is the impish attempt to paint the color of the wind. ~~Maxwell Bodenheim

Today on 15 Words or less Laura Salas has a photo of an unusual clock. Head on over and join in for the fun of it.

The poem that popped into my head today, and can also be found at 15 Words or less, came to me as I pictured my parents' home where there is almost a clock on every wall. My stepfather is a 'clock person' involved in the clock community here. When I visit their home, I am reminded how easily time slips by, yet it's also neat to be reminded by all the chimes, bells and songs their clocks sing.

Pendulums pump
Chimes chirp
Time twitters
A...w...a...y......

Three Word Wednesday

2009-02-04T16:18:00.006-05:00

Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn. ~Thomas Gray

Those three little words this week on 3WW are:

Crumple
Illicit
Nerve

Brain Attack

Crumpled sounds attack
With illicit power
Shooting nerve endings
Into energy space .

One Single Impression

2009-02-03T18:25:00.005-05:00

Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth. ~Samuel Johnson

This weeks prompt at One Single Impression is the adverb 'slowly'.

I have written my poem about the progress I have seen in my husband, who is learning to walk all over again, following his stroke last year. The progress is slow but it is there, and that's what's important....reaching our goals no matter the mountain standing in our way.

Steps

Each step,
Stuck,
Each step,
Shuffle,
Each step,
Secure,

Stuck, shuffle,secure,
Step by step by step…

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-02-01T15:46:00.007-05:00

"Poetry is the journal of a sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the sky."-- Carl Sandburg

This weekend's Weekend Wordsmith is, sleepless, an action I know very well at this time of my life for numerous reasons.

Following is the poem I created in trying to 'fly in the sky'. What I ended up with was a very strange Haiku...

Sleepless

Clustered thoughts like stars,
Pinprick my brain, tossing
Sheep back to their fields.

Three Word Wednesday

2009-01-28T08:26:00.013-05:00

Breathe-in experience, breathe-out poetry.~Muriel Rukeyser

Today's words for 3WW are and interesting contrast and I thought, "Won't it be fun to play with these three words:

Caress

Jagged

Ruthless

And as I thought of these words a picture of a rock climber popped into my head.

( I'm not quite sure who to attribute this image to but it can be found at www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000830.html )

Unseen ruthless winds

Beckon,

Hanging hands caressing

Jagged rocks.

Earth waits...above.

Monday's Poetry Stretch

2009-01-27T08:28:00.004-05:00

Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason. ~Novalis

Today, even though it's not Monday, I am doing Monday's Poetry Stretch, and a stretch I believe it will be. Below will be an attempt at a lipogram, and I have decided to write a short verse without the letter 'e' as that seems to be the most challenging...

Without

Oh, how do you put
In writing
A short group of words
With constraints, such as
A missing part
Of what allows us to
Talk amongst humans,
Without driving us
NUTS!!!??

One Single Impression

2009-01-26T11:52:00.010-05:00

To have great poets there must be great audiences too. "--Walt Whitman

This week on OSI the prompt is 'If Only I Had Time". For me that is true of my daily schedule, as it is for many I'm sure. And so I continue through life using time as efficiently as possible, even if that means sitting quietly and doing my sudoku or ken ken puzzle...

Here is my contribution for this week. Feel free to join in and read some wonderful works from such varying writers...One Single Impression

Like fairy dust

Time sprinkled

For use to...

Fly with the wind

Circle the earth

Dance on the clouds

Sing with the angels

Stay in your dreams

Come out of your past

Time given,

A gift.

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-01-25T15:35:00.007-05:00

" Poetry comes nearer to vital truth than history."-- Plato

Ah yes...time for weekend wordsmith, and the word to ponder over is sensible, and the photo...well sensible shoes...

(Photo is "Eleanor's Sensible Shoes", by appaloosa)

Grounded,

Solid

By all appearances,

Hidden inside

Tenderness,

Gentleness,

Bursting to show

Through the toes

Wiggling,

Dancing,

Waiting--

For another day.

15 Words or Less

2009-01-22T10:13:00.005-05:00

" Science is for those who learn; poetry, for those who know."-- Joseph Roux

I love Thursdays! Not because tomorrow is Friday, or yesterday was Wednesday, BUT because it's 15 Words or Less day. The day I get to write a short poem from a picture introduced to us at Laura Salas' blog. Head on over and join in. Below is the poem inspired from her photopoetry. It will also be posted on her site tomorrow, along with other great poetry.

Surrendered spirits

Swing toward the

Sight of light

Where love sits.

Three Word Wednesday

2009-01-21T16:40:00.007-05:00

"Perhaps no person can be a poet, or can even enjoy poetry, without a certain unsoundness of mind."--Thomas Babington Macaulay

This week's words from three word wednesday are a great combo:

Cadence

Humble

Resolve

What I wrote just sort of came out. It's a 10 line free verse.

Each Day

As we step through each day,

We find a rhythm, a cadence,
Sending us the internal message
We are on the right track.

We resolve to follow our path,
Whether straight, long, narrow, crooked,
And bow our humble heads
To find the spot inside,
Leading us on our way,

As we step through each day.

One Single Impression

2009-01-19T16:23:00.007-05:00

"A poet is someone who is astonished by everything."-- Anonymous

This week's prompt at One Single Impression is Fading Memories. This week I have decided to write my poem in the form of Senryu, similar to Haiku but written in the predent tense about human nature or emotions.

Faded Memories

past pictures pass by,
blurred, faded, invisible,
the present surrounds.

Weekend Wordsmith

2009-01-18T16:37:00.006-05:00

" Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood."-- T. S. Eliot

This weekend's Weekend Wordsmith photo has brought to me a poem written in the form of a Laturne.

Dark

clouds hang

following

the road toward

Light.

15 Words or Less

2009-01-15T08:18:00.007-05:00

A poet must leave traces of his passage, not proof. ~~Rene Char

Today is 15 Words or Less Thursday. I always look forward to writing a short piece of poetry. It just seems so simple and easy, and sometimes I surprise myself with what ends up on paper after only minutes of thought. Actually, there really is no thought to it. Words just form, magically. That's why I love writing poetry from pictures.

Anyway join in and head on over...give it a try at 15 Words or Less. Today's picture is titled Waterfall, Waterstill. Here is my contribution.

Hungry for spring,

Hurry, hurry,

Want to join in.

2009-01-14T19:28:00.005-05:00

A poem should not mean. But be.—Archibald MacLeish, "Ars Poetica"

Oh! How I wish it was summer, but it's not, so I shall picture in my mind's eye a moment in summer as I observe a curtain of ice fog paint over my window.

You can find the prompt over at One Single Impression and join in by writing a poem about summer. Here is mine:

Branches drape, fanning

through a wall of humid air

blades stretch--bend in the breeze.

Monday Poetry Stretch

2009-01-13T11:40:00.005-05:00

All the poet can do today is warn.
That is why true Poets must be truthful. ~~Wilfred Owen

Once again it is Miss Rumphius' Poetry Stretch, and a stretch it is. Here's my shot at an ottava rima.

A part of my dad’s brain died the other day,
A part of him is gone because he had a stroke,
Words get stuck and he has nothing to say,
He can’t even tell me another great joke,
No more soccer or hockey can we play,
His whole right side is completely broke,
I know one day he’ll be able to walk,
I also hope he’ll be able to talk.

As is often the case these days, my poetry projects what is or has been happening in our family life this past year. Good therapy, I say!

Thanks for this stretch it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be...

Monday Poetry Stretch

2009-01-08T16:24:00.010-05:00

Always be a poet, even in prose. ~Charles Baudelaire, "My Heart Laid Bare," Intimate Journals, 1864

Today is the first Poetry Stretch of the year. Here is my contribution and hopefully my continued presence. I have been somewhat absent since my husband's stroke.

Head on over to The Miss Rumphius Effect for instructions and join in. Here's my contribution which didn't exactly follow the rules, but then I'm not known for following all the rules!

The Kitchen

Golden brown
Resting on oval,
Knife whirrrs,
Slices --
Juices drool,
Mistletoe dangles,
Aprons meet,
Lips meet,
Smiles melt into
Sun's rays.

Monday Poetry Stretch

2008-05-06T21:01:00.005-04:00

Imaginary gardens with real toads in them. ~Marianne Moore's definition of poetry, "Poetry," Collected Poems, 1951

This week on Miss Rumphius' Monday Poetry Stretch you are prompted to write a poem from a delightful image of a young boy building a sand mountain.

Here's my poem titled:

Mountains

A mountain of sand,
Temporary, until
waves wash
this mountain of sand
away.
My mountain
Is not built
Of sand.

Weekend Wordsmith

2008-05-03T20:40:00.003-04:00

Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason. ~Novalis

The Weekend Wordsmith for this weekend is prompted by the picture below of torrential rains. There are some wonderful words to be found at the site, so go and check it out...

The Veil

Peace settles

Behind a veil of

Rhythmic

Raindrop

Explosions.

2008-05-02T10:02:00.009-04:00

Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted. ~Percy Shelley, A Defence of Poetry, 1821

Hey! So I'm a couple of days late... I felt the need to do this week's Three Word Wednesday as the words seemed relavent to what has been going in my life right now. The three words for this week are, Empty, Highway, Ignored. So here is my first draft contribution...

Tumbled Signs

He ignored the signs

As we travelled

along our daily highway

Of sports, music, school and

time together.

Then...

He crashed -- the signs

Tumbled

Our life forever changed

Our highway empty

Until we find

A new roadway to travel.

One Single Impression

2008-04-29T17:39:00.004-04:00

"Almost everyone is as full of words waiting to sing as a forest is full of birds before sunrise." ~~Harry Behn

This weeks prompt over at One Single Impression is 'flowering'. Along with the word is a lovely picture of a flowering fruit tree. So head over and read some of the incredible haikus, and write one yourself. A great way to practice writing poetry...

Spreading their petals

To embrace the hope to come

Summer fruit follows

15 Words Or Less

2008-04-28T22:05:00.006-04:00

Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes. ~Carl Sandburg

I know it's late for Laura Salas' 15 Words or Less, but better late than never. Feel free to join her weekly in writing a short poem based on a photo she publishes on her blog. It's fun and a great way to practice writing poetry.

Here's mine for the week of April 24th...

Parasol protection

from pressing sunbeams

prohibited from piercing

Onto my pale pallor.

A Time Out

2008-04-06T22:23:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry I won't be able to post for a while as my husband had a severe stroke this morning and we're not sure of the prognosis.

Weekend Wordsmith

2008-04-05T20:24:00.010-04:00

"Never throw up on an editor." ~Ellen Datlow

The Weekend Wordsmith prompt is 'what's on the menu?' And I have chosen to do an acrostic. Not a very appetizing one !

Why

Head cheese and

Artichoke with a

Tunafish milkshake

Sprinkled with sauerkraut

Octopus legs

Not attached, of course.

Tarantula roasted over

Hot ashes -- and for dessert

Earthworms and

Maggots, raw or fried

Enjoy

Now, and please don't

Upchuck!

National Poetry Month

2008-04-04T17:50:00.004-04:00

"Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history." ~Plato, Ion

A Lanturne is a five-line verse shaped like a Japanese lantern with a syllabic pattern of one, two, three, four, one.

My poem-a-day lanturne:

for the

curves along

the highway of

life.

National Poetry Month

2008-04-04T08:44:00.003-04:00

"You will find poetry nowhere unless you bring some of it with you." ~Joseph Joubert

My poem-a-day for National Poetry Month.

A Lanturne is a five-line verse shaped like a Japanese lantern with a syllabic pattern of one, two, three, four, one.

Snow

glistens

like diamonds

waiting for spring

Growth.

Poetry Friday

2008-04-03T21:53:00.024-04:00

"Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth." - -- Samuel Johnson

This week I have been reading a number of older children's poetry books. One of them I have picked up is Til All The Stars Have Fallen, Canadian Poems for Children, selected by David Booth and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. It is filled with many wonderful poems by Canadian poets; some funny, some serious, some spirited, some rhyming, some non-rhyming.

Many of the poems show Canada's varied landscape, weather, people, and nature. The artwork is varied, from soft watercolours to bold paintings that capture the essence of each poem.

I have picked out two I liked:

This I know

The light of day
cannot stay.
The fading sun
will not come
to anybody's calling.

The cold moon light
Is clear and white.
She will not go,
this I know,
til all the stars have fallen.

~Anne Corkett

The sky is falling

It's cool under the August
apple tree
and fun
lying on my back looking
at the sky
shaped into blue chunks
between leaves
magnified
between fingers
rainbowed
between eyelashes.
You can see a lot
everything but the apple
that hits your nose
and then nothing but
stars.

~Diane Dawber

Becky's Book Reviews is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup!

15 Words Or Less

2008-04-03T14:06:00.004-04:00

"Poetry is all that is worth remembering in life." ~William Hazlitt

Go check out Laura Salas' blog for the pciture prompt to write a poem in 15 words or less. It's fun!

Her picture this week is a robin sitting on a spring snow covered branch. Here's my attempt for this week...

Spring

must be

in this maze.

Somewhere?

Daily Lanturne

2008-04-03T07:49:00.005-04:00

"Freedom is poetry, taking liberties with words, breaking the rules of normal speech, violating common sense."- Norman O. Brown

Today's lanturne and my contribution to a poem-a-day for National Poetry Month...

Tree

fingers

reach for the

sky. Canvas of

life.

Three Word Wednesday

2008-04-02T14:38:00.004-04:00

Poetry is what gets lost in translation. ~Robert Frost

Go and check out Three Word Wednesday for a prompt. Lots of fun stuff to read. The three words for this week are: parallel, bounce, mysterious.

The first thoughts that came to mind when I read the three words were parallel universe and a mysterious bouncing ball, but then I looked out the window and wished I could play some outdoor tennis, but alas there is still way too much snow here! Anyway, that's when I changed my train of thought for this week's poem.

swing and miss

ball takes mysterious bounce

between parallel lines

National Poetry Month-Day 2

2008-04-02T07:10:00.004-04:00

"Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash." ~Leonard Cohen

I will be posting a poem-a-day for National Poetry Month. It will be in the form of a lanturne. A Lanturne is a five-line verse shaped like a Japanese lantern with a syllabic pattern of one, two, three, four, one.

Dad

Miss your

smile and touch.

Wish you were here.

Bye.

National Poetry Month 2008

2008-04-01T10:00:00.004-04:00

"Poetry Refreshes The World" ~title of Book One from Pass The Poetry, Please! by Lee Bennett Hopkins

The month of April is National Poetry Month and beginning today I will do my best and committ to writing a poem-a-day. I plan to write a daily Laturne. A Laturne is a five-line verse shaped like a Japanese lantern with a syllabic pattern of one, two, three, four, one.

Words

Blossom

In the heart

Find blank space to

Flow

If you go visit A Wrung Sponge you can see what's going on for the month. Also over at ReadWritePoem there is a master list if you take on the challenge of writing a poem-a-day. To join in let them know what you are doing.

You can also add this button to your blog. Get the button code here.

Happy National Poetry Month!

One Single Impression

2008-04-01T09:33:00.008-04:00

"Poetry is where every line comes to rest against a white space." ~John Ciardi

This weeks prompt over at One Single Impression is 'laughter', such a wonderful word and feeling to write about. So head over and read some of the incredible haikus and other forms of poetry, as this is the first day of National Poetry Month.

Here are two of my laughter poems:

sometimes laughter hides

the pain and the loss inside

life force explosion

and

muscles tighten

face blossoms--teeth glisten

new laughter lines

Non Fiction Monday

2008-03-31T05:24:00.008-04:00

"Read, read, read, read, read...... to be a writer it's a must." ~Marianne H.Nielsen

The above is a fact we've heard in many different forms as writers. It's often the first piece of advice given by well known, published writers. And I have discovered it is the most valuable piece of information, even though it's taken me a while to understand how important it is!

I have always read, but I can honestly say that I have not devoured books as I have since taking Anastasia's Suen's online non-fiction course and Laura Salas' online poetry course. In the past two months I have read several hundred books. I currently have stacks of books on my office floor amounting to about seventy-five. The library loves me! My youngest son is also thrilled with these stacks as he enjoys reading non-fiction. He comes into my office and goes through my books, reading and looking at all the photos. It's like my office floor is his own personal library!

What I want to share is that through all this reading I have done, I discovered how I want to present and write my non-fiction, and also my poetry. It somehow built confidence in me because I know I can do what other writers have done. It will take a lot more reading and writing of course, but I know I will get to where it is I want to be, and the more I read, I believe, the faster I'll get there.

So, now I understand the amount of reading that's required to be a writer. Reading is as full time a job as writing is. So get down to your library with a bag in hand and fill it up!

Come and check out the Non-fiction round-up at Anastasia Suen's blog.

Weekend Wordsmith

2008-03-29T15:58:00.012-04:00

"Nothing one ever experiences or feels is wasted." ~Lynne Reid Banks

Go check out Weekend Wordsmith for this weekend's writing prompt. This is my first time. As usual I tend to come up with a poem, and this weekend it's an acrostic. That's what popped into my weekend mind, so that's what I did.

Here it is:

April Fool

AH!

Prank time

Ready to

Initiate

Laughter and

Frolick with

Others. Play tricks

On teachers, friends

Lightheartedly!

~Marianne H. Nielsen

Poetry Friday

2008-03-28T09:15:00.013-04:00

"If a writer isn't a reader, he's in the wrong profession." ~Marion Dane Bauer.

And isn't that the truth! The more we writers read the more we learn, and besides it's fun to read and I love going to the library and just pulling out books from shelves, randomly!

Earlier this week that's exactly what I did, and I came upon The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell and illustrated by Connie McLennan. It's poetry, non-fiction and song. What more could one ask for a book fot children. The words are written based on the song The Green Grass Grew All Around. Susan Mitchell builds on the the ecosystem in the rainforest and comes full circle, from seed to seed. It is fun to read, even to yourself. The art work is lovely and makes the reader feel as though they are in the colourful and alive rainforest.

There are sidebars throughout giving the reader information about the various plants and aminals the author writes about. It is truely a great way for children (and adults) to learn about the jungle!

The book also won the NAPPA Honors and the 2008 Teachers' Choice Award

.

This is an excerpt from The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell; the last verse...

and I wish I could surround the words with the artwork for you...

AND FROM THE POD,

there blew a seed...

the fluffiest seed that ever did see

The seed from the pod,

and the pod by the bat,

and the bat near the bird,

and the bird by the frog,

and the frog in the plant,

and the plant by the sloth,

and the slothnear the and,

and the ant by the snake,

and the snake by the vine,

and the vine near the cat,

and the cat in the tree,

and the tree from the seed,

and the seed in the gound,

and the rainforest grew

all around, all around;

the rainforest grew all around.

Please check out the Poetry Friday Roundup at Cuentecitos

15 Words or Less

2008-03-27T10:52:00.009-04:00

"So much can be said and felt through poetry in just a few words or lines. A poem can have as much impact in ten, twelve, or fourteen lines as an entire novel." ~Lee Bennett Hopkins

Thursday, an opportunity to write a short poem in 15 words or less. Head on over to Laura Salas' blog and have a bit of fun. There you will find a picture and the rest is up to your imagination... Here's the small version of the photo from Laura's Blog, and the poem I wrote.

Shake, Shake,

So much at stake,

One and four,

One roll more...

A STRAIGHT!

Three Word Wednesday

2008-03-26T10:52:00.013-04:00

"What can a poem do? Just about everything." ~Eve Merriam

Okay, this is my first go at 3WW. This week's words are: glass, question, token.

I have decided to write a Septolet. It is a two-part poem of seven lines with a break between the parts. The total word count is fourteen words. Both parts deal with the same thought and create a picture. Click here for definition and examples.

Question intent!

Token of anger

In rock hurtling midair.

Massive

Glass pane,

Silent

Waiting.

Miss Rumphius's Poetry Stretch

2008-03-25T09:30:00.008-04:00

Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes. ~Carl Sandburg

And today I had to dig deep to find some invisible keepsakes as it's Miss Rumphius' poetry stretch again. This week she has challenged poets to write a tanka.

In short, a tanka is a Japanese form of poem written in 5/7/5/7/7, but there are variations. She explains them well at her blog.

I wrote mine this week from the picture below as I like to write poetry inspired by a photo. Photo from Google Images.

Alone. Surrounded

Soles sink in smooth, soft, soothing, sand

One with music

Notes exposed--on the the wings of wind

An ocean's magic carpet--Surrounded. Alone.

One Single Impression

2008-03-24T11:06:00.004-04:00

A haiku is the expression of a temporary enlightenment, in which we see into the life of things. - R. H. Blyth (from Paul David Mena's "Haiku Definitions" (Haiku in Low Places)

This week's prompt at One Single Impression is 'spring'.

Suns rays spread shadows

Across quilted snow patches

A purple crocus

Non-Fiction Monday

2008-03-23T22:11:00.010-04:00

The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new. ~Samuel Johnson

Isn't that such an appropriate quote for writing, and in particular for non-fiction writing? I am somewhat new at writing non-fiction and this quote seems like a great thing to keep in mind when writing. I am currently taking Anastasia Suen's young non-fiction course, and as anyone who's taken her course knows, a large part of the learning process is reading many,many books. So while I have been reading many, many books I have come across books of similar topics but written in different ways, whether it be from a different focus or just a different way of presenting general information.

One of the recent books I've read is Marilyn Singer's book Venom. It is full of brilliant photographs of beautiful, dangerous specimans. And the information is so interesting, especially if one likes to read about such venomous animals.

One of the reasons I bring this book up is that this weekend while in Toronto we visited the Toronto Zoo. And there I saw a number of the venomous animals I had read about in this book. It was so neat to know a little about these animals upon seeing them. I saw the blue poisonous dart frog, which is small, and a stunning dark royal blue with black. Then there was the emerald green boa. It was the same brilliant emerald green in real life as the photo in the book. And a butterfly, the passion vine butterfly, with black wings and a dash of fuschia pink and white on each wing. Such a beautiful butterfly, and toxic!

What I realized by being at the zoo is that there is still so much to learn from all these animals even though there have been many books written about them. There is still so much to write whether it be newly presented old information or brand new information to teach children.

Come and check out the Non-fiction round-up at Anastasia Suen's blog.

Poetry Friday

2008-03-21T09:01:00.011-04:00

"The longing for the dance stirs in the buried life." - Stanley Kunitz from, "Touch Me"

The above quote reminded me of some of the poetry I read in Wind in my Pocket by Ellen Bryan Obed. Illustrated by Shawn Steffler.This is an older book but still well worth the read.

She is newly discovered for me. Sometimes, when I'm short on time, I walk into the library, head for the children's poetry section and randomly pull out several books I have not read yet. Then I leave and wait for the surprise when I get home. Well the Wind In My Pocket was a nice surprise. Her tribute says:

for the children of

Newfoundland

Labrador

and the Quebec North Shore

and for my uncle

Robert A. Bryan

who first introduced me to them

Her poetry is written in rhyme, soft heartfelt rhyme. The art is colourful, and filled with children in relationship with family, friends, weather and life.

I had many favourites in this book but I chose the following, even this s the first day of spring!

Winter Journey

Ellen Bryan Obed

In goose-down fields

we leave our tracks

while black-crow cliffs

look down our backs.

Over porcupine hills

we make our way

to the red fox sun

on the side of day.

Elaine at Wild Rose Reader as the Poetry Friday roundup today.

15 Words or Less Day

2008-03-20T10:17:00.004-04:00

"The writing of a poem is like a child throwing stones into a mineshaft. You compose first, then you listen for the reverberation." - James Fenton

And the reverberation is different for us all.
It's how we interpret the poem
How we feel the poem
Our mood
The noise surrounding
Us
And our love
For words.

Today is Thursday, and that means it's 15 words or less day. Yeh!!! This week I have posted an 'or less' poem. Go over and give it a try. It's for fun to do and there's lots of cool poetry written.

Today's picture is a Canada goose glinding low over the water...go check it out!
My 15 words or less poem is:

Gliding in
With spring's
Arrival
Home,
Until winter's
Chill

Miss Rumphius' Poetry Stretch

2008-03-18T19:00:00.005-04:00

" I thought poems were songs for people with bad voices." - Lorna Dee Cervantes

This week's Miss Rumphius' poetry stretch is very much a stretch...my brain muscle is feeling a little sore right now, kind of like my thigh muscles do after a hard run.

She has asked us to write a terza rima. In easy terms it's a three-lined rhyming stanza in the following pattern: aba bcb cdc ded ee. You can make it as long as you like, and the definition I have says there are 11 syllables per line.

So here is what I came up... I've written better, but I have also written a lot worse. Besides this was a fun challenge.

Return to Sender

Mom came home from the hospital on Monday
In her arms lay two little bundles of joy
Those were Dad's words--mine were "Please send them away".

For a while I behaved like a choirboy
But soon enough I would be as sly as a fox
I'd come up with a plan that I would enjoy.

I could return them--put them in the post box
And the twins could go back to where they belong
Then I would ask Dad to install new door locks.

Even though I am four, I knew it was wrong
So I decided to behave good as gold
Because one day I'd need them to play along

For now I'd listen and do as I was told
And just wait for the twins to get really old.

Non-Fiction Monday

2008-03-17T08:34:00.008-04:00

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

The above quote is something I remind myself of when writing non-fiction, too. It's not just in fiction we show, don't tell. Although, in non-fiction there is more telling, we can still add a bit of sparkle to our work by showing the glint of light.

I plan to begin working on a biography in the near future, so I have begun reading a number of children's biography books, one being Mark Twain, Author of Tom Sawyer, by Carol Greene ( I couldn't find a cover, anywhere). What a great introduction for a young child to learn about an author who's had such an impact on children's literature. The book is filled with pictures of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain throughout his life.

What I found most interesting about the life and death of Mark Twain was the day he was born Halley's comet welcomed him to this world. And the night of his death, once again 75 years later, Halley's comet bid Mark Twain a farewell.

The round-up for Non-fiction Monday is over at Picture Book Of The Day with Anastasia Suen. Come and check it out!

One Single Impression

2008-03-16T16:54:00.009-04:00

"Poetry is to do with moments...." - Robin Marchesi

The picture below is from this week's One Single Impression. Come and join in and read many other beautiful circle poems.

in search of a home
nestled within each pattern
safe, loved, together

Poetry Friday

2008-03-14T08:27:00.008-04:00

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. ~~Carl Sandburg

I found this treasure at the library last week, and it caught my eye because I am doing some research on the snowshoe hare. The Midnight Dance of the Snowshoe Hare, Poems of Alaska, by Nancy White Carlstrom, Illustrated by Ken Kuroi.

This is a delightful book, for children, of non-rhyming verse. The word pictures the author captures in each poem are astounding. She uses many forms of poetry and is able to allow the reader entrance to her special world in Alaska. There are 14 poems included in this collection each written about the seasons as experienced by nature. I had many favourites but the one that touched me most was as follows:

When Night Is Bright Like Day
By
Nancy White Carlstrom

In summer
When night is bright like day
The stars we see
Are wildflowers.

But if we close our eyes
We see winter sky
And stars shining in darkness

In summer
When night is bright like day
The sun we see
Cuts a path to the river.

But if we close our eyes
We see winter sun
Struggling to sit up
Above the horizon.

In summer
When night is bright like day
The river we see
Rolls over with boats and fish.

But if we close our eyes
We see winter river
Solid ribbon of ice
Winding through silence.

In summer
When night is bright like day
The trees we see
Wear sunshine and Red Squirrels.

But if we close our eyes
We see winter trees
Asleep in snow
Kissed by the moon.

In summer
When night is bright like day
We think the midnight sun
Will last forever.

But if we close our eyes
We see winter light
Dim, short-lived
And weaving its own magic.

The artwork of Ken Kuroi blends with the words, and is soft, gentle, yet crisp and filled with the colours of summer, spring and fall, and the white ice crystals and mist of winter.

This book is out of print but if you go to the author’s website you can order directly from her.

This week's Poetry Friday's roundup is at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup , where you will notice she is honouring the work of Bob Dylan, which this post is obviously not doing! Oh well, another time...

Poetry Stretch

2008-03-13T10:58:00.006-04:00

Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted. ~Percy Shelley, A Defence of Poetry, 1821

This week's Miss Rumphius poetry stretch is photo-based. Writing poems from captured moments is one of my favourite, but most challenging, poetry exercises. So here goes...

framed in the window

contemplate dreams far afield

one day to be touched

Well haiku is what came out, one of my weaker forms of poetry. But as I practise them I come to appreciate them so much more. What makes them a stretch for me is writing about that one moment. It is so much easier to write about what came before or after, but capturing the moment is what makes haiku so beautiful, in my opinion.

One Single Impression

2008-03-12T23:20:00.005-04:00

A poem is never finished, only abandoned. ~Paul Valéry

This week at One Single Impression the prompt is kindness. Please take this opportunity to practice your haiku and to read many wonderful picture poems. Here is my contribution this week:

alone unsmiling

happy sounds fill the playground

a hand reaches out

Non-Fiction Monday

2008-03-09T13:50:00.004-04:00

Always be a poet, even in prose. ~Charles Baudelaire, "My Heart Laid Bare," Intimate Journals, 1864

I am posting this on Sunday as we will be leaving for the ski slopes of Quebec in a couple of hours, not to return until Thursday.

I absolutely love reading animal books. Even books about animals I’m not crazy about, like creepy spiders, slimy earthworms, or evil looking bats. I don’t mind snakes and reptiles for some reason, and I love wild cats and animals from the African reserves and deserts.

This past weekend I picked up a book, at the library about starfish. It’s a non-fiction book written in non-rhyming verse, titled Starfish by Edith Thacher Hurd, illustrated by Robin Brickman.

The first printing was in 1962 and the updated version in 1990. In the updated book there were a few changes made, none apparently effecting the poetic verse or the telling of the information. The artwork is a creation of unique collages.

As I read the verse I felt like I was floating alongside a starfish, being given lessons on its life cycle, what it eats, and how it eats.

This book is a Stage One Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out About series. So simple, yet full of enough information to fill the minds of young readers, and stimulate their desire to learn more about starfish. And maybe even about poetry!

Poetry Friday

2008-03-07T07:57:00.013-05:00

“Writing a poem is discovering.” ~Robert Frost

Not only is writing a poem discovering, but so is reading a poem, as I discovered!

I am not a horse person. It’s not to say I don’t like horses. I do. But I don’t ride them, dream of them or even think of them. So I’m not exactly sure why I picked up a poetry book filled with horse poems. Maybe it was the cover. There’s a shadow of a horse with a woman riding it and the shadowed fields make me want to jump into the picture and forget about all my cares and woes.

What I learned from picking up My Kingdom for a Horse, An Anthology of Poems About Horses, Edited by Betty Ann Schwartz, Illustrated by Alix Berenzy, is that it doesn’t always matter what the topic is, it’s the beauty of the written word that draws me to love poetry. Especially, such simple yet powerful word pictures. I had many favourites and there were poems by authors such as, Robert Frost, Christina Rossetti, Jack Prelutsky, Ruth Feder and many more including one by William Shakespeare.

Two poems which spoke to me and eased the stress out of my shoulders (which reading poetry out loud tends to do) were:

White Horse by Moonlight

Santo feeds
while the moon
comes up
curved like the bowl
of a silver spoon,
buries his nose
in silver
weeds.
Santo
the color
of moon.

Retired to Pasture

The meadow moist with morning dew
Is calling me to canter through
Its oak lined paths of pasture grass.
The brook beside it, as I pass,
Invites me down to quench my thirst.
To think that I had once been cursed
To trot upon the city streets
With honking cars in sweltering heat!
Refreshed am I as wind blown wheat.

~by Anita Wintz, all rights reserved

The Poetry Friday round up is at The Simple and the Ordinary

One Single Impression

2008-03-06T22:44:00.009-05:00

I've written some poetry I don't understand myself. ~Carl Sandburg

This is my contribution to One Single Impression. This week's word is Change. Haiku is one form of poetry I find challenging, so this is a great opportunity for me to practice.

surrounded by silk

world opens infinitely

golden wings set free

I look forward to next week's haiku prompt.

Chant Poem

2008-03-05T19:08:00.008-05:00

I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard

There is nothing to skip in Trout, Trout, Trout! (A Fish Chant) by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Trip Park (NorthWord, 2004).

April Pulley Sayre was recommended to me by my poetry teacher, Laura Salas, while I attended her online class, because one of the poems I had submitted for critique, she said, felt like it could be either a list poem or a chant poem. And as every writer knows the best way to learn is to read.

Unfortunately, my library did not have any of Ms. Sayre’s chant books. They had lots of her non-fiction work, though. So I did the next best thing I ordered one online. And, I loved it so much I just might have to add another to my library of children’s books.

In Trout, Trout, Trout! Sayre has done amazing things with rhyme and rhythm using fresh water fish names found in North America. I never knew there were fish called Gar, Shad, Loach, or Yazoo Darter. The words jump off the page as do some of the fish in Trip Parks magnificent artwork.

I don’t have a most favourite chant but here’s the first page:

Threespine Stickleback,
Freshwater Drum.
Lake Chub, Creek Chub,
Chum,
Chum,
Chum.

Trip Park has captured fish face personalities. Even the added dragonfly, bear, and worms dangling on hooks have been given their own persona.

There is also a glossary describing each fish she used in her book.

A great book for children (and adults, too). Fun to read, fun to look at, something to learn, and nothing to skip. Can’t beat that!

This Weeks Poetry Stretch

2008-03-04T09:19:00.002-05:00

A poem should not mean
But be.
~Archibald MacLeish, Ars Poetica, 1926

This weeks Miss Rumphius' poetry stretch is about writing mask poems. These are poems written in the point of view of a person, an object, an animal, a condition, anything for that matter.

Mask poems are fun to write and important because they take youout of yourself and you get to be someone or something else for a bit. So close your eyes, pick something to write about and then feel what it is to be that something.

Here's mine, inspired by a picture of a lioness carrying her cub.

Another Home

Another preditor
Another move
Another home

HIgh above the ground
I dangle from
Mom's mouth

Swaying to the beat
Of her trek
To our new den

Her teeth embedded
Into my furry skin
Safe
Until

Another predator
Another move
Another home

by Marianne H. Nielsen, all rights reserved

Reading, Researching, Learning

2008-03-03T09:24:00.008-05:00

"The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book. "--Samuel Johnson

I have now immersed myself in a non-fiction workshop which is something new for me. Needless to say, I am reading many, many non-fiction books for young children. And surprise! I’m loving it and learning all kinds of cool things that I never knew before. Or if I did I had forgotten them.

I have read about chameleons in Chameleon, Chameleon by Joy Cowley, killer bees in Outside and Inside Killer Bees by Sandra Markle, spiders in The Jumping Spider by Alice B. McGinty, the Great Barrier Reef in Wonders Of The World, The Great Barrier Reef by Peggy J. Parks, and many more.

For one of my assignments I have to submit part of a manuscript, so I knuckled down to do some serious research. And that’s fun too. Anyway, I spent a few hours yesterday reading up on my topic, and felt like a part of my brain, which hadn’t been used in a while, was now operating. I was feeling like Spring had arrived (alas, it hasn’t yet ). A little later in the day my youngest son came to me and began asking me some questions about the animal I had been researching. And I could give answers. This was a summer feeling now

So often when my children ask me questions, especially educational type ones, I don’t always have the answer for them. Sometimes we look it up together, but invariable these questions get asked when I’m in the middle of something and they have to go in search of the answer themselves, so I don’t always find out the answer. But now I’m ready! Watch out here I come…

The Apostrophe Poem

2008-02-29T13:50:00.004-05:00

Here's my apostrophe poem, a first for me and fun to write. It still didn't give me the motivation to go for my run. Oh well! Maybe tomorrow?

To My Self-Motivation

Nowhere to be found
Today
Have you slipped
Into sleeping
My enemy
My friend
Perhaps your message
Is
Do something else
your body needs a rest
Pamper
Instead of
Pound
The snow covered pavement.

Marianne H. Nielsen all rights reserved

Go to Miss Rumphius Effect: Monday Poetry Stretch to add your apostrophe poem.

Poetry Friday

2008-02-29T09:36:00.014-05:00

Each Haiku--a moment--together--a story. ~~Marianne H. Nielsen

My first Poetry Friday...here goes.

I have been reading a number of poetry books lately, anthologies, non-fiction rhyming picture books, stories in verse and themed poetry books. The one I want to mention today is Dogku by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Tim Bowers (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers).

It's a story in haiku verse and I think the author has done a great job. It's the kind of story kids will love, and the fact that it's written in verse won't even phase them. It's a timeless and ageless story about a lost dog who shows up at a family's back door. They take him in and then have to decide whether to keep him. The end even brought a tear to my eye. But then again, I am a bit of a sap when it comes to animal stories, whether they be happy or sad.

The story has seventeen haiku poems all of which show a moment in time. My favourite one is:

Nose out the window,
ears flapping, hair pushed straight back.
Adventures in smell.

The art work that goes along with this book is full-paged with no detail left out, done in oil paint on canvas.

What a great way to introduce young children to verse through haiku. Having a cute dog on the front cover helps too.

2008-02-28T10:53:00.004-05:00

Poetry is not always words. ~Audrey Foris

I wanted to add to the above quote, which is so true, 'poetry is also in pictures'. And I know so because today is Thursday, and I love Thursdays! Why? Because it's a day where I absolutely know I will write a poem. It will be written from a picture and one of 15 words or less. Go over to Laura Salas' blog and participate. It's fun, and it's just for fun.

I have found I like to write poems from pictures. In fact, I find it quite easy to do so. Maybe it's because I'm not a very visual person inside my head, but when I see a photo I see all kinds of possibilities. I feel emotions from pictures and am able to put words to it.

When I have trouble writing a poem about something specific, I go looking for a photo whether in a book or on the internet. And that seems to get my juices flowing. For example, I wanted to write a poem about a trombone and I just couldn't come up with something that I felt good about. So I went in search through some of my books and found a great picture. It was a trombone that had been bent in half and thrown into a garbage can. Perfect, I thought, and off I went and wrote a poem lickety-split. Mind you it did take a bit--okay maybe alot--of revision. But that's what writing is about. Right?

Have a great day!

Guys Lit

2008-02-27T11:04:00.007-05:00

If you'd rather go to the football game than read a comic, that's fine. I'd rather do both. Rob Walton

I have two sons, both who like to read in their own way, and who enjoy their other interests along with book reading. It's just another one of their interests. Neither is a bookworm, as such, but it's something they do when they've been told to take a technoligical break or they feel they need to chill out. Reading calms boys, and boys don't always know when they need calming so, yes, I will tell them to read. Fortunately, they listen to me.

My eldest loves to read books, both fiction and non-fiction, related to World War II (I think he inherited this interest from his grandfather), he also likes the comic books like Garfield, Rin Tin Tin and Calvin and Hobbes.

Then there's my younger son, who likes to read anything from picture books to Harry Potter. He also reads from the front to the back (like most people) and from the back to the front (like not so many people!). But I say, whatever, at least he has a book in hand and he likes to do it. And who knows maybe he gets more out of a book by reading it backwards, or jumping from one chapter to the other, not necessarily in the ascending order.

I got on this topic of reading and boys because it seems to be a struggle for many boys to read. I don't think it's the ability to read that's hard but it's finding books of interest for boys that's not always so easy. And Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray has allowed us to copy this blurb from her blog to contribute toward Guys Lit.

Just to update you on the idea that several of us have been bouncing around for a web site recommending books to teenage boys. We are working on the design and putting together a big list of daily posters. But first the name:
Guys Lit Wire!!
All credit for that one goes to Sarah (who will likely also want to mention some help from Tanita). I was banging my head hard against the wall on this and Sarah came through big time. So kudos to her limitless creativity which will be big time on display on the site. Wait until you see the header she is working on for the main page - it is some kind of awesome.
We are planning to go live by June 1st and update every Monday - Friday with a different daily poster. We hope to have 21 folks on board dedicated to posting at least once a month. This way we get tons of new content from lots of different points of view, which is what I really wanted. We will likely run multiple daily posts as the site evolves but readers will be able to count for sure on at least one new post every weekday and that is what we will build a lot of the site's readership on.
There will be book recommendations, author interviews, literary commentary, a rant or two (I'm sure) and lots of other good stuff. The goal is to cover a ton of different types of books from across the literary spectrum so we can become a good resource to actual teenagers as well as anyone seeking to find books for teen boys. (And if the girls want to visit we are happy to have them, but boys are our target audience.)
Right now everything is moving forward quite nicely but we do still need some folks to commit to posting. If any of you would like to participate in Guys Lit Wire (or recommend someone) then please let me know. We are especially looking for guys so we can keep our group balanced (and because guys know a thing or two about what guys like to read... :) Please send me an email if you can help. (colleenatchasingraydotcom)

So, for those of us in a position to make a difference, let's do it, one step at a time.

To everyone a great day!

Marianne

Exploring My Own Amazement...

2008-02-23T20:23:00.005-05:00

Poetry is the language in which man explores his own amazement.
~Christopher Fry

That’s me, exploring my own amazement as I continue to have loads of fun with Laura Salas’ poetry course, unlearning and learning.

Let me explain the unlearning part. This past Thursday was about writing rhyming poems and the importance of metering, which I thought I knew. HA! Well I may have known something about metering but it wasn’t what I have now been taught. I have developed the utmost respect for poets who can write rhyming poetry right.

I used to think I was pretty good at writing rhymes. I should have figured out I wasn’t when many of my rhyming poems were not selling! Anyway, now I have learned the right way and massive confusion has set in. Counting all those little beats and feet has put my brain into reverse. Which is okay cause now there’s lots of room to learn. Scanning a poem takes practice and for me lots of time. I’m a musical person (I play the piano) and I used to think I was a natural at writing rhythmic rhyming poetry, not any more. At least not the perfect way. And not for now. As I explore my own amazement I’m sure to come up with some rhyming poetry sometime in the future!

It has been kindly explained to me that because I am a good reader I can make a poem sound like the metering is bang on. So that’s a good thing. I can read well! Yeh!

This learning poetry is tough, but thank goodness it’s fun. Even though I’m not as good as I thought I was, I’m still having fun writing it. In fact, I would say I’m having more fun writing poetry because I have learned many new things to bring into my work.

I wonder what will happen when I find out all my previously written Haiku is wrong and have to relearn that too?

So overall, it’s a good thing I found out I’m not as good as I thought. Because I have only one way to go, and that is up. So watch out…Here I come as I continue to explore my own amazement.

Poetry! Poetry! Poetry!

2008-02-15T10:59:00.020-05:00

Wow! I can't believe I'm blogging. Computer slow-poke me has finally figured it out and here I am. Sweet!

Poetry, for me, is magical, all forms of it. Some days it just seems to pour from me like water from a spout. Then, there's days where it feels like someone has shoved something into the spout and nothing comes out.

Last Monday I began an online poetry class with Laura Purdie Salas and I am loving it. If she offers any more I highly reommend it for the intermediate poets. She also has a beginners online course and one on writing non-fiction. I am writing poetry daily and learning to use new techniques and well as apply familiar ones.

Yesterday in class we wrote poems using metaphors and similes and it was recommended we participate in the challenge at The Miss Rumphius Effect. So here goes...

A Leak

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Teardrops from the ceiling

Drip! Drip! Drip!

The beat of the metronome

Drip! Drip! Drip!

The twang of the metal bowl

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Music to the plumber!