Poetry Friday: Eclipse

The challenge: to write a poem every day through the month of February in response to a piece of art. Voila! I’m practicing my first attempt at Ekphrastic poetry thanks to Laura Shovan, who hosts a February Poetry Project each year in honor of her birthday every year.  You can read about it’s past and present incarnation here.

The writing has gone a little easier this week. Thank you for all the words of encouragement last week! I’ve learned some new forms (Skinny poems! Read more about them here.) Here’s my first attempt from a sculpture, “Edward,” created by David LaTulippe and shared by Renee LaTulippe.

I wrote an epitaph for the challenge at Today’s Little Ditty. Michelle Barnes featured J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen and their new book, Last Laughs: Prehistoric Epitaphs, in a rousing rendition of the Newly Read Game. Check out the rest of the entries–and submit your own–on the padlet. The pencil sketch by L.D. Wight was shared by Linda Baie.

But most of all I’m thankful that poetry gives me a way to voice emotion. This week my heart is heavy with the news of yet another mass shooting. It does not have to continue. We can change laws and hearts in ways that will make a difference and that will save lives. We must move beyond the current arguments that get stuck in the same ruts of gun control versus 2nd amendment rights and repeat the same arguments over and over. If you haven’t read Nicholas Kristof’s column in the New York Times (he refreshed it from the shooting in November), it is a good place to start. He suggests taking a public health approach to gun violence and gives several places to start. If you haven’t already, call or email or write your legislators (both state and national) and offer solutions. Hold your representatives accountable for solving problems and vote in November (and primary elections whenever they are held in your area.)

This last poem is a reverso in honor of those who died and who showed such courage in Parkland. The corrugated art, “Eclipse,” is by Collen Sakurai.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Jone  hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Check It Out.  She is celebrating all kinds of poetry winners from books to postcards! Drop by and see what poetry morsels are offered this week.

 

 

32 Comments on Poetry Friday: Eclipse

  1. Brenda
    February 22, 2018 at 4:40 pm (6 years ago)

    Wonderful epitaph. Laughing…

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 22, 2018 at 4:47 pm (6 years ago)

      Thanks, Brenda! It was fun to write, too!

      Reply
  2. jone
    February 19, 2018 at 12:33 pm (6 years ago)

    I can’t wait to try the “skinny” poem. It’s a been a terrible week and writing has been a balm for the soul. Looking for reading more of your work.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 19, 2018 at 3:24 pm (6 years ago)

      Thanks, Jone. I look forward to seeing what you do with a skinny poem. Writing–and reading the offerings of others–has been a balm for this difficult week.

      Reply
  3. Liz
    February 19, 2018 at 8:32 am (6 years ago)

    Sounds like a great writing week and you wrote a reverso! That’s extremely impressive!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 19, 2018 at 3:24 pm (6 years ago)

      Thanks, Liz! Yes, the reverso is quite a challenge to write.

      Reply
  4. Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
    February 18, 2018 at 10:43 am (6 years ago)

    Jama used the word brave and I think that’s a good word to describe you, Kay. You’re a brave poet. You try new things, you’re disciplined and determined. I so admire that! And I love the optimism of your epitaph poem. Yes, let’s put dirt and grime to rest. Clean duds for all!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 18, 2018 at 9:43 pm (6 years ago)

      Thank you, Michelle. I certainly don’t feel brave, but I am grateful to be practicing and learning in the midst of such a great community.

      Reply
  5. Alice Nine
    February 17, 2018 at 11:06 pm (6 years ago)

    I enjoyed reading your poems again. I too am thankful for all the words of encouragement. I’m celebrating that we are past the halfway point in this challenge.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 18, 2018 at 9:43 pm (6 years ago)

      Thanks, Alice. Yes, we have made it more than halfway. It has been a month rich with poetry.

      Reply
  6. Mary Lee Hahn
    February 17, 2018 at 6:24 pm (6 years ago)

    You’ve had a great writing week!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 18, 2018 at 9:42 pm (6 years ago)

      It was definitely better than last week!

      Reply
  7. Molly Hogan
    February 17, 2018 at 6:10 pm (6 years ago)

    Kudos to you for trying so many different forms with your poetry this week. Reversos are tough! Thanks for sharing the link to the Nicholas Kristoff article. There’s a lot of good information there.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 18, 2018 at 9:42 pm (6 years ago)

      Thanks, Molly. I’m glad I’m learning so many different forms to try! Sometimes it’s easier to start with a form when I’m not sure how to get started.

      Reply
  8. Linda Mitchell
    February 17, 2018 at 5:38 pm (6 years ago)

    I really like seeing your offerings from the week separate from the fb page. And, I especially like your reverso. It carries so much emotion. You are just growing and growing as a writer. I love being in the thick of it with you.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 17, 2018 at 8:44 pm (6 years ago)

      Thank you, Linda. It is nice to see poems a second time away from the deluge of poetry on the FB page. I’m trying to keep up with reading them all, but I know I’m missing some. I admire your poetry and am learning from you and with you!

      Reply
  9. Diane Mayr
    February 17, 2018 at 4:18 pm (6 years ago)

    The way you combined the words with the art in “Eclipse,” is lovely, Kay. Keep creating, my friend.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 17, 2018 at 4:53 pm (6 years ago)

      Thank you, Diane! I’m off to create some more today.

      Reply
  10. Tabatha
    February 17, 2018 at 5:32 am (6 years ago)

    Yes, let’s have change!! As the saying goes “Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.”

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 17, 2018 at 9:58 am (6 years ago)

      So true, Tabatha! We have got to find a different way to approach this problem..

      Reply
  11. Michelle Kogan
    February 16, 2018 at 10:05 pm (6 years ago)

    Thanks for your rich collection of poems here Kay, and especially your “Eclipse” poem! Let’s let
    “love
    eclipse
    violence
    once again.”
    Thanks for the article by Nicholas Kristof.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 17, 2018 at 9:57 am (6 years ago)

      Thank you, Michelle. I keep coming back to the Kristoff article. There are a lot of good ideas in it that we can begin working on. We don’t have to have a perfect idea to start!

      Reply
  12. Linda Baie
    February 16, 2018 at 9:03 pm (6 years ago)

    You know that I’ve loved and admired each poem you share, Kay. I’m glad you feel better about this week. It’s been quite a week, at least since Wednesday. Emotional response feels like what poets do, to me, in all forms, words that are meaningful to.the.poet. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 17, 2018 at 9:56 am (6 years ago)

      Thank you, Linda. Your words mean a lot since you are a writer and poet and teacher that I admire greatly. I m grateful for this community of poets that gives time and space to process emotions through our words.

      Reply
  13. Sarah Grace Tuttle
    February 16, 2018 at 6:50 pm (6 years ago)

    All of these poems are wonderful… but Eclipse really hits home. I am so grateful to you and other poets who are putting their words about this horrific tragedy out there. I need time to let things settle more before I’ll be able to write about it… but reading the words of others is cathartic and hauntingly powerful. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 17, 2018 at 9:55 am (6 years ago)

      Thank you, Sarah. Writing poetry helps me process the events going on around me, and so does reading the words of others. I understand the need to let things settle before giving voice. I suspect this is something I will come back to again as the emotions and thoughts settle more.

      Reply
  14. Irene Latham
    February 16, 2018 at 4:23 pm (6 years ago)

    Dear Kay, I love this: But most of all I’m thankful that poetry gives me a way to voice emotion. YES! So glad the words are flowing better for you this week… I’m always grateful for the floods because I know dry times WILL come. Keep going! xo

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 16, 2018 at 5:03 pm (6 years ago)

      Thank you, Irene. I, too, am so grateful for the emotional voice writing–especially poetry–gives me.

      Reply
  15. Books4Learning
    February 16, 2018 at 3:18 pm (6 years ago)

    Congrats on all the writing you are accomplishing. Thanks for sharing about skinny poems. I had never heard of that form before. Thank you for sharing your poems.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 16, 2018 at 4:59 pm (6 years ago)

      Thank you! Skinny poems are new to me, too. I find it a challenging form–like a puzzle.

      Reply
  16. jama
    February 16, 2018 at 12:50 pm (6 years ago)

    Thanks for sharing these, Kay. The laundry poem made me smile, and I’m impressed you attempted a reverso! A very tragic week, but it’s heartening to see the courage and bravery and sacrifice that helps to eclipse some of the devastation.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      February 16, 2018 at 2:54 pm (6 years ago)

      Thanks, Jama. The courage and bravery shown does help to eclipse some of the horror.

      Reply

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