Archive of ‘Mrs. McGriff’ category

NPM and Poetry Friday: geese haiku

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). .You can find today’s line from Christine Wyman at Wondering and Wandering.

I can tell it’s getting toward the end of the month–will I make it with a poem every day? I’m almost there. I turned to my pond for today’s inspiration with some of its frequent visitors. This haiku is just tickling around the edges of a poem idea that isn’t quite gelling yet. That may mean there will be lots of poems (at least drafts) before I’m done with the idea.

geese land on the pond
spreading ripples behind them
smooth waters return

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 23: Blueberries (from skin spinoff in poemcrazy)
Day 22: Promise (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 21: Found Haiku
Day 20: Ball of Yarn (from bring me magic in poemcrazy)
Day 19: Liminal (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 18: Where I’m From: A Poem from a Pond (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject and I dress myself with rain in poemcrazy)
Day 17: Transformation (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Christine hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Wondering and Wondering. She has a new line (or two) for the Progressive Poem and another poem inspired by a quote  from Thoreau’s journals. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

NPM: Blueberries

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). .You can find today’s line from Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town.

I’m back with another exercise from poemcrazy–to pick a word and just write whatever comes to mind. I opted to choose a color this time: blue, which led me to blueberries and a zeno.

Blueberries

when summer sun bakes sticky days
blueberries grow
plump and
sweet
tempting me to
pick and
eat
nature’s perfect
juicy
treat

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 22: Promise (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 21: Found Haiku
Day 20: Ball of Yarn (from bring me magic in poemcrazy)
Day 19: Liminal (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 18: Where I’m From: A Poem from a Pond (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject and I dress myself with rain in poemcrazy)
Day 17: Transformation (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

NPM: Promise

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). .You can find today’s line from Julieanne Harmatz at To Read, To Write, To Be.

For National Poetry Month, Michelle Heidenrich Barnes has offered an in-depth look at My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: A Guide to Writing Poetry and Speaking Your Truth by Patrice Vecchione. Each week she is sharing a challenge from the third section of the book. This week’s challenge is to write a poem that describes the future.

I don’t see clearly very far into the future other that to think it will be different from what came before, but I do see glimmers of hope that we can build a better future together. Today as I worked and sat outside, the new leaves on the trees captured my attention. They were that perfect shade of “Nature’s first green is gold” that Robert Frost captured in “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” (Thank you Johnny and Ponyboy for imprinting that poem in my heart.)

Promise

After winter scrubs
the branches bare,
newly unfolded leaves
gleam golden green
against an azure sky
and flutter
with the promise
of summer’s
lush abundance.

After these trials
scrub bare our lives,
what new hopes
might flutter
within our hearts
with the promise
of community?

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 21: Found Haiku
Day 20: Ball of Yarn (from bring me magic in poemcrazy)
Day 19: Liminal (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 18: Where I’m From: A Poem from a Pond (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject and I dress myself with rain in poemcrazy)
Day 17: Transformation (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

NPM: Found haiku

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). You can find today’s line from Janice Scully at Salt City Verse.

Inspiration for poetry can come from anywhere. Today when I opened the mail, I read an update from Zoe Empowers–a development organization that works with vulnerable children and orphans in India and several African countries to provide them with the resources, education and support to lead their lives out of poverty. In these uncertain times, these children are among the most vulnerable. What amazed me the most is that while project leaders must shelter in place and communicate with their groups via phone and social media, the children are working together to meed the needs of their community with the resources they have.

I used the enclosed letter sent by one of the groups in Kenya to write some found haiku, as I learned from my poetry friend Linda Mitchell.

difficult moment
the entire world is facing
coronavirus

in your endeavors
God may victoriously
give support to each

soonest possible
we thank God for your prayers
may God protect you

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 20: Ball of Yarn (from bring me magic in poemcrazy)
Day 19: Liminal (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 18: Where I’m From: A Poem from a Pond (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject and I dress myself with rain in poemcrazy)
Day 17: Transformation (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

NPM: Ball of Yarn

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). You can find today’s line from Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities.

I love today’s practice from poemcrazy It is one I will return to again and again. It’s pretty simple. 1) Take a walk around outside (or look inside your house) and find an object that speaks to you. I chose a ball of yarn. 2) Give your object a name – real or made up. 3) Describe your object by comparing it to something else or describe where you found it. 4) Ask your object to bring you a quality it has that you need. Here is the result.

Ball of Yarn

nestled in my basket
your tangled paths
lead round and round
to nowhere
bring me
the promise
of cozy days
shared with friends

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 19: Liminal (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 18: Where I’m From: A Poem from a Pond (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject and I dress myself with rain in poemcrazy)
Day 17: Transformation (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

NPM: Liminal

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). You can find today’s line from Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference.

I found today’s inspiration from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject. Heidi Mordhurst invites us to play with a form she invented: the definito. It’s one I’ve written before and enjoy. If it’s new to you, here is a brief definition:

The definito is a free verse poem of 8-12 lines that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common, often abstract word, which always ends the poem.

While this was my inspiration to play with a word that has been on my mind these days, I didn’t quite follow the rules. That’s how poetry goes some days.

LIMINAL

At water’s edge
where does
dry kiss wet?
Across the horizon
where does land meet the sky?
In our breaths
where does
inhale turn into exhale?
In these days
where does
what once was
turn into what is yet to be?

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 18: Where I’m From: A Poem from a Pond (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject and I dress myself with rain in poemcrazy)
Day 17: Transformation (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

NPM: Where I’m From – A Poem from a Pond

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). You can find today’s line from Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading.

Today’s poem combines two prompts for inspiration. First, over at Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject, Amanda Rawson Hill invited writers and poets to write a Where I’m From poem (as first shared by George Ella Lyon) for water. Then the practice from poemcrazy invited me to choose an object and consider it “thou” instead of “it” and to sit down for a conversation to understand its point of view. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to chat with our pond. I have lots of ideas to explore from this first conversation, but here is a Where I’m From poem to get started.

Where I’m From: A Poem from a Pond

I’m from
towering clouds
that burst
in summer storms,
melting snow,
and spring showers
gushing over rockes
to fill me to the brim.
I’m from
fishing poles casting
wiggling worms
to hook blue gill and bass,
tubes floating
and arms splashing
through hazy
summer days,
canoes paddling
in circles.
I’m from
cattails and lily pads,
floating, squawking geese
and a chorus
of spring peepers
with a bullfrog
playing bass
to end each day.

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 17: Transformation (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

NPM and Poetry Friday: Transformation

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). You can find today’s line from Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe.

I’m back with another poem from the same page of practice from poemcrazy. Today I chose to write about food. Like much of the United States, I am spending much of my time at home baking. Years ago I had a sourdough starter, but I didn’t know enough then (or have time enough to research) to keep it going past the first few loaves. I had been thinking about starting another starter, and this time at home gave me the push I needed (that and seeing lots of other people share their loaves and the stores being short on yeast). I am enjoying experimenting with different recipes. My favorite so far is the sourdough pizza crust (more is rising for dinner tonight). I’m working to perfect a fairly easy to bake recipe that allows for lots of variation. I’ve even played with shaping more artisan loaves, but will save those for special occasions.

For today’s poem, I tried another skinny, but expect to see more writing about bread and bread-making as I find the entire process fascinating as well as delicious.

Transformation

combine flour, salt and water to
rise
with
sourdough
starter,
rise
into
bread
loaves,
rise
to transform flour, salt and water

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 16: Follow My Nose (from poems and the body in poemcrazy)
Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Molly hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Nix the Comfort Zone. She bakes up two delicious poems. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

NPM: Follow My Nose

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). You can find today’s line from Linda Baie at TeacherDance.

I’m back with another practice from poemcrazy: poems from the body. There is actually a whole page of suggestions for this practice, most of which ask me to shake things up and get outside of my own perspective. I passed on standing on my head and skipped down to hanging out with a dog or cat or even a grasshopper. Since my dog rarely lets me get out of her sight these days, it was easy to sit with her stretched out next to me and imagine the world through her eyes.

I attempted to write a zeno, but this poem is being difficult. Here is what I have so far (but will probably come back to once I have time to set it aside for awhile). Our old dog doesn’t move as fast or as much as she once did, but it takes just a whiff to catch her interest still.

Follow My Nose

I follow invisible trails
I snuffle out
with my
nose.
Where it will lead
no one
knows.
I just go where
the scent
flows.

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 15: A Story Lost (DMC from Today’s Little Ditty)
Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

NPM: A Story Lost

Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. I plan to write a new poem every day for the month of April. For much of the month I hope to explore prompts in poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, but I make no promises not to find inspiration in other places. If you want to join in even more poetry fun and shenanigans check out the 2020 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup hosted by Jama over at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. And for the first time (for me) I am taking part in the Progressive Poem organized by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Check out the daily progress with the list of contributors on the right (scroll down). You can find today’s line from Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life.

Last Friday Michelle Heidenrich Barnes at Today’s Little Ditty offered another in-depth look at My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: A Guide to Writing Poetry and Speaking Your Truth by Patrice Vecchione. Each week she is sharing a challenge from the third section of the book. Last week’s challenge was to write about something you have lost. You can read the full description here and check out the entries on the padlet.

I had a hard time deciding what to write about from my ever growing list of things I’ve lost throughout my life. I finally decided on a lost story. As a child I read a story that I loved and wanted to reread, but I could never remember the title. I would haunt the shelves of the children’s room at the library looking for it. I would beg the children’s librarian — who could usually pull titles from the sketchiest of information — but I never found the story again, at least not as I remembered it.

A Story Lost

I wander
through the shelves
looking for a story
I lost somewhere
among the stacks
of stories
I devoured.
It’s an old-fashioned
story, with children
and a pony pulling
a cart through
summer mornings.
There might have been
strawberries or blackberries
kissed by the sun
and probably
a rambunctious mutt
bounding through a meadow.
I look for my lost story,
pulling books off the shelves
and flipping through pages,
but no one can tell me
its title
as I wander
through the shelves.

If you want to see the rest of National Poetry Month poems, here they are:

Day 14: Water’s Smooch (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 13: Hope (from lying to tell the truth in poemcrazy and Emily Dickinson)
Day 12: My Sign (from my daily walk)
Day 11: Stitches (from from my grandmother in poemcrazy)
Day 10: These Hands (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)
Day 9: I’m From (from where do you come from in  poemcrazy)
Day 8: Peaceful Porch (from Plum Nelly poemcrazy)
Day 7: I Am (from full moon me in poemcrazy)
Day 6: Progressive Poem
Day 5: Small Celebrations (from on a night picnic in poemcrazy)
Day 4: A Water Limerick (from Laura Shovan’s #WaterPoemProject)
Day 3: our real names (from our real names in poemcrazy)
Day 2: Star Burst (from naming wild hippo in poemcrazy)
Day 1: Pandemic (DMC from Today’s Little Diitty)

1 2 3 4 5 6 142