Posts Tagged ‘Poetry’

Poetry Friday: A Pond for All Seasons

Welcome to Poetry Friday! Tabatha is hosting today at The Opposite of Indifference. She shares a found poem written by her daughter that many of us can relate to.

This month I am taking part in Laura Shovan’s February Poetry Project. It’s been a whirlwind of rich prompts and amazing responses. Elisa Zied shared a prompt to write about a happy place. I knew exactly the place I wanted to write about–our pond. I wake up every morning grateful for this view out my windows.

I also tried a new to me form that several others had written in response to earlier prompts–a 4 x 4 poem. If you would like to learn more about this form check out this post from Ethical ELA. Here are the basic rules for the form:

Let’s try a 4 x 4 poem today. Sometimes I enjoy the challenge of having constraints when I write a poem. In this poem, there are four “rules.”

  • 4 syllables in each line
  • 4 lines in each stanza
  • 4 stanzas
  • Refrain repeated four times in lines 1, 2, 3, 4 of stanzas 1, 2, 3, 4.

Bonus: Try writing a title in four syllables

Other than those four rules, anything goes. There are no rhyming or rhythm restrictions, and you can write on any topic.

A Pond for All Seasons

Cherish the pond
in winter’s chill
when ice crackles
amid the snow.

When springtime blooms,
cherish the pond
as you listen
to peeper’s sing.

When turtles bask
as cattails wave,
cherish the pond
in summer’s heat.

As vibrant leaves
flutter to the ground
in autumn’s breeze,
cherish the pond.

Where is your happy place?

 

Poetry Friday: Short Poems

Welcome to Poetry Friday. Molly is hosting this week at Nix the Comfort Zone. She shares the elegant beauty of winter trees with photo and poem. If you are wondering what Poetry Friday is, check out this.

This month I am taking part in Laura Shovan’s February Poetry Project. It is a whirlwind of writing and reading poetry exploring the theme of story this year. This week, I have written several short poems in response to prompts. Here are a few.

Patricia Valdata shared a photo by Lee Alban called Maintenance and Repair. Here is my very short story in response.

Now that the war is over,
you want to send me home–
What if I won’t go?

Linda Mitchell shared a photo from the New York Times by Nancy Heitman that shows Russians laying flowers in front of a statue of a Ukrainian poet.

in the midst of war
a silent protest
bears witness

Buffy Silverman invited us to write about a gathering. Since this is the time of year where sandhill cranes are gathering for their migration north.

sandhill cranes
crisscross the leaden sky
on their way north

The best part of the month is reading the variety of responses to each prompt and having rich prompts to come back to for later writing.

Poetry Friday: The Dove

Is it Friday already? That must mean it is time for Poetry Friday. Carol is hosting today at Beyond Literacy Link. She is sharing a bounty of poetry postcards to brighten these late winter days.

I have been immersed in a flurry of poetry this month thanks to Laura Shovan’s February Poetry Project. The theme this year is story, and as always, the prompts challenge and amaze. My poem today came from a prompt from Donna Smith to choose an object (t-shirt, mug, vanity plates or anything at all) that tells something about our life and write wherever it leads.

I chose a necklace that I used to wear every day–not as much now. It was a gift from the year-round staff at the end of my first summer working in their work camp program. Despite every week being filled with church youth groups, it was the first place I experienced welcome and encouragement to take time for solitude and silence. The necklace still reminds me of that gift.

The Dove

With outstretched wings
the brass dove
plummets from the chain
around my neck,
plummets deep
into solitude,
plummets even deeper
into silence
where at last
I can hear
God’s whispered
invitation
to be
still.

Poetry Friday: Moon Musings

I was captivated by the photo of the moon that Margaret Simon shared for this week’s This Photo Wants to Be a Poem. Jone MacCulloch took this glorious picture of the Full Wolf Moon. I also enjoy watching the moon as I take the dog out in the early morning.

Here is my short poem in response:

the full moon drifts
through a sea of scattered clouds
in silent serenade

Susan is hosting Poetry Friday today at Chicken Spaghetti where she also writes in response to a photo. Check out all the other poetry offerings she gathers today.

Poetry Friday: Happy New Year

It has been a while since I’ve joined Poetry Friday. I have missed the community and the poetry and inspiration. I am glad to jump back in.

It has been a strange few years. (As my daughter says, it was a lot more fun to read about dramatic periods of history than to actually live through them.) I wrote this poem last year during Laura Shovan’s February Poetry Project that explored time. The prompt shared by Heidi Mordhurst was the Dali painting The Persistence of Memory (with the melting clock faces).

Persistence of Reality

time oozes
in and out of dreams

days garble
lost among our screams

reality warps
in and out of memes

months buckle
midst our fevered dreams

time squeezes
in and out of dreams

Catherine is hosting the Round Up this week over at Reading to the Core. Check out all the poetry offerings there.

Poetry Friday: The Nest

Welcome to April–otherwise known as National Poetry Month! I am not planning any big poetry projects for myself this year, but I am looking forward to basking in all the poetry goodness that abounds this month. Susan Bruck is collecting links to all the fabulous poetry projects throughout the kidlitosphere at Soul Blossom Living. Join in with writing your own poems or just enjoy readking. And don’t forget to follow the Progressive Poem coordinated by Margaret Simon. Find the links for each day here.

This spring I have been fascinated watching the geese who visit our pond. Usually, they have built their nest on other ponds, but this year our pond has been selected as home. My husband is not thrilled, but I am delighted watching them.

The Nest

Two geese float upon the pond

heads bobbing under the surface
looking for a tasty morsel.

Then they gather leaves and grass,
fluff and pluck downy feathers
to form a cozy island nest.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Mary Lee hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at A Year of Reading. She is keeping a haiku diary for National Poetry month. Hurry  over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: I Dream a World

Last week, the Poem-A-Day by the American Academy of Poets sent me this poem by Margaret Noodin:

Nimbawaadaan Akiing / I Dream a World

Nimbawaadaan akiing
I dream a world

atemagag biinaagami
of clean water

gete-mitigoog
ancient trees

gaye gwekaanimad
and changing winds.

Click the title above to read the rest of the poem. Noodin explains that she wrote this poem after hearing a talk by Kwame Alexander and Rachel Martin about Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” That speech in turn was inspired by the poem “I Dream a World” by Langston Hughes.

Our world is in need of dreams, especially those dreams that inspire us to create a better world. Here is my poem. What dreams do you have for our world?

I Dream a World

I dream a world
where there is enough
fresh air and clean water to sustain us
and abundant food
for all who hunger.
I dream a world
where everyone is free
to walk their paths
without fear
and come home
to those they love.
I dream a world
where we find the strength
to love our neighbor
and create our dreams
for a better world.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Susan hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Soul Blossom Living. She s hosting the roundup of all things poetry across the kidlitosphere for April, otherwise known as National Poetry Month. Add your poetry adventure to the roundup or just browse to see what will be happening. Hurry  over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: LOOK

When we moved a couple of years ago, I wanted to dig up some of my bulbs–crocuses and daffodils–to take with me. Along with the sound of spring peepers, they are one of the earliest signs of spring that bring me joy. Even though March is the wrong time of year to dig them up and move them, I did it anyway and hoped for the best.

This year, we finally have a few blooms. Here is one I caught with my camera and in a Fibonacci poem.

LOOK

Look
hard
beneath
last year’s dead
growth and find bright blooms
emerging with new life and hope.

 

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Linda hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Teacher Dance. She welcomes spring despite a snowstorm and explores time. Hurry  over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: Limerick Fun

What a week! It’s been busy and full of many good things, but has left my brain in a most unserious state. Just for fun, I thought I’d share a couple of limericks I wrote during Laura Shovan’s February Daily Poem Project.

This first one was in response to a photo by Buffy Silverman of a dog snout speckled with snow.

The Sniffer

There once was a nose that could smell
the slightest of scents that were swell
from under the snow
where ere it might blow
unless it would lead to a belle.

This next one was in response to some classic advertisements from past decades shared by Patricia Valdata.

The Well-Tailored Man

I once had a well-tailored man
and kept him in check as was planned.
Then pride ran amok
and soon he was stuck.
Now from all style he’s been banned.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Heidi hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at my juicy little universe. She is celebrating birthdays with two delightful poems. Hurry  over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: Once Again

One of the things I look forward to each year is spotting flocks of sandhill cranes as they migrate through our area during the late winter/early spring. This year there has been extra excitement as some have spotted several of the much more endangered whooping cranes among them. I haven’t spotted a whooping crane, but on my commute this week, I did get to see large flocks of the sandhills foraging in the flooded corn fields along the highway.

If you haven’t seen or heard these large birds, who like to travel in packs larger than those of middle school girls, check out this short video from Joel Sartore and CBS Sunday Morning. We don’t have quite as many as Nebraska’s staging area, but I couldn’t count the hundreds spread across several fields. And if you just want to hear their call–there’s not anything else quite like it–here s a short video of their song.

Once Again

The flooded fields
have sprouted feathers
and gangly legs
as red-crowned heads
weave and bob
as far as I can see.
Overhead sleek gray
silhouettes streak
across the azure sky,
long legs stretching behind,
until their bugling cries
echo goodbye.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Kat hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Kathryn Apel – Children’s Author and Poet. She shares her brand new–at least to the rest of the world–picture book The Bird in the Herd and a poem on perseverance.) Hurry  over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

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