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?
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.
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.
A little over a year ago, we brought home a new-to-us dog from the shelter. I look forward to our daily walks and nightly snuggles. And as with many of my past four-legged companions, he is a source of poetic inspiration.
I was also inspired by all the cascade poems by the Poetry Sisters last week, so I gave it a try, though I did not include the theme of transformation. Trying this new form was challenge enough!
A Lucky Pup
I’m a foxhound
sniffing invisible trails
with my nose to the ground.
I leap and I bound
when a new scent sails
’cause I am a foxhound.
My nose never fails
as it crisscrosses the ground
sniffing invisible trails.
I don’t know what might be found
since I’ll never see the bunny tails
with my nose to the ground
Sniff out all kinds of poetry treasures with Laura, who is hosting Poetry Friday at Laura Shovan. She shares a new book by Laura Purdie Salas about a found family of loons and duckling. It looks delightful!
Last week I was looking forward to spring. This week I welcome winter in all its magic. Even though I can recognize the hassles and even danger that winter storms can bring, my eyes still light up as snowflakes begin to swirl. I am grateful I can work from home and not have to get out on icy roads. I am grateful for our warm, snug home surrounded by snow-laden trees.
snow paints every branch
until the world fades to white
blurring sharp edges
schools and work close
as snow drapes the world in white
a quiet cocoon
Jan is hosting Poetry Friday today at Bookseed Studio. She shares a bounty of poetry and art and more from Sharon Lovejoy. Head over so you don’t miss out on any of it! If you would like to learn more about Poetry Friday, check out this.
As I begin a writing habit again, I keep reminding myself of things I used to know (and share with my students). For example:
- a blank page can be inviting or intimidating
- first drafts aren’t pretty–they don’t look like finished poems
- just start writing words or doodling on the page, and more words will come
- once you have some words on the page, you can play with them–rearrange, take them them out, add more
- it’s hard to work with a blank page–just start writing something
I also spent some time browsing through an old writer’s notebook that I still keep stashed in my purse. Not only did it bring back memories of small moment’s I had forgotten, I found inspiration (some of those words already on the page to play with). This entry comes from when my daughter was about 5 or 6 (she’s now all grown up).
And here is a poem I found in the memory
a single daffodil
blooms bright against winter’s sludge
spring’s first gift
Marcie is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Marcie Flinchum Atkins. She shares some companion books to her picture book Wait, Rest, Pause along with a winter haiku. If you would like to learn more about Poetry Friday, check out this.
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.
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.
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.
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.