June 2019 archive

Poetry Friday: Look for Magic Moments

Once again I’ve waited until the last moment, but I didn’t want to miss out on this month’s Ditty Challenge over at Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’ Today’s Little Ditty. For this month, Karen Boss challenged us to write a poem, telling them something important we want them to know. To up the challenge, the poem has to be in second person. Check out the month’s wrap up celebration and the Spotlight Interview with Karen.

I found my inspiration in a New York Times interview with Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins. This 103-year-old-runner is setting records in the 50- and 100-meter dash. Her advice to “look for magic moments” became the beginning of my poem.

Look for Magic Moments

Look for magic moments
through each and every day.
When clouds hide sunny portents,
look for magic moments.
Weave your own enchantments
when days seem sad and gray.
Look for magic moments
through each and every day.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Buffy hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Buffy Silverman. She highlights a beautiful book of poetry and photography–Hello, I’m Here by Helen Frost and Rick Leider. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: Then Stars Call

Are you looking for a little poetic inspiration? I was this week, and I found some from Linda at A Word Edgewise. Not only is she hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup this week, but she is offering discarded lines from her poetry room cutting floor. She may think these lines are clunkers, but one provided just the inspiration I needed.

Thank you, Linda, for offering this line: Then stars call. It grew into a small poem this morning.

Then Stars Call

The setting sun
paints the clouds
and shadows stretch
across the yard.
Birds wing home
to tuck into their nests.
then stars call
goodnight,
goodnight to all.

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 A Word Edgewise. She offers a clunker exchange: feel free to take a discarded line to inspire your own poem. Just offer a line of your own in return. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: Honeysuckle Blooms

Among my favorite memories from childhood, I can find the sweet scent and taste of honeysuckle. Way in the back of the playground, honeysuckle vines draped over the fence. In the spring, I would spend recess picking of the blooms and tasting the drop of sweetness hidden inside of each blossom.

Walking through the park last week, the scent of honeysuckle blooms swept me back in time.

honeysuckle
blossoms cascade through green leaves
spreading sweet scents

I hope that honeysuckle or memories spread sweet scents through your day! For more poetry sweetness, check out this week’s Poetry Friday celebration, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Laura hosts the Roundup today at Laura Shovan. She is celebrating a month of poetry with the students at Northfield Elementary where she has been poet-in-residence this spring. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: Instructions to a Pond

There’s nothing like putting things off to the last minute or working under the pressure of a deadline, right? It wasn’t my intention, but it is how I approached last month’s TLD monthly challenge. I was excited to read Michelle Heindrich Barnes’ Spotlight On interview with Liz Steinglass about her new book Soccerverse. I was even more excited about trying her challenge for the month:

One of my favorite poems in Soccerverse is “Instructions for the Field.” The poem tells the field how to do its job. This month’s challenge is for you to write a poem giving instructions to an inanimate object about how to do its job. My poem uses personification. Yours can too, but it doesn’t have to. You might want to think about how the object looks, what you hope it will do, and what you hope it won’t do. I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

But somehow the month slipped away and I still had not written my Instructions to a Pond. On the very last day of the month, I managed to finish it up and submit it the challenge. Then for the fun part–reading every one else’s response to the challenge! You can find the wrap up with all the responses here. Enjoy! And here are my instructions to the pond I see every day out my window. So far, it seems to be listening!

Instructions to a Pond

Collect cool water.
Ripple in the breeze.

Grow bushy cattails.
Reflect the skies and trees.

Echo bullfrog’s song.
Hide awe in your deeps.

Splash with darting fish
before winter’s freeze.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Michelle hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Michelle Kogan. She celebrates the  words and wisdom of Tracy K. Smith. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.