January 2020 archive

Poetry Friday: A Bit of Movie Magic

 

 

Today I’m going back a few years to our visit to England. After reading all the books and seeing all the movies (and dressing up to see the midnight showing), we had to tour the Harry Potter Studios in London. Let’s just say it was magical!

Since I was very much into the literary sights of England, I’ve been working on writing Golden Shovel poems for our trip. I find this poetic form quite challenging, so it’s been slow going. I’m still not quite satisfied with this one, but it’s getting closer. O course, I used a quote from JK Rowling.

A Bit of Movie Magic

We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already.                ~JK Rowling

Standing before the massive doors, we
wait to enter rooms and landscapes that do
not exist outside our imaginations except in pages and sets. Not
a plate is out of place on tables stretched end to end in the Great Hall. We need
to uncover all the secrets of these movies’ magic. We grab magic
wands and follow instructions as we begin to
duel in front of mirrors. Green screens and camera angles transform
costumes and sets into a magical place where our
hands can grasp a broomstick that flies across this world
tower as giants inside Hagrid’s Hut. We
peek inside Dumbledore’s office and the Gryffindor Common Room. We carry
memories of each book and movie to identify props stacked to the ceiling and all
the potions stacked on shelves in a dungeon classroom. The
Burrow welcomes us with its domestic magic. We marvel at the power
of special effects to bring Dobby and Buckbeak and magical creatures to life. We
wander through the Forbidden Forest and stroll down Diagon Alley. We need
to push our trolleys through the wall at Platform 9 ¾ before we climb inside
a car on the Hogwarts Express. We finally find ourselves
filled with wonder as all of a miniature Hogwarts stretches before us already.

 

 

 

I am having trouble finding quotes to go with our visit of York (York Minster, the wall, National Rail Museum, the Shambles). I can find lots for Yorkshire and the moors, but not the city. If any one can point me to a literary quote about York I’d appreciate it.

I was also delighted to receive two more postcards this week from Christie and Diane. Enjoy!

from Diane Mayr

from Christie Wyman

 

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 DeoWriter. She share a couple of delightful postcards and offers a giveaway of a gorgeous journal. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

 

Poetry Friday: Daily Haiku

So far, I have kept up with my practice of daily haiku. At the end of the week, I enjoy looking back at the moments captured and now shared. Here are a few from this week, including one with a picture.

row upon row filled
with piles and stacks and bags of stuff
who needs it all

community gathers–
a hodgepodge of citizens–
to honor a dream

a little teapot,
short and flowered, pours
out a cup of calm

And I had one last surprise in the mail with another poetry postcard, from Robert Ertman.

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 from Down Under at Katherine Apel. She share a couple of delightful poems and good news on the fire and fundraising front in Australia. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: Nature’s Symphony

One of the things I love about living in the country, is listening to the sounds all around me. It’s quieter now in the winter–a few sand hill cranes honk as they fly overhead and the wind moans and whistles depending on its mood. Maybe tonight we’ll hear the quiet swoosh of snow falling of the clink of sleet/freezing rain. But during the rest of the year, nature creates a glorious symphony for me to enjoy. I like nothing better than to sit on the front porch with a cup of tea and soak it in. Here’s a poem that came from one such concert.

Nature’s Symphony

Down by the pond
a bullfrog croaks
like a big bass drum.
Across the field
cicadas strum
soft banjo notes.
From the woods
crickets sing
along some fiddle strings
until a woodpecker’s
rat-a-tat-tat
ricochets the final rap.

I also received two more postcards to brighten my week. Thank you, Jone and Margaret!

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Catherine hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Reading to the Core. She shares a collection of haiku from December’s #haikuforhope. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Poetry Friday: A year of haiku

Happy New Year! I’m a little late the the new year party, but I’m glad to be here. This year I’m trying something new. Each evening (or sometimes the next morning), I am capturing a moment from the day in a haiku. Even though it’s been just a little over a week, I am delighted to have these little snapshots to remind me of things that have happened. Here are a few from this past week:

out of scraps
of bones and peelings
rich broth simmers

dungeons and dragons
calls heroes to adventures
ending in doom and death

rural crossroads meet
where past dreams and future hopes
collide today

This last haiku is in response to my visit yesterday to the Smithsonian Travelling Exhibit, Crossroads: Change in Rural America. It has been making its way across the country and is stopping in various communities in Indiana.  If it comes near you, I highly recommend. The stop in our former home community included art and literature from area students, including a variety of Where I’m From poems as well as recorded stories from across the country.

I am also enjoying receiving poetry postcards. My husband is a little befuddled. Each time one arrives in the mail he asks, Who are these people? Why are they sending you poems? Because it brightens my day. I’m a little behind, but hope to send my postcards out this weekend! Enjoy these gems that brighten my new year.

Here is the poem on the back of Kimberly’s card:

Crackle, fizz, flash, bang!
Bold dreams bursting from the sky.
New hope springing forth.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Sally hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at sallymurphy.com.au. She shares lots of exciting good news including a new book cover reveal, an upcoming resource of verse novels and a way to help Australia with the devastating bush fires. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.