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.
Lovely breads… so glad to see people baking. Congratulations on this success, both poetic and comestible.
Thanks, Karen. I’m enjoying having time to bake.
I can feel your loaves rising with the movement of your poem, and the loaves look delicious Kay! We also can’t get our hands on any yeast. Though I did just find a package bread where you add apple cidervinegar, egg and water. If it shows up in our grocery order my daughters going to try it, fingers crossed. Thanks for your delicious post!
Thanks, Michelle. Good luck with finding the bread kit to make. I may have to try my hand at Irish soda bread again if yeast remains scarce.
Rise is the key word, Kay, that you wove throughout the skinny. Well done. It looks like your loves rose with grace as well.
Thanks, Carol. These loaves did turn out well, but some of them not so much. The last batch did make good croutons, though.
I need to find out more about Poemcrazy. Looks interesting and your skinny poem! And sourdough. Yummy treats. Food is a good focus as we shelter.
Yes, food id a good focus. I’m enjoying your food poems this month.
I do love Poemcrazy and all the wonderful ways to access images and words. Your skinny captures the essence of homemade bread. Thank you for reminding me of sourdough!
Thanks, Joyce. I am enjoying the practices and will go back to many.
The skinny “tower” lends itself well to a poem about rising, Kay. Those yummy looking creations of yours are making my mouth water!
Thanks, Michelle. I’m enjoying the baking and we all are enjoying the eating
Lovely, Kay–we all have to do some rising right now, don’t we?
Thanks, Laura. I am hopeful that many of us are rising and will keep on rising.
We JUST found some yeast today, so bread-baking will soon commence in our house!
Yea! Our grocery store is still out of yeast (and I am resisting going to more than one store), so it’s sourdough over here. AT least I have time to experiment. I’m afraid today’s loaves may become croutons.
What a great skinny! I find it a really tricky form to work with, but you’ve done it beautifully here with that repeated “rise.” Your baked goods look delicious, too!
Thanks, Molly. I also find the skinny to be very tricky! I’m never sure how well I pull it off, but I knew wanted to repeat rise–that’s the magic of bread.
I made biscuits yesterday, am loving all that everyone, now you, are sharing about their baking. I really don’t have a lot of motivation because it’s just me eating. But I will try to do something again I have the ingredients! I love the skinny idea here because of the repeat ‘rise’ – that magic in bread-baking!
thanks, Linda. your biscuits looked delicious. I found a recipe that uses sourdough discard to make biscuits. I suspect I’ll be trying it soon. I’m glad I have a houseful of people to eat the bread I’m baking. Once it’s safe to visit again, I’ll be sharing lots, too!
I must visit poemcrazy! The skinny is so appealing – here with yours I get a sense of a minute-timer “hourglass” or mixer being turned. Your creations in the photos look scrumptious!
🙂 Fran Haley https://litbitsandpieces.com/
Thanks, Fran. poemcrazy is a fantastic resource. I will come back to it again and again. I find writing a skinny to be challenging–I’m not sure I’ve quite mastered it yet.
This is great! Isn’t it amazing how much can be conveyed in a skinny? The difference between combine and transform. Well done! And the bread looks yummy!
Thanks, Linda. I’m still learning how to write a skinny–it’s a challenge.
What beautiful breads!! Yes, many are baking bread these days — there’s something so elemental and noble about the practice. Preparing food as meditation.
Oh yes, baking bread is a meditation for me, and I am grateful we don’t have to worry about having enough.