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Life on the Deckle Edge

Poetry Friday: Spooky and Spinelli!

Oliver, 15+, and Rita, 2 1/2 and weighing in at 3 1/2 pounds, wish you HAPPY HALLOWEEN from the 'Black Forest'!

***HAPPY HALLOWEEN!***

I hope yours is perfectly spooky and fun.

No tricks for you today, just a special TREAT from Eileen Spinelli .

Now, if you've been magically blessed like I have to meet the Spinellis and to learn poetic tricks and tips from Eileen, you know that no time of year or holiday goes un-celebrated in their family. What a delightful combination they live out - serious devotion to art and craft, coupled with serious joie de vivre and carpe deim-ing!

Eileen graciously agreed to share a perfect-for-today poem with us. Enjoy.


OCTOBER MELODY


by Eileen Spinelli


Listen to the laughter

spilling from the pumpkin patch,

listen to the windy afternoon,

listen to the swish of brooms,

the swoosh of leaves,

the crackle of a fire.

Listen to the cricket's final tune.



Listen to the noisy twilight geese,

listen to the last cry of the jay,

listen to the bursting milkweed pod

before October's music

falls away.



©Eileen Spinelli. All rights reserved.


Sigh-worthy, n'est-ce pas? Many thanks to Eileen for sharing.

Now, grab your broom and hightail it over to Teacher Dance , where our amazing Linda is hosting (ghosting?) Poetry Friday!
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Poetry Friday - Robert Frost's "October"

Cupid Falls, Young Harris, Georgia
This was last weekend, but that green is on its way to colorful splendor as the month goes on, I'm sure!

Happy Poetry Friday!

Actually, like last week, it's a Friday on the road for us. Headed to our - gulp! - 30th college reunion at Furman. The leaves are sure to be glorious.

Last week we enjoyed Family weekend at the college Seth transferred to this year - Young Harris up in the north Georgia mountains. [He tried to convince us that if he just lived in a yurt, it would save all that housing money....] The landscape was tinged with honey gold and crimson but hadn't quite given up its green yet. The weather was divine.

Seth told us that whole area is called the "Enchanted Valley" - it certainly looks the part. And look, here's that lovely "enchant" word in this poem by our Dear Mr. Frost. I've enjoyed the Frost poems shared on Poetry Friday the last few months. If someone has already posted this one this year, forgive the redundancy - I missed out! Then again, one can never have too much Frost...


October

By Robert Frost


O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes’ sake along the wall.



Here is The Poetry Foundation link.

May your lands be enchanted as we stroll through the end of October, and your mists be gentle! For more wonderful poetry, visit Cathy at Merely Day by Day for this week's Roundup. She has the lovely word "gentle" in an original poem and its title. Must be a theme....
(And give your favorite teacher a high-five. We'll give Morgan one when we cross paths this weekend in Greenville.)
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Poetry Friday: (Spooky) Party's at Michelle's Little Ditty!

Dearest Poetry Pals,


Sorry to be missing as many Poetry Friday parties as I've made it to in recent weeks.
We're actually on the road today and all weekend, and I don't have a post scared up! A veteran plate-spinner, I'm still having to temper my "to-do's" (or "wish-I-could-get-done's) as I get over my neck/nerves/shoulder/arm injury from August. Doing TONS better but not quite at full speed yet. I've been spending lots of time in the studio (yay!) but not having enough dexterity/energy left for everything else.

Someone who always seems to be at the top of her game is our wonderful Michelle, spinning around (is that a cape? a cloak?) as our Poetry Friday host over at Today's Little Ditty . Go enjoy Today's Little Roundup, actually - Today's Poetry Friday Parlor of Horrors! - and thanks for popping in.
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Poetry Friday: Haiku Student Poet of the Month Grace Futral

Grace Futral
Greetings, Poetry Fans! I know you've been patiently waiting for this year's "Haiku Student Poet of the Month" series. Last year you met accomplished haiku poet and teacher at The Paideia School in Atlanta, Tom Painting. [Click here for my feature on Tom as part of our WE HAIKU HERE series last fall, and here for a few recent poems.] And you met several of his current and former students sharing their incredible haiku. [If you missed any, you may click here to get caught up.]

We are delighted to kick off the 2014-15 series with Grace Futral. Grace is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and lives in Druid Hills with her parents and older brother. At 15, she is a committed soccer player, artist, and writer.

She says:

My inspiring junior high teacher, Tom Painting, introduced me to the art of haiku. Haiku nurtures my poetic side and makes me more aware of the subtle, beautiful aspects of life.

Please enjoy some of Grace's fine poetry:



morning sun
dad knee deep
in the river


late autumn
his callused hands
feed the line

[*note* The above poem was a national winner in the 2012 Nicholas Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition]


skylight
we blend in
with the stars


summer night
frogs make the silence
so loud


the sky
sheds a lick of light
crescent moon


old mansion
the dust settled
memories


Poems ©Grace Futral. All rights reserved.


I've enjoyed re-reading these and find something new to delight in each time. While strong haiku poetry generally eschews excessive poetic devices, a particularly irresistible turn of phrase or bit of alliteration can often sneak in to make a haiku memorable. For me, that "lick of light" in Grace's "the sky" poem is just perfect. And the way the sounds of frogs make you realize how quiet it is at night - a great observation.

Which poem particularly draws you in?

Thanks for coming by to share in the series, and be sure to check out terrific poetry of all stripes at this week's Roundup, hosted by the wonderful Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect.
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Poetry Friday - (um, snuck up on me. But go visit Jama!!)

Hmmm... Poetry Friday, AND October, snuck up on me... How did that happen?

Well, if you've kindly popped in over here, I apologize for being empty-handed. But you know who's not? Our beloved Jama, offering dreamy deliciousness over at Jama's Alphabet Soup and links to lots of great poetry in today's Roundup! Bon voyage... [DO come back here next week, though, for our featured Student Haiku Poet of the Month! You'll love meeting her and reading her work.]  Read More 
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