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.
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.