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Robyn Hood Black - children's author, poet, artist

Life on the Deckle Edge

Poetry Friday - Moving Boxes ....

January 19, 2023
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Poem Swap, moving boxes poem

Quick (huff)  Greetings (puff) from the Land of Perpetual Movers...  The low-down:  We're getting there, whirlwinds and all.  Got moved into a temporary apartment (still in Beaufort) so we could get our house here decluttered and listed to sell.  Met with the realtors Wednesday and are optimistic - almost 1000 views on Zillow in the first day (& seven showings).  Beaufort is still a pretty hot market; I wanted to list our downtown cottage while the inventory is so low right now! 

 

Still making several quick and crazy across-the-state trips taking things to our Upstate abode, and popping in on the basement renovation there. More than once I've woken up in the middle of the night and looked around in the dimness wondering, where am I?  What city?  What room?! 

 

My hubby Jeff will be starting his new job at the end of February, and I'll follow with movers and what's left of our stuff in mid-March after the reno is all done.  We're both feeling aches in muscles we didn't know we had, but we are deeply grateful for these adventures and for having a safe place to rest our heads at night, especially in winter.

 

I've been to Staples and Lowe's a thousand times in recent weeks.  Here's a little ditty of an ode about those handy kraft cardboard wonders by Bankers Box®.

 

 

 

Bankers Boxes

 

 

Tear off the lid,

 

set aside.

 

Un-flatten the rest and peer inside.

 

Push (1) on through,

 

then (2) and (3)

 

Pull (1) back down - 

 

Oh - now I see....

 

A krafty rectangle in three dimensions

 

ready for all your packing intentions.

 

Wait!  The lid - fold the edges and notch.

 

Match the handle slots; ignore your watch,

 

because

 

Moving. 

 

     Takes. 

 

        Forever....

 

©Robyn Hood Black

 

 

While the smooth cardboard of dozens and dozens of moving boxes might seem monotonous, our friend and my Winter Poem Swap partner Patricia has just returned home to the desert and is thinking about the NEVERMORES group's prompt, texture. And she graciously included my Poem Swap poem and gifties to her, which arrived before Christmas but AFTER she left for her trip.  (Sorry, Patricia!) Here's her post. 

 

Marcie is kindly hosting the Roundup this week here. 

 

Wishing you smooth moves, whether from one home to another this year or just from your computer to the kettle to make a cuppa tea!

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Poetry Friday - My PERFECT Poem Swap Gifts from Patricia J. Franz

December 15, 2022
Tags: - poetry, -Poetry Friday, Poem Swap, Patricia J. Franz

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

I received the most wonderful gift in the mail yesterday – my poem swap goodies from this year's swap partner, Patricia J. Franz.  (The Winter Poem Swap is organized by the amazing Tabatha Yeatts, whose blog is here.  You can learn more about Patricia here.)

 

Full disclosure – I am so overextended this year that I JUST mailed Patricia her poem and gifties from me yesterday, too. (Insert face-slap emoji here.) No excuses, but an explanation – I/we recently made a crazy decision to put our house on the market sooner rather than later, so we are temporarily moving to an apartment here next week. That way, we can show the house without all – cough-cough – my, um, artistic piles o' stuff, and without having to manage a wee doggie, etc., etc.  Also, if it sells quickly as we hope, then we'll have a place to live while Jeff finishes his job here before starting his new one in the Upstate. I mean, moving is so easy and fun that everyone should do it twice for each move, right? 

 

So it was an especially perfect treat to open Patricia's package and slow down and savor her gifts.  She included some beautiful, fancy sticky notes – how could she know I LIVE by sticky notes?! – and the most charming tiny replica music box that plays "Hey Jude" when you turn its handle.  She explained in her lovely note that the song came to her while working on my poem, and then she said, "the universe made a house call, as I found this in the gift shop at the Whitney Museum in NYC."  I was floored!  How special, and you bet it will have an honored place in my new studio (being formed as we speak in a basement renovation at our Upstate house that we'll move to in a couple-few months.)

 

As for the poem Patricia sent, I was moved to tears upon reading it.  First, she tackled a ghazal, though she added, "Truth be told, I'm certain this is not a true ghazal!  In my  mind, I was channeling your artful spirit – letting the poetic form become what it needed to contain the words."

 

You see, she wrote a poem about… artsyletters! No one has ever written a poem about my art endeavors before, not even me.  Talk about affirmation, and with my favorite kind of writing – poetry!

Not to mention that the presentation – printed to look it's on faded, foxed, glorious old paper, and with some of my items – absolutely speaks my aesthetic language.  What a gift, and to think we've never met in person before.  But that's the magic of Poetry Friday, isn't it?

 

I'm beyond delighted to share:

 

 

artsyletters:  a  ghazal

 

what sound speaks?  What reaches your ear?

asking to be transformed – the trinket, the trifle

 

finger a curl of your hair, pause to hear

art unaware, setting free the trinket, the trifle

will you be jeweled? Beheld by a book?

re-membered eternal, no trinket or trifle

 

work of your hands, heart's possibility

becomes twinkle delightful – the trinket, the trifle

 

©Patricia J. Franz

 

This was just what I needed but didn't know I needed, grounding my art adventures as I'm trying to keep them all together during this bit of transition and chaos.  I'm so excited to hang up this poem in my studio space when it's finished, a heart-sent gift from a poet friend. It's just perfect as I reflect on this 10th anniversary year of starting my art business and Etsy shop and anticipating its landing, finally, in a perfect and personal home space.  Thank you, Patricia!

 

The perfect place for poetry today is with Karen Edmisten, who is rounding up Poetry Friday this week.  Thank you, Karen! And Happy Holiday blessings to all; I'll be taking a wee break as we work on the move stuff and also travel - multiple times - to see family over a stretched-out holiday season.  Extra prayers for those missing loved ones this season, and those who don't have homes to move to or from this winter. See you in January!

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Poetry Friday - Poem Swap Cheer from Jone

December 17, 2020
Tags: </br>Poetry Friday, Jone MacCulloch, Poem Swap, Christmas haiku

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

Lucky me... Look what came in the mail!  As part of Tabatha Yeatts's fabulous poem swap adventures, I received a special delivery from Jone MacCulloch, all the way from Oregon.  

 

In addition to a wonderful personal Christmas card, Jone included one of her fabulous and clever haiku/photography calendars for 2021 - Can it come soon enough?! - and a beautiful handmade dragonfly ornament in porcelain, from an artist in Oregon, Dorothy Steele.  (I loved the spiderweb pattern in its center, and read that the artist uses her mother's crocheted doilies and cookie cutters to create each ornament.)

 

And, of course, Jone sent a poem!  A haiku wending its way through the designs of a wonderful deer illustration.  So cheerful, it's the perfect sentiment to leave you with as I wave a hearty Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays - I hope you and yours have a joyful and safe holiday season.

 

 

first snowfall - 

reindeer on rooftops

- time for dreams

 

©Jone R. MacCulloch, shared with permission.

 

 

Michelle Kogan has our stardusty Roundup this week - Hop in your sleigh and head on over! 

 

(See you in the NEW YEAR!)

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Poetry Friday - Summer Poem Swap Splendor from Michelle Kogan

August 28, 2017
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poem Swap, Michelle Kogan, art
Art & Poetry ©Michelle Kogan. All rights reserved.

**[POETRY FRIDAY is such a wonderful way to fill our baskets with what feeds the soul. This week, I know we are all keeping those in Texas and Louisiana foremost in our thoughts, hearts, and prayers. There are no adequate words to offer, but I'm grateful for the selfless actions of those brave neighbors and first responders, and outreach of present and future help from across the country.]**


What a delight to receive a colorful package in the mail, open it, and find more color spilling out in every direction.

Today I'm happy to share my generous Summer Poem Swap goodies from Michelle Kogan.

I arranged the contents on our dining room table to take a picture of the whole lot, and, as you see, our kitty, Lance (Lancelot), photo-bombed it. But since Michelle is such an animal lover, as I am, I thought a live animal was actually an appropriate addition!

I received an oh-so-cheery collection of cards made from Michelle's paintings, including a beautiful notecard, a sampling of haiku/art cards in such an intriguing size and narrow shape, and a gallery show postcard. PLUS, the "August Fairy and Luna Moth" card showcased above had a lovely personal note to me on the back. The card features art originally created with watercolor, watercolor pencil, and pen, and an original poem by Michelle:


lovely luna, my
august fairy heart skips a
beat for your beauty...

©2017 Michelle Kogan. All rights reserved.

I've always loved Luna moths! And how delightful to consider each one of us can have a personal "fairy heart."

To see more of Michelle's art and read more of her poetry, flutter on over to her website and blog. Michelle also did the cover art for Michelle Heidenrich Barnes's The Best of Today's Little Ditty 2014-15 anthology, published last November.

Michelle is also a fellow Etsy shop owner! Check out her watercolor paintings, prints, cards and other irresistible items for sale here.

Etsy has invited sellers to participate in its first ever Labor Day Sale, which you can enjoy in Michelle's shop right now.

[I'm running a Labor Day Weekend sale as well, in my artsyletters shop. Enjoy!]

Many thanks to Michelle for these beautiful treasures, and for letting me share them with you this week. For more inspiring poetry, just flap those fairy wings and fly all the way to Australia, where the purrrrfectly enchanting (& VERY busy these days) Kat Apel, has September's first Roundup.
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Poetry Friday: Winter Poem Swap Treasures from Diane Mayr

December 17, 2015
Tags: Poetry Friday, poets, Poetry, Poem Swap, Holidays, Winter
Winter Poem Swap Wonderfulness from Diane Mayr


Opening my Winter Poem Swap goodies from Diane Mayr was like having my own little sleigh of perfectly personalized poetic treasures. (Hearty thanks as always to Tabatha Yeatts for organizing the Swap!)

I was lucky enough to be Diane's Swap partner again. More lucky than she - all she's gotten from me this week is a groveling email or two about how I'm running late with hers... :0! (I have high hopes for getting her packet to the P.O. today.) She has responded with nothing but graciousness.

Here's what Diane sent:

A package tied up not with string, but taped with purrrfectly delightful cat tape - the kitty expressions have an edge, as Diane's own poetry sometimes does! Inside...

--a poem I'll post below. It''s presented on a photo collage in sepia with other subtle, aged-looking tones. No random photographs here - Diane researched Beaufort, SC (my new-ish hometown) and included wonderful pictures and images of ephemera from Beaufort's rich history! She even put in a photo of the The John Mark Verdier House (a Beaufort landmark since the 1790s), which she remembered is right next door to the building where I have my art studio. I look through my windows at the side of the Verdier house many times each day.

--A hot-off-the-press edition of NEST FEATHERS - a collection of haiku from the first 15 years of The Heron's Nest. I almost bought this for myself this fall, but restrained myself since we're on a "wedding budget" around here til June. But I REALLY wanted it. Jackpot!

--An intriguing postcard with an original poem paying tribute to the New Year. That's all I'm saying at the moment, because I want to share it for A New Year's post in a couple of weeks!

Here is Diane's wonderful poem from the historical montage she created.


HISTORY


WE CANNOT CHANGE HISTORY
WE MUST RESEARCH IT
REVIEW IT
REINTERPRET IT

WE MUST NOT FORGET HISTORY
WE MUST PRESERVE IT
RECREATE IT
TEACH IT

WE SHOULD NOT REPEAT HISTORY
WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE IT
LEARN FROM IT
AND NEVER FORGET THE WHY OF IT

©Diane Mayr. All rights reserved.


I especially love that last line, don't you? Such a poignant poem for my neck of the woods. On the way to my studio, I pass both the "Secession House" (where the decision for South Carolina to secede from the Union was put into motion - now a private residence) and also the grave and historical marker of Robert Smalls - escaped slave, Civil War hero, and five-term United States Congressman.

Speaking of Diane the Amazing, guess who is rounding up Poetry Friday this week? Yep! Click on over to Random Noodling and enjoy all the offerings.  Read More 
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Poetry Friday: Final Summer Poem Swap Featuring a "Moving" Poem by Keri Collins Lewis

September 4, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poem Swap, Poetry

Poem©Keri Collins Lewis. All Rights Reserved.


It's sunny and hot outside, but the calendar says summer is drawing to a close. I'm happy to share my final Summer Poem Swap 2014 gift here to mark the transition.

It's all about transition!

Many thanks to the multitalented and thoughtful Keri Collins Lewis for this wonderful cinquain reflecting this big move we've just made. (I hope you can see the poem well enough in the picture; it's hard to format indentions on my blog, and I'm trying to do much of this with my left hand anyway. Sigh.)

For a little more about cinquains and writing them with students, check out this post at Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry4Kids site. (Do you need to double-check your pronunciation of the form? Hmmm?)

And for more great poetry of all kinds, visit the endlessly talented Laura over at Author Amok for this week's Roundup!
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Poetry Friday: Summer Poem Swap Haiga from Heidi Mordhorst

August 14, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, haiku, haiga, Poem Swap, birds, Poetry

Happy Middle-of-August!

I’ve just returned from helping our daughter Morgan set up her new third grade classroom in Greenville, SC, and we’re about to head out to the north Georgia mountains to get our son Seth settled into his college apartment on campus. I hope your back-to-school-ing is going well if you are a parent or teacher or media specialist or student or such! Whether your August involves school or not, I’m sure you’ll enjoy stopping just for a moment to enjoy another Summer Poem Swap treasure.


sodden robin
unmiserable to the
naked eye


©Heidi Mordhorst. All rights reserved.


This gem is from our ever talented Poetry Friday host this week, Heidi Mordhorst (who greets this time of year as a teacher and a mom herself!). How lovely that she paired her haiku with this wonderful photograph of my namesake in the bird world. In an accompanying note, Heidi said she loved the “resilience” of this feathered friend. We’ve certainly seen our share of “sodden” this summer; our back yard flooded last weekend. Many cities (including Greenville) in several regions of the country have dealt with serious flooding this week.

You might know from Diane and her wonderful blog that a haiku and visual image presented together is called a “haiga,” and I’m honored Heidi sent me one!

As Stephen Addis explains in the jacket flap of his book, THE ART OF HAIKU (Shambhala, 2012):

All the great haiku masters created paintings (called haiga) or calligraphy in connection with their poems, and the words and images were intended to be enjoyed together, enhancing each other, and each adding its own dimension to the reader’s and viewer’s understanding.

Many thanks to Heidi for this haiga, and to Tabatha for organizing our sensational SWAP.

Here’s hoping you are unmiserable - nice and dry in fact, and ready to enjoy more poetry! Join the flock over at Heidi’s My Juicy Little Universe.  Read More 
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