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Life on the Deckle Edge

Poetry Friday - My Poem, "Trail Ready," in HOP TO IT

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

Just hopping in this week to celebrate the launch of the newest collection from Pomelo Books, HOP TO IT!  Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong have put together an oh-so-welcome collection of poems to get folks moving - perfect for young readers who have been sidelined as we all have this year.

 

I'll have more about the book when the HOP TO IT blog tour stops here on November 13, and you'll know lots about it by then because the tour will park at several wonderful blogs.  It started a couple of weeks ago at Jone's place. Yesterday the tour stopped at Kathy Temean's blog, here.  And Sylvia is telling us all about this week at Poetry for Children.

There are giveaways along the way! 

 

Congrats to Sylvia and Janet and all the poets in the Pomelo Universe for this wonderful new anthology.

 

Here's my contribution, for those answering the call of the Great Outdoors:

 

 

Trail Ready

 

We're going on a hike today!

I'll get my backpack ready.

Jacket, flashlight, extra socks –

Can you hold it steady?

Trail mix, thermos, bug spray, hat,

notebook, pencils, this and that.

 

Binoculars and whistle

dangle from my neck.

Blue bandanna, walking stick.

Map and compass? Check.

 

Through the leafy canopies

to fields, where sun is brighter –

Next time (huff) we hike (huff puff),

I'll pack a little lighter.

 

©2020 Robyn Hood Black

 

(Note to my family - hold your tongue about my pack-rat tendencies.  Thank you.)

 

Grab your own backpack and head to Salt City Verse to stuff it with poems.  Thanks for hosting, Janice!

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POETRY MONTH - Mini Poem Movies Project Winds Up with a Haiku, "sea fog"

Click here to hear Robyn read her haiku, "sea fog," from on down the road - Haiku Society of America 2017 Members' Anthology.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Can you believe it?  We've journeyed to the end of National Poetry Month!  Thanks for joining me for my Poetry Month project(s), "I Pause for Poems" and "I Pause for Haiku," in which I've posted mini poem movies each weekday in April. They haven't been perfect, but they've been fun to make.  I've been sharing some of my published poems for kids on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and haiku suitable for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

 

Today's haiku is "sea fog" from on down the road - Haiku Society of America 2017 Members' Anthology.   Click here to hear!

 

And if you'd like to catch up on the other haiku or poems, check out my YouTube Channel here  and scroll through all the mini movies. Thanks for joining me!  (And, pssst... tomorrow, for Poetry Friday, I'll have the Blooper Reel!)

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POETRY MONTH - Mini Poem Movie "I turn" from The Best of Today's Little Ditty, 2014-15; Don't Say I Didn't Warn You...

Click here to hear Robyn read her poem, "I Turn," from THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY 2014-15.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Don't say I didn't warn you about today's poem... 

 

It's from THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY 2014-15, compiled by the fabulous Michelle Heidenrich Barnes.  Be sure to play the video all the way through, as it's... well - you'll have to see for yourself. But be careful. (I might have been slightly under the influence of the "Getty Challenges" - but no actual art was harmed during the making of this video!)

 

Click here for the poem, and while you're there, check out the other mini movies I've been posting every weekday for Poetry Month.  (After today's, you might be glad we've just about run out of month.) ;0)

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POETRY MONTH - Haiku Mini Movie, "hatchlings"

Click here to her Robyn read her haiku, "hatchlings," from FROGPOND, Vol. 42.3, Fall 2019.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Thanks for journeying on with me in my "Mini Poem Movies" project this month.  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I've been posting videos featuring some of my published poems for kids; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's a haiku suitable for kids.  I hope you enjoy today's!  It's from FROGPOND, Vol. 4.3, Fall 2019.  Click here to hear it.  And click here for my YouTube Channel.  

 

Wishing you a day full of poetry. :0) 

 

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POETRY MONTH - Last Week of Mini Movies Starts with "Food for Thought" from THE POETRY OF SCIENCE

Click here to hear Robyn read her poem, "Food for Thought," from THE POETRY OF SCIENCE (Pomelo Books). 

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Here we are, beginning the last week of National Poetry Month.  I'll post my mini-movies through Thursday, and then on Friday - look for a blooper reel from this month's videographical adventures. ;0)

 

Today's poem is another one from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY® FOR SCIENCE (Pomelo Books, 2014) and THE POETRY OF SCIENCE (the "for kids" edition, 2015), compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, with illustrations by Frank Ramspott and Bug Wang.

 

It's called "Food for Thought," and it's about food labels!  I hope your pantry is still full after weeks of sheltering at home.  (If it is, and you still have your income, remember your local food banks in these challenging times.)  Click here for the mini video, and click here for my YouTube Channel

 

Thanks for visiting - Happy Monday!

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POETRY MONTH/Poetry Friday - Short Poetic Diversions Soothing or Silly

Click here for my YouTube Channel, featuring all my Poetry Month mini poem movies! 

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! I hope in the midst of these jarring days you are finding comfort through poetry.  I've got two short diversions today, depending on whether you need something calm and soothing, or something downright silly.

 

My National Poetry Month mini-movies project continues with "I Pause for Poems" and "I Pause for Haiku" offerings.  Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in April, I'm posting a video featuring one of my published children's poems, and each Tuesday and Thursday, its a haiku suitable for kids. (18 down... four to go!)

 

First, yesterday's haiku video. It features the poem and picture above.  The haiku is from THIS WORLD, Haiku Society of America 2013 Members' Anthology:

 

 

lingering afternoon

the ebb and flow

of birdsong

 

 

©Robyn Hood Black

 

Now, I had been out in the neighborhood this week, recording bird chatter and also taking pictures of leafy oaks and twisty vines, which I was planning to use as the background for the poem text. Then Morgan sent the amazing photo above in a family text on Wednesday.  (She teaches third grade in Georgia; her teaching from home since March was the biggest inspiration for me to record these short, teacher-friendly videos!)

 

Morgan and hubby Matt have been hosting a bluebird pair in their back yard.  So I borrowed the wonderful image, added my haiku, and shared it with Caraol Varsalona as well, for her beautiful #NatureNurtures2020 gallery this month. (Here's the link to the video again.)

 

If you need something a little wackier, might I serve you up some of today's little movie?  It features this poem from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY - K-5 Edition (Pomelo Books, 2012) edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.  [Interrupts to wave madly at Janet and say CONGRATS to you and all the other fine folks on the NCTE Notables List announced this week!!]

 

Here's the poem:

 

SNACK RULES

 

Don't talk with your mouth full - 

full of peanut butter.

Anything you try to say

wll cmmm out as a mmmttrr.

 

©Robyn Hood Black

 

If you click here for this video, you'll see Rita in a cameo role.  She celebrated her eighth birthday this month, by the way. 

 

Be sure to follow along with the Progressive Poem - it happens to park at Wondering and Wondering today, where the generous and talented Christie is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup, too!

Thatsalotta hosting! 

 

(I've got to come up with Monday's line... wish me luck and circle back around after the weekend.) Thanks for coming by!

 

--Children under the age of 13 need demonstrated parental consent to leave a comment - Thanks!--

 

PS - The Authors Guild techno-wizards are trying to fix my comment section, which has been making it seem that comments don't go through.  They advised me to keep comments set to 'moderated' in the meantime, so I'll do that this week. 

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POETRY MONTH - Mini poem Movie: "lingering afternoon" Haiku

Click here to hear Robyn read her haiku, "lingering afternoon," from THIS WORLD - Haiku Society of America 2013 Members' Anthology.

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  My National Poetry Month project continues with haiku today - a short poem long on lovely sounds from our feathered friends.  (On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I share a mini poem movie with one of my published haiku suitable for kids, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it's one of my published poems for kids.)

 

Today's offering is feather-friendly. ;0)

 

Click here to hear today's haiku (& see the amazing photo my daughter, Morgan, took on Wednesday and let me borrow!), or click  here to peruse my YouTube Channel.  Thanks for coming along!

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POETRY MONTH - Celebrate EARTH DAY with a Poem Movie about Stick Insects!

Click here to hear Robyn read "Rocky Rescue" from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR SCIENCE from Pomelo Books.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers - Thanks for joining me this month for my National Poetry Month project:  mini poem movies each weekday in April, featuring some of my published poems. 

 

Know what today is?

 

It's EARTH DAY!  And, it's the 50th Anniversary!  Click here for more info or to take some earth-friendly action. 

 

The poem I'm sharing today is "Rocky Rescue" from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY® FOR SCIENCE (Pomelo Books, 2014) and THE POETRY OF SCIENCE (the "for kids" edition, 2015), compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, with illustrations by Frank Ramspott and Bug Wang.  This poem is in the section, "Endangered & Extinct."  Curious? Don't worry... it has a happy ending. 

 

Click here for the poem movie, and click here for my YouTube Channel. And learn more about all the wonderful poetry books and resourcess offered by Pomelo Books here

 

Thanks for visiting, and Happy Earth Day!

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POETRY MONTH - It's Tuesday, so it's Haiku! Today's mini poem movie features "Scottish rain"

Click here to hear Robyn read her poem, "Scottish rain," from Modern Haiku, Vol. 50, No. 1, Winter-Spring 2019.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  My Poetry Month project continues with mini poem movies every weekday in April.

 

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it's one of my published poems for children; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's one of my published haiku suitable for children. 

 

Today's takes us across The Pond - "Scottish rain," from MODERN HAIKU, Vol. 50, No. 1, Winter-Spring 2019.  Click here for the one-minute video.  (The photo you'll see in the video is Doune Castle in Scotland - one of the filming sites for "Outlander" as well as for "Monty Python"!)

 

Want to see all the other mini movies?  Here's a link to my YouTube Channel.

 

Thanks for joining me! 

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Poetry Friday and Poetry Month - "Hidden in the Seams" from IMPERFECT

Click here to hear Robyn read "Hidden in the Seams" from IMPERFECT.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Happy Poetry Friday, and Happy (Continued) National Poetry Month!

 

My mini-poem movies project continues today with my poem from IMPERFECT - poems about mistakes: an anthology for middle schoolers (History House Publilshers, 2018)This is the wonderfully welcoming project our own Tabatha Yeatts shared with the world.  Here's Tabatha's author/editor website, with links to how you can purchase this collection. (And - NEW - it's now available as an e-book purchase on Amazon, too!)

 

My poem is called "Hidden in the Seams," and rather than complex emotional mishaps, it deals with the many wrong turns one often takes in a creative adventure, before a final finished project emerges! 

 

A little timely this week, actually, as I dusted off my old sewing machine, found some quilting fabric I've stored for a couple of decades (yes, I washed it!) and snipped ties from some hanging name badges I had to make some cloth masks.  We had been using a couple kindly made and shared by our wonderful 92-year-old neighbor, Ms. Betty, but needed a few more, with regular washing and all.

 

The process went as all my sewing projects do:  1.) Do it wrong first, untangle mangled threads, and re-do; 2.) veer from the actual directions because I like doing things my own way; and 3.) Voila! (Eventually....) Done. Imperfections and all!

 

I hope you enjoy the short poem movie. Each weekday in April, I'm pausing for some of my published poems for kids on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and for haiku suitable for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Thanks to all who have taken a look, and shared, too!  Here's a link to today's poem, and here's a link to my YouTube Channel.

 

Since it IS Poetry Friday, here's the poem typed out:

 

 

Hidden in the Seams

 

 

Measure.

Cut.

Pin paper pattern. Pin paper pattern. 

Thread machine.

Chikita, chikita, chikita, chikita

chikita, chikita, chikita, chikita

chikita, ckiki-chkkktghkCLNK

 

(Ugh!)

Untangle thread.

Press pieces. 

Hold up.

 

(Argh!)

Seam ripper:

Rip rip rip rip

rip rip rip rip

Pin pin pin pin

Chikita chikita chikita chikita

chikita chikita chikita chikita

Zipper-time

Zippity stitchety

zip zip zip ziGGRRRP

 

(Ugh!)

Untangle thread.

Zippity stitchity

 

Zip zip zip zip

Backstitch - stitch - back - backstitch

Snip.

Press.

 

"You made that?"

"Yes!"

 

©Robyn Hood Black.  All rights reserved. 

 

 

Visit the lovely and creative Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for this week's Roundup - Thanks, Molly! :0)

 

(Children under the age of 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent - Thanks!)

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