Life on the Deckle Edge
Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Well, my good intentions never got formed into a real post for today - will catch up over here next week. But please visit Jama at Alphabet Soup for this week's Poety Friday Roundup. We need poetry more than ever these days! :0)
Take good care this week.
Greetings, Poetry Lovers - Happy MAY DAY! We made it through a fulsome April.
Thanks for joining along in my National Poetry Month project. I posted mini poem movies each weekday - On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I featured some of my published poems for kids, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I shared published haiku suitable for kids.
I think that was 22 mini videos... You can find them all here on my YouTube Channel. (I have them in two folders there - 'Poems' and 'Haiku'.)
Now, if you caught my video featuring my "Hidden in the Seams" poem from Tabatha Yeatts's Imperfect anthhology, you'll know I generally have to work my way through several snarls of thread and start over when conjuring up creative projects. That was the case with trying to learn how to make and upload videos, too!
I managed to get the mini poem movies up, but not without plenty of "mis-takes" among the takes. Hope you enjoy in my blooper reel, here. ;0)
For a wonderful video featuring poems and creative projects for young readers who love their sports, be sure to check out Elizabeth Steinglass's Poetry Friday host post today, featuring her book, SoccerVerse! I shared it with Morgan, whose need for some more online teacher-friendly material prompted my April project. And, mentioning Morgan, I also need to toss out bouquets of thanks to my hubby, Jeff, for helping to film most of the movies, and to son Seth for providing several original guitar music options.
Also check out this year's completed Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem, which was put to music yesterday in its finishing flourish over at Michelle Kogan's place. And I know I'll be circling back to Jama's Alphabet Soup for her Roundup post of Poetry Month happenings across the Kidlitosphere.
Now that it's May, maybe we'll have time to catch up on all that great poetry!
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!)
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)
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)
Hellooo, Progressive Poem Pilgrims!
It's my honor to host the Kidlit Progressive Poem 2020 here today and to contribute a line. Well, technically, two lines for the next writer to choose from. More on that in a sec.
The amazing Irene Latham began this adventure and organized it every April for years. When she could look on the 2020 horizon, though, she realized she had 142 books coming out this year, many in the Spring. (Okay... slight exaggeration. But not much.) Anyway, Irene looked around for someone to pass the baton to, and who should come around a bayou bend but the ever-talented and also amazing Margaret Simon! Thanks to both of you ladies for making the Progressive Poem a beloved addition to National Poetry Month.
This year, Donna up in Maine started us off, and whoa - did she ever. She didn't simply give us a first line - oh no, no, no. She conjured up TWO lines for the Day 2 writer to choose from! Subsequent participants could not resist this kind of fun, so this year, it's a Progressive Poem with "Choose Your Own" sauce on top!
Here we are in the final few days, and I must say, I love how lyrical this year's sequential masterpiece is. You can see for yourself below, with the two lines I had to choose from in bold at the bottom of the full poem. (Note - Yesterday was Dani Burtsfield's turn at Doing the Work That Matters . Alas, some technical glitches up and got loose and ruined her plans, so Margaret paddled over and helped keep everything afloat. Thanks, Maragaret and Dani!) From here, the poem will go to Jessica Bigi.
--
Sweet violets shimmy, daffodils sway
along the wiregrass path to the lake.
I carry a rucksack of tasty cakes
and a banjo passed down from my gram.
I follow the tracks of deer and raccoon
and echo the call of a wandering loon.
A whispering breeze joins in our song
and night melts into a rose gold dawn.
Deep into nature's embrace, I fold.
Promise of spring helps shake the cold.
Hints of sun lightly dapple the trees
calling out the sleepy bees.
Leaf-litter crackles…I pause. Twig snaps.
I gasp! Shudder! Breathe out. Relax…
as a whitetail doe comes into view.
She shifts and spotted fawns debut.
We freeze. My green eyes and her brown
Meet and lock. Time slows down.
I scatter the cakes, backing away
Safely exiting this strange ballet.
I continue the path that winds down to the lake.
Missing my breakfast for beauty's sake.
But wait, what's that delicious smell?
Something familiar, I know so well.
It's a campfire. I follow my nose. I see
a circle of friends waving at me.
**OR**
the very place I'm meant to be.
--- Two terrific options, right? I pondered all day. My first impulse was the second line, as it just seemed to fit the tone of the poem and lended itself to more intimacy, I thought. It personally felt more comfortable to my need-my-space self. But (said the little poetry muse on my other shoulder) - everybody has been isolating for weeks now, and the hunger for gathering in a group of more than two people in real space and not via a screen is a very strong pull!
So, I WILL pick that circle of friends, but I'll let Jessica decide whether to join them or to meander on. Here's that stanza with the chosen line and with two options from me:
It's a campfire. I follow my nose. I see
a circle of friends waving at me.
OPTION 1: I free up my banjo, quicken my pace
OPTION 2: I offer a wave but keep to my plan
Take it away, Jessica! NOTE: You'll find Jessica's post tomorrow at this link at Donna's place, Mainely Write. (And if you want to see the complete schedule with hyperlinks, you can see the list Donna posted on the first day here. I have the list over in my sidebar, but since I'd have to add each link separately instead of copy and paste code, I just flat didn't get around to it.)
Keep safe and well and wrapped up in poetry. Our collabortive poem has been a refreshing journey!
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!
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.
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!
