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

Life on the Deckle Edge

Poetry Friday - Poetry & Art — “Story” with a Poem from Tabatha Yeatts & Art Video

April 9, 2026
Collage on an antique book cover board by Robyn Hood Black.  Coming to my Etsy shop soon!

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! I'm in with "episode two" of my Poetry Month project... Poetry & Art videos.  I'll work on making the next couple of these shorter... the learning curve is real, and I've had some glitches trying to edit!  But if nothing else, please do enjoy this original poem by our own Tabatha Yeatts, which prompted me to pick the word "story" as my theme this week:

 

 

175 MILLION CHAPTERS

 

by Tabatha Yeatts

 

Our brains love a story

like a bad swimmer loves air,

breathing "and then" in gulps,

 

like a good swimmer loves air,

pulling in enough to keep going,

 

like a Pteranodon loved air,

the only way to live that it knew.

 

We understand dinosaurs as a novella - 

roars and stomps and over with a bang - 

 

but they woke and wandered,

fought and slept for so long

 

that our story-minds

come to a sputtering stop

watching their lives stretch before us.

 

How did some dinosaurs get by

during a million years of rain?

 

A thousand generations passing,

never seeing the sun.

 

How did others survive air that burned,

fire in front behind beside,

alone alone alone?

 

Their absence leads us to 

forget their victories,

the chapters of survival,

 

times when someone woke

surrounded by bones and ash

but the map still had them on it,

 

a persistent pinpoint - 

you are here.

 

(Shared with permission.)

 

HUGE thanks to Tabatha for this delightful gift of a poem, which made me pause for a legit "perspective" break when I first read it. 

 

Here's a link to my video for this week on YouTube, in which I read Tabatha's poem, jabber about poetry and upcycled vintage ephemera goodies, and make a collage with fun antique elements. 

 

Oh, and there's mention of an old NOVA program I mention at the end; here's that link.

 

And here's a link to Jone's Roundup post this week - Thanks, Jone! Our multitalented host has lots of goodness to share this week.

 

Also, be sure to check out the Progressive Poem (I need to catch up on that myself, and contribute a line next Friday), and Jama's Roundup of poetry events in the kidlitosphere this month.   

 

Thanks for your patience as I might be a bit behind responding to comments as well; I made a road trip to Tennessee for a long-weekend mixed media workshop with the fabulous Lynne Perrella. :0)

 

UPDATE:  Getting back to my airbnb for the eve., and I've had messages from several folks that comments are not working.  I'm so sorry!  Sorry, Tabatha - I'm sure folks are loving your poem!  I've contacted the Authors Guild Website gurus and am crossing fingers they can get that fixed.  In the meantime, I'll try sharing a few comments sent to me, if not in the comments bars then just below here.  Thanks for your patience!

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Poetry Friday - Poetry & Art Video - "And" from Patricia J. Franz

April 2, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Mixed Media Poetry, National Poetry Month, Patricia J. Franz, Poetry and Art, Robyn Hood Black, artsyletters, poetry and art video, poem about the word and, art about the word and
"AND" journal in my Etsy shop.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers - is it still Poetry Friday?!  It's after 2 p.m. as I'm posting this, after a prior 48 hours full of techno-challenges and a new AC/heating unit having to get installed at our house.  Thanks for your understanding!  I hope your Poetry Month is off to a great start.

 

I'm kicking off a "Poetry and Art" mini series on Poetry Fridays with links to short studio videos. (Well, today's is 10 minutes long - I'll try to shorten that in the next ones!) Each week I'll celebrate a different word, sharing a poem written by someone else, along with some art made by moi (such as the journal I made for today's post.). This week I've got a poem by Patricia J. Franz, featuring the word, AND.

 

These videos are trial-and-error (a fair bit of errors so far!) as I'm planning something more fulsome with artsyletters along these lines soon.  Feedback welcome!

 

Here is today's link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7aG79O6KS4

 

And here is the poem I share in it, celebrating the word "AND" with our talented Patricia J. Franz, from here post kicking off 2024.

 

 

Ode to AND
 
It's grammatical, dramatical.
It's also mathematical.
 
 
A diplomatic follower of
controversial commas.
 
 
It's optimistic, synergistic.
In the end more realistic.
Characteristically it's found
in multi-taskers.
 
 
It coordinates.
It conjugates.
It could be said it consummates
 
 
phrases matched to clauses,
interjections with soft pauses.
 
 
A uniter, not a fighter.
Softer on the ear.
Gentler than BUT.
 
 

AND —my word this coming year.
 

                                                                                                                  ©draft, Patricia J. Franz

 

Here is Patricia's whole wonderful post. And it just so happens Patricia has today's line of the Kidlitopshere Progressive Poem right here - follow along for all the fun!  (My day to contribute a line is April 17.)

 

You can find all of this week's posts rounded up by Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme, where he's reflecting on a year of rainbows! 

 

Remember to check out all the Poetry Moonth goodness in the Kidlitosphere over at Alphabet Soup.  Thanks for rounding these up, Jama & crew!

 

If you wanted to look up a couple of things I mentioned in my video this week, here is a link to mixed media artist, teacher, and author Seth Apter, and here's a link to a lovely small women-owned scrapbooking and mixed media shop in the mountains of north Georgia, Scrappy Shak. 

 

Happy Poetry Month, and wishing blessings to all, especially those celebrating Easter or Passover this week.

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Poetry Friday - Shakespeare, and a Peek at April!

March 26, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Shakespeare, Poetry Month Project, Poetry and Art

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Spring has covered everything around here with powdery gold, so Poetry Month is on our doorstep. 

 

But first, a sonnet from the Bard....

 

Sonnet 98

 

From you have I been absent in the spring


By William Shakespeare


From you have I been absent in the spring,

When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,

Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,

That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.

Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell

Of different flowers in odour and in hue,

Could make me any summer's story tell,

Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:

Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,

Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;

They were but sweet, but figures of delight

Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those.

    Yet seem'd it winter still, and, you away,

    As with your shadow I with these did play.

 

This is one of dozens of sonnets our dear William penned for a "Fair Youth," whose identity scholars continue to debate.  Were these sonnets platonic? Romantic? Cases have been made for both.  I wondered, having recently watched Hamnet, if some might have been for Shakespeare's lost son, but those in the know don't think that was the case, though others have wondered, too.

 

(Did you see the film?  I was determined to watch it before the Oscars, and managed to squeak it in that Sunday afternoon after our kiddos left from a visit.  I knew it would be devastating and also brilliant, and I thought it was both.  I first saw Jessie Buckley in Wicked Little Letters and have loved watching her this year in interviews.  What an extraordinary talent, and she seems to be a down-to-earth and super smart human as well.)

 

For proud-pied Poetry Month April, I think I'll dip my toe in the Poetry Friday projects this year! I will offer short studio videos each week featuring a word to ponder with poetry and some original mixed media artwork. Plans are to launch an artsyletters® series along these lines down the road.  Looking forward to all the happenings everyone is conjuring up!  Be sure to visit Alphabet Soup for Jama's Roundup - and endless cheers to Jama and all the bears for this labor of love. 

 

Margaret is once again organizing the Kidlit Progressive Poem ("founded" by Irene Latham several moons ago); you can see the weekly hosts here.  And, sign up for one of the last few spots if you haven't already! It's a lot of fun, and all are welcome. And, while you're there, celebrate Margaret's brand new book, What's That Sound? Birds of the Bayou!

 

Marcie Flinchum Atkins is kindly hosting our Roundup this week. And, while you're there, celebrate Marcie's's brand new book, When Twilight Comes - The Animals that Bring Dawn and Dusk to Life! ("Crepuscular" has always been one of my favorite words.)

 

Wishing you a lovely end 0f March/beginning of April, and special gratitude for all who are marching Saturday in this 250th year of our country.  

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Poetry Friday - Give a Hand to Handwriting

March 19, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Robyn Hood Black, handwriting poetry, penmanship poem, Stéphanie Devaux, Wesley McNair

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

 

In the midst of the world's beyond-turbulent news, I'm always grateful for unexpected turns which can delight.  In the past few days I've stumbled upon a few references to something I've always adored:  handwriting.  

 

If I remember the story correctly, as a second grader I was up at the front of the blended first- and second-grade classroom demonstrating cursive on the chalkboard.  (No whiteboards back then!) I've danced with calligraphy through the decades, even taking a course with Peter Thornton back in the day (late 1980s, maybe?). This love is one reason I named my lilttle art business "artsyletters," and I'm knee-deep in projects and plans for more communing with words and lettters in my art.

 

I love sharing a passion for art and mixed media with many of you all, and your work always inspires me.  Driving back and forth to Asheville Wednesday to hear son Seth preach, I listened to the "Friday Feature Artist" interview from the amazing folks at Take Two. [Warning - the online courses offered by Take Two are simply amazing, and beautifully shot.  They are pricey, but I've taken three and all have been marvelous.] But you don't have to enroll to enjoy the artist interviews, as videos or podcasts.  I like looking at images of the artists' work online before listening in my car. 

 

Last Friday, Sophie Edwards brought us French artist Stéphanie Devaux, "whose practice moves between calligraphy, embroidery and artist books. Her work explores the space where text shifts from ink to stitch – where language becomes texture, gesture and form." The artist has a rich French accent, and I enjoyed to moments when she was searching for a certain word to describe some ephemeral but important concept, and had to speak in French. The whole interview was a "thoughtful conversation about materials, attention and the poetry between reading and seeing," and you can find it here.

 

She also briefly mentioned asemic writing, a frequent component of collage and mixed media pieces these days. ["Asemic" is a term which was coined by editor John Byrum and taken up by artists Tim Gaze and Jim Leftwich in the late 1990s to describe the practice of mark-making that resembles actual writing but does not include actual words.  Here is a 2023 interview by Sam Woolfe with Tim Gaze, explaining the history of the recent movement.]

 

Back to my Wednesday.... On the way back home, my car, as usual, was drawn like a magnet into a great little vintage store called "The Garage on 25."  I always find something there to separate me from part of the available balance on a credit card.  Thursday, I walked out with the old wooden tray above, full of character itself, and also full of all kinds of mechanical pencil holders and packages of leads (most full and many unopened), a pen holder, various rusty nibs, and even an old Rapidograph pen.  (I could never get one of those to work years ago, even in a brand new state.)  I plan to ignore what these items would sell for individually on eBay and actually use them! The other item pictured is some gorgeous handwriting on a French legal document from 1898 (bought on Etsy).  I found out the hard way that the beautiful onion-skin type paper is extremely fragile, but it's all right, as I'll incorporate pieces into collages.  (I copied this excerpt onto vellum, too, for cardmaking, and I'll be more careful with the rest of this document!)

 

I wrote a haiku back in 2016 about using a dip pen, the year my daughter got married:

 

wedding invitations
the press and release
of the nib

 

©Robyn Hood Black


Third Honorable Mention, Harold G. Henderson Haiku Awards, Frogpond, Volume 39 Number 3, Autumn 2016

dust devils - THE RED MOON ANTHOLOGY OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE HAIKU 2016, edited by Jim Kacian & The Red Moon Editorial Staff, Red Moon Press, 2017

 

I also found this touching poem by Wesley McNair, apparently also written in 2016:

 

 

My Mother's Penmanship Lessons


By Wesley McNair


In her last notes, when her hand began

to tremble, my mother tried to teach it

 

the penmanship she was known for,

how to make the slanted stems

 

of the p's and d's, ...

 

Read the rest here. 

 

Finally, and what prodded me Thursday morning into fashioning this post, here's an NPR story called, "Cursive is back. But should students be learning the skill?" by Ava Berger on All Things Considered. My answer is an immediate, "Duh - yes!" but there are other opinions.  I loved reading about a teacher's middle school cursive club in Virginia.  What say you?

 

Please enjoy all of the poetic offerings this week at Tanita's blog, where she offers up the Poetry Sisters' March challenge as well as hosting. Thanks, Tanita!

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Poetry Friday - Eavan Boland and Crystal Shimmers

March 12, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Eavan Boland, quartz
Image from The Graphics Fairy. https://thegraphicsfairy.com/

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  I've missed you these past coupla weeks.  And now, it's almost St. Patrick's Day....!

 

I felt inclined to share some words by an Irish poet today, and one can't go wrong with Eavan Boland (1944-2020).

 

Amethyst Beads

by Eavan Boland

And when I take them out of
the cherrywood box these beads are
the colour of dog-violets in shadow. Then
at the well of the throat where
tears start
they darken. Now I wear at my neck an old stress
of crystal: an impression of earthly housekeeping.

 

... (Read the rest here.) 

 

I resonate with the tone of this poem this week, with its bit of myth, mothering, compromise, and wistfulness, though, honestly, I was in search of a bit of an escape from current events.  

 

Also, this poem brought to mind an interesting news/feature story from earlier this month. In case you missed it, scientists have discovered chimpanzees much prefer crystals over ordinary rocks.  (Click here to rabbit-hole that.)  What always surprises me is that scientists seem so surprised at these things.  Well, I've been a vegetarian for 38 years (vegan for the last several), because nothing surprises me about the intellectual or emotional capacity of animals. I mean, more than 98 percent of our DNA and all, and we humans certainly gravitate to bright shiny objects, right?

 

Wishing you a week with the passion of purple, the renewing green of St. Paddy's Day, and happy surprise reflections and refractions in whatever color you like!

 

Speaking of shiny objects, Linda at TeacherDance is kindly rounding us up this week with "more than a lucky penny"!  I always love reflecting with Linda. 

 

Off to go work in the Fairy Garden before the wee grands visit this weekend....

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Poetry Friday - Go See Margaret!

February 26, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday

Woops!  Home this week, but Friday is rolling in faster than I was ready for it. And next week, I'm on the road Thurs. eve. and Friday morning. I miss everyone - and look forward to settling back into the clover patch here in mid-March.  This week, please paddle over the The Teche, where the talented Margaret has the Roundup.  She also has chicadees, swallowtails, and a lovely church interior.  And next Friday, get thee over to see the wonderful Karen Edmisten. Spring is on the horizon!

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Poetry Friday - Go See Susan!

February 19, 2026

Howdy from babysitting the wee grandies! I'll be back next week, but this week, go see the wonderful Susan at Chicken Spaghetti for the Roundup.  (Trying to do this from my phone is not working well - first, the short post I wrote before leaving has evaporated, and now I can't get the link to paste. But, you're smart - I know you'll find your way!) ;0)

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Poetry Friday - You are HERE! Poetry Friday Roundup

February 12, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday, -haiku, Poetry Friday Roundup, Robyn Hood Black, collage, handmade journals, artysletters
New small blank journals in my Etsy shop. 

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! You are HERE for the Poetry Friday Roundup, and I'm so glad! :0) Welcome to all - seasoned posters and any new folks as well.  Please leave your links in the comments, and I'll round them up old-school-style on Friday. Happy Valentine's Day weekend!

 

I'm excited to host this week, because I *love* this community so much.  (Insert all the phone emojis with hearts here.) I'm always saying the Poetry Friday folks are among the finest, most generous humans on the planet. I also always feel that I receive more than I give, and I'm grateful to all. 

 

I've also always admired those of you who choose a "OLW" - one little word - for the year. It's fascinating to discover why a particular word is chosen, and how it manifests itself over time and seasons.  I plan to go mine some of those word-gems for artsy inspirations in the future.  

 

Along those lines, I had the pleasure of meeting Margaret Simon in person at a writer's retreat a few weeks ago in Georgia, and she and I were talking some about living in the present.  That weekend, I remember waking up one morning with the words "You are HERE" front and center in my mind, and I've been pondering that phrase ever since. It has slowed me down and made me pay attention, with gratitude and a not-subtle nudge, too, to make the most of my "here."  I'll spare you all the self-reflection, but I did decide to make that idea into a journal cover.  

 

The binding machine I had bought a while back was finally unboxed this week, as I was keen to learn how to make spiral-bound journals from scratch.  What fun!  I now have a new addiction, and you'll be seeing lots of journals of different sizes popping up like daylilies in my Etsy shop in coming weeks. 

 

For one of the small ones pictured above, I featured a haiku from several years ago that appeared in Frogpond (Vol 41:3).  (This poem came from a writing retreat as well - we should all go on more retreats!  I'm actually doing some online collage adventures for the next few months, which is like a virtual retreat, and I'm going to another "real" art workshop in April in Tennessee, led by artist Lynne Perrella.)

 

Anyway, this haiku reads:

 

open gate

the way

my mind wanders 

 

ⓒRobyn Hood Black

 

 

(And by now, I'm sure you're thinking, "We know...!"

 

One last thing:  if you are involved with middle school, high school, or college students, be sure to check out the STEAM-Powered Poetry Contest, which is, well, gaining steam as we head toward Poetry Month in April.  Heidi Bee Roemer and her talented team are receiving submissions of one-minute videos made by older students and geared toward elementary-aged students.  These are created to feature poems in this year's dugout; I'm delighted to have one about mixed media as an option, and you'll see other Poetry Friday names, too, such as our own Heidi Mordhorst.)  There are cash prizes!  See this link for more info, and feel free to pass along.

 

Can't wait to read your posts and share the love.  Thank you for showing up!

 

      ************************

 

Our beloved Jan at bookseedstudio shares a HEART-warming way to live in the present and celebrate this Valentine's Day weekend.  Thank you, Jan, for the perfect first post of this Poetry Friday! 

 

Overwhelmed by the news? Matt has you covered with a distraction at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme, featuring a "preposterous" poem for Valentine's Day (AND Friday the 13th!), sure to have you chuckling and hiding your eyes at the same time.  

 

Pour a second cuppa and go take in all colors at Cathy Stenquist's blog today.  I was entranced with three special poem challenges she made for herself, fashioned from real bits of life and history. She captures personalities beautifully, and there's a great pic of her and her Valentine at the end! 

 

Laura Purdie Salas is playing with a trio of "tricubes" today and offers a perfect tricube tribute for Valentine's Day.  :0)

 

(--had to break to brush and walk Rookie!--)

 

At Dare to Care, Denise has a sumptuous little poetic buffet - a link to a stunning poem by Barbara Ras, as well as two original poems that will move your heart and mind.  Oh, and she has that delightful winter word, "apricity," so get thee hence. 

 

Karen Edmisten offers us a much needed glimpse of God today (really) in the life and words of late poet Brian Doyle. Worth reading whether you are religious or not! 

 

I love that the spirits of now-gone relatives and dear ones are showing up in today's posts.  Susan has a beautiful original poem of imagining at Chicken Spaghetti; bring your half-filled coffee mug, and she'll top it off.  *ALSO* - Susan is hosting next week and offers a shared prompt for next week's posts, based on a line from Whitman.  :0) Thanks, Susan.

 

And now, (drumroll, please....) I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!  Sorry to yell; got excited.  Except go up and read Laura Purdie Salas's post, and sometimes a loud voice is okay. At Alphabet Soup, our lovely Jama has a characteristically fulsome and wonderful review of Charles Ghigna's The Very Hungry Caterpillar's First Poems, with his own perfect-for-young-ears poems accompanying perfect-for-young-eyes collage illustrations by the late and great Eric Carle.  Can't wait to share with my baby grands. This collection was published by World of Eric Carle/Penguin Random House.

 

Please visit Doida at KidzintheMiddle (poems geared toward the 11-14 crowd) for his poignant, important poem this week, Why Did Colin Take a Knee? It might be Valentine's Day weekend, but it's still Black History Month.  

 

Up at Salt City Verse, Janice is visiting with that old mysterious trickster, Raven, with a lovely ink and wash drawing and an original haiku.  See if she learned any of their secrets! 

 

Speaking of birds, your doctor called and said to be sure to visit Michelle Kogan's blog today for a lovely robin painting, and another Valentine, and a poem that is sure to be good for your heart, sentiment-wise and blood-pressure wise.  Ahhhhh. A much needed respite!

 

At TeacherDance, Linda has a warm , sweet, and perfect Valentine's Day poem with a deep resonance in light of these challenging days.

 

Well, we've had zombies to distract us, and now, monsters! At Poetry Pizzazz, Alan offers up a delightful way to build a monster, with wordplay and idioms!  More fun for this Friday the 13th. What body parts would make up your own personal, poetic monster?

 

(--Quick lunch break - back in a flash or two!--)

 

Did you see the monks walking, either in person or on video? Tabatha shines as always this week at The Opposite of Indifference, with a gorgeous original poem paying tribute to Aloka, the dog who joined them in 2022.  (And, see if you can spot one of Jan's "hearts" in this post!)

 

Despite being under the weather, Marcie Flinchum Atkins chimes in after some conference speaking with a simple haiku sharing the poetry love, and with some light to help us see our way. 

 

At Nix the Comfort Zone, Molly gives a photo she took a second look and pens a gorgeous poem from its images.  (Perfect for the Chinese New Year animal, too!)

 

Speaking of which, Rose at Imagine the Possibilities shares her New Year Poem Postcard poem from Jone's swap, and she offers a lovely Cento which includes lines from cards she received! 

 

Much is in store for you at Live Your Poem.  Clcik the first link, and you can check out Irene's series on YouTube with two-minute writing tips (on Tuesdays, of course!) The main event is a wonderful innterview with Shannon Bramer about her new book, Nightmare Jones. Some very original poetry might keep you up at night, wanting to read more! And Irene has a tender ArtSpeak poem this week.   

 

Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading is sharing four haiku for the Lunar New Year that she wrote as part of Jone's wonderful posctcard exchange, ispired by a breathtaking photo she took on her travels last fall. (And there's a pinch of humor, too, to brighten your day.)

 

Patricia J. Franz is inspired this week by Maria Popova's 100 Divinations for Uncertain Days: An Almanac of Birds, namely by the perfectly-hued-for-Valentine's-Day flamingos!  Thanks for your own poems of possiblity, Patricia! :0)

 

At My Juicy Little Universe, Heidi "What ifs" us to a place of peace with our planet and its inhabitants, with her inimitable turns of poetic phrases and sly references.  It's good "Medicine," indeed.  

 

Our aforementioned marvelous Margaret at Reflections on the Teche is reflecting on a beautiful new picture book, Poems for Every Season: A Year of Haiku, Sonnets, and More by Bette Westera, translated by David Colmer, with sigh-worthy woodcut illustratrations by Henriette Boerendans. She then took to "Roaming the Seasons" herself to craft an original Cento poem with words from the book's pages. 

 

A hearty welcome to AmyIlene (Amy Spitzer) who shares a thought-provoking and moving original poem, "The Line(s)," which invites multiple readings, and reading aloud.  Thanks for joining in, Amy!

 

This weekend of hearts is not always light and sweet, but heavy and hard for those who have experienced loss.  Our beautiful Carol at Beyond Literacy Link writes through the shadows as she keeps her eye out for the sun. She has a lovely winter photo and haiku, and then, acting on a prompt offered by Margaret S. to "choose a crystal to use as a muse for your poem today," Carol shares "Crystal Heart Healer-Mango Calcite,"  in the form of a shadorma. We send reflections of faceted light right back to you, Carol!

 

*Valentine's Day ADDITIONS!*

 

There's still weekend left, folks - please go drop some rose petals for these posts, too:

 

Sylvia Vardell has an AMAZING opportunity; she's downsizing and willing to part with some of her aMAZing poetry outfits that she has made over the years, since she's still a poetry champion but not hopping from conference to conference these days.  Find details of her special giveaway HERE.

 

And, Denise kindly shared Linda M's Letter-Love post for this week, right HERE. 

 

Enjoy!  Hope you are having something lovely to warm your heart today.  :0)

 

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Poetry Friday - Poetry in the Olympics

February 5, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday, olympics poetry
1912 Olympics poster by artist Olle Hjortzberg (1872–1959).

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  As I type this, snowboarders are sailing into the air on my TV screen, and I look forward to the Opening Ceremonies Friday night.  As honorary USA Coach Snoop Dogg says, "Love and Peace."  We need a lot of both this year. 

 

Many of you probably knew this already, but I just stumbled into the fact that POETRY was part of the Olympics in the first part of the 20th century, with its roots in the ancient games.  Say what? Here is a Smithsonian article all about it, by Ellen Wexler, published while all eyes were on Paris in 2024. Enjoy!  

 

Sounds like it never quite got off the ground like the snowboarders, and some of the verse wiped out....

 

Here's a taste:

 

ODE TO SPORT


by Pierre de Coubertin


I.
O Sport, delight of the Gods, distillation of lire! In the grey dingle of modern existence, restless with
barren toil, you suddenly appeared like the shining messenger of vanished ages, those ages when
humanity could smile. And to the mountain tops came dawn's first glimmer, and sunbeams dappled the
forest's gloomy floor.

 

...

 

Here's the rest of the poem, but you need to skim the Smithsonian article to get the real history about its "author" (& modern games pioneer).

 

Now, ski, tobbogan, ice dance, or bobsled your way over to Poetry Champion Molly's place at Nix the Comfort Zone for this week's Roundup. Thanks for hosting, Molly! 

 

Then make your way back here next week, when I have the privilege of hosting for Valentine's Day weekend. :0)

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Poetry Friday - The Snow Man by Wallace Stevens

January 29, 2026
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Wallace Stevens, snow poems

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! And, Happy Birthday to me this Poetry Friday.  ;0)  I'm looking forward to our kiddos and baby grands coming to visit before the snow hits later. Daugter Morgan's birthday was last week, so we're double-celebrating. I shoveled piles of money into the big box store and grocery store on Thursday, because I'm not exactly sure how long we might all be "stuck" here by the sticky snow.  (It's always a big deal in the South if anything frozen falls from the sky.)

 

Last weekend, we were all hunkered down in our respective homes (mountains/foothills of NC, SC, and Georgia) because of the ice storm.  I had collected beaucoups of bundles of firewood, lots and lots of batteries, and extra buckets and containers to hold water, as well as bottled waters, and food.  (We have a well, so no power=no water. And, we don't have a generator.)

 

Our fireplace is small, but hubby Jeff can rustle up some yummy vegan fare in a Dutch oven or cast iron pan, as we discovered during Helene here in upstate SC a year and half ago. We have a metal camping coffee pot to heat tea water over the coals.  Also, we bought a camp stove for days like these but haven't had to try it out yet. I did also buy a small tent for this round, just in case the power goes out and we have to set it up indoors.  (Wind chills overnight this weekend might dip below zero! Pretty much unheard of here.)  Of course, the wee grand-laddie & his baby sissy might want to camp out indoors anyway... we'll see!

 

We were very lucky and pleasantly surprised not to lose power last weekend. And, our neighbor who has a grading and construction business cleared one side of our steep, horseshoe driveway with his plow, so Jeff could get to work as the week went on. How wonderful is that?

 

Wishing you a comfy corner with hot cocoa and something perfect to read this weekend.  The heartbreaking news rages on, but I find I have to take breaks from it, too, to be able to function.

 

And poetry helps, of course, like this crystalline gem by Wallace Stevens (1879-1955).

 

 

The Snow Man

by Wallace Stevens


One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

 

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

 

Of the January sun; ...

 

(read the rest here.)

 

And please join our dear Amy for this week's Roundup at The Poem Farm.  [Week before last, I featured the poems Amy and I wrote each other for the December Poem Swap; that post is here.] May the last days of the January sun smile on you -- wishing you warmth and comfort, snow or no. 

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