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

Life on the Deckle Edge

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 - The Roundup is HERE - Sealed with a... Poem!

July 11, 2024
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Paris, Poetry Friday Roundup, mixed media, Jacques Prevert, wax seals, The River Seine
 
A few new items with French flair in my atsyletters Etsy shop. (Working on the listings!)

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Bonjour, Mes Amis! Welcome to the Poetry Friday Roundup, where you can peruse a grand assortment of poetry posts across a variety of wonderful blogs. Newcomer or veteran, feel free to add your own link and topic in the comments, and I'll round up the posts old-school today. (We have a couple of rounds of family visiting; I will be dipping in and out here as the day goes along!)

 

Perhaps you're a fan of grand slam tennis as I am, and your eyes have been turned to London for Wimbledon this fortnight. (Finals are this weekend.) Soon our attention will drift to Paris, where the Games of the Summer Olympics begin July 26. The Paralympic Games begin August 28.  

 

The River Seine will be the focus of many athletes and countless spectators and tourists in coming weeks. From National Geographic, I learned that this river had (has?) an ancient Celtic goddess, Sequana.  I found some lovely lines about the river quoted by Elaine Sciolino in a 2019 article on a site called Literary Hub. She is the author of a book called The Seine – The River that Made Paris (Norton).  She shares this beautiful poetic passage:

 

She goes to the sea
Passing through Paris. . . .
And . . .  walks between the quays
In her beautiful green dress
And her golden lights.

 

–Jacques Prévert, "Chanson de la Seine"

 

Jacques Prévert  was a celebrated French poet and screenwriter who lived from 1900-1977.

 

I'm adding more items to the French corner of my Etsy shop in celebration of the Olympics.  Lately I've returned to an old love from my childhood, wax seals.

 

Any other fans of Victoria Magazine, dear readers?  I've been a devotee forever. The January/February 2024 issue featured odes to correspondence, including a feature on Kathryn Hastings, who takes correspondence to a new artistic level (and offers wax seal products for sale).  I might have succumbed to purchasing one of Victoria's lovely books, The Art of Correspondence.  The photography is gorgeous, of course!

 

I've also discovered a wonderful supplier called Letterseals.com, which features lots of irresistible items and waxes, including vegan options and sticks from a company in Scotland, Waterstons, which has been creating sealing waxes the same way for 300 years. And on Etsy, I happened upon a small business in Seattle which has made letter seals products since 1998 – BeeImpressed.

 

Vintage brass stamps from Etsy and Ebay have made their way to my doorstep.

 

I altered a wax seal that came with an order and used it inside a little book I made last week for an online workshop.  I know there are many mixed media artists among us; if that means you and you don't know of him already, I highly recommend Seth Apter as an instructor and curator of many enticing items in his online shop. (When I started my artsyletters business more than a decade ago, I stumbled upon his books and videos.)

 

Last year, I participated in Seth's "Mixed Media Mechanics" monthly workshop series.  And a couple of weeks ago, I created along with "Double Jointed" – a simple bookmaking class.  Six hours flew by! (Here's my Instagram post  (@artsylettersgifts) featuring the book, which took me a couple more days to finish.)

 

My apologies if any of these links cause a dent in your wallet, as they have in mine!  Too good not to share.  But hey – Poetry Friday is free!  Thank you for sharing your wondrous poetic adventures with the world this week.  I look forward to sealing this post with their goodness.

 

[Thanks to you Early Birds who left links when I put up my placeholder post Thursday night... I'll get the Roundup list together ASAP!]

 

----------

 

Laura Purdie Salas starts us off with a journey!  Join Laura and illustrator Kayla Harren on a fun-filled, yummy promotional trip to Duluth, Minnesota for Oskar's Voyage. (Looks like Oskar had a blast!) Then enjoy one of Laura's original poetryaction poems, "We Sleep,"  in response to the book, Sweet Dreamers.

 

Love is in the air over at Karen Edmisten's place - she offers a gorgeous 10-line poem with all kinds of surprises, "You and I," by Jonathan Potter.

 

At The Opposite of Indifference, Tabatha shares an ethereal textile-themed cento stitched together by Elinor Ann Walker, "Dew Dresses." (PS - Only a "half-birthday" for me... but the baby grand just turned two, the pup just turned one, and Jeff's birthday is in a couple of weeks! ;0)  )

 

Denise at Dare to Care checks in from her travels with a thoughtful and ultimately encouraging poem, "I Don't Know."

 

Over at Teaching Authors, April is celebrating that amazing group's 15th blogiversary!  (Cue the confetti!)  Go, Teaching Authors.  You're still  "blooming in the blogisphere/post by post, year by year."

 

Lots of talk about different kinds of intelligence these days - human vs. artificial.  Mary Lee offers her mindful, poetic take on the topic at A(nother) Year of Reading.

 

The world-weary among us (isn't that just about all of us these days?) will find a refreshing pause with a classic William Stafford poem, "You Reading This, Be Ready," over at TeacherDance today.  Thank you, Linda, for bringing out this treasure at a perfect time.

 

The OH-so-creative Michelle Kogan is spinning lots of colorful plates herself, but lucky for us, she took time to share a wonderful plein-air pen-and-ink drawing and a summery haiku that will leave you smiling with appreciation! Good medicine, both. :0)

 

 When Irene Latham lives her own poem and tells you it has "grapes and angels and a turtle in it," you can't resist clicking over.  See?  Yep.  (It has some magic in it, too.)

 

At There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town, Ruth reminds us that school will start soon enough, but there's still time for delighful summertime imaginings with Frank Asch's poem, "Sunflakes."

 

Inspired by a line from Naomi Shihab Nye's "Kindness," Margaret at Reflections on the Teche has a breathtaking poem about grief and sorrow, with some light in it.  The title, "You Must Know," was borrowed from the line.

 

So, one thing I didn't know was that "I Don't Know" was a prompt/theme... offered by Ruth (see above!) for Spiritual Thursday.  I am definitely out of the loop and sleep-deprived lately. ;0) Patricia J. Franz has some musings (so specific and lovely!), photographs, and her own poetic considerations of "I Don't Know" - prayer as well as poem. 

 

Last week's Poetry Friday host and one of the world's finest humans Jan kindly links her post from last week at bookseed studio - it's still watermelon time!  And some of us were too busy eating watermelon elsewhere to be able to savor recent Poetry Friday picnics, so we appreciate it.  ;0) Thanks, Jan!!

 

In Carol's original poem, "What I Didn't Know," at Beyond Literacy Link (another in the Spiritual Thursday theme), she conveys a harrowing medical experience following what she thought would be a simple outpatient surgery. Even in the midst of her very real struggle, she still somehow found a way to let the light in, and to share it with us.

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Poetry Friday - The Roundup is HERE! So is Tea Time....

January 18, 2024
Tags: -Poetry Friday, Poetry Friday Roundup, tea poetry, tea bookmarks, Carol Ann Duffy, tea poems
My miniature Fiestaware teapot with a couple of artsyletters bookmarks for tea lovers.  

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  The Roundup is HERE - thanks for dropping by! Welcome to seasoned Poetry Friday-ers and any newcomers, too.

 

It's quite chilly outside; would you care for a cup of tea?  It's National Hot Tea Month.  (Here is a link with more links.)

 

Now, right off the bat, I assure you that I realize I'm no Jama Kim Rattigan, with so many steaming posts and accompanying to-die-for art and photos celebrating tea time, HotTEAS, and such. 

 

But I do enjoy a nice cuppa tea.  

 

Growing up, it was mainly iced tea... (Florida!).  In middle school, I would come home each afternoon while my mom was working and make tea in the old brown-ish Fiestaware teapot.  We drank it with a fair bit of sugar, every day!  I'm blaming that memory on the fact that I recently bought three little mini Fiestaware teapots - one for me, above, and one each for our kiddos/couples. (I refrained from buying one for my sweet mom, as she's trying to lighten up, not load up, her collections.)  I still have a few tiny tea sets from my childhood. I also have three miniature enamelware teapots sporting Van Gogh art that my husband's mother gave me years ago, and they remind me of her when I see them, and also remind me how swiftly life flows. I also have my mother's mother's Occupied Japan tea set, which I've yet to display in our (newish) home.

 

And there was our daughter's sixth birthday celebration, a tea party for which we bought mismatched vintage tea cups and sent them home as favors.  (That was 26 years ago - Happy Birthday next week, Morgan!!)

 

And the two-plus hour drive I made to meet my dearest friend Sue at a tea room, as she was undergoing treatments for breast cancer.  I still have a (now empty) tin with a "Shakespeare Tea" label she secretly bought for me that day and gave to me later. 

 

In recent years I've turned my morning brew from coffee to tea.  I make a nice cup of something British, and a whole little pot of dandelion root tea.  Then a smaller pot with two bags of green tea and one hibiscus.  I drink on these all day long! Faves include (decaf) Clipper Teas (England); Barry's (Ireland) - a hearty, warm, amber-golden tea; and a light golden Highlands Tea from the Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company. Sometimes Uncle Lee's (organic) green tea, and Prince of Peace (organic) oolong.  Anything from Yogi Teas, Traditional Medicinals, Numi... oh, and most nights, a cup of tummy-settling peppermint tea from Celestial Seasonings.

 

What are your favorite teas?

 

Before all of the British/European versions of tea, of course, Camellia sinensis was cultivated in Asia. (And herbal teas have been around for many centuries, across cultures.) 

 

For some Japanese flavor, here's a haiku by Issa (1763-1828), translated by David G. Lanoue:

 

year unknown

.初空のもやうに立や茶の煙
hatsu-zora no moyô ni tatsu ya cha no keburi

 

rising into
the year's first sky...
tea smoke

 

You can visit David's amazing archive of Kobayashi Issa poems he's translated here.  In the search box, type in "tea" - or whatever subject strikes your fancy!

 

Here's a tasty English morsel about tea, from Sydney Smith (1771-1845), who lived many of those same years on this earth as Issa.  It's from the memoir compiled by Smith's daughter, Lady Holland:

 

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? -- how did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.

 

Finally, a contemporary nod.  Carol Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1955 and was appointed Britain's poet laureate in 2009.

 

Her love poem simply titled "Tea" begins this way:

 

I like pouring your tea, lifting

the heavy pot, and tipping it up

so the fragrant liquid streams in your china cup....

 

Enjoy hearing the poet read this poem here.  To learn more about Carol Ann Duffy, click here or here. 

 

Now, lift those pinkies and drop your links into the comments!  I'll round up old-school.  (Getting over some bug, so it might take me a wee bit longer than usual.)

 

Oh, and please pass the scones.... 

 

[Links to the bookmarks in the photo are here.]

 

Also, my Authors Guild site is not playing nicely with Irene's computer.  I'll get her post into the Roundup with the other morning posts - but here's the link in the meantime! 

https://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2024/01/heaven-poem-with-mule.html .

 

 ******

 

Laura Purdie Salas kicks us off this week with an original poem (inspired by Susan Thomsen's overheard snippets poetry) that will have you pondering and smiling long after you read it, "Holding My Own Hand." Out of the mouth of babes, methinks....

 

Speaking of which, thematically at least, Tabatha has a startling and life-humorous original poem, "Shields Up," at The Opposite of Indifference, based on an early childhood experience of one of her wonderful kids.

 

The ever-creative Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise offers us a contemplation of war and childhood innocence with a profound ekphrastic golden shovel poem inspired by an Edith Breckwold sculpture she encountered on a recent trip to Germany.

 

Michelle Kogan never fails to be inspired or to inspire, and this week she brings a fresh perspective on these +BRRRRRR+ frigid temps!  Leave it to her to find beauty in the harsh Chicago winter with her "Icefish" and related poems, and she shares a hauntingly sad/beautiful song by Patty Griffin and a fetching original haiku to boot!

 

Janice Scully (who also drinks Barry's tea!) has armfuls of love for octopuses today over at Salt City Verse (and a wonderful Winter Swap postcard from Mary Lee Hahn).

 

If you've never wandered over to Jan's Bookseed Studio, then you might not know you are ALWAYS in for a delight and surprise and often a deep think.  She's taking her (generously bestowed) powers of observation to a fun and whole new level this week - treating us to all kinds of Florida SNOW in pictures and poems.  This Florida girl enjoyed the virtual romp, especially with super-low temps here in the Southern Appalachians this weekend.

 

Over at Poetry Pizzazz, Alan J. Wright reminds us Northern Hemisphere folks that summer is turning into a brand new school year in Australia.  His original poem, "We Start Out Fresh and Shiny," will have you sitting up a bit straighter and smiling as you read along. 

 

Karen Eastlund is also all about the snow this week, the real kind.  She's had a tease of a dusting but wants MORE.  Grab your mittens and sled and go join her for some great photos from years past, and a short original poem, "Waiting for Snow: An Elfchen," packed with the cold stuff.  (See what I did there?)

 

Now, you KNOW our Buffy Silverman knows a thing or two about seasons and poetry.  She recently took an online class from our ultra-talented buddy and teacher, April Halprin Wayland, and she's sharing the drifts.  I mean, drafts.  Which are all about the birds in her back yard this winter - you'll look at your own yard birds with new eyes after reading these!

 

Speaking of birds, over at Chicken Spaghetti, Susan Thomsen introduces us to a literary journal called Birdfeast with a human-condition poem for the new year called "Anniversary" by Maria Nazos.  Make sure to join the Poetry Friday flock at her place next week.

 

Ruth is chiming in from Uganda, and There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town, and her back porch at sunrise with two glorious poems - "Fifty-Fifty" by Patricia Clark and her own take, "Fifty-Fifty in Kampala." 

 

At Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme, our busy Matt has taken a word-playful poem out of the freezer to share again, "January Shoreline."  Brrrr!

 

There is much to CHERISH at Denise Krebs's Dare to Care digs this week, including her golden shovel based on a line from "Begin Again" by Jeannette Encinias. She also has several links, including one for the Staffford challenge, and some aDORable pictures of adventures with her wee grandson who visited recently.

 

Carmela Martino checks in from Teaching Authors this week with a poetic bounty of LIGHTER fare for the new year - you're guaranteed to leave her post with a little less baggage and a smile on your face!  Also, she shares some fun publication news.  (Insert clapping hands emoji here.)

 

Of course, poetry helps us express and understand the wide berth of emotions. Karin Fisher-Gorton shares a beautifully personal poem today, honoring her father who died in September.  She offers wonderful and accessible definitions of ekphrastic and golden shovel poems as well.  The images, in a special photograph and in her words, will stay with you.

 

And yet, the geese in Karin's post - or their cousins - have taken a trip to Linda Baie's TeacherDance for some more pondering. Linda's post and poem remind us to #getoutside while we can, between these frigid periods for those of us here in the States!

 

At Tangles & Tails, Tracey has a letter of apology to the (former) star of many of our holiday living rooms - the Christmas tree, in January.  (Add your thoughts to the thoughtful comments taking root beneath her post!)

 

Friends - Did you know our own Amy LV at The Poem Farm is offering a wonderful new video series perfect for young (& young-at-heart) poets, perfect for the classroom? This week marks Week 3 in her "Coaxing Poems" videos!  If you know a teacher, get them there forthwith! Using three of her own short poems as examples, today she gets out some Legos and leads eager learners in how to "make and break a pattern."

 

Take a deep breath and enjoy a small but imagery-filled tribute to a task I doubt many of us do... but I might start, after reading Mary Lee's pillowcase poem post at A(nother) Year of Reading.

 

At Imagine the Possibilities, Rose has a white-on-white treat for us today - two orginal poems featuring their charge for a couple of weeks, a Great Pyranees named Anna, and - snow!

 

Marcie Flinchum Atkins treats us to a new haiku for the New Year (and gorgeous photo), an educational shout-out to Thank You, Garden by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Simone Shin, and a little personal writing progress report! 

 

Heidi will remind us, as we chat about the weather, that we can not forget the CLIMATE. She has a thought-provoking poem by Kate Cell (who happens to be on staff at the Union of Concerned Scientists) from an anthology Heidi herself has a poem in. Also, check out some of creative, tech-savvy, innovative folks on the forefront of climate action! All this and more at Heidi's My Juicy Little Universe. 

 

You never know what you'll find at Unexpected Intersections - Elisabeth is rallying from a busy writing year and being under the weather for some of this one to embrace a fun challenge. She's using Story Cubes as poem prompts.  Go join the fun!

 

Irene's ekphrastic adventures seris, Artspeak, is exploring a folk art theme blooming with poetic surprises.  I'm only giving you the title of her poem today; you will not be able to resist clicking to learn more! Visit Live Your Poem to read "Mule Ringing the Doorbell in Heaven."

 

JoAnn Early Macken invites us for an early morning view outside her window in a lovely poem with a clever twist.  This is another one for the birds!

 

Patricia's got us all in a web of connection at Reading, Writing Wondering, with words that stick in a provocative, personal poem. Well done!

 

No, you have NOT had enough snow - yet.  Jane has some amazing photos, chilly travel memories, and perfectly suited words from Robert Louis Stevenson to add to the magic at Rain City Librarian.

 

Find an elfchen and some adorable grandchildren enjoying the snow over at Beyond Literacy Week, where Carol has emerged from a very demanding week with a sigh and a pause for tea and poetry.  You'll leave her post with a smile on your face, and probably a snowflake on the tip of your nose. 

 

At Reflections on the Teche, Margaret serves up another elfchen and a gracious peek into her own writing journal, with another nod to the Stafford Challenge. Also, a can't-miss-it peek into her amazing heart as a creative teacher. 

 

Thank you to Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for sharing a personal poem of grief with us today, "Sucker Punched." She's living out the name of her blog with this touching poem which will surely strike a chord with many readers. 

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POETRY FRIDAY - Rounding Up the Flock HERE Today!

February 21, 2019
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, Poetry Friday Roundup, Scotland, Jane Yolen, Elizabeth Dulemba, birds, haiku, Robyn Hood Black
Top to bottom:  Doune Castle; our crew with Jane Yolen and Elizabeth Dulemba; a coal-tit at a birdie B&B; CROW NOT CROW by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple, illustrated by Elizabeth Dulemba. 

 

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  

 

You've come to the right place for the Roundup.  All are welcome - enjoy the posts and please leave your links in the comments.  I'll round them up old school throughout the day on Friday.  (Note - with privacy changes, I no longer have access to the email addresses of commenters, so do be sure to leave your links!)

 

Here's another recently published haiku:

 

 

Scottish rain

tourists storm

the castle

 

 

©Robyn Hood Black

Modern Haiku 50:1, Winter-Spring 2019

 

 

Ahhhh, Scotland... I'm still pining for that amazing place and fondly recalling our family explorations last June. One memory leads to another to another....

 

Like our first full day in Edinburgh, when I'd made arrangments to meet up with my buddy Elizabeth Dulemba and her wonderful husband, Stan. And Elizabeth brought along her buddy, Jane Yolen!  We all had a delightful lunch that spanned hours.

 

Did you know Jane recently surpassed the 365-books mark?  Talk about prolific!  You can read a different Jane Yolen book every day of the year.  Pretty sure she's already got Leap Year covered now, too.  (Learn more about Jane here.)

 

One book which is oh-so-timely right about now was written by Jane with her son, Adam Stemple, and illustrated by Elizabeth. ((Learn more about Elizabeth here.)  In CROW NOT CROW, published by the Cornell Lab Publishing Group last fall, a father introduces his daughter to birding using the "crow, not crow" method for identifying birds.  I know this is Poetry Friday and the text is not actually poetry, but we have many bird lovers among us, and I wanted to make sure you know about this book! 

 

Were you craning your neck this past weekend? Cornell, along with Audubon and Bird Studies Canada, sponsors the Great Backyard Bird Count every President's Day weekend. I participated several years when we lived in Georgia, and need to get back in the swing here in SC!  Amateurs are welcome, and folks submit their tallies from all over the world. In fact, in case you were among those counting but you didn't get all your numbers in, you can submit them until March 1. Learn more here. 

 

The many birds around here in recent days have all been twitterpated - raise your hand if you know which Disney movie that comes from! ;0)

 

By the way, that adorable bird in the picture?  The one my son-in-law Matt and I were smitten with, cameras in hand? It's a coal-tit - they look very much like our chickadees here in North America.  This one found lodging at a beautiful little stone cottage in Luss, on the banks of Loch Lomond, where a birdhouse was hung with these painted words:  "BED AND BOARD, 5 FLIES P/N (per night)" - and "4 stars" at the top! 

 

Ahhhh, Scotland...

 

Thanks for following this "flight of ideas" - Read on for the Roundup!  [& Catherine Flynn reminds us: "There are just two more weeks until March 8th, International Women's Day. I'll be hosting the Roundup that day and would love it if people help to celebrate the day by sharing poems that honor women. You can read more here". Thanks, Catherine.]

 

****************************

 

We all mourn the loss of poetry icon Paul B. Janeczko this week.  Almost exactly 10 years ago, I heard him speak at a conference in Georgia, where he said, "Good poetry explodes with possibilities."

 

***(adding this bit in...)

 

In the comments below, Jane Yolen has gifted us with some lovely lines for Paul Janeczko.  I'm sharing them here, too, so all can more easily see:

 

Dark

 

The morning is darker, deeper, a color that tears see.

There is no reason for death except to cleanse life's slate.

We write new wisdoms, forget the old.

Dance when you can, my friends.

Don't always do what you are told.

 

Jane Yolen ©2019 all rights reserved

 

(Thank you for sharing, Jane.)***

 

Our lovely Linda at TeacherDance has a remembrance in Paul Janezcko's honor, and an intriguing follow-up about a 19th-Century poet she discovered, after some digging, by way of an old anthology.  Click over to meet Celia Thaxter.

 

Little Willow checks in from Bildungsroman today with a few lines by Janne Robinson that might burn your tongue.... (Little Willow, I always enjoy your posts though I've never figured out how to comment on them!)    

 

Hungry?  As always, Jama has the perfect special on her poetic menu today.  Saunter over to her Alphabet Soup for  Hannah's Tall Order, an A to Z  Sandwich, by Linda Vander Heyden and Kayla Herren.  Bring your appetite and a sense of adventure!

 

Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link treats us to a lovely review of H IS FOR HAIKU by Sydell Rosenberg, the picture book collection lovingly brought to life by Rosenberg's daughter, Amy Losak.  You'll also get a peek at the Long Island weather (sending sunshine from here, Carol!) and Carol's poetic and artistic interpretations inspired by the book. 

 

Having grown up as "Robyn Hood," I can relate to Alan J Wright's offering at Poetry Pizzazz.  His original "Call the Roll" poem might have you conjuring up your own possibilities for playful classroom rolls, too!  

 

If ever need more color in your world, go see Michelle Kogan.  She is breaking in a brand new iPad this week with sketches and haiku.  (My favorite is "Remember me…")  Enjoy! 

 

At Reading to the Core, Catherine shares "For You" by Karla Kuskin, a perfect poem to honor Paul B. Janeczko.  It's also a perfect choice for those of us who miss special kitties in our lives.

 

At Gathering Books, Fats shares powerful writing by Warsan Shire, an award-winning Kenyan-born Somali poet and writer who is based in London. With jolting and masterful imagery, Shire's work reflects "the harrowing experiences of refugees and immigrants, to tell stories of suffering, displacement, and healing."

 

Linda is waving from a cozy snow day over at A Word Edgewise to share a book all about the most extravagant adventuring – COUTNDOWN – 2979 Days to the Moon by Suzanne Slade.  Our guide explores this scientific book in verse from three perspectives – reader, teacher librarian, and writer.  Enjoy the journey! 

 

Join Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference for two original poems as brief but potent explorations of bravery, productivity and peace… you'll have to click over to see for yourself!

 

If you need a bit of good-vibes inspiration this week (who doesn't?!), tune in to The Drift Record, where Julie is sharing a gorgeous poem by A. E. Stallings and an absolutely infectious positive attitude.  Better than vitamins!

 

Left you wanting more, eh?  Here's a link to Books Around the Table, where Julie, no stranger to wide net casting, shares this poem PLUS other links which have been inspiring her lately.  (A must-read for Darwin fans, and for origami lovers.)

 

At There is No Such thing as a Godforsaken Town, Ruth has an inspiring original response poem to a Monet painting, and some thoughts about her oh-so-productive year of meeting her writing goals.  And her usual dose of refreshing frankness! 

 

So many talented teachers in our Poetry Friday crew... Mary Lee is sharing two fantastic student poems today at A Year of Reading. You'll enjoy her thoughts behind writing workshop for her fifth graders, too!

 

The ever-clever Jan at Bookseed Studio has a book giveaway!  It's a great one, too – Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Fred Koehler's newest synergistic collaboration, WHAT IF/THEN WE? Jan is sweetening the pot, too, with a generous addition.  AND, she's got some very fun words found in the wild, inviting you to share your own rare sightings….

 

At Friendly Fairy Tales, the focus today is on… focus! Enjoy Brenda's original poem and photo.  

 

From Nix the Comfort Zone, Molly brings us a beautiful original poem, "Invitation" inspired by other Poetry Friday folks and "word collections." She also has an intriguing haiku that missed a deadline, but doesn't miss the boat… (an obscure reference, kind of; I might be getting a little Poetry-Friday-punch-drunk).

 

Heidi has poured grief into a wonderful book spine poem honoring several of Paul B. Janeczko's most beloved titles over at My Juicy Little Universe.  Thank you, Heidi. 

 

At Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme, Matt also shares remembrances of this brilliant lost light, as well as one of his favorite PBJ poems. 

 

Since our Scotland trip was the result of family trees and DNA tests, I particularly love Amy's family history poem today over at The Poem Farm!  And a photo there suggests where said Amy might have gotten some of her sass, as well as good looks. ;0) Amy also has beautiful words to remember and honor Paul Janeczko today. 

 

At Live Your Poem, Irene is also mining family memories and inviting us to do the same in a year-long project inspired by Patty Dann's THE BUTTERFLY HOURS.  Enjoy her sticky sweet poetic remembrance, "A Taste of Summer."  And three cheers for Irene's hand-raise – of COURSE she would know that it's in BAMBI's forest where creatures become twitterpated this time of year… 

 

Christie chimes in with Two Blue Herons (you'll understand when you click over) at Wondering and Wondering.  Polyphonic Renaissance music and haiku, too – double-love! 

 

Carol takes us on a snowy tour at The Apples in My Orchard and offers up a poem celebrating the color White.  Bring your snowshoes! 

 

Ramona at Pleasures from the Page has a beautiful post honoring Paul B. Janeczko, and a generous give-away offer as well. Some of her favorite titles are probably some of yours, too. 

 

Elaine is also celebrating Paul at Wild Rose Reader.  She's chosen to honor him with "Yellow Sonnet" by Paul Zimmer, from Janeczko's book, THE PLACE MY WORDS ARE LOOKING FOR. 

 

Did you see the Super Snow Moon this week?  It was too cloudy in my corner of the Universe.  But Amy at Mrs. Merrill's Book Break, has us covered with a photoraph and her original poem full of heart, "Full Moon Dreaming." 

 

Speaking of snow, at Check it Out, Jone shares student poems and art inspired by our own Laura Purdie Salas's SNOWMAN-COLD=PUDDLE. SO clever these young creators are!

 

Jone also remembers Paul B. Janeczko and some of his many books at Deowriter today – thank you, Jone, for helping us all to say thanks. 

 

AliceNine offers a poignant post about loveliness which can grow out of growing old – good to ponder as we grapple with life and the end of life this week. 

 

At Reflections on the Teche, Margaret brings us the end-of-day golden light with some golden shovel poems. Enjoy!

 

Last but not least, Susan at Soul Blossom Living leaves us smiling with a couple of fun limericks to make you feel cool as a cucumber.

 

Have a great weekend, All!

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Poetry Friday - The St. Paddy's Day Roundup is HERE!

March 15, 2017
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, poets, Holidays, St. Patrick's Day, Esther Hershenhorn, Poetry Friday Roundup

Grreeeen Greetings, Poetry Lovers!

Welcome to All. So glad you are joining us for the Poetry Friday Roundup.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For those of you in the US who can't see anything but white outside, sending warmest wishes from the South. Somewhere under all that snow must be a four-leaf clover bud.

Here's a perfect poem for today from The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations from Pomelo Books. (You know - the volume Kirkus called "A bubbly and educational bilingual poetry anthology for children.")



ST. PATRICK'S DAY
by Esther Hershenhorn

March 17
the world turns green
to celebrate St. Patrick.
Green hats!
Green floats!
Green rivers, too!
March 17's green magic.


--and in Spanish:


DIA DE SAN PATRICIO
basado en "St. Patrick's Day"
por Esther Hershenhorn

El 17 de marzo
el mundo se vuelve verde
para celebrar a San Patricio.
¡Sombreros verdes!
¡Carrozas verdes!
¡Ríos verdes también!
El 17 de marzo es magia verde.


©Esther Hershenhorn. All rights reserved.

Many thanks to Esther for sharing her poem here today! A couple of years ago, she blogged about creating this poem over at Teaching Authors - It's always fun to check out the story behind a poem.

I'm sure the river, hats, floats, and fountains an hour south of here in Savannah are green, green, green. And my hubby (and our daughter's hubby) could wear those "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" buttons after our DNA kit adventures over the holidays. ;0)

Whether you are ancestrally Irish (is that even a word?) or honorarily so today, I wish you pot-fuls of good luck and golden poems. Please leave your links & short post descriptions in the comments, and I'll round up old-school-style as the day goes on. (Note - I'll be on the road Saturday and unable to add to my list after Friday eve, but make yourself at home all weekend!)

BUT WAIT, There's More...

Speaking of Pomelo Books, my ancient office kitty, May, (okay, with help from the partially-Irish husband) helped randomly draw winners of the five copies of HERE WE GO - A Poetry Friday Power Book, generously donated by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell! Those lucky ducks are: Charles W., Tabatha Y., Mary Lee H., Linda M., and Shaggers! (Shaggerspicchu - send me your address so you can use this with your class! :0) ) Please email me at robyn@robynhoodblack.com with the address where you'd like me to send your book, and I'll get the leprechauns right on it.

Sláinte

The Roundup:

Steven Withrow starts us off at Crackles of Speech with a poem celebrating the American Woodcock, gracing Cape Cod this winter and looking for love. (Ever the over-achiever, Steven has memorialized the little fellow in a Shakespearean sonnet!)

At A Teaching Life, Tara is eyeing spring with a gorgeous Jane Kenyon poem, and her own gorgeous thoughts about her farm.

Basketball fan? Okay, poetry fan? Linda shares a slew of poetic slam-dunks in honor of March Madness over atA Word Edgewise.

At Jama’s Alphabet Soup, you’ll find a new poem by one of MY favorite poets, Penny Harter. Take a tissue, as it will pull on your heartstrings, and enjoy the warmth with which Jama serves it up.

Oh, you might never think of a toothpick in quite the same way again. I see poems popping up in response to Helen Frost’s “ode” challenge on Michelle’s Today’s Little Ditty, and Kat has one that will stick with you at Kats Whiskers.

In another post dealing with loss and grief, Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales offers a simple, child-friendly and personal poem, “Sister Blue.” (Congrats to Brenda on its inclusion in an anthology!)

Here’s another ode in the TLD challenge: At Beyond Literacy Link, Carol offers up “Ode to Summer Sand,” which is definitely making me miss our beach here, closed since Hurricane Matthew hit last October. Sigh. (On the other end of the seasonal spectrum, Carol is working on her soon-to-be-unveiled Winter Gallery, too!)

I dare you to meander through St. Patrick’s Day without a smile if you pop in to enjoy Diane’s fetching haiga at Random Noodling. I dare you.

And we can’t have a Poetry Friday on St. Paddy’s Day without a sip of Yeats now, can we? Kurious Kitty’s got us covered with a delightful, woodsy cup.

At Teaching Authors, JoAnn has bagged a lovely way to fuel creativity AND help the planet while kicking off a new series on creativity. What’s your “one little thing”?

Need a walk on the beach, maybe after reading Carol’s poem? You know our wonderful Sally Murphy is always ready to share her encounters with seaside critters great and small. Her poetic crabby exchange will leave YOU anything but.

What would St. Paddy’s Day be without a limerick or two or ten? Alice Nine brings us blessings and limericks and lovely links to all things Lear. Enjoy!

Oh, Alice’s post has you thirsty for more? At Michelle’s Today’s Little Ditty, Carrie Clickard leads us up and down the hills of Limerick Land, with more amazing scribers of the form than you can shake a walking stick at. There’s even a mathematical equation that’s a limerick. Really. (And enjoy a Celtic tune by The High Kings on your way out.)

Linda has a gorgeous original crow poem at Teacher Dance, and I was struck by how this and Penny Harter’s poem at Jama’s today complement each other.

Michelle Kogan shares a plate-ful today: an original poem about the climate/current political climate, news of a new zine, Voices, words & art available through her Etsy shop, and an eerily timely poem by Adrienne Rich.

Our resident RainCity Librarian, Jane, celebrates the holiday and her Irish heritage with a beautiful photo and a glorious, bittersweet poem by Yeats. Sigh.

At Reading to the Core, Catherine shares lovely poetic images of the birds outside her kitchen window during the blizzard this week. Planes might have been grounded, but not these birds!

Greg at Gottabook is offering up a sneek peek at Spring Fever with a re-post of his fun poem, “Allergic to Homework.” Gesundheit.

Thank you, Fats, at Gathering Books, for a touching post pausing to honor the passing of Amy Krouse Rosenthal with a Mary Oliver poem, “Love Sorrow.”

At The Opposite of Indifference, Tabatha shares an amazing “Literary Scavenger Hunt” poem gifted to her by her ever-clever, talented daughter, Ariana. You’ll just have to read for yourself!

On a related vein, enjoy this delightful book spine poem from Ramona at Pleasures from the Page.

And more about St. Patrick’s Day, Irish roots, and sorrow, too – but with the winged hope and solace that flows from Irene’s masterful pen. Her poem is simply titled, “This Poem is Green.”

Margaret brings us a new poetic form based on fractals over at Reflections on the Teche. She got to meet an old SCBWI Southern Breeze buddy of mine (when Mississippi was in our region!), author Sarah Campbell, who has a new book on the subject. If you are a teacher, you MUST check out these terrific poems by Margaret’s students!

Raise a cupful of moonbeams to Laurie Purdie Salas, whose brand new book, IF YOU WERE THE MOON, launches today! She shares the poem that started it all at Writing the World for Kids. Awrrroooooo!

And now refill your glass – with flashlight beams this time, we’ll wait… - and offer up another toast, because Matt Forrest has an awesome cover reveal and release date for his upcoming debut picture book, Flashlight Night!

All this celebrating means we must dance. Yes, you. Join Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe for some clever “Linguistic Jig”-ging complete with a rollicking Irish reel to get your feet & fingers tapping.

Oh my – see if you relate to snow-bound Donna’s post at Mainely Write today; how DO you keep those brilliant writing ideas from flitting away with the fairies? (She made a found poem out of her own post, too, which has a wee bit o'green jealousy in it.)

Join Jone at Check It Out for a feast of odes by students, answering the aforementioned TLD challenge. One second grader even wrote and Ode to Poetry! Rock on, young poets.

What else would you expect from a delightful poet whose name is an irresistible Spring color? Violet has a colorful, rhythmic “Note to Spring” so enticing, I bet Spring will arrive a day or two early in her back yard.

At bildungsroman, Little Willow shares the lovely opening lines of “Last Night” by Théophile Julius Henry Marzials.

Shhh! Don’t wake the precious sleeping grandabies at Dori Reads. But gentle open the door, and enjoy an Irish lullaby…. She even has The Irish Tenors! (And a link to two of her poems in an online literary journal.)

Echoing some other posts today, Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town has a few lines on the theme of sorrow, from Mary Oliver.

Kay invites us to slow down in this season of Lent, with lovely reflections in poetry and photographs at A Journey Through the Pages.

Jone is back with a magical “Library Time” cinquain at Deowriter - Enjoy!

Katie at The Logonauts has an “I Read” poem which definitely rings true for me… see if it does for you, too!

Rounding out the day’s selections is Leigh Ann at A Day in the Life, appropriately calling our attention to the small miracles all around us with a Walt Whitman poem.

Wait - 2 more! Visit Amy at The Poem Farm at http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2017/03/thinkinglook-at-some-old-photos-or.html?m=1 and Joy at poetryforkidsjoy.blogspot.com - :0)

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