Life on the Deckle Edge
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!
Greetings, Poetry Lovers - Thanks for joining me this month for my National Poetry Month project: mini poem movies each weekday in April, featuring some of my published poems.
Know what today is?
It's EARTH DAY! And, it's the 50th Anniversary! Click here for more info or to take some earth-friendly action.
The poem I'm sharing today is "Rocky Rescue" from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY® FOR SCIENCE (Pomelo Books, 2014) and THE POETRY OF SCIENCE (the "for kids" edition, 2015), compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, with illustrations by Frank Ramspott and Bug Wang. This poem is in the section, "Endangered & Extinct." Curious? Don't worry... it has a happy ending.
Click here for the poem movie, and click here for my YouTube Channel. And learn more about all the wonderful poetry books and resourcess offered by Pomelo Books here.
Thanks for visiting, and Happy Earth Day!
Greetings, Poetry Lovers! My Poetry Month project continues with mini poem movies every weekday in April.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it's one of my published poems for children; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's one of my published haiku suitable for children.
Today's takes us across The Pond - "Scottish rain," from MODERN HAIKU, Vol. 50, No. 1, Winter-Spring 2019. Click here for the one-minute video. (The photo you'll see in the video is Doune Castle in Scotland - one of the filming sites for "Outlander" as well as for "Monty Python"!)
Want to see all the other mini movies? Here's a link to my YouTube Channel.
Thanks for joining me!
Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Ready for today's installment in my National Poetry Month Project? (Mini poem videos each weekday: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it's one of my published poems for kids; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's haiku suitable for kids.)
Warning - Today's is a little s-p-oooo-k-y...Mwah-ha-haaa.
Click the link above or head to my YouTube Channel for "Epitaffy" from THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY 2017-18 compiled by the ever-lively Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. (Michelle's daughter, Miranda, was the cover artist for this edition, which came out last year!) And check out all the Ditty goodness over at Michelle's place, Today's Little Ditty, always a favorite haunt.
(Children under 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent - Thanks!)
Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Happy Poetry Friday, and Happy (Continued) National Poetry Month!
My mini-poem movies project continues today with my poem from IMPERFECT - poems about mistakes: an anthology for middle schoolers (History House Publilshers, 2018). This is the wonderfully welcoming project our own Tabatha Yeatts shared with the world. Here's Tabatha's author/editor website, with links to how you can purchase this collection. (And - NEW - it's now available as an e-book purchase on Amazon, too!)
My poem is called "Hidden in the Seams," and rather than complex emotional mishaps, it deals with the many wrong turns one often takes in a creative adventure, before a final finished project emerges!
A little timely this week, actually, as I dusted off my old sewing machine, found some quilting fabric I've stored for a couple of decades (yes, I washed it!) and snipped ties from some hanging name badges I had to make some cloth masks. We had been using a couple kindly made and shared by our wonderful 92-year-old neighbor, Ms. Betty, but needed a few more, with regular washing and all.
The process went as all my sewing projects do: 1.) Do it wrong first, untangle mangled threads, and re-do; 2.) veer from the actual directions because I like doing things my own way; and 3.) Voila! (Eventually....) Done. Imperfections and all!
I hope you enjoy the short poem movie. Each weekday in April, I'm pausing for some of my published poems for kids on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and for haiku suitable for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thanks to all who have taken a look, and shared, too! Here's a link to today's poem, and here's a link to my YouTube Channel.
Since it IS Poetry Friday, here's the poem typed out:
Hidden in the Seams
Measure.
Cut.
Pin paper pattern. Pin paper pattern.
Thread machine.
Chikita, chikita, chikita, chikita
chikita, chikita, chikita, chikita
chikita, ckiki-chkkktghkCLNK
(Ugh!)
Untangle thread.
Press pieces.
Hold up.
(Argh!)
Seam ripper:
Rip rip rip rip
rip rip rip rip
Pin pin pin pin
Chikita chikita chikita chikita
chikita chikita chikita chikita
Zipper-time
Zippity stitchety
zip zip zip ziGGRRRP
(Ugh!)
Untangle thread.
Zippity stitchity
Zip zip zip zip
Backstitch - stitch - back - backstitch
Snip.
Press.
"You made that?"
"Yes!"
©Robyn Hood Black. All rights reserved.
Visit the lovely and creative Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for this week's Roundup - Thanks, Molly! :0)
(Children under the age of 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent - Thanks!)
Greetings, Poetry Lovers! My National Poetry Month project continues with a haiku today, "my small insights," from MODERN HAIKU, Vol. 44, No. 1, Winter-Spring, 2013. (The mini-movie features some original art, too!)
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I share a new mini poem movie with one of my published poems for kids; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's haiku suitable for kids. Here's a link to my YouTube Channel.
Thanks so much for joining me! Wishing you and yours continued safety and health as we stay, play, and learn at home.
(Children under 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent – Thanks!)
