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

Life on the Deckle Edge

Poetry Friday: Student Haiku Poet of the Month Lucas Mavromatis

November 13, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, haiku, Student Poet of the Month, student work

Greetings, Poetry Friday Fans! As promised, today we have a visit from our Student Poet of the Month courtesy of The Paideia School and teacher extraordinaire Tom Painting.

Meet Lucas Mavromatis. (Isn’t that an awesome name?) Lucas was born and raised in Atlanta and is in the tenth grade at The Paideia School. He lives with his parents, Juliet and Kreton, and with his younger sister, Elena.

Lucas is an “avid fan of music” and enjoys playing the saxophone. He is also a devoted soccer player. Other hobbies include running, watching sports and spending time with friends.

About haiku, Lucas says:

I have enjoyed writing haiku since I was introduced to the poetic form in seventh
grade by my literature teacher, Tom Painting. I was instantly drawn to
haiku’s ability to express powerful imagery in a quick, concise way.

Lucas’s interests in sports and music seem to inspire his writing: I find these poems powerful, concise, and musical! Enjoy.



under the spotlight
of the moon
a woman dancing



a young boy
at the funeral
his imaginary friend



sheltered
by an old oak
a sapling



old wedding photo
a bottle of rum
holds his hand



92nd birthday
the cake too small
for the candles



snack time
the underlying taste
of hand sanitizer


Poems © Lucas Mavromatis. All rights reserved.

Many thanks to Lucas for sharing his work here today.

For more posts in this series featuring talented students, please click here.

Poetry Friday is brought to us this week by the wonderful Keri at Keri Recommends. She has just lost her father, and she shares a beautiful tribute to this man and this veteran this week.
{Sending warmest thoughts.}
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Poetry Friday - A Few Haiku; Writers Wrule...

November 6, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, haiku, artsyletters, writing life
© Robyn Hood Black
Happy November!

Next week, we'll enjoy another Student Haiku Poet of the Month. To tide you over, here are a few of my recent (fairly recent anyway) published haiku:



lingering afternoon
the ebb and flow
of birdsong


This World - Haiku Society of America 2013 Members' Anthology




firelight -
old friends meet
for the first time


gazing at flowers - Haiku Society of America Southeast Region 2013 Anthology



and, I can't believe it's been almost a year since I wrote this next one. (Not sure the fog ever completely lifted...):



december fog my to do to do to do list



Modern Haiku, Volume 45.3, Autumn 2014


All poems ©Robyn Hood Black. All rights reserved.


How about you - are you glancing at the calendar in shocked disbelief, stocking up on extra boxes of Wheaties? [Note to self: insert blatant self-promotional segue here... ;0) ]

Many of you have kindly purchased from my Etsy store, artsyletters , the last two holiday seasons. Though this past year has involved a complicated interstate move and a late summer injury that knocked me out of work for a couple of months, I'm slip-sliding back into the crazy stream here just in time for the holidays. While I haven't been able to make intricate fine art (but I'm almost back enough for that!), I've been busy making some new items for literary and artistic types.

In addition to the Book Nerd gift pack and Poet gift pack I conjured up last year, I've just added a Teachers Rule gift pack , a Writers Wrule gift pack, and a Maker Magnet gift pack for your favorite artisan. I'm listing new items each week.

Now, wish me luck - I'm opening the doors of my studio this evening for downtown Beaufort's "First Friday" fun, where businesses stay open from 5 to 8 and folks meander and mingle. (There's a lot of meandering and mingling in the "slow"-country.)

Thanks!! I'll lift a cup of hot cider to all our Poetry Friday peeps. All busy, of course, posting wonderful poetry - and we're rounded up today by the amazingly talented Diane, PF host extraordinaire, at Random Noodling. Diane also offers a perfect welcome to November in poem & picture.
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Poetry Friday: Spooky and Spinelli!

October 30, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, Halloween, poets, Poetry
Oliver, 15+, and Rita, 2 1/2 and weighing in at 3 1/2 pounds, wish you HAPPY HALLOWEEN from the 'Black Forest'!

***HAPPY HALLOWEEN!***

I hope yours is perfectly spooky and fun.

No tricks for you today, just a special TREAT from Eileen Spinelli .

Now, if you've been magically blessed like I have to meet the Spinellis and to learn poetic tricks and tips from Eileen, you know that no time of year or holiday goes un-celebrated in their family. What a delightful combination they live out - serious devotion to art and craft, coupled with serious joie de vivre and carpe deim-ing!

Eileen graciously agreed to share a perfect-for-today poem with us. Enjoy.


OCTOBER MELODY


by Eileen Spinelli


Listen to the laughter

spilling from the pumpkin patch,

listen to the windy afternoon,

listen to the swish of brooms,

the swoosh of leaves,

the crackle of a fire.

Listen to the cricket's final tune.



Listen to the noisy twilight geese,

listen to the last cry of the jay,

listen to the bursting milkweed pod

before October's music

falls away.


©Eileen Spinelli. All rights reserved.


Sigh-worthy, n'est-ce pas? Many thanks to Eileen for sharing.

Now, grab your broom and hightail it over to Teacher Dance , where our amazing Linda is hosting (ghosting?) Poetry Friday!
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Poetry Friday - Robert Frost's "October"

October 23, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, poets
Cupid Falls, Young Harris, Georgia
This was last weekend, but that green is on its way to colorful splendor as the month goes on, I'm sure!

Happy Poetry Friday!

Actually, like last week, it's a Friday on the road for us. Headed to our - gulp! - 30th college reunion at Furman. The leaves are sure to be glorious.

Last week we enjoyed Family weekend at the college Seth transferred to this year - Young Harris up in the north Georgia mountains. [He tried to convince us that if he just lived in a yurt, it would save all that housing money....] The landscape was tinged with honey gold and crimson but hadn't quite given up its green yet. The weather was divine.

Seth told us that whole area is called the "Enchanted Valley" - it certainly looks the part. And look, here's that lovely "enchant" word in this poem by our Dear Mr. Frost. I've enjoyed the Frost poems shared on Poetry Friday the last few months. If someone has already posted this one this year, forgive the redundancy - I missed out! Then again, one can never have too much Frost...


October

By Robert Frost


O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes’ sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes’ sake along the wall.


Here is The Poetry Foundation link.

May your lands be enchanted as we stroll through the end of October, and your mists be gentle! For more wonderful poetry, visit Cathy at Merely Day by Day for this week's Roundup. She has the lovely word "gentle" in an original poem and its title. Must be a theme....
(And give your favorite teacher a high-five. We'll give Morgan one when we cross paths this weekend in Greenville.)
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Poetry Friday: (Spooky) Party's at Michelle's Little Ditty!

October 16, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday
Dearest Poetry Pals,


Sorry to be missing as many Poetry Friday parties as I've made it to in recent weeks.
We're actually on the road today and all weekend, and I don't have a post scared up! A veteran plate-spinner, I'm still having to temper my "to-do's" (or "wish-I-could-get-done's) as I get over my neck/nerves/shoulder/arm injury from August. Doing TONS better but not quite at full speed yet. I've been spending lots of time in the studio (yay!) but not having enough dexterity/energy left for everything else.

Someone who always seems to be at the top of her game is our wonderful Michelle, spinning around (is that a cape? a cloak?) as our Poetry Friday host over at Today's Little Ditty . Go enjoy Today's Little Roundup, actually - Today's Poetry Friday Parlor of Horrors! - and thanks for popping in.
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Poetry Friday: Haiku Student Poet of the Month Grace Futral

October 9, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, haiku, student work, Student Poet of the Month
Grace Futral
Greetings, Poetry Fans! I know you've been patiently waiting for this year's "Haiku Student Poet of the Month" series. Last year you met accomplished haiku poet and teacher at The Paideia School in Atlanta, Tom Painting. [Click here for my feature on Tom as part of our WE HAIKU HERE series last fall, and here for a few recent poems.] And you met several of his current and former students sharing their incredible haiku. [If you missed any, you may click here to get caught up.]

We are delighted to kick off the 2014-15 series with Grace Futral. Grace is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and lives in Druid Hills with her parents and older brother. At 15, she is a committed soccer player, artist, and writer.

She says:

My inspiring junior high teacher, Tom Painting, introduced me to the art of haiku. Haiku nurtures my poetic side and makes me more aware of the subtle, beautiful aspects of life.

Please enjoy some of Grace's fine poetry:



morning sun
dad knee deep
in the river


late autumn
his callused hands
feed the line

[*note* The above poem was a national winner in the 2012 Nicholas Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition]


skylight
we blend in
with the stars


summer night
frogs make the silence
so loud


the sky
sheds a lick of light
crescent moon


old mansion
the dust settled
memories

Poems ©Grace Futral. All rights reserved.


I've enjoyed re-reading these and find something new to delight in each time. While strong haiku poetry generally eschews excessive poetic devices, a particularly irresistible turn of phrase or bit of alliteration can often sneak in to make a haiku memorable. For me, that "lick of light" in Grace's "the sky" poem is just perfect. And the way the sounds of frogs make you realize how quiet it is at night - a great observation.

Which poem particularly draws you in?

Thanks for coming by to share in the series, and be sure to check out terrific poetry of all stripes at this week's Roundup, hosted by the wonderful Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect.
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Poetry Friday - (um, snuck up on me. But go visit Jama!!)

October 2, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday
Hmmm... Poetry Friday, AND October, snuck up on me... How did that happen?

Well, if you've kindly popped in over here, I apologize for being empty-handed. But you know who's not? Our beloved Jama, offering dreamy deliciousness over at Jama's Alphabet Soup and links to lots of great poetry in today's Roundup! Bon voyage... [DO come back here next week, though, for our featured Student Haiku Poet of the Month! You'll love meeting her and reading her work.]  Read More 
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Poetry Friday - Haiku with Tom Painting (& Student Haiku to come...)

September 25, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, haiku, Poetry, student work, poets
Haiku poet and teacher Tom Painting and students at the 2013 quarterly Haiku Society of America meeting in Atlanta.
What's that I hear? (Cups ear with hand...) It's a new school year, and you are wondering when those FABULOUS student haiku poets will be sharing their work with us?

Have no fear. Tom Painting, acclaimed haiku poet and teacher at The Paideia School in Atlanta, has no shortage of talented young people to present. We will be delighted to continue our "Student Haiku Poet of the Month" series again in October. Just a few weeks!

To whet your appetite, I asked Tom if he might share a few of his own recent poems today. [Click here for my feature on Tom as part of our WE HAIKU HERE series last fall, highlighting speakers from the quarterly meeting of the Haiku Society of America held in Atlanta.]

He kindly obliged. Enjoy:


under cover
of darkness
our heart to heart



reading
till the stars come out
I mark my place



the talk
my son throws stones
into the river



Indian summer
bison graze the shadow
of the Bitterroots


Poems ©Tom Painting. All rights reserved.

Do you have a favorite? I'm delighted or dazzled by each one. The second poem, "reading," while it offers a sense of calm, challenges us with expansiveness and perspective - we "mark our place" in the universe. As a parent whose children are now young adults, "the talk" draws a smile. And bison grazing a shadow is just a beautiful, surprising image.

Wouldn't it be great if haiku were taught in every school by such a master? I hope you'll return for more haiku from Tom's classroom this year! If you missed any of last year's featured student poets, click here to meet these amazing young writers and read their work.

And for all kinds of wonderful poetry, please visit the ever-talented Laura at Writing the World for Kids for this week's Poetry Friday Roundup. [While there, be sure to check out her great "15 Words or Less" poetry features/challenges! Helps to sharpen the haiku mind.... And learn about her new book series for teachers! :0) ]
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Poetry Friday - Only Managed an Art Post, but Go Visit The Poem Farm!

September 18, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, art
Happy Poetry Friday!

I found myself blogging over at artsyletters this evening - couldn't resist a call for folks to post pictures of their messy studio tables and then submit them to the wonderful Seth Apter for his blog, The Altered Page. (My current very limited time in the studio has actually been spent experimenting with some of Seth Apter's mixed media techniques.)

My therapist would holler if I spend any more time pecking away and sitting at this computer, so I won't attempt a poetry post as well. Ice packs calleth. BUT, my amazing friend and terrifically talented poet Amy has the Roundup today over at The Poem Farm, so be sure to check it out.

[And if you want to see my messy studio table, you can click here!] ;0) Read More 
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Poetry Friday: Here, Have a Cup of Shelley for a New Season...

September 11, 2014
Tags: Poetry Friday, Poetry, poets, seasons
Yay Images

Happy Almost-Fall Greetings...

Here's hoping your summer will fold into a golden, sparkly fall - rich in experience and poetic inspiration.

What the heck - let's fling ourselves toward it with some ever-effusive Shelley, shall we?

Enjoy!

Ode to the West Wind

by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)

I
O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being,
Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead
Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,

Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red,
Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou,
Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed

The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low,
Each like a corpse within its grave, until
Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow

Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth, and fill
(Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air)
With living hues and odours plain and hill:

Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;
Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh hear!

II
Thou on whose stream, mid the steep sky's commotion,
Loose clouds like earth's decaying leaves are shed,
Shook from the tangled boughs of Heaven and Ocean,

Angels of rain and lightning: there are spread
On the blue surface of thine aëry surge,
Like the bright hair uplifted from the head

Of some fierce Maenad, even from the dim verge
Of the horizon to the zenith's height,
The locks of the approaching storm. Thou dirge

Of the dying year, to which this closing night
Will be the dome of a vast sepulchre,
Vaulted with all thy congregated might

Of vapours, from whose solid atmosphere
Black rain, and fire, and hail will burst: oh hear!

III
Thou who didst waken from his summer dreams
The blue Mediterranean, where he lay,
Lull'd by the coil of his crystalline streams,

Beside a pumice isle in Baiae's bay,
And saw in sleep old palaces and towers
Quivering within the wave's intenser day,

All overgrown with azure moss and flowers
So sweet, the sense faints picturing them! Thou
For whose path the Atlantic's level powers

Cleave themselves into chasms, while far below
The sea-blooms and the oozy woods which wear
The sapless foliage of the ocean, know

Thy voice, and suddenly grow gray with fear,
And tremble and despoil themselves: oh hear!

IV
If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear;
If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee;
A wave to pant beneath thy power, and share

The impulse of thy strength, only less free
Than thou, O uncontrollable! If even
I were as in my boyhood, and could be

The comrade of thy wanderings over Heaven,
As then, when to outstrip thy skiey speed
Scarce seem'd a vision; I would ne'er have striven

As thus with thee in prayer in my sore need.
Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!
I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!

A heavy weight of hours has chain'd and bow'd
One too like thee: tameless, and swift, and proud.

V
Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is:
What if my leaves are falling like its own!
The tumult of thy mighty harmonies

Will take from both a deep, autumnal tone,
Sweet though in sadness. Be thou, Spirit fierce,
My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one!

Drive my dead thoughts over the universe
Like wither'd leaves to quicken a new birth!
And, by the incantation of this verse,

Scatter, as from an unextinguish'd hearth
Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!
Be through my lips to unawaken'd earth

The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174401

I know, if you're in my part of the country, you are still wearing shorts. But the weather folks have been showing pictures where some of you might live, and there's already white stuff on the ground!

For poetry appropriate for any clime, please visit lovely Renée at No Water River for today's Roundup. (What's the weather like in Italy this week, Renée ?)
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