© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
October 31, 2011
October 30, 2011
October 29, 2011
Every Day is Poetry Friday!
"Better late than never" writes Ben of The Small Nouns, so, I'm giving Ben his own special P.F. edition today! Check out his recommendation to visit the Poetry 180 site, and read the awesome poem he features, "The Printer's Error" by Aaron Fogel.
I visited the local used book emporium today where everything was 50% off. I picked up a bunch of poetry books--some for $1.00 each! One is 99 Poems in Translation selected by Harold Pinter et al. A penny a poem! I probably would have been willing to pay at least 5 cents for this one:
I visited the local used book emporium today where everything was 50% off. I picked up a bunch of poetry books--some for $1.00 each! One is 99 Poems in Translation selected by Harold Pinter et al. A penny a poem! I probably would have been willing to pay at least 5 cents for this one:No
by Lady Ki No Washika, translated by Graeme Wilson
It's not because I'm now too old,
More wizened than you guess...
If I say no, it's only
Because I fear that yes
Would bring me nothing, in the end,
But a fiercer loneliness.
October 28, 2011
Poetry Friday Round-Up Is Here!
Welcome to Poetry Friday brought to you from the great state of New Hampshire! And to celebrate, here's a seasonal poem from a neighbor up the road (a hundred years ago)--Robert Frost:
Gathering LeavesThis year, the leaves have been less than spectacular. We've had a lot of rain and wind, and much of the color has ended up stuck to windshields and on the ground. Like Frost's crop, ours this year has grown duller "from contact with earth."
Spades take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.
I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.
But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.
I may load and unload
Again and again
Till I fill the whole shed,
And what have I then?
Next to nothing for weight;
And since they grew duller
From contact with earth,
Next to nothing for color.
Next to nothing for use.
But a crop is a crop,
And who's to say where
The harvest shall stop?
Autumn leaves in their various states of change have been inspiration for poems for as long as there have been poets, and probably for as long as there have been leaves. I imagine the delight of cave men upon seeing the brilliant colors of autumn--the same as we find delight today! I imagine the autumn melancholia, too, is the same.
Share your links in the comments below and I'll post them. I may sneak out for a few hours in the afternoon, but I'll get to all the links as quickly as I can.
I'll begin with my own links: At Kids of the Homefront Army, I continue through the war with a poem that is a bit sad, but that's what war is...
At Kurious Kitty's Kurio Kabinet I have a creepy flower poem--yes, there is such a thing--by Amy Lowell. And, at KK's Kwotes, there's a little something from Carl Sandburg.
A few early birds chimed in:
Charles Ghigna, a.k.a. Father Goose, was super early--before the sun even set in NH last night! He shares a fun little holiday poem, "Halloween Candy Check" from his book, Halloween Night.
Robyn Hood Black has an interview with poet Irene Latham. What an accomplished lady, she is. As if her poetry wasn't enough to wow me--Irene completed a quilt-a-month challenge! And isn't this a great quote?--"I believe strongly that the most important thing I can do for my writing is go out and live a life worth writing about."
If you click here, you'll be transported to GatheringBooks half-way round the world in Singapore! There Myra shares "Day and Night" by Gemino H. Abad.
At Musings, fellow New Hampshire citizen, Joyce Ray, talks about our first taste of snow for the season (yes, it's true, we had snow, but not enough to make me think about putting on gloves just yet). She also features a poem, "Blue Snow," from Donald Hall's latest (and last?) collection.
Camille at A Curious Thing found that Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys appeals to boys--both young and old.
Laura Salas celebrates National Chocolates Day with a J. Patrick Lewis poem. Sometimes it's best to resist a chocolate craving! Laura also has a nice bunch of 15 Words or Less poems here.
And now we have those who were up at the crack of dawn!
Of course someone who lives on The Poem Farm would be up with the birds! Amy shares an original poem about nesting and she shares the fabulous news that her book Forest Has a Song will be out in the spring of 2013. It'll be here before you know it, Amy!
Tara at A Teaching Life reports that she heard Naomi Shibab Nye read recently, and so, she shares a poem and a little Nye story. Nice!
Gregory K. has an original poem just in time for the upcoming festivities: "I’m the Squeak upon the Stair..." And Greg hints that he's going to be looking for some peanut butter cups on Monday.
Tabatha Yeatts surprised me with her question after the poem "To My Brother Killed In Battle." Check it out.
Heidi shares "Totem" by Eamon Grennan at My Juicy Little Universe. (It always makes me smile when I read her blog title!) "Totem" is a marvelously descriptive poem about a pumpkin giving way to decomposition.
Andi Sibley has a video of Micah Bourne's contemplation of shampoo for "normal hair." The line "There is something divine about you," takes us into a whole other direction. Glorious!
Mary Lee reviews Laura Purdie Salas' new book Bookspeak!: Poems about Books. Mary Lee has a thing for "bird blobs"--who knew?
More proof that great minds think alike, Jama Rattigan also reviewed Laura's book here, and she looks at Jon Muth's adaptation of Bob Dylan's "Blowin in the Wind," here. Muth, as an illustrator, uses metaphor, too. I'm so glad that Jama points this out for us.
The 16 Commonwealth nations have voted and women may now ascend the throne in the United Kingdom!
TeacherDance reports that they've had snow in Denver, too, and she has an original poem on the slide into winter called "This Moment Fills Me."
Oh, no, look what we have in store (from NOAA--they like to shout):
LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY INTENSIFY ALONG THE MID
ATLANTIC COAST ON SATURDAY AND MOVE VERY CLOSE TO CAPE COD
SATURDAY NIGHT...THEN NORTHEAST TO THE CANADIAN MARITIMES SUNDAY.
AT THIS TIME...THIS STORM LOOKS TO BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO
MUCH OF MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE...WITH THE BULK OF THE SNOW
FALLING SATURDAY NIGHT.
Maria Horvath brings us a lovely painting of Penelope and lines from the "Odyssey." By the way, Maria posts poetry every day, so visit her blog often!
Katya Czaja has another Robert Frost poem for us, "Now Close the Windows." She also said, "On Wednesday, migrating bluebirds hopped among the last few golden leaves of my sugar maple." I have bird envy--I've only seen a handful of bluebirds in my lifetime (and I'm, as my mother used to say, "no spring chicken.")
Joining in on the Halloween fun is Martha Calderaro with an awesome jack-o-lantern poem. Glad you're back to Poetry Friday!
Sara Lewis Holmes has a video clip of Alison Krauss singing "Ghost in the House." It'll send sad shivers down your back!
From Haiti, Ruth sends us a tantalizing portion of "Machines" by Michael Donaghy. Enjoy your upcoming days off, Ruth!
My buddy Janet of The Write Sisters, has a poem about a costume party that I'm glad I wasn't invited to! It's "All Souls" by Michael Collier.
Steven Withrow is interviewed at Kirkus Reviews where he spreads the news about Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults. If you haven't joined the group, please do--we'll wait for you, click here or on the little green bird icon on the right-hand side of this page.
We're introduced, by Karen Edmisten, to a book called The Tomb of the Boy King. Karen says, it's a "poetic version of the discovery of King Tut's tomb." That should be interesting! Wait--I just looked it up in my library's catalog and we own it! How did I miss it?
At Teaching Authors, JoAnn Early Macken offers us an original entitled, "The Trick to Getting Published." A simple trick, but you have to learn it the hard way!
Kayroo at BooksYALove recommends the novel-in-verse Karma by Cathy Ostlere. Looks like plenty for discussion in a YA book group with this novel--cultural and ethnic differences, political history, etc.
Paper Tigers has a great quote by Gillian Clarke, "Haunting is all about imagination, and the best imaginers are poets and children." Clarke is the author of The Whispering Room: Haunted Poems, which is shared today by Sally.
One more link before I head off for a little lunch with friends: Liz Scanlon is all about birds today with her photo of a gazillion of them on telephone wires (a touch of Hitchcock), and her links to poems by Robert Frost and Charles Bukowski. For all you bird and poetry lovers, I'd like to suggest that you look for Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems about Birds, edited by Billy Collins (Columbia U. Press, 2010).
I'm back, sorry I took so long. To continue, more Halloween treats await at Wild Rose Reader where Elaine reviews Hallowilloween: Nefarious Silliness by Calef Brown. Don't you love that word, nefarious? Elaine also has several other Halloween poems and books to recommend.
Amanda at The Writer's Life gives us a look at her Poetry Friday. Phew, I'm exhausted just reading it! No wonder she didn't get her original poem completed in time to post! That's okay, she shared a poem by Naomi Stroud Simmons, "Without Reservations." The last two lines should make you grin.
Lorie Ann Grover, at Readertotz, previews North by Nick Dowson, due in January. It's nonfiction in poetry form. And, at On Point she has an original small poem accompanied by a spider-topped skull!
Did Charles Gigna post so early last night because he was headed to Bangkok today? If so, Father Goose must have a jet-powered Halloween broomstick! Read an interview here.
Okay, I'm going to quote David Elzey directly for this description: "i'm in this week with a true story of the abraham lincoln coconut vampire turtle...cake. crazy, but true." It's all at fomograms.
At All about Books, Janet S. introduces a title I haven't seen before, Holiday Stew: A Kids Portion of Holiday and Seasonal Poems by Jenny Whitehead.
Donna has a new old house in Maine! At Mainely Write, her original poem, "The House with the Wrinkled Wall," tells of the house's make-over, and from the photo, that make-over comes not a minute too soon!
October 27, 2011
It's Almost Poetry Friday!
The Round-Up will be held here. If you'd like to post your links tonight, please do so in the comments below, otherwise, see you bright and early tomorrow!
October 25, 2011
October 23, 2011
October 21, 2011
Poetry Friday--"Power Source"
Last week I went to the local used bookstore and purchased, for $2.99 each, two compact volumes from the "Everyman's Library Pocket Poets" series. Not in perfect condition, but nearly so, and well worth the price. One of the titles is Doggerel: Poems about Dogs, selected and edited by Carmela Ciuraru. I spent a good portion of Sunday night reading through the poems and found this one in honor of my little canine friend, Mary Murphy:
Mary doesn't have much in the way of a tail, but she does her best with what she's got. It's more than enough to power a smile.
Head over to Jama's Alphabet Soup for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up and come back next week--the Round-Up will be here!
Power Sourceby Edward Field
Like harnessing
the tides or the wind,
how about attaching
dogs' tails
to power generators?
I want the job
of patting the dog
to keep its tail
wagging.
Dogs could generate
enough electricity
for cities, for countries--
light up the world!
Mary doesn't have much in the way of a tail, but she does her best with what she's got. It's more than enough to power a smile.
Head over to Jama's Alphabet Soup for this week's Poetry Friday Round-Up and come back next week--the Round-Up will be here!
October 18, 2011
October 16, 2011
October 14, 2011
Poetry Friday--Poetry in NH
The New Hampshire Writers' Project (NHWP) is holding a month of Poetry and Politics. Yesterday there was a day long conference on the topic and an event with noted slam poet Mali Taylor. Today, at least 15 poets laureate from NH and several other states will be reading their work in different locations. And tomorrow, another conference will be held; topics for the panel discussions are, "Poetry & Community," "Poetry & Education," "Poetry & Social Justice," and "Poetry & Politcs." Tickets may still be available, so call 603-314-7980 if you're interested! I'm particularly interested in next week's program on Sunday, October 23, when former U.S. Poet Laureate, Kay Ryan, will be presented with the Donald Hall-Jane Kenyon Prize in American Poetry. The award includes a $5,000 prize! Kay Ryan will also be reading her poems. (I saw Ryan at the Dodge Poetry Festival last year and thought she was awesome!)
The prize is sponsored by NHWP and the Concord Monitor through a fund established in Kenyon’s memory after her death in 1995.
The University of NH has an online exhibit on Jane Kenyon and Donald Hall, who, as husband and wife, lived in the town of Wilmot for many years. Be sure to check out:Life at Eagle Pond: The Poetry of Jane Kenyon and Donald Hall. Here's a poem by Kenyon that is featured:
BiscuitThis week's Round-Up will be found at Fomograms.
The dog has cleaned his bowl
and his reward is a biscuit,
which I put in his mouth
like a priest offering the host.
I can’t bear that trusting face!
He asks for bread, expects
bread, and I in my power
might have given him a stone.
from Constance (Graywolf Press, 1993)
October 11, 2011
October 9, 2011
October 7, 2011
Poetry Friday--"The Matrix"
"The Matrix," by Amy Lowell, has a fantastic opening. The first four lines concisely describe the way work divides up our time, yet, are these bits of our life the "matrix" upon which a richer life is built?
The MatrixThis week's Poetry Friday Round-Up is being hosted by Great Kid Books.
Goaded and harassed in the factory
That tears our life up into bits of days
Ticked off upon a clock which never stays,
Shredding our portion of Eternity,
We break away at last, and steal the key
Which hides a world empty of hours; ways
Of space unroll, and Heaven overlays
The leafy, sun-lit earth of Fantasy.
Beyond the ilex shadow glares the sun,
Scorching against the blue flame of the sky.
Brown lily-pads lie heavy and supine
Within a granite basin, under one
The bronze-gold glimmer of a carp; and I
Reach out my hand and pluck a nectarine.
If you've read any great new books of children's poetry this year, consider nominating one for the Cybils award. Click here for more information--but do it soon, nominations end on the 15th.
Photo by foodiesathome.com.
October 4, 2011
October 2, 2011
Happy Haiga Day!
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Originally published in Notes from the Gean, Vol. 2, Issue 3--December 2010