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© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
July 30, 2013
Haiku Sticky #212
I realized that there's a lot of rust in my last two posts, so, I may as well include a rust-laden tanka, too! The pictures are up to you to provide!
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
July 28, 2013
Happy Haiga Day!
A small poem today instead of a haiku or tanka.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading.
July 26, 2013
Poetry Friday--"The Last Laugh"
In May I went to a writers' retreat weekend about an hour west of here in Greenfield, New Hampshire. On the drive there, along a lightly traveled back road, I passed an odd assortment of devices on grounds that are definitely not being used for farmland. I made a mental note to stop on the way home to investigate further.
On the return trip, I took a few photos.
There were no signs along the road to indicate ownership or purpose. I was also afraid of trespassing, so I didn't venture too far in! Once home, a quick internet search led me to the Yankee Siege, which was an annual fall pumpkin chucking event that no longer seems to be held. It doesn't say, however, what the humungous rusting mace is/was used for!
One of my photos is a close-up of the base of the catapult/trebuchet. I cropped and manipulated it for this poem:
Click on the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Photos and poem © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
I meant the poem to be a subtle comment on the absurdity of war and how nature always has the last laugh--I hope it comes through! I think this haiku by Basho (translation by Sam Hamill), does it better!
On the return trip, I took a few photos.
There were no signs along the road to indicate ownership or purpose. I was also afraid of trespassing, so I didn't venture too far in! Once home, a quick internet search led me to the Yankee Siege, which was an annual fall pumpkin chucking event that no longer seems to be held. It doesn't say, however, what the humungous rusting mace is/was used for!
One of my photos is a close-up of the base of the catapult/trebuchet. I cropped and manipulated it for this poem:
I meant the poem to be a subtle comment on the absurdity of war and how nature always has the last laugh--I hope it comes through! I think this haiku by Basho (translation by Sam Hamill), does it better!
Summer grasses:Now go visit Sherry at Semicolon for this week's Round-Up. Have a great weekend!
all that remains of great soldiers’
imperial dreams
July 23, 2013
Haiku Sticky #211
Haiku "Sticky" is a particularly appropriate moniker this summer!
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© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
July 21, 2013
Happy Haiga Day!
I used the haiku that I had posted for Haiku Sticky #209, and created this haiga. I think everything's better with a picture!
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
July 19, 2013
Poetry Friday--A Pinteresting Idea?
Many of you are no stranger to the wonders (and timesuckingness) of Pinterest. Last weekend I had the idea that I would start a Pinterest account for Poetry Friday fans (this was after Laura Shovan asked for a link to a Poetry Friday article). I thought Pinterest would be a good place to collect links for everything Poetry Friday, and poetry in general.
I was simply going to call the main board, Poetry Friday, but my brain slipped and typed Poetry Priday. Aha! My subconscious was directing me to an even better name--Poetry Pride-day!
Here's my plan: I've set up a number of boards already, Poetry Miscellanea and Poetry Friday Bloggers being the main ones. Please "follow" the boards. [Note: it is easier to simply click the "follow all" button.] If you'd like to pin, too, send your Pinterest name to poetryfridayATcomcastDOTnet. I will then invite you, and the invitation will appear on your "home feed." Once you accept my invitation, you're free to start pinning.
If you decide to be a pinner, the only thing I ask is that you check to make sure the pin doesn't already appear on that particular board (it may appear on a second board if appropriate). One of my biggest Pinterest pet peeves is duplicate pins, often three or more, that appear on a single board! If any one board gets too large, then I'll start a new board and reassign pins (for instance, I might move organizations and festivals onto a separate board, or I might start another board strictly for poetry quotes).
For those of you not familiar with Pinterest, I want you to know that you can view the boards without joining, so you needn't feel left out of the Poetry Pride-day festivity! I'd encourage you to join, but I can understand if you don't want more distractions in your life! However, if there's something that you'd like to see pinned to a board, send me the link (poetryfridayATcomcastDOTnet) and I'll see that it gets on a board. (Special thanks to Tabatha Yeatts who has already offered me suggestions of possible pins.)
To build the Poetry Friday Bloggers board I went through the list of Round-Up hosting sites for 2013 and pinned them. If I've missed your blog, if you're a regular Poetry Friday poster, but have never hosted a Round-Up, or, if you've hosted in the past, but are not in 2013, send me a link.
This idea may fall flat, but, with your help we can develop an active Pinterest community. We may attract non-KidLit poetry fans, teachers, and who knows who else! All in the service of POETRY! If you have an idea for a board, perhaps a Haiku, Poetry for Teachers, or some other useful board, let me know.
So think it over, and in the meantime, head over to today's Round-Up, hosted by Jone, at Check It Out!
I was simply going to call the main board, Poetry Friday, but my brain slipped and typed Poetry Priday. Aha! My subconscious was directing me to an even better name--Poetry Pride-day!
Here's my plan: I've set up a number of boards already, Poetry Miscellanea and Poetry Friday Bloggers being the main ones. Please "follow" the boards. [Note: it is easier to simply click the "follow all" button.] If you'd like to pin, too, send your Pinterest name to poetryfridayATcomcastDOTnet. I will then invite you, and the invitation will appear on your "home feed." Once you accept my invitation, you're free to start pinning.
If you decide to be a pinner, the only thing I ask is that you check to make sure the pin doesn't already appear on that particular board (it may appear on a second board if appropriate). One of my biggest Pinterest pet peeves is duplicate pins, often three or more, that appear on a single board! If any one board gets too large, then I'll start a new board and reassign pins (for instance, I might move organizations and festivals onto a separate board, or I might start another board strictly for poetry quotes).
For those of you not familiar with Pinterest, I want you to know that you can view the boards without joining, so you needn't feel left out of the Poetry Pride-day festivity! I'd encourage you to join, but I can understand if you don't want more distractions in your life! However, if there's something that you'd like to see pinned to a board, send me the link (poetryfridayATcomcastDOTnet) and I'll see that it gets on a board. (Special thanks to Tabatha Yeatts who has already offered me suggestions of possible pins.)
To build the Poetry Friday Bloggers board I went through the list of Round-Up hosting sites for 2013 and pinned them. If I've missed your blog, if you're a regular Poetry Friday poster, but have never hosted a Round-Up, or, if you've hosted in the past, but are not in 2013, send me a link.
This idea may fall flat, but, with your help we can develop an active Pinterest community. We may attract non-KidLit poetry fans, teachers, and who knows who else! All in the service of POETRY! If you have an idea for a board, perhaps a Haiku, Poetry for Teachers, or some other useful board, let me know.
So think it over, and in the meantime, head over to today's Round-Up, hosted by Jone, at Check It Out!
July 16, 2013
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July 14, 2013
July 12, 2013
Poetry Friday--Bee Vision
This poem/picture combo came about when I was playing around with a photo of some white flowers (using PicMonkey) and turned them black. I started thinking about bees and how their eyes work, which sent me off to Google and the search term "bee vision" (thus my post title). Then I wrote the poem. I see several lessons here: 1. what you see is not necessarily what everyone/everything else sees; 2. to think before acting, speaking, etc.; 3. that humans tend to think they are superior creatures, but it ain't necessarily so. I generally try to stay away from lessons, but this poem got the better of me, so I beg your indulgence. (Click on the image to make it larger and easier to read.)
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
Today's Little Ditty is where the Poetry Friday Round-Up is taking place. See you there!
Today's Little Ditty is where the Poetry Friday Round-Up is taking place. See you there!
July 9, 2013
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July 7, 2013
July 5, 2013
Poetry Friday--Color-FULL!
Yesterday, despite it being a holiday, Laura Salas held her weekly 15 Words or Less Challenge. The photo prompt she gave to us is, if I'm not mistaken, the glaze on a piece of pottery. In any event, it is blue.
I was at a loss, at first, as how to approach writing the poem. I thought about blue and then for some reason "molecular" popped into my head. I quickly did a search on "molecular" and "blue" and got lost on a Wikipedia page about molecular models and the color blue being used to represent certain elements. Whoa! Much too much for me. That's not where I wanted to go.
Next, I decided to start with a title, which is not unusual. I put down "The Bluebird of Happiness Doesn't Exist." It was a lousy title, but it forced me to focus on blue as the designation for wretchedness. And if you're really wretched, then there's no light. No yellows in your blue. Here's how the poem ended up--without the original title:
If you'd like to read more poems about colors, I'd recommend looking for Mary O'Neill's Hailstones and Halibut Bones. The book has been in print since 1961, so I imagine some of you may have seen it in your elementary school days. It's a great tool for teachers who are teaching about color, the senses, poetry, and/or metaphor. How can you resist a poem that has lines like these?
To add even more color to your day, head over to Keri Recommends for the Round-Up.
I was at a loss, at first, as how to approach writing the poem. I thought about blue and then for some reason "molecular" popped into my head. I quickly did a search on "molecular" and "blue" and got lost on a Wikipedia page about molecular models and the color blue being used to represent certain elements. Whoa! Much too much for me. That's not where I wanted to go.
Next, I decided to start with a title, which is not unusual. I put down "The Bluebird of Happiness Doesn't Exist." It was a lousy title, but it forced me to focus on blue as the designation for wretchedness. And if you're really wretched, then there's no light. No yellows in your blue. Here's how the poem ended up--without the original title:
The Blues
They’re only true if
unadulterated and
infinitely deep.
No shades, no hues
in the blues.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
If you'd like to read more poems about colors, I'd recommend looking for Mary O'Neill's Hailstones and Halibut Bones. The book has been in print since 1961, so I imagine some of you may have seen it in your elementary school days. It's a great tool for teachers who are teaching about color, the senses, poetry, and/or metaphor. How can you resist a poem that has lines like these?
Blue is the scarfOne of my favorite color poems is by Amy Lowell, "Thompson’s Lunch Room--Grand Central Station." I featured it here back in 2010.
Spring wears on her shoulder
To add even more color to your day, head over to Keri Recommends for the Round-Up.
July 2, 2013
Haiku Sticky #208
Actually, this is a tanka sticky! Have a safe and happy holiday!
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© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.