Poetry Friday--Yee Ha! The Round-Up is Here!

Welcome to Poetry Friday!

Let me tell you why I like to volunteer to host the Round-Up: most Fridays I have to rush off to be at work by nine. Usually, I have time to read a few posts before I go, but, I don't often comment since that takes longer. On my turn to host the Round-Up, I take the day off from work. I read every linked post, and I make sure to comment. I ask your forgiveness for the rest of the year during which I'm reading, but not commenting much.

Yesterday I posted a short poem to warm us up, and for today, I have a tanka.

Please click on the image to enlarge it for easier reading. © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

I guess I was having one of my "Berenstain Bears moments" when I put this haiga together! (If you don't know what a "Berenstain Bears moment" is, it's when you let the desire to hammer home a lesson overcome you.)

So, here are my blog links for today, followed by all yours!

At the Kurious Kitty, where I swore I wasn't going to bother with a post today, I succumbed to a little beauty of a poem by Joyce Sidman.

My Poetry Friday quote at KK's Kwotes is by Marilyn Monroe! I think it's not really a "dumb blonde" statement if you stop and think about it for a while. Let me know what you think.

First out of the gate is Keri at Keri Recommends! She's introducing many of us to the New York Times archive of the "Writers on Writing" column. It looks to be a treasure trove!

At Crackles of Speech Steven has a snapping turtle poem--original and quite punny!

Margaret writes to us from Louisiana and at Reflections on the Teche we're introduced to the Louisiana poet laureate, Ava Leavell Haymon, through a video and two poems. Margaret is anticipating Haymon's visit to New Iberia next week. I wish I lived a little closer! (1,667 miles is just a bit too far!)

Cathy reminds us that art can be fun with an original poem inspired by the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Massachusetts. Check out "Latex Lava" and the accompanying photo at bildebok.

Jama's Alphabet Soup has a review of Yes! We Are Latinos by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. The book provides a look, through poetry and the fabulous illustrations of David Diaz, at the Latino immigrant experience.

Laura Salas and Kurious Kitty are on the same wave-length this week. We both have poems from Joyce Sidman's book, What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms & Blessings. She chose "Sleep Charm" to share with us today. Read and listen to it here.

Robyn Hood Black is starting a new series called "We Haiku Here," in which we are introduced to haiku poets from the very active Southeast Chapter of The Haiku Society of America. She starts off with Curtis Dunlap.

At Today's Little Ditty Michelle looks at Joni Mitchell, poet and musician. What's your favorite Joni Mitchell song? Here's one of mine:



April at Teaching Authors has an original poem that poses the question, "are you a Plotter or a Pantser?" Intriqued? Go check it out. We'll be here when you get back. Also, Teaching Authors is gearing up for their annual Two Weeks of Thanks-Giving! April has the details.

Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme's Matt, has a sonnet he wrote in college back in 1988, "Thoughts of the Falconer." He was definitely paying attention in class!

The ubiquitous Charles Ghigna has a poem about dogs at Father Goose--"The Ubiquitous Barking Dogs." And, at Bald Ego he has "Fish Dreams," a sad little poem that starts like this, "August slipped in through the window/and slept heavy in my bed." How lovely is that?

Lucky Linda at TeacherDance is a Cybils poetry award judge this year. The two years I was judged were great--one doesn't often get to have in-depth discussions of poetry. Today, she's sharing one of the Cybils nominees, Cat Talk by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest. My alter-ego, Kurious Kitty, should be ashamed of herself for not having ordered this yet for the library!

Violet Nesdoly is taking part in a poem-a-day challenge and shares one of her poems with us, "The Custodian." She has started off the month with a bang already!

Amy's Poem Farm is full of crows and children's poems today, and also her own little poem. She also blew me away with this, "When we can look at children for all they are and can be, sometimes the boxes that exist in the world of education can be terrifyingly confining." (I think Amy is pushing back at the sides of those boxes, don't you?)

Jone looks at November with a shadorma at Check It Out. Don't know what a shadorma is? It's a six-line poem, and if you read Jone's poem, I'll bet you'll figure out what else is involved in writing one! (Think syllables.)

At the Opposite of Indifference, Tabatha celebrates The Baby's Opera by Walter Crane. The illustrations are just delicious! And the poems are true to the book's subtitle, "old rhymes with new dresses." Tabatha pulls out a few of the lesser-known nursery rhymes to share.

Mary Lee, has discovered the wonder hidden within the cinquain form. She has a lovely sequence at A Year of Reading, which was inspired by student art.

"A Flake in Fall" is an original poem by Betsy at I Think in Poems. I just heard that we may be getting some snow here in NH later in the weekend. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm not ready!

Tara @ A Teaching Life shows us the fun involved in recycling--from buildings made of plastic bottles, to poetry! How can we not recycle?

Heidi is challenging herself with MyPoPerDayMo. She share three days' worth of poems today at My Juicy Little Universe. And don't forget to read her back posts for the first days' poems.

Ruth is another who is taking on the daily poem challenge. Today, however, she's sharing a poem by a blogging friend, Jessica Stock, called "thinking about Thoreau at the end of the sixth birthday party." I think you will like it, too, I sure do, especially the opening lines! Read it at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town.

As much as I like rounding up the P.F. links, there are some drawbacks--like drinking too much coffee! I'm on my third cup already (and they're not little wimpy 6 oz. cups). I'd better switch to seltzer soon or I'll be looking like Sylvester.

Karen Edmisten shares Ellen Bass's poem "After a Daughter's Wedding." My own daughter got married in late August and I'm still in shock, so this poem resonates with me!

Check out Jeannine's post "Nudging Up the Volume Control" at Views from a Window Seat. She ponders some questions of concern such as this: "Can I make a poem like a painting that provokes a gasp at a glance, yet still reveal more for those who linger?"

At Gathering Books Fats has Kenn Nesbitt's "My Brother's Not a Werewolf." It's the last poem in the Gathering Books' series "Monsters, Beasts, and Chimeras: Spooks and Spectres."

If you're ready for words that dance, head over to see Elizabeth Steinglass where she has an original fall poem called "The Maple." Images such as "She shimmied like she was on fire," will put a big grin on your face!

Little Willow at Bildungsroman shares a W.S. Merwin poem. I also found that my old friend Mortimer is still hopping around! I think he's got the Energizer Bunny beat!

Speaking of rabbits, have you seen Nick Bruel's response to an Amazon review? I'll try to post a link, but Facebook, where I shared it originally, won't let me into my page! "Sorry, but this page didn't load properly. Please try again." I've been trying for the past half-hour! WTF! Found it!

Renee at No Water River received a lovely gift this week from the two Julies--Julie Larios and Julie Paschkis. She shared "Trolls" and a specially inscribed title page. To say I'm green with envy is an understatement!

Lucky Lorie Ann Grover is just back from Greece and we get a vicarious thrill through her photo and poem, "Santorini Sunset." You'll find it at On Point.

On the other hand, poor Anastasia at Poet! Poet! is not so lucky. Fortunately we don't get the computer problems, just the poem, "Wait!" that tells us about it!

Catherine shares a poem by Marie Howe called "Hurry." You can hurry to Reading to the Core to read it, but let's not hurry too much or someone will get hurt!

Tricia is back! She's suggesting that everyone subscribe to Ted Kooser's American Life in Poetry weekly email. I second that! There are some really great short poems showing up in my inbox! Tricia can be found at The Miss Rumphius Effect where she's also sharing one of the poems she received in Mr. Kooser's mailings.

Poetry for Kids Joy has an original poem, "My Sippy Cup," obviously for a young audience! (Or the dog that is usually the beneficiary of anything edible/drinkable that is flung from a highchair.)

Mrs. Bennett shares an awesome lesson in which students experience loss in a thoughtful, yet harmless way. I was so impressed by the use of a list of favorite things! At Used Books in Class, Mrs. Bennett also shows a video of Elizabeth Bishop's brilliant "One Art."

It's almost time to shut down for the night. If I haven't commented at your blog yet rest assured I will do so tomorrow morning. If you haven't left a link, you can do it at any time, I will post it. I Promise.