Poetry Friday--Welcome Poetry Pardners!

Welcome! I'm hosting the Round-Up today! (For those unfamiliar with the Round-Up, if you have a poetry related blog post, leave a link to your post in the comments. If you're here to read poetry--enjoy the links that I'll be "rounding up" for you today.)

I was looking back over poems written on May 15 in prior years. This one, from May 15, 2009 is short and shareable:

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. The border, edited by me, is an illustration by Albrecht Dürer found in Of the Decorative Illustration of Books Old and New by Walter Crane (1896). It's interesting to note that on the top of the box are the words ratio vincit, which means "reason prevails."

Have you got a cup of coffee ready? Settle in...and now, without further ado--the Poetry Friday Round-Up!

Kurious Kitty (my alter-ego) is sharing a poem that was first published in 1892: "Blossoms." KK's Kwotes has a line from Larry Sawyer from his poem "Sundial."

First up is my neighbor to the north, Matt Forrest, who shares two poems sent to him from a middle-school, and modeled after one of Matt's own poems! What an honor that must be!

At Keri Recommends she's got a short poem "to match the short visitor" she has at her house. A bit cryptic...you'll have to click over in the morning.

Robyn Hood Black shares more student haiku--this time, some award-winners from the 2015 United Nations Student Haiku Contest. Lucky Robyn--she's heading off to a Haiku Society of America meeting/conference!

At Jama's Alphabet Soup, she's looking at a book titled Cool Melons--Turn to Frogs!: The Life and Poems of Issa by Matthew Gollub. It's one of my favorite haiku books for kids and I'm sure you'll like it, too! Her post will go live in the AM.

Tara at A Teaching Life talks about the preciously short time of year that is lilac time. She shares a poem by Alice N. Persons on lilacs and the power they have to lead a person to thievery.

Penny Parker Klostermann has two guests today participating in the "A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt" project--Michelle H. Barnes and her daughter, Miranda. Check out the awesome art work of young Miranda! I love the bird!

With her original poem, "Sequoia," Joy tells us the story of the Cherokee man who brought reading and writing to his people. Head over to Poetry for Kids!

There's a gorgeous photo of iris at Friendly Fairy Tales, and Brenda's sonorous rain poem is a delight!

Laura Salas has another of her "poetryaction" poems written in reaction to another poet's work. Today she has "A Train Is..." in response to Rebecca Kai Dotlich's All Aboard.

Ever think that poetry and kindergartners don't mix? Becky Shillington proves otherwise today at Tapestry of Words!

At Today's Little Ditty, Michelle has posted another entry in the Nikki Grimes wordplay challenge. Read Penny Klostermann's playful poem, "Shadow."

Sally Murphy shows us a great, and useful, Mother's Day gift she received, AND, she shares the well-shared poem, "The Owl and the Pussycat" that inspired the gift.

April Halprin Wayland has a LOT going on at Teaching Authors including an introduction to a new picture book by Barbara Bottner, Feet, Go to Sleep and poems by Barbara and April.

At Beyond LiteracyLink Carol Varsalona is sharing a number of quotes on "voice," which I'll probably borrow for KK's Kwotes! And she has an original poem, "Writer's Voice." Carol also left a little note:

I would like to invite all Poetry Friday writers to write for the new gallery, Spring's Symphony, that I am designing, if interested. There is no rush. I will post the gallery at the close of the spring season. (The invitation was at last week's Poetry Friday post: http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-blossom.html). Thank you, Poetry Friday friends.

I forget how much time is involved in this round-up business! Excuse us while we take a minute to wash up!

Kahlil Gibran was all the rage (if there can be a poetry rage) when I was in college in the 70s. At Gathering Books I am reminded why.

At My Juicy Little Universe, Heidi tells us of her daughter's 10th grade poetry project on Natasha Trethewey. I get a hollow feeling just remembering those days of projects. These days, the hollow feelings are all of my own making--why, why, why, do I get tangled up in multiple projects?

I've got the radio on in the backgrounds and all I've been hearing about this morning is Johnny Depp's dogs! And this is on public radio! Yikes, no wonder the world is in the mess it's in. Oops, sorry for that little editorial comment in the middle of the round-up. Note to self: stay on task.

You're in for a treat when you visit Tabatha Yeatts: The Opposite of Indifference. She has an original poem inspired by a poem from Langston Hughes. She also invites readers to contribute their own.

Mary Lee has a Robert Frost poem today. Up the road from me is Frost's Derry farmhouse. The golden greens are at their height!

Margaret Simon has created a poem of simple peace. There's nothing more I can say--just read it.

Irene Latham's Dear Wandering Wildebeest was inspired by the photos of Greg du Toit. Visit Live Your Poem and you'll understand why.

The Logonauts are writing about waiting...and waiting...and waiting X100 for their book club books to arrive.

Dori Reads has an incredible poem that requires some manipulation of the reader's voice! She also shares links to royalty-free photos which we blog-types will find helpful.

At The Poem Farm is an original poem that Bert, of Ernie and Bert fame, would love! There's a lot to see and hear on Amy's blog today!



Many of us signed up for the Silver Star Elementary School Poetry Project, organized by Jone MacCulloch for NPM. At Mainely Write, Donna shares the poem she received from a fifth grader.

We find another Robert Frost poem today posted by Little Willow at Bildungsroman. It is nothing like the poem posted by Mary Lee. Frost was definitely not one dimensional!

Jan at bookseedstudio has a double treat--art and poetry! More specifically, a pantoum by Kristine O'Connell George from a book pairing art and poetry--Heart to Heart compiled by Jan Greenberg.

Have you ever heard of a "poetry blitz"? You can see photos at Pleasures from the Page. Oh, to be a student again!

Reading to the Core shares an Emily Dickinson poem that has some BEE-yu-tee-ful lines! Read and see if you don't agree!


Reading, Teaching, Learning's Holly has a poignant poem about a place that has nurtured many futures--Miami University (in Ohio, not Florida).

(My daughter graduated from college 10 years ago and guess what? By the end of 2015 we'll have her undergraduate loans paid off! Woohoo!)

Anastasia Suen introduces some of us (me) to Birthday Rules, a new book by Laurie Friedman.

Sylvia Vardell, co-editor with Janet Wong of the Poetry Friday Anthology for Science, has an excerpt from an article of theirs that recently was published in ALSC's Children and Libraries. It's chocky-block full of suggested books and magazines.

Talk about ironic titles--Karen Edmisten has a poem by Carl Dennis called "To Happiness."

Run right over to readtotz to enter the drawing for a copy of The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations! And check out the poem card made from Lorie Ann Grover's poem, "Selfie."

I'm going to indulge in a little lunch and come back later to catch up on any late-comers.

Jessica Bigi has a lovely flower photo to share.

Here's what Laura Shovan had to say this evening (it's now 9:00): "I'm super late for Poetry Friday, but had to share my third grade students' Simile Zoo. We've been working on animal simile poems. You'll find links to the full lesson, plus monsters, penguins, sloths, and a lovely momma cat at Author Amok." It's never too late to join the party!

Just checking in is Cathy from Merely Day by Day with an original poem about bird watching--who's doing the watching?