April 13, 2011
I Couldn't Resist
Tomorrow, the Poetry Friday Round-Up is being held here, use "comments" below to post your link ahead of time. If you have to rush off to work in the morning this will give you a little extra time.
April 12, 2011
April 10, 2011
April 8, 2011
Poetry Friday--A Flower Festival
In Japan, Buddha's birthday is celebrated today, April 8. On this day the Japanese have a festival called Hana-matsuri (Flower Festival). There is a story behind it--when Buddha was born the earth was so pleased that flowers bloomed everywhere. So, on Hana-matsuri, fresh flowers are used to decorate shrines and statues of Buddha.Here in New Hampshire, there are no flowers blooming yet, so let's celebrate with poetry instead! This delightful poem is by Linda Pastan:
The MaypoleThis week's Poetry Friday Round-Up is being held at Madigan Reads, and, next week it will be held right here! See you back here in a week!
after Wallace Stevens
One must have a mind of spring
to regard the cherry tree burdened
with blossom;
and have been warm for days
to behold the boughs of the redbud
prickly with color in the glint
of the April sun; and not to think
of any cruelty in the difficult birthing
of so many leaves, to feel only pure
elation at the sound of the undulant breeze
which is the sound of every garden
with a breeze blowing among its flowers,
the sound the listener hears, watching the buds
which were not quite here a week ago
pushing up from oblivion now.
from Traveling Light: Poems (W.W. Norton, 2011)
Also, I'm taking part in Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup Poetry Potluck Series, celebrating National Poetry Month 2011. I hope you're following the series--there's poetry and lots and lots of food! (Thanks, Jama!)
Photo by Omer van Kloeten
April 5, 2011
April 3, 2011
Happy Haiga Day!
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Image courtesy Library of Congress. Originally published in Haigaonline volume 11 issue 1, June 2010.
April 1, 2011
Poetry Friday--Haibun
Yesterday, I used vacation time and left work early to attend a rally at the State House in Concord, New Hampshire, to protest the NH House's budget. The budget proposes cutting an incredible number of social services. The number of people whose physical and mental well-being will be effected is appalling!
And, like the debacle in Wisconsin, NH is looking to eliminate collective bargaining for the state's union employees.
As a public librarian, I will see interlibrary loan services cut drastically, which will, unsurprisingly, hurt the smaller libraries in the state, writers who need research materials, and our children. For many years I was on the state's summer reading program committee, and I know how important the ILL van is for distributing summer reading program materials. Kids who keep reading over the summer, maintain their skills come September. That's a no-brainer.
I've attended anti-war and other rallies at the State House where 600 people was considered a good crowd. Yesterday there were about 5,000 in attendance! I was inspired to write a haibun.
You may be unfamiliar with the term haibun. The word is Japanese and means "poetry prose." Simply put, a haibun consists of descriptive prose accompanied by one or more haiku. A more detailed explanation can be found at Contemporary Haibun Online.
Here's a slideshow of some of the signs. (I'm the angry librarian!)
Head on over to The Poem Farm for the Poetry Friday Round-Up.
Please also head over to Kidlit4Japan. Two signed copies of Littlebat's Halloween Story will go up for auction this afternoon! Many thanks!
And, like the debacle in Wisconsin, NH is looking to eliminate collective bargaining for the state's union employees.
As a public librarian, I will see interlibrary loan services cut drastically, which will, unsurprisingly, hurt the smaller libraries in the state, writers who need research materials, and our children. For many years I was on the state's summer reading program committee, and I know how important the ILL van is for distributing summer reading program materials. Kids who keep reading over the summer, maintain their skills come September. That's a no-brainer.
I've attended anti-war and other rallies at the State House where 600 people was considered a good crowd. Yesterday there were about 5,000 in attendance! I was inspired to write a haibun.
You may be unfamiliar with the term haibun. The word is Japanese and means "poetry prose." Simply put, a haibun consists of descriptive prose accompanied by one or more haiku. A more detailed explanation can be found at Contemporary Haibun Online.
RALLY FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE
I know it will be a big event when I pass several buses heading in the same direction. I park my car and walk to the State House. Old people, young people, handicapped people, counselors, artists, firefighters, state troopers, writers, psychologists, librarians, and people just fed up with what is going on in our state, gather. Despite the sounds of the helicopter and an airplane circling the downtown area, I'm close enough to hear the speakers. A boy, only 16, tells us he is a recovering addict. A bishop, reminds us, "God helps those who help themselves is NOT in the Bible."
And the hand-lettered signs--oh, those signs--speak loudest of all.
rain holds off...
the nonverbal man shares
his pen with a stranger
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved
Here's a slideshow of some of the signs. (I'm the angry librarian!)
Head on over to The Poem Farm for the Poetry Friday Round-Up.
Please also head over to Kidlit4Japan. Two signed copies of Littlebat's Halloween Story will go up for auction this afternoon! Many thanks!
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