Thursday, June 4, 2009

Poetry Friday: I used to think the universe was green

Poetry Friday is hosted here this week, and I'm launching it one day early so you can leave your links before you plunge into the 48-hour Book Challenge tomorrow.  Mr. Linky is out sick, so please leave your links in the comments section and I'll round them up throughout the day.

Thanks to Joyce Sidman, whose new book, Red Sings From the Treetops, inspired me to try a color poem.


I used to think the universe was green—

because, of course, I read that.
And better yet, the reason
was we live upon a stage,

the glare of hottest blue fading
to gels of barely throbbing red;
between, a pool of willow-shaded light

I bud with metaphor---our home glowing
like a neon appletini upon a billboard sign
or a mermaid’s radar sweep of eye!

I whir with glossy thoughts like wings
of bottle beetles, beating lines from air
like salt from shallow turquoisy seas.

I'm mobbed by tendrils, kudzu-razzi thick 
and taffy-green; all broadcasting poem 
and poem and sticky juicy poem

Then they recant.  Our universe is beige,
I’m told, sand flat pale, a last-season nut,
a spoonless, moon cheeseless mush. 

The verdant moss behind
my ears sends out a hiss
of signal as it fades---

green oh green oh green oh

-Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)

*Um, this was edited this morning to reflect the fact that although my original example of a "young" star was yellow, as is the most common, in this poem, I should evoke the hottest, bluest stars in order to mix (so the news stories said) with old red ones to make green.  However, in stage lighting, red gels and blue gels cast magenta light. What the scientists were really trying to tell me was that the entire universe shifted from the hot, blue end of the spectrum to the cooler, red end as the universe aged. Except that they were wrong about it looking green, as cited below.   

* From CNN.com, Jan. 10, 2002: 

 "What would one see if the rainbow of lights that comprise the visible universe were mixed together into one color? Astronomers think something slightly greener than pale turquoise." 

And from Space.com: 

"'From one perspective, it's surprising that it turns out to be green, because there are no greenish stars,' said Glazebrook, an assistant astronomy professor. 'But it's the large number of old red stars and young blue stars in the universe that gives us the green.' (Yes, mixing red and blue paint yields nothing but icky paint, which anyone with children would know. But combining red and blue light yields an entirely different result, which you've probably guessed by now.)"

And finally, the disappointing truth, on March 8, 02 from Wired: 

"The color of the universe is not an intriguing pale turquoise, as astronomers recently announced. It's actually beige and a rather ordinary beige at that."

****************

Kurious Kitty looks at strawberry poems in preparation for her library's annual strawberry festival.

Diane Mayr is sharing "To a Cat" by Algernon Charles Swinburne.

Kelly Fineman continues her month of in-depth and lively Shakespeare posts with a study of his Sonnet #5.

Little Willow (always whirring herself!) shares a poem about a sassy girl: The Little Rebel by Joseph Ashby-Sterry.

Gregory K tempts us with an original poem for National Doughnut Day (how did I miss THAT?) Doughnuts! Oh, Doughnuts!

Julie Larios at The Drift Record has an original poem made from real book titles.

Mary Lee has a post about the changing of seasons, school-year or otherwise.

Andromeda Jazmon pays tribute to her parents' 55 years of marriage with an original poem constructed from their words of wisdom. What a gift!.

Laura Salas posts about the "terrific" anthology, Falling Down the Page and continues her picture-based 15 Words or Less Poetry Challenge with an interesting photo of a buffalo made from recycled tires.

Andrea of Just One More Book! shares "a chat about rhyming board book Fun Dog, Sun Dog ... and a little treat: 6 year old twins share their favourite rhyming books."

Jama is featuring "The Booksigning" by James Tate (Got to go read that at once!)

Author Amok honors her father-in-law who passed away this week by posting William Carlos Williams' "The Last Words of My English Grandmother." Her FIL had been at the hospital where WCW worked for decades.

Tricia of The Miss Rumphius Effect, points us to Neil Gaiman's poem, Instructions, with a link to the full text as well as a video of Gaiman reading the poem.

Betsy at Fuse #8 reviews Food Hates You, Too and Other Poems, by Robert Weinstock.

Sally at PaperTigers reviews Talking Turkeys.

John Mutford reviews a Don McKay book as well as offering up one of his own.

Kelly Polark is in with a Jim Morrison poem.

Elaine Magliaro has two posts. One, at Wild Rose Reader, is a review of a new book of frog and toad poems that was written and illustrated many years ago by Arnold Lobel, PLUS "a video from HarperCollins in which Adrianne Lobel talks about THE FROGS AND TOADS ALL SANG, her father, and her process for coloring her father's drawings." The other, At Blue Rose Girls, highlights a poem about teaching by Mary Ruefle entitled The Hand.

Charlotte is sharing Sylvia Townsend Warner's take on Sleeping Beauty.

Linda gives us a discussion about a wonderful poetry class she just finished. OH! It's Laura Salas's class. No wonder she raves!

Beth Brezenoff, at the Stone Arch Books blog, posts James Wright's "A Blessing," which she says is "perfect for a late spring day..."

Violet offers us peony poems - one by Jane Kenyon and one by Mary Oliver. (Two of my favorite poets!)

Karen E. says she's "in (but just barely ... it's not really poetry, it's about chocolate)" That counts for me!

Liz in Ink says "Here I am with thoughts on the end of school and nostalgia and Miller Williams..."

Windspirit_girl shares a link to a poem she wrote last night about "time, storms, and human frailty."

Jim Danielson has an original haiku review of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK.

Lorie Ann Grover shares two links: At On Point, an original haiku, Possibilities, and at readertotz, Sally Go Round the Sun.

Stella wrote a poem to her "dear 5th grade ESL class that is graduating today."

Martha offers Ralph Fletcher's Buried Alive: The Elements of Love, and talks poetry at the tae kwon do dojang.

Susan is featuring "The Rose Bush" by Nikki Giovanni. AND SHE HAS A LINK TO THE ONGOING BOOK DRIVE AT COLOR ONLINE. Go check it out!

Sylvia Vardell at Poetry for Children joins us with a post about April Halprin Wayland and her new book, plus a poem.

Carol has a review of ALL BY HERSELF, biographical poems by Ann Whitford Paul.

The Z-Kids did some original concrete poetry this week, inspired by the WONDERFUL "Curious Collection of Cats."

Bri Meets Books is in with "In the Artist's Studio" by Christina Georgina Rosetti.

41 comments:

  1. A new Sara poem! Did you hear me squeal? That is wonderful. Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  2. Kurious Kitty looks at strawberry poems in preparation for our library's annual strawberry festival! http://kuriouskitty.blogspot.com

    "I bud with metaphor"--I love it!

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  3. I love the "glossy thoughts like wings
    of bottle beetles."

    My post is ready to go, but it won't be live until 12:01 am. (I'm anal, I know.) I'm sharing a poem by Neil Gaiman this week. I'll drop by with a link in the morning.

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  4. I'm sharing "To a Cat" by Algernon Charles Swinburne. The post (and Kurious Kitty's one) will be up after midnight. Thanks for hosting and have a great weekend!

    http://randomnoodling.blogspot.com/

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  5. Beige? Say it isn't so!

    Thanks for hosting and rounding us up. I'm in with (no surprise) Shakespeare's Sonnet #5. Here's the link: http://kellyrfineman.livejournal.com/435196.html

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  6. I love colours. I love rainbows.

    I also love Rainbow Brite. I am not ashamed.

    Favorite line of this poem: "I whir with glossy thoughts like wings" - I also love wings and glossy things. :) Thanks for sharing such a pretty poem with us, and thanks for hosting!

    I've got a poem about a sassy girl at Bildungsroman today: The Little Rebel by Joseph Ashby-Sterry.

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  7. I'm up with an original in honor of today's "holiday" - National Doughnut Day!

    Doughnuts! Oh, Doughnuts!

    Thanks for hosting!

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  8. Your poem reminds me of Garcia Lorca's "Romance Sonambulo" ("Green, how I want you green./ Green wind, green branches....") Especially like the home glowing like a neon appletini!

    Over at The Drift Record , I have an original poem made from real book titles.

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  9. I don't care what the experts say, I'm with you: GREEN!

    My post is about the change of seasons, whether you are talking about the natural seasons, or the school-year seasons.

    http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2009/05/poetry-friday-change-of-seasons.html

    Thanks for hosting and for the original poem!

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  10. Sara -- I love this line! "I whir with glossy thoughts like wings
    of bottle beetles"

    I posted William Carlos Williams' "The Last Words of My English Grandmother." My father-in-law passed away this week. He'd been at the hospital where WCW worked for decades.

    http://authoramok.blogspot.com/2009/06/poetry-friday.html

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  11. "sticky, juicy poem.. green oh green oh..."

    Sara I love this! Thanks for the science back story too. I really think it is green.

    I have an original poem for my parent's 55th wedding anniversary up today. Thanks for the roundup!

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  12. Sara, what a gorgeous poem!

    I whir with glossy thoughts like wings
    of bottle beetles, beating lines from air
    like salt from shallow turquoisy seas.

    Oh, wow. That is beauty in the images it brings to mind, their meaning, and the sounds of the lines. A triple hit!

    I have a post about the terrific anthology Falling Down the Page for my PF entry this week.

    http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/155303.html

    Thanks for hosting!

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  13. Thanks for rounding us up!

    Today we have a chat about rhyming board book Fun Dog, Sun Dog ...
    and a little treat: 6 year old twins share their favourite rhyming books!

    http://tinyurl.com/pbfxgp

    Enjoy

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  14. It's green, I tell you. It has to be. This poem is simply sublime. I'm going to savor it and savor it all day long.

    Today I'm sharing "The Booksigning" by James Tate:

    http://jamarattigan.livejournal.com/287728.html.

    Thanks for hosting today!!

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  15. And the terrific 15 Words or Less poems based on a cool pic of a buffalo made of used tires are at http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/155895.html

    Thanks!

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  16. Here's a link to Neil Gaiman's poem Instructions. You'll find a link to the full text as well as a video of Gaiman reading the poem.

    Thanks for hosting this shindig.

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  17. Howdy. Doing a little ole review of Food Hates You, Too and Other Poems by Robert Weinstock.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sally at PaperTigers reviews Talking Turkeys: http://www.papertigers.org/wordpress/poetry-friday-talking-turkeys/

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  19. Hi Sara, Thanks for hosting. I'm reviewing a Don McKay book as well as offering up one of my own. http://bookmineset.blogspot.com/2009/06/readers-diary-496-don-mckay-field-marks.html

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  20. Fabulous color poem, Sara!

    I have a Jim Morrison poem today at http://www.kpolark.blogspot.com

    Thanks for hosting!

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  21. Sara,

    I love your color poem. I'm sure your daughter will appreciate it!

    At Wild Rose Reader, I have a review of a new book of frog and toad poems that was written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel many years ago. It was not previously published.

    http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2009/06/frogs-and-toads-all-sang-book-of-poems.html


    At Blue Rose Girls, I have a poem about teaching by Mary Ruefle entitled The Hand.

    http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2009/06/poetry-friday-hand-by-mary-ruefle.html

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  22. I'm in with Sylvia Townsend Warner's take on Sleeping Beauty.

    Thanks!

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  23. Hi Sara, thanks for hosting. I'm in today with a discussion about a wonderful poetry class I just finished.
    http://ldkwritetime.blogspot.com

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  24. Thanks for hosting, Sara!

    At the Stone Arch Books blog, I've posted James Wright's "A Blessing". Perfect for a late spring day...

    http://stonearchbooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/poetry-friday-if-i-stepped-out-of-my.html

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a gorgeous poem!

    My entry today is peony poems - one by Jane Kenyon and one by Mary Oliver. It's here: http://book-brew.blogspot.com/2009/06/peonies.html

    Thanks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh, "poem and poem and sticky juicy poem" !!!!! Yea, Sara!

    Here I am with thoughts on the end of school and nostalgia and Miller Williams...
    http://liz-scanlon.livejournal.com/116515.html

    ReplyDelete
  27. I join you in the beige lament.

    I'm in (but just barely ... it's not really poetry, it's about chocolate) and it's here.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm new to this and didn't realize it started early this time. Here's the link to a poem I wrote last night about time, storms, and human frailty.

    http://windspirit-girl.livejournal.com/6844.html

    Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sara,

    I wanted to let you know that I updated my Poetry Friday post. It now includes a video from HarperCollins in which Adrianne Lobel talks about THE FROGS AND TOADS ALL SANG, her father, and her process for coloring her father's drawings. It also includes images of some the wonderful illustrations found in the book.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I offer an original haiku review of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK.

    Thanks for hosting!

    http://jdwrites4kids.blogspot.com/2009/06/poetry-friday-haiku-review.html

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  31. Thanks for Hosting our dear Poetry Friday! I wrote a poem to my dear 5th grade ESL class that is graduating today! Happy Friday.

    http://learnlovegrow.blogspot.com

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  32. Thanks for hosting, Sara!

    At On Point, I have an original haiku, Possibilities.

    And at readertotz, we have Sally Go Round the Sun.

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  33. Hi Sara,
    Thanks for hosting. I'm in with Ralph Fletcher's Buried Alive: The Elements of Love and talking poetry at the tae kwon do dojang.
    www.marthacalderaro.wordpress.com

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  34. I have nothing this week but had to say that I LOVED your poem.

    I bud with metaphor

    Best. Line. Ever.

    Thank you for sharing and for hosting.

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  35. I'm late. Here's mine, "The Rose Bush" by Nikki Giovanni

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  36. Sara,

    Love your poem. I'm feeling inspired. Thanks.

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  37. Thanks for hosting, Sara, and for sharing your Sidman-inspired poem! I hope I'm not too late to join the party. My posting is about April Halprin Wayland and her new book, plus a poem.
    http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/

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  38. Better late than never, right/ I did a review of ALL BY HERSELF, biographical poems by Ann Whitford Paul. Thanks for hosting, and also for sharing an original poem! Wow, wow, wow!
    Carol

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  39. Coming in late too...

    The Z-Kids did some original concrete poetry this week, inspired by the WONDERFUL "Curious Collection of Cats"

    http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/06/review-30-curious-collection-of-cats.html

    Thanks for the round up!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thanks for hosting!

    My favorite line is

    I bud with metaphor---our home glowing
    like a neon appletini upon a billboard sign
    or a mermaid’s radar sweep of eye!

    That's an awesome phrase - I bud with metaphor. I might have to use that. :)

    I'm in with "In the Artist's Studio" by Christina Georgina Rosetti.

    ReplyDelete
  41. What appeared in my mind the 2nd time I read the poem was a peformer on stage looking up at the lights and then seeing those lights cut at the end of the performance-and the disappointment that comes (sometimes) with the end. Anyway--just wanted to share the image. Thanks again for doing all the work for Poetry Friday!

    ReplyDelete

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