tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8244666630157310282024-03-14T15:06:40.372-04:00Read Write Believe"I get up every morning determined
both to change the world
and to have one hell of a good time.
This makes planning the day difficult." (E.B. White)Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.comBlogger822125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-66165370452653044192024-02-23T06:00:00.052-05:002024-02-23T08:07:43.092-05:00Poetry Friday: Love Letters to February<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzrJATO7i4I3f4egREKvkJgnB9mAgm7xvVc2EjLFAzQU9MlgtrttMlTb7B2FT3nCmJVC0uI4wocyBaWGeHLenXJj45YGd6tw9yvnOE-krNw6Y1GFApxt6qZNBxFsBwRrr9P0Sm_qiPKr87_y12lrSyG6eBB1hfdNO_z2I8g7hyphenhyphenVpq4Y1bkIJbDcKE4pkY/s2845/DSC_0126.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2845" data-original-width="2592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzrJATO7i4I3f4egREKvkJgnB9mAgm7xvVc2EjLFAzQU9MlgtrttMlTb7B2FT3nCmJVC0uI4wocyBaWGeHLenXJj45YGd6tw9yvnOE-krNw6Y1GFApxt6qZNBxFsBwRrr9P0Sm_qiPKr87_y12lrSyG6eBB1hfdNO_z2I8g7hyphenhyphenVpq4Y1bkIJbDcKE4pkY/w365-h400/DSC_0126.jpeg" width="365" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The challenge this month was to write a poem in the form of a love letter, taking a cue from Valentine's Day, I suppose. I don't have anything against V-Day, but somehow, February brings out a stubborn streak in me. In 2010, and again in 2020, I wrote a semi-tirade to this month, chastening it for its behavior. And (maybe because it's a leap year again) I'm returning to my old friend this year, too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's a record of our correspondence: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>(2010)</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Oh, February, oh February</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>You make my heart sing, you do,</div><div>were it not for blinding blizzards…and the swine-iest of flu.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, February, far too short the days</div><div>to count the shades of grayest grays</div><div><br /></div><div>you send me, year after weary year.</div><div>If I were you, I'd watch my back, dear;</div><div><br /></div><div>such nuanced love cannot last</div><div>before I exchange you for something less…overcast.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, February, love is patient, love is kind;</div><div>love doesn't leave you disinclined</div><div><br /></div><div>to climb from underneath the warmest covers</div><div>to join the bitterest, iciest, and brutalist of lovers</div><div><br /></div><div>on the barren street, no less! to watch how much snow</div><div>you can blow and blow and blow---some beau</div><div><br /></div><div>you are. But how can I call it quits</div><div>when you bite my cheeks and grab my wrists</div><div><br /></div><div>kissing color into my frozen face---</div><div>Oh, February, let's March on apace!</div><div><br /></div><div> ---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>(2020)</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Oh, February, oh February</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>You make my heart sing, you do…</div><div>Were it not for days of sixty degrees, and nights of minus two!</div><div><br /></div><div>Tulips bloom, then crack to ice before they can be kissed;</div><div>Lovers sweat, then freeze to death if they dare outdoor trysts.</div><div><br /></div><div>And what’s with the extra day you want to stuff</div><div>Into a month that already has it rough,</div><div><br /></div><div>What with viruses ravaging the land,</div><div>And Astros not apologizing for whacking on a can?</div><div><br /></div><div>February, I know claimed I was no quitter,</div><div>But that was when I thought you merely icy, brutal, bitter—</div><div><br /></div><div>Now you unleash forest fires, and dump tornados in my lap; </div><div>I wouldn’t swipe right on you, not on any dating app!</div><div><br /></div><div>So cut it out, February, you heartless fool.</div><div>Be true. Be you. Go back to being cool.</div><div><br /></div><div>-----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And here is my letter to February for 2024:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>Oh, February, oh February,</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div>It’s been four years since my last note,</div><div>and fourteen since I first wrote—</div><div><br /></div><div>and since your time is almost through</div><div>I really shouldn’t be emailing you—</div><div><br /></div><div>but last night I dreamt a frost with bracing</div><div>fingers crept into my bed, lacing </div><div><br /></div><div>the worn stairs of my cheeks with steely filigree</div><div>and veiling my silvering hair with blustery</div><div><br /></div><div>crackling snow, until I shone slick</div><div>as glacier ice; as bright as magic—</div><div><br /></div><div>cold breaking stone,</div><div>once again that girl, half-grown</div><div><br /></div><div>you teased with bitter wind and bite—</div><div>oh, February, waking in slanted winter light,</div><div><br /></div><div>I know better than to warm my heart</div><div>to you, even now years apart;</div><div><br /></div><div>I’ll delete this letter, even if I do—</div><div>occasionally— think very coldly of you.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> ---</span>Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</span></div></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;">My poetry sisters love letter poems are here:</span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-february-2024/" target="_blank">Liz</a></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;">Kelly</span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=13390" target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2024/02/22/poetry-friday-love/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2024/02/poetry-sisters-write-epistolary-poems.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><a href="https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/thank-you-for-asking-poetry-friday/" target="_blank">Laura</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2024/02/open-for-poetry-business.html?m=1" target="_blank">Tabitha at The Opposite of Indifference</a>.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-49533222326721264002024-01-26T06:00:00.212-05:002024-01-26T09:05:04.599-05:00Poetry Friday: Writing to the Art of Roberto BenavidezIt was an easy choice to kick off 2024 with an ekphrastic challenge. Writing about or in conversation with a piece of art automatically gives a poet several places to begin:<p>What do you first notice? What lingers with you after you look away? Is there more to the story, things beneath the surface that you're curious about? What questions would you ask the art or the artist if you could? </p><p>All these ideas (and more) were on my mind as I engaged with the work of <a href="https://robertobenavidez.com/about" target="_blank">Roberto Benavidez</a>, who describes himself as "sculptor specializing in the piñata form." Benavidez came to my attention through my brother, John, who sent me a link to an episode of <a href="https://www.pbs.org/craft-in-america/artists/play/" target="_blank">Craft in America (streaming on PBS) which featured Benavdez's amazing pinatas</a>. I then quickly<a href="https://www.instagram.com/roberto_benavidez/" target="_blank"> lost myself in his creations,</a> which play with themes of "race, sexuality, art, sin, humor, ephemerality and beauty." If you can't find something to write about in that list, look again!</p><p>But what most drew my eyes were Benavidez's paper sculptures that were inspired by another piece of art, Hieronymus Bosch's famous <a href="https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-garden-of-earthly-delights-triptych/02388242-6d6a-4e9e-a992-e1311eab3609" target="_blank">The Garden of Earthly Delights</a> (also concerned with above said list...heavy on the SIN part.) It was from <a href="https://robertobenavidez.com/bosch" target="_blank">that body of work</a> that I found my muse, choosing to engage not so much with sin, but with the art's humor, and the ephemerality of any physical form, be it a lifetime in a rat's twitching body or one quiet moment in a yoga pose. </p><p>Please do go look around at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/roberto_benavidez/" target="_blank">Benavidez's work</a>. And if you feel inspired, pick one to write to. Here's mine: (and apologies to this beast if he's not a rat...there's no tail, but he just felt like a rat to me.) </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafCzHJZJFovmEqTAF4qyff6pXHXbNrC7Q-J5DxSBxN955oI1PbLss-JYe8dyvfvWbLsMrex9hns_0gImbI4oGoMb2oe4UZQs-4auioDpKDcyd3LqmqH-NynjShOzmLm_M15olCpz9tauEtKRKiXngLWCsK2rc06DbkxIGs1DbCAJJoqW5GGM8TLV-bH2i/s1000/Bosch+Handstand+%232+Web.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafCzHJZJFovmEqTAF4qyff6pXHXbNrC7Q-J5DxSBxN955oI1PbLss-JYe8dyvfvWbLsMrex9hns_0gImbI4oGoMb2oe4UZQs-4auioDpKDcyd3LqmqH-NynjShOzmLm_M15olCpz9tauEtKRKiXngLWCsK2rc06DbkxIGs1DbCAJJoqW5GGM8TLV-bH2i/w640-h640/Bosch+Handstand+%232+Web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtCRaP9Frri/" target="_blank">Artwork by Roberto Benavidez<br />from his collection "Beasts in the Garden<br />of Earthly Delights.</a>" </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>RAT YOGA</p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>His torso is plump as an avocado,</p><p>his bandy forelegs balancing</p><p>only ripe mischief and bravado</p><p><br /></p><p>He’s cleared his mind of the fury</p><p>of the glinting trap, the gasping terror </p><p>of a tail wrenched off in a blurry-hurry</p><p><br /></p><p>Weightless, he’s free to grandstand, </p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>to steady his lurching heartbeat</p><p>to a joyful march inside the bandstand</p><p><br /></p><p>of his puffed paper chest—oh so zen,</p><p>this posing rat, only his nose </p><p>twitch-twitching now and then.</p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>-----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </span></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Each of my fellow poets chose an artwork to write to, so go and be inspired by more of Benavidez's work, and their poems:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span><span><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-january-2024/" target="_blank">Liz</a><br /></span><span><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=13353" target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-cuM" target="_blank">Laura</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2024/01/25/poetry-friday-ekphrastic/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Kelly</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2024/01/poetry-sisters-write-ekphrastic-poems.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></span></div><p><span>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/" target="_blank">Susan at Chicken Spaghetti</a>. </span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-85980122321069891952023-11-24T06:00:00.103-05:002023-11-25T11:49:08.038-05:00Poetry Friday: In the Style of Valerie Worth<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8S1FfzxEe54saunL80hQ0EhkfKMi0CWYgqITGgD09aulNRzLA2zMRfTecOoq8XbKQn4pzB6QZ8C-YhWcWRy6d-FJ_gdD3BetciyZ_FSrUf-6SoV1w4etOPK-MBkfnxrMWT00W9Xeezu9WF5PUjuunmhxZ2qGROiFs4j82t3nH3zm9F_GRxQLcI6NA1ba1/s4032/IMG_4086.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8S1FfzxEe54saunL80hQ0EhkfKMi0CWYgqITGgD09aulNRzLA2zMRfTecOoq8XbKQn4pzB6QZ8C-YhWcWRy6d-FJ_gdD3BetciyZ_FSrUf-6SoV1w4etOPK-MBkfnxrMWT00W9Xeezu9WF5PUjuunmhxZ2qGROiFs4j82t3nH3zm9F_GRxQLcI6NA1ba1/w400-h300/IMG_4086.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of my favorite small things: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">French green lentils</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>November's challenge is one of the most fun: an invitation to write in the style of a well-known poet. It's a chance to learn by imitation, and an opportunity to delve into the choices each poet makes when they create. This time it's <a href="https://cdn.ncte.org/nctefiles/about/awards/worth.pdf" target="_blank">Valerie Worth,</a> who's best known for close observation, spare lines, attention to the "small things" (either in size or in importance) and an affinity for a child's viewpoint. One of my favorite quotes about her work comes from Valerie herself: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>“It has always seemed to me that any tree or flower, any living creature, even any old board or brick or bottle possesses a mysterious poetry of its own, a poetry still wordless, formless, inaudible, but asking to be translated into words and images and sounds—to be expressed as a poem. Perhaps it could be said that written poetry is simply a way of revealing and celebrating the essentially poetic nature of the world itself.”</i> ---<a href="https://cdn.ncte.org/nctefiles/about/awards/worth.pdf" target="_blank">as quoted in a profile of Valerie Worth, written by Lee Bennett Hopkins for Language Arts, Vol. 68, October 1991</a> </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I tried to honor that approach by picking two small objects and finding the "mysterious poetry" in them. </div><div style="text-align: left;">The first poem was inspired by a soup I was making during our Sunday ZOOM meet-up, and by <a href="https://www.susangabriel.com/poetry-2/valerie-worth/" target="_blank">Worth's poem, "Safety Pin"</a> in which she explores a pin both open and closed. I did the same for a humble lentil, plucked from a bag, and examined both raw and cooked. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwzf2e3wFlub76_QZ6r_t_XnPlWnzP8WhTitgr5X9g2jmJT3ikgFcdSgdM9qC9FKZZ_aYqLUkW4QLuZXbjOHv0biVJAxrKwvEOBaZjc3ISqG3gY0xCZnjcjW3-lVmjzQ3UlNK97_K1anpXdXbRb3sHm5gc1qXS1qbX0X6hlo5nFHKSkiVV0OYXfsuauVr/s1080/Lentils.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwzf2e3wFlub76_QZ6r_t_XnPlWnzP8WhTitgr5X9g2jmJT3ikgFcdSgdM9qC9FKZZ_aYqLUkW4QLuZXbjOHv0biVJAxrKwvEOBaZjc3ISqG3gY0xCZnjcjW3-lVmjzQ3UlNK97_K1anpXdXbRb3sHm5gc1qXS1qbX0X6hlo5nFHKSkiVV0OYXfsuauVr/w400-h400/Lentils.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i><b>Lentils</b></i></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><b>Raw,</b></div><div><b>they chatter</b></div><div><b>against the bowl,</b></div><div><b>a patch of pebbles</b></div><div><b>blotched as</b></div><div><b>turtle shells.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><b>Cooked,</b></div><div><b>they fatten</b></div><div><b>to a chorus, sing </b></div><div><b>of one hundred days </b></div><div><b>in snug pods,</b></div><div><b>unspoiled sun.</b></div></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.masterclass.com/articles/growing-lentils-explained#43fal6HKpnLtFHSxyelE7p" target="_blank">By the way, did you know there's a MasterClass in growing lentils? </a> I relied on that as I revised my poem, making it more specific with details like how long lentils take to grow, and how much sunlight they need. Research for the win! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The second poem was a response to the most humble thing I could find in my office: the doorstop. At first, I thought: I can't write about that. But then I thought: but Valerie Worth would. So I did. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jRTraepeyqvllCAptLSdmsOwrZKKYByxpMErK5B8YYi46JFSrgzIxJccpJGqM4NG7qgjdUBxPpcILGZPyDnkGNYjPxU4pVGGG1p3YjFgoFjiEJmddsWOWMbSR98hhY4h-ZO_iU6sShPsJtYrEIQZQsFf41g_0ZDR9otxf9tM9yd8expnXuQoK98d-2BP/s1080/Doorstop.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jRTraepeyqvllCAptLSdmsOwrZKKYByxpMErK5B8YYi46JFSrgzIxJccpJGqM4NG7qgjdUBxPpcILGZPyDnkGNYjPxU4pVGGG1p3YjFgoFjiEJmddsWOWMbSR98hhY4h-ZO_iU6sShPsJtYrEIQZQsFf41g_0ZDR9otxf9tM9yd8expnXuQoK98d-2BP/w400-h400/Doorstop.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div></div></div><b><i>Doorstop</i></b><br /><b><br /></b><b>an outstretched arm,</b><br /><b>its white rubber tip</b><br /><b>a gloved fist, dampens</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>the fling of an opening</b><br /><b>door, the coiled spring</b><br /><b>catching the energy</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>of the wild children</b><br /><b>who enter. </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Funny story: the first picture I took of the doorstop showed me a dust bunny hiding behind the door. Had to grab that and take another photo. But maybe I should've written a Valerie Worth ode to the dust?? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Find out more about Valerie Worth from my poetry sisters' explorations of her style and their wonderful poems. Grateful to be writing all these years with these kind and talented poets:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-november-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-cnM" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div>Kelly</div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2023/11/poetry-sisters-write-in-style-of.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=13198" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href=" https://ayearofreading.org/2023/11/24/poetry-friday-in-the-style-of-valerie-worth/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2023/11/poetry-friday-roundup-is-here-and.html" target="_blank">Ruth</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-25925461649801734022023-10-27T06:00:00.058-04:002023-10-28T07:32:43.452-04:00Poetry Friday: Let's play with Bouts-Rimés<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlKt3wVHScbpUX9RF4NwKmFPqfc1kLG5b_D037qjgLZBzNcKovLdl4V769tDyDBqP1rxPoaXPK6HHZchSa-ziSj82qqlZ8SCgwTUvZRmB8sXGTMQSbM73uJZ8meujm5K5nxGai4t27Valc0i0EaX_FCTl5e_Tot3q8vE-CZgY0L3ToDEG4apBI_v6M-iU/s4032/IMG_9744.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlKt3wVHScbpUX9RF4NwKmFPqfc1kLG5b_D037qjgLZBzNcKovLdl4V769tDyDBqP1rxPoaXPK6HHZchSa-ziSj82qqlZ8SCgwTUvZRmB8sXGTMQSbM73uJZ8meujm5K5nxGai4t27Valc0i0EaX_FCTl5e_Tot3q8vE-CZgY0L3ToDEG4apBI_v6M-iU/w480-h640/IMG_9744.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quotes fill the walls <br />at <a href="https://planetwordmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Planet Word</a>,<br />Washington, DC <br />(highly recommended) </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>This month's challenge is another game, or as Mary Lee puts it, "a word puzzle." <a href="https://www.ladyinreadwrites.com/bouts-rimes-best-be-ready-for-a-bout/" target="_blank"> Bouts-Rimés is an old game, played by poets since the early 17th century. </a> The name means "rhymed ends" and the game is played by giving a poet a list of rhymed end words, and challenging her to write a poem to fit. Supposedly, the harder the end words, the better the game. We weren't too cruel to ourselves, but the list did have a few doozies: </p><p>A: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>profuse/abtruse/chartreuse/truce</p><p>B:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>incline/shine/resign/supine</p><p>C: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>various/gregarious/hilarious/precarious</p><p>D:<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ceasefire/quagmire/higher/dryer</p><p>E: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>transform/barnstorm/uniform/conform</p><p>F: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>humility/futility/nobility, tranquility</p><p>G: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>perturb/superb/reverb, disturb</p><p>We also decided to use these rhymes in any form of a sonnet. I always have to look up the variations, so here they are: </p><p>Petrarchan: ABAB ABAB CDE CDE or ABBA ABBA CDC DCD</p><p>Shakespearean: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG</p><p>Spenserian: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE</p><p>Other: AABB CCDD EEFF GG</p><p>And of course, we should try to work in our theme for the year of transformation (conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change) </p><p>Whew. Enough with the rules...on to the game! What would you do with these words and that theme and these rhyme patterns? I chose to pick an A word, ask a question with it, and use the "other" sonnet form to think out my answer. </p><div style="text-align: left;">My solution is below:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Change (no, you change)</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What is the nature of our truce?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Is our pause deadly quiet or sharply profuse?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">If we decide to lie, hand in hand, supine,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">unspeaking, could we still re-sign</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">with anxious fingers passionately gregarious</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">the terms to end this battle; quit this precarious</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">stumbling over words, un-mine this quagmire</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">and declare, with silent volumes, a ceasefire?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Or must we open with a hail of words, barnstorm</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">mutual defenses, stun by direct apology, and with uniform</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">speed, sheath every confession with disarming humility,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">and wordily, warily, negotiate renewed tranquility? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Either—but choose, no truce lasts undisturbed,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Speak then the piercing language of love, superb.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </span><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div>My poetry sisters' solutions to this poetry puzzle can be found here:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2023/10/26/poetry-friday-bouts-rimes/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-october-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=13049" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2023/10/poetry-sisters-write-bouts-rimes.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-ckW" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div>Kelly </div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by Carol Labuzzetta at <a href="https://theapplesinmyorchard.com/2023/10/26/poetry-friday-bat-poems-a-milestone-birthday-and-final-call-for-ekphrastic-nature-poetry-submissions/" target="_blank">The Apples in my Orchard</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-21711181429054934282023-08-25T06:00:00.103-04:002023-08-25T06:00:00.162-04:00Poetry Friday: Exquisite Corpse (Clunker Edition) <p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyNnqQG_uWxQrF5BskrKrk5i71B7dk0WB03WZSDfYb2Dq0w-Fs659tXtANB7D9thR_GCm-6CbLdnkYkmf_SyoDoWo45sPjv4cqrJpXE3emD4HbeUCi48VkfggvrAdgHxxsBgNfmUfmticcUW2aKY6ju9kf0G2mCdRzOe3KuOO1XK3-2djmgXSdQPkPX11/s640/IMG_1022.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyNnqQG_uWxQrF5BskrKrk5i71B7dk0WB03WZSDfYb2Dq0w-Fs659tXtANB7D9thR_GCm-6CbLdnkYkmf_SyoDoWo45sPjv4cqrJpXE3emD4HbeUCi48VkfggvrAdgHxxsBgNfmUfmticcUW2aKY6ju9kf0G2mCdRzOe3KuOO1XK3-2djmgXSdQPkPX11/w300-h400/IMG_1022.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead or not?<br />Mystery photo taken<br /> November, 2016</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>August's challenge was a fun one. As a group, we played a version of the "Exquisite Corpse" game, where one poet passes a set of two lines to the next poet, who adds her own two, and then sends only the new ones on to the next person, and so on, until everyone has added (in secret) two lines to the whole poem. The big reveal of ALL the lines was during our Sunday ZOOM session. And there was a twist: each of us added one original line and one "clunker" taken from <a href="https://awordedgewiselindamitchell.blogspot.com/2023/06/poetry-friday-is-here-and-clunker.html" target="_blank">Linda Mitchell's clunker exchange and comments here. </a></p><p>Wow. At first sight, our draft poem actually held together (see it below my poem.) We couldn't believe it! Still, the challenge for the year was transformation (conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change) so we couldn't stop there. Each of us took the raw material and created something new. Here's how my transformation ended up:</p><p><br /></p>Cuttings<br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>I’m no longer winsome to the world—<div>I’m a yesterday shadow of the sun’s rise, <blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>the one that got away, a nub of flower,<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>plucked, no snap, no sass to sweeten September</div><div>when trees turn so orange the road looks blue;<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>when words tangle, colors muddy the palette<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>and thoughts of you sprout. I bury</div><div>them, and yet in they creep, weedy-thick,<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>until the prickly buds of odd logic bloom:<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>I don't cry anymore, so why do I sing all the words—</div><div>each line in a different language as the light shifts,<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>every scattered petal saying “but you loved me”—<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>and then I remember</div><div>love was exactly what you wrote<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>about the green beans.<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote><br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> ---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </span><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Here's the raw material we all had to work with:</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><div>They say the mind is garden-like, with thoughts as sprouting seeds</div><div>but I'm left holding cuttings I'm not sure where to plant</div><div>Weedy-thick, the prickly buds of odd logic bloom: </div><div>You don't cry anymore, but you sing all the words.</div><div>Each line in a different language as the light shifts,</div><div>trees turned so orange the road looked blue.</div><div>Words tangle, colors muddy in the palette.</div><div>I am no longer winsome to the sun.</div><div>a whole sun’s rise to share</div><div>there goes the one that got away</div><div>found a bit of sunflower</div><div>and plucked every petal (by the way, he loves me)</div><div>and then I remembered</div><div>that’s what you wrote about the green beans</div><div>Stockpile, then, that snap and sass to sweeten your September.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>See what beauties my poetry sisters created here:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-august-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-9LA" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2023/08/poetry-sisters-play-with-exquisite.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href="https://kellyramsdell.com/blog/2023/8/21/poetry-sisters-write-a-poem-together" target="_blank">Kelly</a></div><div><a href="ttp://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=13004 " target="_blank">Tanita</a><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-august-2023/" target="_blank"> </a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2023/08/24/poetry-friday-at-a-loss/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://www.teacherdance.org/2023/08/poetry-friday-end-is-beginning.html" target="_blank">Linda at TeacherDance</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div></div><p> </p></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-43633417941084650162023-07-28T06:00:00.077-04:002023-08-07T16:18:23.505-04:00Poetry Friday: The Monotetra<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidx9KiNspFJ5uphGmMRN8OXEp_Mi8EEfrPCF8x_K6g68Q_DDFQIwotBAdg4cEANEU08BF-Nza4viILcLr6_E9mCifjABz_3bFupdID9oV1YHFR5CneZHmeRkB01MkX3RjVZVLc6SVGDSOAxA4zY9EuqAYAsN7ZrTgqOxLxnIEmd6z4wMyc9gO2ZV2sEUi6/s2657/IMG_3570.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2657" data-original-width="2148" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidx9KiNspFJ5uphGmMRN8OXEp_Mi8EEfrPCF8x_K6g68Q_DDFQIwotBAdg4cEANEU08BF-Nza4viILcLr6_E9mCifjABz_3bFupdID9oV1YHFR5CneZHmeRkB01MkX3RjVZVLc6SVGDSOAxA4zY9EuqAYAsN7ZrTgqOxLxnIEmd6z4wMyc9gO2ZV2sEUi6/w324-h400/IMG_3570.jpeg" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course we stopped <br />at the "world's smallest Bigfoot store"<br />because that's what you do<br />on vacation.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The July challenge is the monotetra. If you parse that name, you'll see it means something like "single-four" because each stanza has a repeated mono-rhyme scheme---yes, every single line rhymes with each other!-- and four "feet" per line. (A foot has two syllables, so this means eight syllables for each line.) You can write as many stanzas as you like, and (thankfully) vary the singular rhyme <i>between</i> stanzas, but each stanza is only four lines, and each ends with four repeated syllables. <div><br /></div><div> Confused? <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/monotetra-poetic-forms" target="_blank">Here's how Writer's Digest explains it.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>So...do all those rules make writing a monotetra easier or harder? I say easier because it tells you what to do...and harder because it leans towards sounding forced. Add in our 2023 theme of transformation (conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change.. ) and I had myself a job to do. At least I had Bigfoot and the new Star Trek series to put me in mind of how exploration spurs transformation....</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdNWH3upVjlf4GsB7Cf3CH7KjE0sDv6J1r1r3tc6D0_qgVdnCAM2IFhVWhFM7VNwjGL4fwWRJNmuJx4-BklpSKoH8eyn9IPQ86BpMEBX-lqX8W4x4vLxbByeD5Z5ky2uZbq27OwUyrUkvHtZHYYthuDJtYXeC_TDp6nUXjd7xFmxTcAe7iOipL2kZQ83y/s882/LagoonNebula.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdNWH3upVjlf4GsB7Cf3CH7KjE0sDv6J1r1r3tc6D0_qgVdnCAM2IFhVWhFM7VNwjGL4fwWRJNmuJx4-BklpSKoH8eyn9IPQ86BpMEBX-lqX8W4x4vLxbByeD5Z5ky2uZbq27OwUyrUkvHtZHYYthuDJtYXeC_TDp6nUXjd7xFmxTcAe7iOipL2kZQ83y/w509-h640/LagoonNebula.jpeg" width="509" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lagoon Nebula, <br /><a href="https://esahubble.org/images/archive/category/nebulae/" target="_blank">image courtesy of the <br />Hubble Telescope</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Strange New Worlds*</span></i></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dust hangs like ochre chandeliers</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">over the trails of pioneers;</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">the ragged edge of their frontiers</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">unstrung by years; unstrung by years. </span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A parchment map, the cloth unwound</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">in a graveyard of ships gone down</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">still threads the rocks without a sound;</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">calls the unfound, calls the unfound. </span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Now nebulas expand, efface </span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">starlight, a crown of crocheted lace</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">knotting this fringe of outer space</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">with dark grace, with dark grace.</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Again we'll blind-twist, one by one, </span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">from rough hems of times overrun,</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">fresh seams; an old revolution:</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">the world undone; the world undone.</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div> ---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*I'm enthralled by the Star Trek re-boot called Strange New Worlds. <a href="https://youtu.be/XL4iCAB6MFo" target="_blank">Have you seen it?</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My poetry sisters' monotetras can be found here:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-july-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/noise-of-the-world-poetry-friday/" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2023/07/poetry-sisters-write-monotetra-poems.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href=" http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12967" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2023/07/27/poetry-friday-pool-time/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://bookseedstudio.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/poetryfridayhost/" target="_blank">Bookseed Studio</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-50848286992282055892023-05-26T06:00:00.118-04:002023-05-26T18:42:11.358-04:00Poetry Friday: The Ghazal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjP6xvmU71kNgZdpbkTE9SBi_NUqFRBp0UBCuQBSheHKbFxO0WnO0O__k69M8tXz3p3uOmJyN_xAnL4TaWyB6EuQyzmTUVed1HIoyka6Gc_PX4zLQ8fHjwHckkOIt8kY2t8dVb40pukjj_i6TdBjJOYK7CbKKHqIF9VxEo_RMVsu0xlYH5enaYWNK3g/s4032/IMG_3323.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjP6xvmU71kNgZdpbkTE9SBi_NUqFRBp0UBCuQBSheHKbFxO0WnO0O__k69M8tXz3p3uOmJyN_xAnL4TaWyB6EuQyzmTUVed1HIoyka6Gc_PX4zLQ8fHjwHckkOIt8kY2t8dVb40pukjj_i6TdBjJOYK7CbKKHqIF9VxEo_RMVsu0xlYH5enaYWNK3g/w400-h300/IMG_3323.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/laurie-anderson-the-weather/" target="_blank">"The Weather" by Laurie Anderson, <br />Exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure about this one-- maybe because lore has it the ghazal takes its name from the noise a gazelle makes while dying? I certainly gasped my last a few times, working on this non-narrative form which is held together with one rhyme that comes directly before a repeated ending refrain. The first couplet signals the ghazal form's arrival by doing this twice; the rest of the couplets only have the rhyme/refrain combo in the second line.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And I say again: it's non-narrative. No story telling allowed. The effect is supposed to be one of a string of beads, each sufficient unto itself but tied together by the refrain. Or perhaps a mirror, shattered into revealing shards. Finally, it's traditional for the poet to mention herself in the last couplet. <i>Ooof</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I dunno. To me, writing this felt like being made to comply with strict rules and yet, being completely adrift without narrative at the same time. But enough about process. This is about trying. DOING. Letting things be as they are and inviting the reader to make their own connections. Perhaps that, too is a form of our 2023 theme of transformation (conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change.. ) I'm still not sure, but as I sprinkled a few of those transformation words into my ghazal, I could feel a poem forming....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><i>Half the world</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div>They say the ad is for oysters, yet there she is, but half</div><div>mutated—her mermaid tail the gut half;</div><div><br /></div><div>They say if we bow to modulation twelve times a day, </div><div>our risk of dying (but they only studied men) is cut by half.</div><div><br /></div><div>They say: Someone else. Somewhere else.</div><div>Can’t you see evolution dictates we shut out half?</div><div><br /></div><div>They say we can’t write of overflowing life-altering loss, of not now, </div><div>not whole, of not even close to having somewhat half.</div><div><br /></div><div>They say: would we like roast chicken with homegrown kumquats</div><div>and kale salad or hey, catch! one stale doughnut half?</div><div><br /></div><div>They say I shouldn’t laugh at the erupting fountain </div><div>when I chop the hairy shell of a coconut in half.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://poetryschool.com/theblog/whats-a-ghazal/" target="_blank">You can read more about the form here.</a> And my poetry sisters' ghazals can be found here:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-may-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href=" https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/put-a-muzzle-on-my-ghazals/" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div>Tricia</div><div><a href=" http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12904" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2023/05/25/poetry-friday-ghazal-for-the-lake/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://patriciajfranz.com/blog/" target="_blank">Patricia at Reverie.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-58962067852390575122023-03-31T06:00:00.211-04:002023-03-31T10:53:43.690-04:00Poetry Friday: The Etheree (once more) <div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The March challenge was the etheree, an expanding syllable-based form we've attempted before (back in 2015, and also in 2020, although it looks like I skipped that one.) The first line has one syllable, the second, two, and so on until you reach the tenth line with ten syllables. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Easy, right? Well, except for picking the right one-syllable word to begin...and choosing a subject..and possibly sprinkling in some internal rhyme (if you want to.) In truth, no challenge is ever "hard" or "easy," which makes our continual expectation that we know what we're up against each month hilariously foolish. And yet...we label our challenges anyway. Groan or gloat. Dread or delight. Until the actual writing begins, and then we have to jump in, ready or not, and see what words come. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At least the inherent steady growth of this form lends itself well to our 2023 theme, which is transformation (conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change.. )</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But, with all that, I still didn't have a subject in hand until I visited the <a href="https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/blossom-kite-festival/" target="_blank">National Cherry Blossom Kite Festival </a>last Sunday. One event was labeled "Kite Ballet," which turned out to be kite-flying to music. But the more I listened (and watched the multitude of kites in the sky) the more I doubted that one dance form could hold what I saw. Instead, I tried to transform, over and over and over again, the initial "definition" of this event. That led to Take #1, below. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Kite ballet is...</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div>Not</div><div>ballet,</div><div>but hip-hop,</div><div>kites pop and lock,</div><div>embattled X-wings; </div><div>spring-drunk sky-flower blooms;</div><div>current-cranked deep sea creatures;</div><div>gust-lifted ghosts, soundless, spinning; </div><div>love-floaty newlywed dragonflies; </div><div>fly-boy flotillas in sky high beat boats.</div><div><br /></div><div> <i>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</i> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I liked it. But the next day, I set out to make those syllables dance harder. So here's Take #2:</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXTzLSX2xcDiQPIQWbpLC1CM-H4fdsKDwHuzhKr_n6BQLQLLAiTuyETcu9JN9-TDWoj6hvdrzQ8eDuLW_oR_WlAdazMzzft7rL5tpL7b-f1efUbsBT1pEyaHcvLnn0tj4h-in571S04hIYP7iNG7YoGcjEWPttn2x6CRYp9f1UmRKZCz9H-Vgv3wfWg/s1080/An%20Etheree%20Kite%20ballet%20is..%20%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXTzLSX2xcDiQPIQWbpLC1CM-H4fdsKDwHuzhKr_n6BQLQLLAiTuyETcu9JN9-TDWoj6hvdrzQ8eDuLW_oR_WlAdazMzzft7rL5tpL7b-f1efUbsBT1pEyaHcvLnn0tj4h-in571S04hIYP7iNG7YoGcjEWPttn2x6CRYp9f1UmRKZCz9H-Vgv3wfWg/w640-h640/An%20Etheree%20Kite%20ballet%20is..%20%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Kite ballet is...</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Not</div><div>ballet,</div><div>but bopping;</div><div>X-wing twerking; </div><div>hip-hop high locking;</div><div>spring-drunk sky-blooms larking;</div><div>sea creatures current-cruising;</div><div>gust-lifted ghosts, soundless, meeting; </div><div>dragonflies, newlywed love-woozy; </div><div>brash boasting fly-boys, beat-beat-beat-beating.</div></div><div><br /></div><div> <i>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My poetry sisters' etherees can be found here:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-march-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="ttps://wp.me/p6Bicx-9f6 " target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2023/03/poetry-sisters-write-etherees.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12718" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2023/03/30/the-poetry-friday-roundup-is-here-2/" target="_blank">Mary Lee (who is hosting Poetry Friday today!)</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>***For next month, we're writing poems in the style of Pablo Neruda. So pick any of his poems, and see where it leads you! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-56531532985947376472023-02-24T06:00:00.207-05:002023-02-24T16:20:38.550-05:00Poetry Friday: Talking back to Art <div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuusN4yBvpptACDOlk99-Pjsuos0_MRDlnftyjIqgf4TkyrJC97HWmS8SxLfEl1pPTNkQjhC2cb0e0h8V3Z2PAID3bK4em5n-hjvJdox1BrYlq4W0w1EXtoox92nwHMcjXe5-PdDBJNe0oYCYYAjuZLtrTfcnGzdaWfzvj_96l3YVQ6vx1O9-I7d7ew/s4032/IMG_1601.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuusN4yBvpptACDOlk99-Pjsuos0_MRDlnftyjIqgf4TkyrJC97HWmS8SxLfEl1pPTNkQjhC2cb0e0h8V3Z2PAID3bK4em5n-hjvJdox1BrYlq4W0w1EXtoox92nwHMcjXe5-PdDBJNe0oYCYYAjuZLtrTfcnGzdaWfzvj_96l3YVQ6vx1O9-I7d7ew/w480-h640/IMG_1601.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairy rock, Iceland</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In February, we're still exploring our 2023 theme of transformation in all its forms: conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change.. (I'm going to repeat this list every month, for my own benefit, so I know how wide the possibilities are.) We're also repeating a challenge we've done several times (and one I love): ekphrastic poetry---which is a fancy way of saying poetry that responds to art. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This challenge can be done anytime, anywhere a piece of art (painting, sculpture, graffiti, woodblock print, collage...etc.) inspires you to think longer and deeper about the world. You know you've picked the right piece of art when you want to talk back to it---ask it questions, or dispute its premise, or praise its insight. As a group, we each threw in two photos that could provoke such a response, and as of blogging this, I don't know what everyone picked. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZNNMq_4s_aRxQfSgBw0HhXCzmQ6tn4rUYaQn4ikzhiEkc69x2bOKaZIdmO5xwZ4FXJgUYWUGyPJoNMwsuNUZMMV1KjYqJeol1ecfP7mQMjhloH76Bu80ompB_gFLSZdBqXhpgaY0WHELDoABkcFG0HVt4LkMtL_n8GLXPSC9vhccozlFIVjdjTNYbA/s4032/IMG_1893.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZNNMq_4s_aRxQfSgBw0HhXCzmQ6tn4rUYaQn4ikzhiEkc69x2bOKaZIdmO5xwZ4FXJgUYWUGyPJoNMwsuNUZMMV1KjYqJeol1ecfP7mQMjhloH76Bu80ompB_gFLSZdBqXhpgaY0WHELDoABkcFG0HVt4LkMtL_n8GLXPSC9vhccozlFIVjdjTNYbA/w300-h400/IMG_1893.jpeg" width="300" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>As for me, I picked my own photo, probably because I've been dying to talk to this troll woman ever since I saw her on the streets of Reykjavik, Iceland. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Known as Iceland's "hidden people," trolls (along with fairies and other folk not easily seen) are often portrayed as greedy or evil. But-- if you treat them with respect (the Icelanders say)-- they can be helpful and wise. So instead of talking back to her, I thought I'd simply let her speak. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What words would this giantess have for me, should she choose to reveal herself? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yvXfjkyQxYM4G0RAA8qybkcV6tbcRqr-1-cOKrmITTEkYWSeV6d-z_LGpQuldxWB4DvFHmRJ_HbMbHtLMXRHl9nPSoUqaHDUWEkiqvcm49_xbyzYb8DWRaBn9MrYcKkNRQ9stqYpG_5QtuzMPFuhBLd4MxSxNZ5n1xp4pu5K4yuJEi9QT5w1nUFduw/s4032/IMG_1894.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yvXfjkyQxYM4G0RAA8qybkcV6tbcRqr-1-cOKrmITTEkYWSeV6d-z_LGpQuldxWB4DvFHmRJ_HbMbHtLMXRHl9nPSoUqaHDUWEkiqvcm49_xbyzYb8DWRaBn9MrYcKkNRQ9stqYpG_5QtuzMPFuhBLd4MxSxNZ5n1xp4pu5K4yuJEi9QT5w1nUFduw/w300-h400/IMG_1894.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div><i>Giantess</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Sunlight will turn me to stone,</div><div>they say, leaving me cliff and fissure, </div><div>strata and sediment, mineral and sand</div><div><br /></div><div>my nose a crag, my eyes, two black nooks,</div><div>my arm, an outcrop of granite </div><div>dangling over the sea </div><div><br /></div><div><div>So come, young one,</div><div>take a story; I’m unburdening</div><div>myself of invisibility. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Soon, I will be rock,</div><div>forever seen. A mountain. </div><div>I think I’ll like that.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>You can find my poetry sisters ekphrastic poetry here;</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-february-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2023/02/poetry-sisters-write-ekphrastic-poems.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div>Kelly</div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12661" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-98L" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2023/02/24/poetry-friday-ekphrastic-poetry/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2023/02/stress-and-resistance.html" target="_blank">Tabitha Yeatts</a>. And for next month, here's our challenge: </div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Peeps! You’re invited to our challenge in the month of March. Here’s the scoop: we’re writing an etheree. This ten-line form begins with a single syllable, and each line expands by one syllable until the tenth line has ten. We’re continuing with our 2023 theme of transformation, but how you interpret that topically is up to you. You have a month to craft your creation and share it on March 31st (hosted here at {fiction, instead of lies!}) in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRKcvz_xfNy0we8BDBKviaTLeJIlbTksNiwiWdILtctRdMN_T5UhIOl4hKlv4BZrGUBKJZfe1OAwyXU0a1bsf6zfim63UDNJirOjHo4h823rjWikUMfEaAzQ2QTOxBmOOuQNlh90kGwVP_TVvTEkec5Z-T0xvWDJq1e6j56i01QbURY1P-cTYSnyFkw/s1800/FDD80240-29D3-41D8-BFB1-D56CEAEE53FC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRKcvz_xfNy0we8BDBKviaTLeJIlbTksNiwiWdILtctRdMN_T5UhIOl4hKlv4BZrGUBKJZfe1OAwyXU0a1bsf6zfim63UDNJirOjHo4h823rjWikUMfEaAzQ2QTOxBmOOuQNlh90kGwVP_TVvTEkec5Z-T0xvWDJq1e6j56i01QbURY1P-cTYSnyFkw/w320-h400/FDD80240-29D3-41D8-BFB1-D56CEAEE53FC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What stories do you have to tell?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-62534598391319441872023-01-27T06:00:00.253-05:002023-01-29T08:42:10.863-05:00Poetry Friday: Cascade Poems<p> </p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-zrd9-rp1NcO45lBQXKt_Khx-HlaWznz9PWdoL_eD68t4yPgN_SKcO6mlQ3I3AcKqAz82wlWxjW2_waTSDO2wd6_o7ctNOWTWaARRVoh-MtyEWhznesY0dMgyN7YUSWvE-27bCJyxAKDZ8XAjJjrGI_feQSac6oJ2r5qUnuXx8WJVXjdZUcLRRtIAw/s4032/IMG_2380.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-zrd9-rp1NcO45lBQXKt_Khx-HlaWznz9PWdoL_eD68t4yPgN_SKcO6mlQ3I3AcKqAz82wlWxjW2_waTSDO2wd6_o7ctNOWTWaARRVoh-MtyEWhznesY0dMgyN7YUSWvE-27bCJyxAKDZ8XAjJjrGI_feQSac6oJ2r5qUnuXx8WJVXjdZUcLRRtIAw/w480-h640/IMG_2380.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 2023, the Poetry Sisters are exploring transformation in all its forms: conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">January's challenge was to try a <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetic-form-cascade-poem" target="_blank">cascade poem</a>, in which the opening stanza (of any length) transforms into the backbone of the poem by "cascading" through the rest of piece. Specifically, each line of the opening stanza becomes the end line for each of the following stanzas. So, if you have a first stanza of ABC, then the next stanza is xxA, and then xxB, and then xxC.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's a form that because of the repetition, can emphasize what doesn't change: for example, something we can't let go of---producing perhaps, a rant or a eulogy. It also lends itself to explanations of process, or logical argument, making change as orderly as a five paragraph essay. But, it turns out, I wanted to write about love.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Yes, I know February is the designated month for that stuff, but doesn't January deserve a bit of affection too? And what is love but a transformation of how we see the world?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Nothing has changed since we were young.</div><div>You keep a coat for thirty-five years.</div><div>I never follow a recipe.</div><div>We walk, we talk, we hold hands.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our first date was 1.1 hours in a Cessna; </div><div>you logged it, pinpointed day and time; </div><div>I had no idea the world held such steadiness;</div><div>nothing has changed since we were young.</div><div><br /></div><div>I still try on new friends, new shoes, new lives,</div><div>wander into deep woods, find the sky again;</div><div>you land safely, time after time;</div><div>you keep a coat for thirty-five years.</div><div><br /></div><div>You ask where I’m going---</div><div>how would I know? I gather words</div><div>until I have to give some away;</div><div>I never follow a recipe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Years flow into years--</div><div>a steadfast meander;</div><div>you, the banks; I, the river; </div><div>We walk, we talk, we hold hands.</div><div><br /></div><div>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My poetry sisters' cascade poems can be found here:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-january-2023/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href=" https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2023/01/poetry-sisters-write-cascade-poems.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2023/01/26/poetry-friday-permission/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div>Kelly</div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12641" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href="https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/fixing-what-rips-a-cascade-poem-poetry-friday/" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div>Andi</div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://bookseedstudio.wordpress.com/2023/01/26/seeing-reading-seeding-with-sharon-lovejoy/" target="_blank">Bookseedstudio</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-87541285610622376072022-11-25T06:00:00.070-05:002022-11-28T09:26:15.538-05:00Poetry Friday: Recipe Poems<div style="text-align: left;">The challenge for November was to create a recipe poem---any form or subject---and "serve it forth." I fear mine is half-baked, but here it is:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLynN9-0zFb8B97bI0LU4XBjY5E-sZTqBhfEUMLLCYXN-JGdeWlBuqOiuj3JEMUTI3C6KMujM0OiqST9jwpCFTliV_Hr67EDH8ByAJr4WVzefWQfSA_0-yux5E94gphe9mjOK7zBSboCBlh09G88KbGGSGLmXwf1ageHfhobTdgJ5EiWb1TGyGgXF0w/s1440/736E5A15-ED57-452C-95D6-F953C8E23C6D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLynN9-0zFb8B97bI0LU4XBjY5E-sZTqBhfEUMLLCYXN-JGdeWlBuqOiuj3JEMUTI3C6KMujM0OiqST9jwpCFTliV_Hr67EDH8ByAJr4WVzefWQfSA_0-yux5E94gphe9mjOK7zBSboCBlh09G88KbGGSGLmXwf1ageHfhobTdgJ5EiWb1TGyGgXF0w/w400-h400/736E5A15-ED57-452C-95D6-F953C8E23C6D.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">HOW TO MAKE DINNER</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:00<span class="Apple-converted-space"> PM</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Open fridge.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Check date on yogurt.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Really should use it soon.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:05<span class="Apple-converted-space"> PM</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Sift through recipes</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">until one rises</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to the top: golden</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">carrot soup—with rye</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">toast croutons—</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">and tarragon-scented</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">yogurt swirl—</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">YUM.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:15 PM</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Open fridge again.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">Using gloves,</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">dispose of moldy bag</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">of carrots.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:20 PM</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Google</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">substitues—</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">beets (really?)</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">parsnips—</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">who has those</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">on hand?</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">celery—</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">no need to peel</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">but…</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">YEECH.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:30 PM</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Pour a glass of wine.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">Imagine</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">a world where</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Star Trek is real</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">and replicators<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">produce carrots</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">on demand.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">Eat celery</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">while considering</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">if potatoes</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">are close enough.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:35<span class="Apple-converted-space"> PM</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Open freezer.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Stare at contents.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Close freezer.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:40<span class="Apple-converted-space"> PM</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Add carrots</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to your grocery list.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Chew on pencil.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Think.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">5:45 PM</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Open Grubhub.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Scroll.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">No one delivers</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">carrot soup.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">You knew that.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Who are you</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to crave</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">such a thing—</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Bugs Bunny?</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6:00<span class="Apple-converted-space"> PM</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">Stare at</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">grocery list.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">Inspect bite-marks</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">on pencil.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Open your mind.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">When ready,</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">underneath “carrots”</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">carefully write</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">everything else</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">you need</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">you love</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">you will fight for </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">until time</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">gets frothy</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">and</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">evaporates.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">YESSSSS.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">Repeat, </p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">for as long</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">as it takes </p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to feel full.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Serve it forth.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> </p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span> ----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My poetry sisters' recipe poems can be found here:</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-november-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12546 " target="_blank">Tanita</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-93g" target="_blank">Laura</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/11/poetry-sisters-write-recipe-poems.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.kellyramsdell.com/blog/2022/11/25/poetry-sisters-write-recipe-poems" target="_blank">Kelly</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href=" https://ayearofreading.org/2022/11/25/poetry-friday-recipe-poem/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Andi</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="http://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2022/11/poetry-friday-ode-to-nerudas-table-and.html" target="_blank">Ruth at There Is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town</a>. </p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-27704697279694305542022-10-28T06:00:00.129-04:002022-10-28T06:00:00.265-04:00Poetry Friday: The Dansa <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div> Another Poetry Friday! The days are tumbling by fast, my friends. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5Jc-Y9oPlyQMFNe0_lSbkEddMfWWwlCtlZ6hiTiKFJJxp5t9KDEmNiWiKvt66WCSOrQsGyUC2-8GbjZa9ZdZHGSP-3zkFndaHpPIyWTJi8PTr9QEpecXw2XHbas4rDqEMnF4iRNTRrfKZXCgxlOry7JdgxehTZaR0IPHtCueE8BLR27litKjc4ABsg/s4032/57EED6C9-6ACF-444C-B209-AB5C95286956.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5Jc-Y9oPlyQMFNe0_lSbkEddMfWWwlCtlZ6hiTiKFJJxp5t9KDEmNiWiKvt66WCSOrQsGyUC2-8GbjZa9ZdZHGSP-3zkFndaHpPIyWTJi8PTr9QEpecXw2XHbas4rDqEMnF4iRNTRrfKZXCgxlOry7JdgxehTZaR0IPHtCueE8BLR27litKjc4ABsg/s320/57EED6C9-6ACF-444C-B209-AB5C95286956.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeMSa96jm_aRMXsF2-ENr0Kun2k7sIpRN-rh27Jews32LmvqsWn78CcCXUtoRs0dAVwn3i2k2KnFFkE46GEyd2c2Obuqk2w9OovpUz6-Y-tHRikf-0LQkaYfSRWHPL-B6AqMCJxHbfvv0NDUnScaTsQ4t8TSQcKNHk9xsGNQ3DZETKC3MxEKbmihNiQ/s4032/10A4D4DF-54F4-4C97-A902-082D95D7D36A_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeMSa96jm_aRMXsF2-ENr0Kun2k7sIpRN-rh27Jews32LmvqsWn78CcCXUtoRs0dAVwn3i2k2KnFFkE46GEyd2c2Obuqk2w9OovpUz6-Y-tHRikf-0LQkaYfSRWHPL-B6AqMCJxHbfvv0NDUnScaTsQ4t8TSQcKNHk9xsGNQ3DZETKC3MxEKbmihNiQ/s320/10A4D4DF-54F4-4C97-A902-082D95D7D36A_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>October brings the "dansa", <a href="https://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/693-the-dansa-or-balete-or-ballata-the-desdansa-and-the-balada/" target="_blank">an old poetic form once popular with the Occitan-speaking troubadours who wandered France and Spain. </a> There's not much to be found on the internets about them other than the basic rules, and that they were often accompanied by joyful dancing. At Tricia's suggestion, I focused on the "joyful" part. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UE-F-HDt2r-eZeI3LdWaxYITF4S-VsHgfUxSU1QQsGT7m2gaB-f1Pu1wKOHR2ufMF_QOj3944T6nrbMTzvVOZT-16iu29DxFGD3UZRJ7tKvsSeJ_aqA4WtcHY9lggfgJQifeG1gtP42D3d2gnTJ4nGDm3gqFjDjFTZAG3F-l-iNAG6cxPOFf3nA5ew/s4032/84BBCF1E-C557-4728-B65B-5A3F743E564B_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UE-F-HDt2r-eZeI3LdWaxYITF4S-VsHgfUxSU1QQsGT7m2gaB-f1Pu1wKOHR2ufMF_QOj3944T6nrbMTzvVOZT-16iu29DxFGD3UZRJ7tKvsSeJ_aqA4WtcHY9lggfgJQifeG1gtP42D3d2gnTJ4nGDm3gqFjDjFTZAG3F-l-iNAG6cxPOFf3nA5ew/s320/84BBCF1E-C557-4728-B65B-5A3F743E564B_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The rules are these:</p><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">-Opening quintain (or 5-line stanza) followed by quatrains (or 4-line stanzas)<br />-The opening line of the first stanza is the final line of every stanza, including the first<br />-Rhyme scheme in the opening stanza: AbbaA (capital A represents the refrain)<br />-Rhyme scheme in all other stanzas: bbaA<br />-No other rules for subject, length, or meter.</div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">And here are the dance steps I composed: </div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1fmLsIet4YF45zUc3pQpgL1KYR2PfjcefTfziv7hex-jSWha8Dn3yY0GTjOOJaKmuSKAyrEQD3dwAQK3AJrvuwb-whxOl0wlK16RxHB4q-3APIFtKHrD-HPxNlG7eK9fgHRemlZDM7L3htndG3EJ6zkclhiFDZibkr3EEaLOijQuvjgMXMOgFLPMeA/s4032/E018CB5C-FA76-4BBA-AFFA-B6733ACB6D32_1_201_a.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1fmLsIet4YF45zUc3pQpgL1KYR2PfjcefTfziv7hex-jSWha8Dn3yY0GTjOOJaKmuSKAyrEQD3dwAQK3AJrvuwb-whxOl0wlK16RxHB4q-3APIFtKHrD-HPxNlG7eK9fgHRemlZDM7L3htndG3EJ6zkclhiFDZibkr3EEaLOijQuvjgMXMOgFLPMeA/s320/E018CB5C-FA76-4BBA-AFFA-B6733ACB6D32_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><b>Apple Dansa </b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>These trees planted, row on row<br />burst with Stayman, Fuji, Northern Spy—<br />apples, apples of my loving eye—<br />beauties, born from best in show:<br />these trees planted, row on row,</b></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><br />some for eating, some for pie:<br />Macoun, Gravenstein, Winesap, oh, my…<br />tenderly, I take them, it’s the least I owe<br />these trees planted, row on row;</b></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><br /><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">spilling fruit, their rosy faces cry</div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">they—Blondees, Ginger, York—are why</div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">the world rejoices— above, below—</div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">these trees planted, row on row</div></b></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b><br />are an orderly riot, a pugnacious reply<br />to bruising dark, and all that must die;<br />I bag them one by one, a rapacious crow.<br />Oh, these trees planted, row on row!</b></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </span><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span>Creative license was taken in this portrayal of apple orchards---not all varieties of apples ripen at the same time, as I learned on our apple picking trip. For more accuracy, a</span><a href="https://www.pickyourown.org/applevarietiestochoose.htm" target="_blank"> fun list of apple varieties and when they are ripe is here.</a> </div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Also: I tried a Blondee for the first time, and it's a new favorite. What's yours?</div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span>My poetry sisters' poems are here:</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/10/poetry-sisters-write-dansas.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-october-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><a href=" http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12513" target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2022/10/19/poetry-friday-we-did-this/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-91Q" target="_blank">Laura</a></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span>Kelly</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span>Andi</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span>NOTE: You're invited to our challenge in the month of November! Here's the scoop: we're creating recipe poems! Your choice of form, length, meter, or topic, but each poem will be an assemblage of elements, using recipe text/cooking instructions to create …something. From a recipe for disaster, to your favorite aperitif, you have a month to craft your creation and serve it forth on November 25th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXm-LAB_7Q1CgvrFFsIH0EYrkJQ9CHDQG2sopD2DQJwPKuxG2gxCfPTDqECTzLZK7Sns-9PhvVGiis5kVElQ5P5d4bVKBFi8uMCNM1bUoWvae1z3PSobLDiXSByBx9EUZD7zOIqlp41cidFUzw-prp3eqLGbc9bwBKsHBj3nedL_ArcQk8WEXt4TVbQ/s4032/43E0BEE0-11C9-4E44-AE28-3F83B701E787.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXm-LAB_7Q1CgvrFFsIH0EYrkJQ9CHDQG2sopD2DQJwPKuxG2gxCfPTDqECTzLZK7Sns-9PhvVGiis5kVElQ5P5d4bVKBFi8uMCNM1bUoWvae1z3PSobLDiXSByBx9EUZD7zOIqlp41cidFUzw-prp3eqLGbc9bwBKsHBj3nedL_ArcQk8WEXt4TVbQ/s320/43E0BEE0-11C9-4E44-AE28-3F83B701E787.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whatcha waiting for? Join us!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by the wonderful<a href="https://www.jonerushmacculloch.com/blog" target="_blank"> Jone Rush MacCulloch</a>. </div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-74934090208159135792022-09-30T06:00:00.108-04:002022-09-30T08:56:45.525-04:00Poetry Friday: The Definito (and related forms) <div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0q_nvY2650RucZdEEA7W8yjrCDmkoZC0A5Inl7gOsAE8Pr1Z9C3YW_YSh9HSqsDQ2V82X7qvDGppa9vvpLZkUqDW5_TgcSPwii3XcnDmtyY6lY3hGXVwdoJqgn1HUoFTBw5bO93roPb9EdNDHJfNWLHuZhnmZinbdDvsVGPFOOACNrXjZJ6ikb-zaQ/s3768/20C62059-C013-4387-A568-F6E10A6BC44B_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2479" data-original-width="3768" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0q_nvY2650RucZdEEA7W8yjrCDmkoZC0A5Inl7gOsAE8Pr1Z9C3YW_YSh9HSqsDQ2V82X7qvDGppa9vvpLZkUqDW5_TgcSPwii3XcnDmtyY6lY3hGXVwdoJqgn1HUoFTBw5bO93roPb9EdNDHJfNWLHuZhnmZinbdDvsVGPFOOACNrXjZJ6ikb-zaQ/w400-h264/20C62059-C013-4387-A568-F6E10A6BC44B_1_201_a.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://planetwordmuseum.org/exhibits/" target="_blank">At Planet Word's</a> photo booth, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">acting out the definitions of SAT words</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last month, I had to take a break due to travel, but for this month's challenge, I'm <b>definito</b>-ly here. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span>Oooh, that joke was...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Awful:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not filled with awe,</div><div style="text-align: left;">but the opposite, </div><div style="text-align: left;">things that drain you</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">of delight, on the scale </div><div style="text-align: left;">of bad to worse,</div><div style="text-align: left;">it's nearly dreadful-- </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">a dire expression of shared</div><div style="text-align: left;">pain: awwwww, noooooo...</div><div style="text-align: left;">that's---</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">awful. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span> ---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">See how easy that was? A <b>definito </b>(according to its creator, Heidi Mordhorst) is "a free verse poem of 8-12 lines (aimed at readers 8-12 years old) that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common word, which always ends the poem. <a href="https://myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.com/2019/08/reintroducing-definito-and-some-sunday.html" target="_blank">You can see her full explanation and several wonderful examples here. </a></div><p>I admit, this kind of poem is right up my alley. Definitions? Word play? Less common words? Yes! But it also got me thinking, as great poetry does: What about the,..</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>In-definito??</b> Would that be....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />A poem that vaguely</div><div style="text-align: left;">runs on and on and on...? </div><div style="text-align: left;">Well....not exactly...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's hard to say...</div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't pin it down...</div><div style="text-align: left;">Maybe it's just... </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">unbounded...</div><div style="text-align: left;">not settled...</div><div style="text-align: left;">word-wobbly... </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oooops. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't mean</div><div style="text-align: left;">to define an</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Indefinito. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span> ---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then there's the <b>Imagin-ito. </b> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's where you write a poem that defines an imaginary word---or as I call them "words that should be words." I keep a list of such words on my phone. Not sure why-- maybe it's in honor of Frindle by Andrew Clements. Or to use in my own books one day. In any case, here's one:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dimpert</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">a person</div><div style="text-align: left;">who hides their</div><div style="text-align: left;">true smarts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">behind a perky</div><div style="text-align: left;">attitude, appearing</div><div style="text-align: left;">dim-witted</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">until they skewer</div><div style="text-align: left;">you unexpectedly</div><div style="text-align: left;">with a dimpled smile.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> ---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So what word would you like to define, imaginary or real? Drop your Definito, In-definito, or Imagin-ito in the comments. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My poetry sisters Definitos can be found here:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-september-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/09/poetry-sisters-write-definitos.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.kellyramsdell.com/blog/2022/9/29/poetry-sisters-write-definiti-definitos" target="_blank">Kelly</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-90v" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12488 " target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2022/09/30/poetry-friday-definito/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Andi</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tabitha Yeatt</a>s. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-32866277640625629882022-07-29T06:00:00.196-04:002022-07-29T11:46:59.761-04:00Poetry Friday: Maya Angelou Recruits Me to her Girl Gang<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb3FEtJ5_hMTv7jI9QMLf4KuIcitbL02T-57ICN4WoPVMbg15NCFDsuxroMgsfuFdCvATXZo1lCGf10z_vzpIEy7yL1IY2OkA4VSmJunirUrxQTJc5wYf9txAY4IZXDi2ZrHlyVIcZAuspwGn8Ny83dIoe7E8sPUtIElGpLX5fXlvi4OMrHV_l9h7p2w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb3FEtJ5_hMTv7jI9QMLf4KuIcitbL02T-57ICN4WoPVMbg15NCFDsuxroMgsfuFdCvATXZo1lCGf10z_vzpIEy7yL1IY2OkA4VSmJunirUrxQTJc5wYf9txAY4IZXDi2ZrHlyVIcZAuspwGn8Ny83dIoe7E8sPUtIElGpLX5fXlvi4OMrHV_l9h7p2w=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quilt by <a href="https://cauchycomplete.wordpress.com/quilt-gallery/" target="_blank">Chawne Kimber</a>*<br />from the Renwick Gallery's new exhibit <br /><a href="https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/this-present-moment" target="_blank">"This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World"</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>July's challenge was to compose a phrase acrostic, taken from Maya Angelou's iconic poem, <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise" target="_blank">Still I Rise.</a> If you haven't read it, do that now. And perhaps<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou" target="_blank"> her amazing bio</a>, too. Only then will you appreciate the audacity of creating a new poem from hers. We spent half our ZOOM time talking about that! </p><p>But in the end, you'll see that each of us came up with a plan to tackle the challenge---Liz chose to repeat one phrase three times, Tanita took a stab at using one phrase for the beginning of lines and one for the ending (double acrostic) and Mary Lee wove Angelou's phrases into her titles, too. We'll see what everyone else decided...</p><p>As for me, I responded most to Angelou's personal voice in the poem, which comes from her own experience, and from a long history of Black experience, but also seems to speak directly to those who would "write (her) down in history" and twist the truth. Which, in turn, made me think of how her words gave her the power to affirm differently. And how, by extension, she also so beautifully invites all of us to tap into that power, too--to join her in her irrepressible rising--you know, for some sort of rowdy, righteous writerly rumble. What would that look like---that recruitment rally for her poet girl gang? </p><p>Yeah, that's how my mind works. Bear with me. Leaning into that theme, I took three phrases (actually lines) from the poem, each five words long. (Okay, one was six words, but I threw the last two together because...see definition of ICONIC.) </p><p>The phrases I used were:</p><p><i>Does my sassiness upset you?</i></p><p><i>Shoulders falling down like teardrops</i></p><p><i>But still, like air, I'll rise </i></p><p>And then, I let Angelou's words stir me up. As Liz said in the ZOOM chat, this form is fun--if you allow it to carry you away. We could all do with some of that. </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Maya Angelou Recruits Me to her Girl Gang</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Does the day crush you? The years suffocate you?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My poet-baby, you squeeze back. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sassiness wells from pain, and eases it, too. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Upset? Feel set up? Don’t forget: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">You reverse the universe.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Shoulders are for standing upon. Hips are for everything else. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Falling? So does the night, every day. Stand back up, not</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">down. You know, ”easily digested” is how they ripped me.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Like my trip-wire timing didn't explode their lies. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Teardrops are just oil and water. Let them lubricate you.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But don’t stop there. If you want to</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">still the crowing— the “I know better” undertowing </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">(like “poetic virtue” is a thing they own) I swear</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">air makes fire leaping wide. Burn. Only then</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ll rise, I’ll break the day, and you, the same as I. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> ----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </span></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>If you want to know more about the artist and the quilt in my photo, <a href="https://cauchycomplete.wordpress.com/quilt-gallery/" target="_blank">see the artist's blog here.</a></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Links to my sister poets' phrase acrostics are below. I marvel at the variation and the power!</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><a href=" https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-july-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></span></div><div><span><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12432 " target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></div><div><span><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2022/07/28/poetry-friday-woven/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></span></div><div><span><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/07/poetry-sisters-write-phrase-acrostics.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></span></div><div><span>Kelly</span></div><div><span><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-8Xa" target="_blank">Laura</a></span></div><div><span>Andi</span></div><div><br /></div><div>If you'd like to look ahead to August's challenge (and perhaps join us?) we're writing Bop Poems. <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/poetic-form-the-bop" target="_blank">See here for the rules of the form.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted by <a href="https://www.marcieatkins.com/2022/07/28/poetry-friday-roundup-the-sealey-challenge/" target="_blank">Marcie Atkins</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-80263654793296161402022-06-24T08:00:00.145-04:002022-06-24T08:28:16.973-04:00Poetry Friday: Welsh Tales and Byr a Thoddaid Poems<div style="text-align: left;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9lVGE0JfmiDDAdcA9rJ0jdjJw3wyFNd3Iw9rvrxJcgsehMD2SfV_dgCqRgkeOlVr5o1szaQpSrwmdsHaS30Rljxt_ZvJ5KE6UupTuvYeKx4zp5PhtPVK09dBFqkqz6EdZM7urhW-HwIE3yFVB__SpZFx-KxdHDFYh39ZkGytFLakGvZs8AXdKs9KKw/s352/Lloyd_Alexander.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9lVGE0JfmiDDAdcA9rJ0jdjJw3wyFNd3Iw9rvrxJcgsehMD2SfV_dgCqRgkeOlVr5o1szaQpSrwmdsHaS30Rljxt_ZvJ5KE6UupTuvYeKx4zp5PhtPVK09dBFqkqz6EdZM7urhW-HwIE3yFVB__SpZFx-KxdHDFYh39ZkGytFLakGvZs8AXdKs9KKw/w295-h400/Lloyd_Alexander.jpeg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lloyd Alexander</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">June's challenge was to explore a Welsh poetic form, the Byr a Thoddaid, which pre-dates written tradition, and thus has an oral bias towards sound, syllable and rhyme. It's also of unlimited length, allowing the poet (or bard, as I imagine him/her) to string together a series of quatrains to tell an extended story---which immediately put me in mind of writing about my favorite quintet of books based on Welch mythology, The Prydain Chronicles. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a kid, I lived and breathed those stories more than any other, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/8/18/9166631/chronicles-prydain-alexander" target="_blank">finding myself in its yearning hero, who was not just a pig-keeper, but an even lowlier <i>assistant</i> pig-keeper.</a> But, oh, how he hoped he was more---a long-lost prince, or a secretly chosen one. Don't we all? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What I didn't know as a kid was how the author, Lloyd Alexander, struggled. He thought war adventure might serve him better than college but <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Alexander" target="_blank">according to this article,</a> "he was too clumsy with artillery to be sent to the front, and the sight of blood made him faint, making him unfit to work as a medic." He later trained in intelligence, but after the Army, he was jobless, and took work as his sister's potter apprentice. Reading his life story, you can see how many times he was uncalled, unchosen, and quite often, unprepared. He was (despite his later awards) a non-hero, a life-long apprentice who learned how to write the long, hard, assistant pig-keeper way. And I deeply admire him for it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A few points about the Byr a Thoddaid: </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The form is defined by 4 lines (quatrains) of 8 syllables/8 syllables plus 10 syllables/6 syllables. You can put the 8/8 couplets before or after the 10/6 lines. You can even alternate between the two orders, as I've done with mine below. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The 8 syllable couplets end-rhyme. The 6 syllable line's end word, however, finds its rhyme with a word towards the end (but not <i>the</i> end) of the 10 syllable line. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's also a subtle link between the absolute end word of the 10 line and a word near the beginning of the 6 line (such as alliteration or slant rhyme) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If that sounds complicated, it was to me, too---at first. Once I tried a few stanzas, it got easier. <a href="https://wordwool.com/byr-a-thoddaid-poem-type/" target="_blank">Here's a fuller explanation of the form's rules and traditions</a>. And here's my tribute to assistant pig keepers everywhere: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Not</i> </div><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I gobbled it, the lore of Wales</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">the names, the history, the tales</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">of a pig-keeper far from fairy blessed<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">his blood ordinary</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">not called to battle by horn, or by rite</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">to fight pale cauldron-born;</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">by bard’s harp, his shameful truth sung:</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">not lost prince but boy of pig dung.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">He furious loved fair Eilonwy</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">craved sword of buried destiny<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">but weaving witches tangle-told his fate:</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">his father: none; nor gold.</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Deep-enchanted, I trotted by his side,</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">each stride word-besotted;</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">not anointed, not sent,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">a tale for those who also went.</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My poetry sisters poems are found here:</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/06/poetry-sisters-write-byr-thoddaid.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/poetry-project-june-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="ttp://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12404" target="_blank">Tanita</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/waiting-for-news-poetry-friday/ " target="_blank">Laura</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://wp.me/pdcngF-h2" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Andi</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Kelly</p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://readingtothecore.com/2022/06/23/poetry-friday-the-roundup-is-here-3/" target="_blank">Reading to the Core</a>. </p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-64217837449017256972022-05-27T06:00:00.385-04:002022-05-27T07:19:42.912-04:00Poetry Friday: String, Thread, Rope, Chain<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Yf-p8NEosP3Gs5qAhSb-yJ9mFsrtqUEGCY-sicdTvlw_BIthnEXJQTxmPyJ6QRmGMTni8CaRHtTb3QOyulc3a2AXCLTvur0PMvM5v91tVbs3rUnRZlEetCvcBGkf-_rywBQ8xMi4jmnuBgifp8RNvIDz4aIFggCJ3lI8PfFWCScFAN7shjvtef4T_A/s4032/A5066730-9661-4D96-AC20-D834B7259E9C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Yf-p8NEosP3Gs5qAhSb-yJ9mFsrtqUEGCY-sicdTvlw_BIthnEXJQTxmPyJ6QRmGMTni8CaRHtTb3QOyulc3a2AXCLTvur0PMvM5v91tVbs3rUnRZlEetCvcBGkf-_rywBQ8xMi4jmnuBgifp8RNvIDz4aIFggCJ3lI8PfFWCScFAN7shjvtef4T_A/w480-h640/A5066730-9661-4D96-AC20-D834B7259E9C.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken at the Renwick Gallery, Washington D.C.<br />Exhibit: <a href="https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/this-present-moment" target="_blank">This Present Moment, Crafting a Better World</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">May's challenge was to write a poem using the words string, thread, rope and/or chain. I struggled with this one. For starters, I couldn't make our monthly ZOOM session, and found out how much I need that push to get going. Frankly, a LOT of us missed this month's session---too much going on. And then I cast about for any excuse not to begin: Time was running short. I should work on my novel. No one else was going to make it either, right? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But...then Tanita said she was posting on Friday. I couldn't let her post alone. So... I just let the words take me where they took me. Today's post is by grace. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>String, Thread, Rope, Chain</div><div><br /></div><div>I think of elephants, </div><div>knotted trunk and tail</div><div>a string of calves and mothers, </div><div>no one lost</div><div><br /></div><div>I think of bobbins,</div><div>wound tight with promise</div><div>of seams and hems and darts</div><div>no undone thread</div><div><br /></div><div>I think of water,</div><div>shining in the shadowed well,</div><div>roped to light by gentle bucket,</div><div>no splintered days</div><div><br /></div><div>I think of paper,</div><div>turned on small fingers,</div><div>looped, linked, chained to</div><div>no finite end</div><div><br /></div><div>I think of all</div><div>that binds, yet earth</div><div>again is broken to hold</div><div>those we hold</div><div>no more</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div><span> </span><span> </span>----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My sister poets can be found here:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12373" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div>Liz</div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/05/poetry-sisters-write-to-theme-of.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div>Andi</div><div><a href="http://kellyramsdell.com/blog/2022/5/26/poetry-sisters-write-about-string-thread-rope-or-chains" target="_blank">Kelly</a></div><div>Laura </div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2022/05/27/poetry-friday-six-strands/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by Linda Mitchell at <a href="https://awordedgewiselindamitchell.blogspot.com/2022/05/poetry-friday-round-up-is-here.html" target="_blank">A Word Edgewise</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-62377259076218390002022-04-29T06:00:00.154-04:002022-05-02T08:47:41.990-04:00Poetry Friday: Taylor Mali is...<div style="text-align: left;">April's challenge for Poetry Month was to write "in the style of" Taylor Mali. If you're only vaguely familiar with this poet (as I was) <a href="https://taylormali.com/poems" target="_blank">here's a great link to several of his spoken word poems.</a> They are sweeping, circular explorations, sturdy with extended metaphor, and pointedly opinionated. During our ZOOM session, I tried to explain why Mali's long, re-iterative poems hit a nerve for me, and why such poems are a joy to dive into, but even so, I had to agree that WRITING in that style was going to be a big ask. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I went back and re-engaged with that list of his poems. One, called <a href="https://taylormali.com/poems/labeling-keys/" target="_blank">Labeling Keys</a>, sang to me. His father's secret language for coding which key belonged to which lock is a beautiful way to talk about poetry---and it reminded my that any form can be a a way to unlock what you want to say. So, despite my love of his expansive poetry, my "in the style of Taylor Mali" poem is concise. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Haiku concise. Yeah. That was a surprise. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> I did try to imitate his flair for unusual metaphor, his humor, his repetition, and his penchant for mild swearing. If you feel like it, drop me a "Taylor Mali is...." haiku in the comments. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Getting There</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Taylor Mali is</div><div>the road unpaved; throwing bones;</div><div>the long confession</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Taylor Mali is</div><div>what you wish you’d said right then—</div><div>tart as blackberries</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Taylor Mali is</div><div>the backbeat; what’s up your sleeve;</div><div>your heart exploding</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Taylor Mali is</div><div>waking up past your bus stop;</div><div>a backpack of bees</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Taylor Mali is </div><div>an unfolding map of words;</div><div>not your damn haiku</div><div><br /></div><div>----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My Poetry Sisters' "in the style of" Taylor Mali poems are here:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2022/04/the-poetry-project-april-2022-plus-haiku-29/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12279" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/04/poetry-friday-poetry-sisters-write-in.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href="https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2022/04/in-style-of-taylor-mali.html" target="_blank">Andi</a></div><div><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-8T1 " target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2022/04/29/poetry-friday-my-chlorophyll-heart/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div>Kelly</div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://www.jonerushmacculloch.com/blog" target="_blank"> Jone Rush MacCulloch.</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-20519152983657117252022-03-25T06:00:00.095-04:002022-03-25T06:00:00.208-04:00Poetry Friday: It's Greek Japanese to Me (Ekphrastic Dodoitsu) Creating together--it's our 2022 poetry theme. For March, we're exploring <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/dodoitsu-poetic-forms" target="_blank">the Japanese form of dodoitsu</a>, which is a four line poem that's syllable-based, using a 7-7-7-5 pattern. Thematically, the form often talks of love or work, using a comic twist to leaven its commentary. <div><span><br /></span></div><div>To make this challenge more communal, we each donated to a pool of off-beat photos, and wrote in response to as many of them as we wished. (That's the <i>ekphrastic </i>part-- a Greek word describing "a vivid, often dramatic, verbal description of a visual work of art, either real or imagined.") </div><div><br /></div><div>I wrote two dodoitsu, one mentioning work, and both about love. </div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wTlMv3Lds6EXF6kiA3o7-Ga6QBIP6vAp5dKgwQVSlCFXZ5KwmqlwIA5c16b_l-PYAGrv6xXEZa_uUWl-JSe9ZWczwa-GM673HSIaur-ScU9PgaHuJuSmK3luME59IZ9KI-A3uQVtsK8_bpnqFdc98P8YG4Y2_VIRMf7ntb4MQeoF5_oLc4rCdlCt8Q/s1080/Crooked%20Bricks%20Happy2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wTlMv3Lds6EXF6kiA3o7-Ga6QBIP6vAp5dKgwQVSlCFXZ5KwmqlwIA5c16b_l-PYAGrv6xXEZa_uUWl-JSe9ZWczwa-GM673HSIaur-ScU9PgaHuJuSmK3luME59IZ9KI-A3uQVtsK8_bpnqFdc98P8YG4Y2_VIRMf7ntb4MQeoF5_oLc4rCdlCt8Q/w400-h400/Crooked%20Bricks%20Happy2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(thanks to Mary Lee Hahn for the image)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYMhSoYt_tC88L1fx_ej8JuxzEaD_e9iww6kEl_Da6WElzyDXi3e4tvevX1WZd5PcBu39lwlvyKmos9wRhS5HlwVp3Cl8mjgfN9UReTNCMf3kLkHwNViwOunLp9F3bQJXkbtu7EsN_B-Y3_YhO3_xgSRu0Czg2h_X2KOyvx39HSs_LBL8_RRtzRlzv-g=s1080" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYMhSoYt_tC88L1fx_ej8JuxzEaD_e9iww6kEl_Da6WElzyDXi3e4tvevX1WZd5PcBu39lwlvyKmos9wRhS5HlwVp3Cl8mjgfN9UReTNCMf3kLkHwNViwOunLp9F3bQJXkbtu7EsN_B-Y3_YhO3_xgSRu0Czg2h_X2KOyvx39HSs_LBL8_RRtzRlzv-g=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(thanks to Liz Garton Scanlon for the image)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>More wonderfully wry and vivid dodoitsu here: </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2022/03/poetry-project-march-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div><a href="https://wp.me/p6Bicx-8Mm" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/03/poetry-sisters-write-ekprhastic-dodoitsu.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12076" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div>Kelly</div><div><a href="https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2022/03/ekphrasitc-dodistsu.html" target="_blank">Andi</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2022/03/24/poetry-friday-ekphrastic-dodoitsus/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/" target="_blank">The Poem Farm.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-47570368403885432352022-02-25T06:00:00.358-05:002022-02-25T08:05:38.206-05:00Poetry Friday: Exquisite Corpse <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjphl-OCkqRiLmFAsZFoJJCvqZpTNd9G-09K7SHKEYRxAwrAPebTNDUK1hp4YpbfWNI3fvYO-PPfEEmA--rASm0wkc2P-UyJT2h4hGQQmdAt8L95Qzo3e52fwkSCpmHg0ARYwn88HcWdzYHFShRsELs-AH_rN3mHeRrZWYbp_ad5RDQgTnqm8GnDokw9g=s1687" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1687" data-original-width="1098" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjphl-OCkqRiLmFAsZFoJJCvqZpTNd9G-09K7SHKEYRxAwrAPebTNDUK1hp4YpbfWNI3fvYO-PPfEEmA--rASm0wkc2P-UyJT2h4hGQQmdAt8L95Qzo3e52fwkSCpmHg0ARYwn88HcWdzYHFShRsELs-AH_rN3mHeRrZWYbp_ad5RDQgTnqm8GnDokw9g=w260-h400" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, circa 1st grade,<br />looking quizzical </td></tr></tbody></table><br />Hey, friends--this isn't a pop quiz, because I'm giving you the answer, but have you noticed that the Poetry Sisters have a sort-of theme for 2022? Let me explain: <p></p><p>Last month, we dipped into the sounds around us and borrowed overheard words to create our poems. This month, we're doing "exquisite corpse" poetry---which has nothing to do with a morgue and everything to do with sharing words as a community. In essence, we divvied up the task of writing a poem by each contributing one line. The twist was that we only saw the line before our own until we all viewed the whole thing on the day of our ZOOM meeting.</p><p>That was nervy of us. Would it hang together in any fashion? Would it veer into vagueness or get bogged down in unconnected detail? Would it even be a poem? </p><p>Well, y'all---it worked. It <i>was</i> a poem--a somewhat unbalanced, but beautiful poem. We took time to marvel at it, and to talk about how each line inspired the next, and then....we pulled it apart. No holds barred. We each took the draft we'd created together and made something new from it, on the spot. From individual to community back to individual again. </p><p>Have you guessed the theme now? I've used the words "community" and "together." Not to mention "borrowed" and "sharing." Okay, and "individual," too, because being part of a community doesn't mean losing yourself as an independent person. Yup. I think you get it: in 2022, we're concentrating on forms that allow us to create in communal ways. </p><p>Sure, the Poetry Sisters have focused on supporting each other and posting together (<a href="http://aurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/rounding-poetry-princesses/?doing_wp_cron=1645657321.4657990932464599609375" target="_blank">since April 2008</a>!) but when we also lift the expectation that we must create drafts completely on our own, in our separate poet cubicles, well...the result is...</p><p><i>exquisite.</i> </p><p>I hope you'll explore all the ways my Poetry Sisters took the following communal draft and created a poem that spoke to each of us. First, the draft, <a href="https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/exquisite-corpse.html" target="_blank">loosely based on the "exquisite corpse" ideas in this post</a>, and then my take on it: </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">Community Draft</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />This month, odd one out, running short on days and sleep,<br />This month, past meets pride, roots ripped from native soil still somehow grow.<br />The once-bright future dims. Shadows grow<br />but there, near canyon rim, in broken light<br />the yearling hawk shrieked in futile fury<br />and the steel-edged clouds looked away<br />trees bow and bend on a blustery day<br />that rattles old oak leaves down the street. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> -----The Poetry Sisters</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p>For my take, as I began to work with this poem, I was careful to leave lines intact, and to delicately prune here and there. It felt, after all, not like a corpse, but a body of work, vibrating with life. But the more I played, the more I saw ways this poem could evolve. Change wouldn't destroy it. Neither would curiosity. So...I grew bolder. I moved words around. Then, whole lines. I started looking at each word as a deep well of possibilities, and soon, I was even letting a verb be a noun (wild, huh?) The more I worked, the more empowering and exciting it felt to have these vivid and lovely words supplied to me, a gift that I could use in any way I chose. Thank you, Laura, Mary Lee, Tanita, Andi, Tricia, Liz, and Kelly. </p><p>Still--as free as I felt, I did have a focus: that hawk. To me, he was the "odd one out" in all the best ways, and I wanted to write about him. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzmYaZGdm9k6_plJq6akwmjUSNkJE1nSgV7i7dzIHazaT7U19x5b4JfaP_7OQc-DhtoNzGwajoR9Eb_XArGowXzyvqAmxb8McIYY1lYz4t9rdQI1W2-hMsQHMxxV6E-296etU8r5Cq7y1XFDExtqdPyN2su3VKjV35QPw6antxtWzDwy1P4ksukGndDA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzmYaZGdm9k6_plJq6akwmjUSNkJE1nSgV7i7dzIHazaT7U19x5b4JfaP_7OQc-DhtoNzGwajoR9Eb_XArGowXzyvqAmxb8McIYY1lYz4t9rdQI1W2-hMsQHMxxV6E-296etU8r5Cq7y1XFDExtqdPyN2su3VKjV35QPw6antxtWzDwy1P4ksukGndDA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>My Poetry Sisters' creations are here:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=12029" target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href=" https://www.laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/one-egg-the-poetry-sisters-play-with-an-exquisite-corpse-poem-poetry-friday/" target="_blank">Laura</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href=" https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2022/02/poetry-project-february-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/02/poetry-friday-is-here.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2022/02/exquisite-corpse-poem.html " target="_blank">Andi</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.kellyramsdell.com/blog/2022/2/24/this-month-a-poetry-friday-post" target="_blank">Kelly</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href=" https://ayearofreading.org/2022/02/25/poetry-friday-exquisite-corpse-poem/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by our own <a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2022/02/poetry-friday-is-here.html" target="_blank">Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-65892027690208874682022-01-28T06:00:00.117-05:002022-01-28T08:26:36.964-05:00Poetry Friday: Overheard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">For our first poetry challenge of 2022, we composed "overheard" poems---which, as the name suggests, are created from borrowed material. They are similar to found poems-- but made from oral snippets instead of written ones. <a href="https://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/2021/07/a-found-poem-for-poetry-friday.html" target="_blank">The inspiration came from Susan Thomsen's blog</a>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The challenge was clear enough---but when I went looking for material to borrow, I found that overhearing things was not easy in this muffled age of masks and social distancing. And the more I tried to listen in, the more dejected I felt. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Phooey.</i> </p><p style="text-align: left;">I missed the easy give and flow of public, un-orchestrated conversation.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I missed conferences, workshops, Kidlit drink nights, retreats.</p><p style="text-align: left;">I missed these lovelies, pictured below. </p><p style="text-align: left;">So I wrote about that. Only one word of this was overheard. I'll tell you which one at the end.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61g7VWIOvhyJPuUBpFut1xEl_bs5t8q36DvrljpHxbjkZ_Brmp1v78zlgmanBeE17J8ZgQ6abFYywgktbh24vghFEoGxRdV7ftBSs63AUQc0XkfXN5TLJBoVthwkjgfGaf1XL7d-PRrp-/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61g7VWIOvhyJPuUBpFut1xEl_bs5t8q36DvrljpHxbjkZ_Brmp1v78zlgmanBeE17J8ZgQ6abFYywgktbh24vghFEoGxRdV7ftBSs63AUQc0XkfXN5TLJBoVthwkjgfGaf1XL7d-PRrp-/w400-h300/FD067400-F265-4B26-AFC5-2F752CD02696_1_105_c.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Poetry Sisters <br />(August, 2010)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><b>Fantasy</b></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>I stand, neck-deep</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>in the rollicking stream </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>of an overbooked hotel lobby</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>bar, my thighs braced,</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>minnows of gossip </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>flicking my hair. </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>I order a bottomless</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>glass of well-water, clear</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>as rain on the plain; toast</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>the flash of the bartender’s </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>gold tooth as she catches</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>my words, first try.</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>I laugh as three fevered </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>discussions stalk</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>the room like rare griffins,</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>battering dusty tropes</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>with their ropy tails</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>and cavernous beaks.</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>Our voices pollinate</div><div>the air, float </div><div>into anyone’s ears; </div><div>maybe we shout</div><div>as the elevator opens</div><div>like a levy, spilling</div><div>poets into the room:</div><div>HEY, old friend!</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>Afterwards,</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>I tell the doctor what </div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>was wrong: I needed words.</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>And he doesn’t blink,</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>a dry-eyed unwilling</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>phoenix, and say: What’s that?</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div>Your knee is worse?</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>One day...</div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>One unmuffled day. </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span>-----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With thanks to Mary Lee Hahn, who gifted me with one perfect overheard word: <i>muffled.</i> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What did my poetry sisters do with this challenge? What did they overhear? Listen in:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href=" https://wp.me/p6Bicx-8GI" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tricia</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2022/01/found-poem-for-my-brother.html" target="_blank">Andi</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=11993" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kelly</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2022/01/poetry-project-january-2022/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2022/01/28/poetry-friday-overheard/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2022/01/a-little-patience-for-poetry-friday.html" target="_blank">Irene Latham.</a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-52821782817333009122021-12-31T06:00:00.755-05:002022-01-01T13:06:05.670-05:00Poetry Friday: Bells<div style="text-align: left;">December's challenge was to write a poem about bells. Any kind. Any theme. Any form. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My fellow poets in our ZOOM session had amazing ideas, about clever bell metaphors, and delicate bell sounds, and astounding bell stories. And I had nothing but the vague feeling that I was dancing on the surface of a very deep ocean. Maybe it was because the older I grow, the more I realize how much I don't know---about bells or anything else. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I decided to write about that not knowing (which begins with not noticing) and for my form-- </div><div style="text-align: left;">I took the shape of this tower:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjBURySpvkHbSDc6EzxC8Sdf8AHoSiua2aI1iCMRkxjHL_fJ7CqKmEpY5yRS4SmVEuB8GhY2Z0QMod742NSRvH2AlRJLISFdezT0Zj0cH0DpytRLRcxAUCsJD4R2LmCSVTDvP6dJ9NhlYWY6-NAOpbfln8G8MmGCzUzWpDhF2ZSwfhCw00rhTLW6ocgA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjBURySpvkHbSDc6EzxC8Sdf8AHoSiua2aI1iCMRkxjHL_fJ7CqKmEpY5yRS4SmVEuB8GhY2Z0QMod742NSRvH2AlRJLISFdezT0Zj0cH0DpytRLRcxAUCsJD4R2LmCSVTDvP6dJ9NhlYWY6-NAOpbfln8G8MmGCzUzWpDhF2ZSwfhCw00rhTLW6ocgA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/robert-taft-memorial-and-carillon" target="_blank">Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>What does a democracy have to do</i></div><div><i>to get noticed in this town? </i></div><div><i> </i></div><div>How could I—</div><div>walking, as I do, in my city—</div><div>America’s capitol city—</div><div>not notice a hundred-foot shaft</div><div>of Tennessee marble, host</div><div>to twenty-seven pedal-struck bells?</div><div><br /></div><div>Not notice</div><div>the bells are a carillon— </div><div>(which must, therefore, number</div><div>more than twenty-three— </div><div>or be deemed but a chime.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Not notice the <i>bourdon</i>,</div><div>a booming seven tons of bell—</div><div>(and also the word for the droning </div><div>largest pipe of a organ, and the word</div><div>for bumblebee, and some clever soul</div><div>pinched the word for a fizzy drink </div><div>that will—you guessed it— get you buzzed.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps because noticing</div><div>leads you, on and on, </div><div>(until your ears ring.)</div><div><br /></div><div>So I walk again to the carillon.</div><div>It is true. Solid. There. </div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>Isn’t it?</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>After all, these bells</div><div>honor President Taft’s son—</div><div>(WHO?—well, he served in the Senate, </div><div>I’m told— he sought the Presidency</div><div>three times—oh, did he?)</div><div>—now I’m on unsteady ground</div><div>again—</div><div><br /></div><div>but—with a bit of noticing—</div><div>I see his life rang out to his fellow Senators— </div><div>(this is the Capitol grounds, after all—</div><div>and these bells are “<a href="https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/robert-taft-memorial-and-carillon" target="_blank">a summons</a></div><div><a href="https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/robert-taft-memorial-and-carillon" target="_blank">to integrity and courage</a>”)</div><div>but noticing this, I feel </div><div>a great silence—</div><div><br /></div><div>I dig again, to ease</div><div>the unease.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carillons, they say, rose here after war,</div><div>an echo of those in Europe</div><div>where they were exceedingly noticed,</div><div>for the Nazis (hungry for metal)</div><div><a href="https://www.bells.org/blog/when-nazis-took-all-bells" target="_blank">stole all the bells</a>—(classifying their worth</div><div>from Grade A to D) melting</div><div>the most unworthy into weapons.</div><div>Bells upon bells upon bells</div><div>were heaped in Glockenfriedhöfe—</div><div><br /></div><div><i>bell cemeteries. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, how that noticing, now googled,</div><div>in hot pursuit of those two words, unearths more—</div><div>that (in some cemeteries and times past)</div><div><a href="https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2014/01/grave-bells-indicated-the-deceased-were-alive/" target="_blank">a bell was tucked in with the deceased</a>, in case….</div><div>well, you know…someone didn’t</div><div>notice they weren’t really dead,</div><div>weren’t really lost—</div><div><br /></div><div><i>are we?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I walk back to the carillon,</div><div>to what we command,</div><div>(by Senate Concurrent Resolution 25)</div><div>to be sounded with song every July Fourth,</div><div>at two in the afternoon.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve never noticed it, you know—</div><div>not the *carillonist (chosen</div><div>by the Architect of the Capitol)</div><div>issuing forth his yearly Anthem,</div><div>his America the Beautiful—</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>wasn't she?</i></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div>only</div><div>the hourly strike,</div><div>the daily clamor,</div><div>the steady keeping of time—</div><div>and not even that, if my mind</div><div>is elsewhere—</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span> </span><span> </span><span> ----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>*<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon#Performances" target="_blank">Carillonist is the gender-neutral term. The current player is male, so he can be called a carillonneur. </a></span></div><div>I'm guessing he gets into the tower by this official looking back door: </div><div><span><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon#Performances" target="_blank"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigOJHIwYLsrmQ9PttfXhJD3ubsMksyjHyRv_NEHrlZROyMFsOcMEhtP3D0rsqT5AOyP1pf_xu3fxhZyng04BwG_ZrdS3wTOMVMGwQWJvX4XY0afgHb_vzpHhzcEuVPlgEG38ryvJMIOi-L44HgzcdRMaFSen5zBF0x4d9Oc3YMY5-K2z7KJDKa38ji-g=w300-h400" width="300" /></span></div></a></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>My poetry sisters are posting about bells here:</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><a href="https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2021/12/poetry-sisters-write-about-bells.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></span></div><div><span><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2021/12/31/poetry-friday-bells/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></span></div><div><span>Liz</span></div><div><span><a href="https://www.laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/bell-song-poetry-friday/" target="_blank">Laura</a></span></div><div><span><a href="http://kellyramsdell.com/blog/2021/12/31/bells-are-ringing-a-poetry-friday-post" target="_blank">Kelly</a></span></div><div><span>Andi</span></div><div><span><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=11959" target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>If you’d like to write to our theme for next month, we are going with “poetry inspired by something overheard.” Our friend Susan Thomsen at Chicken Spaghetti has done several of these as a form of “found poem,” and it seemed like a fun challenge. <a href="https://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/2021/07/a-found-poem-for-poetry-friday.html" target="_blank">Here's a link to one of Susan’s poems</a>.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Poetry Friday is hosted today at <a href="http://carolwscorner.blogspot.com/2021/12/poetry-friday-is-here.html" target="_blank">Carol's Corner</a>. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-53887403045059883372021-11-26T06:00:00.044-05:002021-11-26T16:18:51.875-05:00Poetry Friday: An Ode to Making Caramels<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCuc13ALu6POU-r33a8QiVkoLIgssokf9iwwqEn6NwPsDKAaagVM-87cqetfvIPv8T4YnsRRQw4z-CkcZC99neAyu-zhIa9S8iGiwXAwbUOgfNJY7hanPns4RZB3vJC4yuzE6OQCY83Or/s4032/2863D2E3-90B2-4C33-870E-9C0088DDC484_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCuc13ALu6POU-r33a8QiVkoLIgssokf9iwwqEn6NwPsDKAaagVM-87cqetfvIPv8T4YnsRRQw4z-CkcZC99neAyu-zhIa9S8iGiwXAwbUOgfNJY7hanPns4RZB3vJC4yuzE6OQCY83Or/w480-h640/2863D2E3-90B2-4C33-870E-9C0088DDC484_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salted Caramels<br />from America's Test Kitchen's <br />"Made From Scratch"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>November's challenge was to write an ode to some aspect of Autumn, and to try (emphasis on TRY) to avoid praising only the usual suspects. I'm not sure if caramel qualifies (at least it's not pumpkin spice) but when <a href="https://www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-an-ode-poem-learn-about-the-3-different-types" target="_blank">I read up on odes,</a> I learned that they not only can praise a person or thing, but also an event. So, this is my ode to making caramels (and other lovely things.) Recipe follows. </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>Ode to making caramels</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div>I only make caramels</div><div>with my daughter, a scientist versed</div><div>in the precise ways of heat and time;</div><div>an Autumn queen, blistering sugar</div><div>to brown gold; regulating—</div><div><br /></div><div>without mercy— the length of summer’s heat;</div><div>quelling with a swirl of wooden spoon </div><div>the angry sputtering; one eye </div><div>on the thermometer, raising the heat again—</div><div>false summer, dog days, before</div><div><br /></div><div>she commands a river of salted cream</div><div>to foam the pot; now all is downward </div><div>warmth until she sluices desiccated sunlight</div><div>into a leaf-thin parchment sling tucked </div><div>into the waiting pan; later, she will score </div><div><br /></div><div>the stiffened caramels into perfect cubes; </div><div>equinox at last. I wrap each one</div><div>in tender scraps of waxed brown paper; </div><div>I pinch and twirl and seal. I’m grateful </div><div>to be her sous-chef, her apprentice, </div><div><br /></div><div>her lab assistant. She's unaware—</div><div>I think—of the miracle she wrought, </div><div>it’s only the removal of water from sugar,</div><div>this caramelization; only waiting, </div><div>only creating goodness </div><div><br /></div><div>slowly precisely perfectly. And even</div><div>as the baby kicks inside her, </div><div>even as we eat, unwrapping </div><div>what I just wrapped, no number</div><div>binds the miracles she has yet to do.</div></div><div><br /></div><div> ------Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EBtjVUB5vYWApUA2pOqeqwBYKcaLkssw8icBT2Cc5FD_7N7d4wU6vNzTGnPwAXpB2qVW4n1Z8NeJhvx2Gm90DJ0RdK5Lawm5cQbW9Is_hwZt2labOezeJlYkNAE04adbqsRMjXDM9Ui_/s3119/0783275E-DDA2-47DA-881F-2C1FC4131AA7_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3119" data-original-width="2722" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EBtjVUB5vYWApUA2pOqeqwBYKcaLkssw8icBT2Cc5FD_7N7d4wU6vNzTGnPwAXpB2qVW4n1Z8NeJhvx2Gm90DJ0RdK5Lawm5cQbW9Is_hwZt2labOezeJlYkNAE04adbqsRMjXDM9Ui_/w349-h400/0783275E-DDA2-47DA-881F-2C1FC4131AA7_1_201_a.jpeg" width="349" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salted Caramels<br />from America's Test Kitchen</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My poetry sisters have made some lovely odes to other aspects of Autumn. Find them all here:</div><div><br /></div><div>Liz</div><div><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=11918" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div><a href=" https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2021/11/poetry-sisters-write-odes-to-autumn.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div>Kelly</div><div><a href="https://www.laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/ode-to-bare-branches-poetry-princesses-poetry-friday/" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2021/11/26/poetry-friday-ode-to-autumn/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div>Andi</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="http://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2021/11/poetry-friday-gratiku-day-twenty-six.html" target="_blank">Ruth at thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-40258559700333766892021-10-29T06:00:00.101-04:002021-10-30T08:09:13.162-04:00Poetry Friday: Word Play Poems<p style="text-align: left;">October's challenge was inspired by Nikki Grimes' invitation to create word play poems. And by that, she means:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>"studying a word from top to bottom, and inside out, considering every aspect of the word: What it looks like, sounds like, feels like. What it does, how it's used, etc. The idea is to bring all of your senses into the act." </blockquote><p>I love word play, so this challenge wasn't intimidating for me. The only truly hard part was picking a word, because there are so many wonderful ones (just look at this wall from Planet Word!) </p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPyQJ5W-jX6s5Znb3Wu4DLHoFOEvr1NB8ynNDCFuTSbNwVwGu26CWXgbVDZFXGQSefFUs18grWC-soaMWL40U2qVw7zvW7v57EqgZpJ8JuPHrxq46Qq89fs_Cj4GN-V57w96-xHHhvlSk/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPyQJ5W-jX6s5Znb3Wu4DLHoFOEvr1NB8ynNDCFuTSbNwVwGu26CWXgbVDZFXGQSefFUs18grWC-soaMWL40U2qVw7zvW7v57EqgZpJ8JuPHrxq46Qq89fs_Cj4GN-V57w96-xHHhvlSk/w300-h400/63485CF5-DA08-4575-841A-A79DB9ABFE4F_1_105_c.jpeg" title="At Planet Word, Washington DC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://planetwordmuseum.org/" target="_blank">At Planet Word,<br />a great new museum<br /> for word play in Washington, DC</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In the end, Laura saved me by rolling her metaphor dice during our Zoom writing session and gifting me with three choices. I recommend the same, if you have such dice, or pointing to a page in a book, or having someone else give you words. (Or visit the Planet Word wall!) </p><p>The idea is to look at the word in a deeper way, so beginning with a word you're not overly invested in helps. So does Nikki's instruction to write a full paragraph (or two or three) about the word before you start to compose a poem. If you'd like to see the free-write paragraph about my word, it's posted at the end. And <a href="https://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2015/05/spotlight-on-nikki-grimes-dmc-challenge.html" target="_blank">Michelle Barnes has a lovely post about Nikki and word play poems here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Memory</i></p><div style="text-align: left;">Memory is<br />a melodic word,<br />a murmur of stream word,<br />waiting to be fished.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />Memory is <br />a secret door word,<br />a round hobbit hole word,<br />a peephole to the past.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Memory is<br />a tell me mmmmore word,<br />a long-tailed word, <br />ending with a squeal. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Memory is a loaded word,<br />a step carefully word,<br />a word you might have to<br />make yourself forget.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My fellow poets' word play poems are found here:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href=" https://ayearofreading.org/2021/10/28/poetry-friday-word-play/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2021/10/poetry-project-october-2021/" target="_blank">Liz</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/sheep-is-a-solid-word-poetry-friday/" target="_blank">Laura</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=11747" target="_blank">Tanita</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href=" https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2021/10/poetry-sisters-write-wordplay-poems.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://kellyramsdell.com/blog/2021/10/28/clock-is-a-tick-tock-worda-poetry-friday-post" target="_blank">Kelly</a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2021/10/word-play-poems-with-poetry-sisters.html" target="_blank">Andi</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by Linda at <a href="https://www.teacherdance.org/2021/10/poetry-friday-costumes-welcome.html" target="_blank">TeacherDance</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My free write paragraph is below. I find it funny that my line lengths grew as I dove deeper into the word. You can see that I pulled images and lines from my free-write, and then re-ordered and refined them to make a poem. The free-write was done on one afternoon, the poem creation on another. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Memory is a word</div><div>with a long tail. But it starts with a</div><div>mmmmmmm of pleasure…or is that just</div><div>the sound you make when you think? </div><div>There’s a more in the middle, as in:</div><div>more, tell me more! Meme means the same</div><div>or even in French….meme pas is not even </div><div>la meme chose is one of the few phrases I remember from</div><div>high school French. Three syllables, Mem-or-y…</div><div>That “o” is like door in the word, like a hobbit door,</div><div>inviting you to peep through, to see what you can find.</div><div>OR…yes, the word also has Or in it…you can remember me OR</div><div>you can forget. Or is it more like ore….something to dig for, something of value,</div><div>but something that needs refining? We dig for memories, we “treasure” them…</div><div>we “value” them. Memorial service. Remember. Memorandum. Memo.</div><div>Memento. Memory is melodic, a word without harsh sounds….</div><div>everything is hushed, soft, almost like fog or soft water bubbling in a stream...</div><div>a stream of memories, waiting to be fished. Mnemonic? Something to help you remember…</div><div>How funny there are so many meds/illegal things to help you forget but not many</div><div>to help you remember. If you could remember ONE memory, what would it be? How would it change you? Would it be better to let it swim in the stream, uncaught? Memories can be sorted by “bad” or “good” but is that just how we label them? Even good memories can be sad, or remind us of what we don’t have now. And bad memories are still ones that we survived. That long tail of the “y” is also a long tail of a sound at the end…..eeeeeeeee, going on and on and fading into the quiet, But…eeeeeee also makes your mouth smile…. or squeal???</div></div>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-59503759181526763092021-09-24T06:00:00.051-04:002021-09-26T08:57:50.893-04:00Poetry Friday: Tankas in Conversation<p><span style="font-size: medium;">September's challenge was nothing much: simply peruse years of my dear poetry sisters' archives and write a tanka in response to one of them. (Tanka = a haiku with two added seven syllable lines. <a href="https://kellyrfineman.livejournal.com/877293.html" target="_blank">See Kelly's informative posts for a deeper explanation.</a>) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Well. That went as well as you'd expect. I flailed in a sea of gorgeous choices. I mired in indecision. I gave up on equity and justice and fairness to all my sisters, and picked two poems. One because I'd missed commenting on it the first time it was posted (sorry, Liz!) and the other because she wrote of sunrises and birds (thanks, Laura!) and I'd just come from Kiawah Island, where I'd also communed with both. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">First, here is Laura's #poemsketch. I adore her easy way with lines (both drawn and written) and her knack for evocative detail. </span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fw81PkNVb-lsvVhoXKSNSFS0R3bi7iGs50s26z6TUpzE12P5JUYcuFWjw7HE8zG_rorSFzMeo6kTFPMUD_SOaLdxR0azwua6Vf4X8ZEAg5TeaUPYRD6OQYZcGGDmSdd34am6Cj5BxWl_/s700/Laura%2527sEgretPoem.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fw81PkNVb-lsvVhoXKSNSFS0R3bi7iGs50s26z6TUpzE12P5JUYcuFWjw7HE8zG_rorSFzMeo6kTFPMUD_SOaLdxR0azwua6Vf4X8ZEAg5TeaUPYRD6OQYZcGGDmSdd34am6Cj5BxWl_/w400-h400/Laura%2527sEgretPoem.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And here is my tanka in response:</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMbemCf9xBRmCED4xqJ-rRK7oZzgzVPnqfw5xK0Vczr7XRf382VQp_IyKPIWs0GIqzqrHXhVbGuvVcT0FJv5zPL-mjT9oSxnviuWanV4QGkEVciWxepQgJt2wY_UhYdtIOHA7ymvk1kZZ/s1157/5BFC6062-DBEA-40FF-AFA5-E7F8F66927FB_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="868" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMbemCf9xBRmCED4xqJ-rRK7oZzgzVPnqfw5xK0Vczr7XRf382VQp_IyKPIWs0GIqzqrHXhVbGuvVcT0FJv5zPL-mjT9oSxnviuWanV4QGkEVciWxepQgJt2wY_UhYdtIOHA7ymvk1kZZ/w480-h640/5BFC6062-DBEA-40FF-AFA5-E7F8F66927FB_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Next, a stunning poem from Liz. She wrote it in response to our challenge to write about "Ponderous, or based on an image of a hippo; written in any form"---a challenge I LOVED, by the way, but somehow, I failed to comment upon <a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2020/09/poetry-project-september-2020/" target="_blank">Liz's killer poem</a> when she posted it back in September of last year. Here's a taste:</span></p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Stones in the River</i></span></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">When she was seven</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">and everyone had</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">make-believe friends</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">and make believe families</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">and make believe long hair,</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">my sister had hippos,</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">two make-believe hippos,</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p> (<a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2020/09/poetry-project-september-2020/" target="_blank">go read the rest here. You really don't want to miss it.</a>) </p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And my tanka, in conversation: </span></p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What a poet wants</i></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">what all of us want:</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">salt, honey, territory</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">a push upwards, grace </span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">seven ways to carve rivers</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">names for the things that surface</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span>----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My poetry sisters' tanka can be found here:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2021/09/poetry-project-september-2021/" target="_blank">Liz</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=11680" target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2021/09/23/poetry-friday-conversations/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href=" https://wp.me/p6Bicx-8uv" target="_blank">Laura</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href=" https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2021/09/poetry-sisters-write-tanka.html" target="_blank">Tricia</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2021/09/tanka-answers-poetry-sisters.html" target="_blank">Andi</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.kellyramsdell.com/blog/2021/9/25/cocoonedan-original-tanka" target="_blank">Kelly</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Poetry Friday is hosted today by our own <a href=" https://wp.me/p6Bicx-8uv" target="_blank">Laura Purdie Salas</a>. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-824466663015731028.post-46018943842870037622021-08-27T06:00:00.152-04:002021-08-27T16:21:06.931-04:00Poetry Friday: Deeper Wisdom Poems<p>August's poetry challenge is so simple that it beckons you to come play: Write a poem in the style of <a href="https://mailchi.mp/70b9c3deef0f/jane-yolen-poem-a-day-for-april-25-682402?e=7f0bf5eeae" target="_blank">Jane Yolen's What the Bear Knows.</a> </p><p>If you click on the link, you'll see that Jane's poem is direct and profound. It features short lines that rhyme, every other one. Lovely. </p><p>Alternatively, <a href="https://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2015/01/spotlight-on-joyce-sidman-dmc-challenge.html" target="_blank">Joyce Sidman offers us another model</a> for this kind of poem. In hers, she asks: What Does the _______ Know? before each of two stanzas, answering the question in three rhyming lines. She calls these Deeper Wisdom poems. </p><p>I decided to try both models, and opted out of rhyme for the first one. Each is based on my experience last weekend helping a refugee family who had fled with nothing but each other. Our group offered them what we had brought by U-Haul, SUV, and small cars: a sturdy brown couch, Disney-themed sheets for the three girls, a first-aid kit, trash cans, a laptop, kitchen chairs, a roasting pan, Tupperware, cell phones, a tool kit, and much more. One woman brought a child-sized umbrella, which the littlest girl popped over her head immediately, making us all smile. Another woman brought orange roses. And why not?</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarA3SSuVXeCvw7ZDqQBDZWPRqw-lguqqXnhW9f-lvG36wjnZ7kmLKEatXXmZ9cSDVdf4kNZCp6IT4Ls_LvXCkkKJvQprTFUQXnu320HAeAQGHYDTEQJ2y2MZxj_ZldzUVyhLRlfz-wGA4/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarA3SSuVXeCvw7ZDqQBDZWPRqw-lguqqXnhW9f-lvG36wjnZ7kmLKEatXXmZ9cSDVdf4kNZCp6IT4Ls_LvXCkkKJvQprTFUQXnu320HAeAQGHYDTEQJ2y2MZxj_ZldzUVyhLRlfz-wGA4/w240-h320/D99D31E3-0470-47FE-84B0-745664FD99B2_1_105_c.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>What do orange roses know?</i></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i> <span> </span></i>Not everything needs assembly. </div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div> <span> </span>Roses aren't just for lovers.</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div> <span> </span>A bloom is a seed, shared. </div></div></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>What do orange roses know? </i></div><div><i> <span> </span></i>Saying tangerine makes you smile. </div><div> <span> </span>A stem is sturdiest near the thorns.</div><div> <span> </span>Flames of friendship start small<i>.</i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved) </div><p><span><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8C_vH2lheAkiOQRFJuubJgU98VHy65omVAiZa648CT1hXxSMPnOy7OkKxKNAdCbHqx74dux4s9j28nJb7ZyNJO6T7H9aMiwhYK_im6rvLTirqILHkArycH6cl3jvqNaPP9fLifCWK50To/s4032/126E87B2-3C19-4F34-946B-D44A290D68D6.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8C_vH2lheAkiOQRFJuubJgU98VHy65omVAiZa648CT1hXxSMPnOy7OkKxKNAdCbHqx74dux4s9j28nJb7ZyNJO6T7H9aMiwhYK_im6rvLTirqILHkArycH6cl3jvqNaPP9fLifCWK50To/w320-h240/126E87B2-3C19-4F34-946B-D44A290D68D6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My own daughter, long ago, with her umbrella</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><u>What the Umbrella Knows </u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can’t stop the rain.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Open gifts now.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Nothing falls in vain.</div><div style="text-align: left;">The world needs little yellow ducks,</div><div style="text-align: left;">brave in a hurricane.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> -</span>--Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>If you have interest in sponsoring a family, <a href="https://lssnca.org/take_action/afghan-allies.html" target="_blank">Lutheran Family Services</a> offers support, as well as many other organizations. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>My sister poets are having fun with this form, too:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://lizgartonscanlon.com/2021/08/poetry-project-august-2021/" target="_blank">Liz</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Andi</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://www.kellyramsdell.com/blog/2021/8/27/what-do-i-know" target="_blank">Kelly</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=11616" target="_blank">Tanita</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://ayearofreading.org/2021/08/26/poetry-friday----what-do-you-know/" target="_blank">Mary Lee</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Laura</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tricia</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><i>P.S. If you'd like to play along for September's challenge, here it is: </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><i>Choose a poem by someone in the Poetry Friday universe and write a tanka in response or inspired by or in conversation with that poem. Kelly offers a great introduction to the tanka<a href="https://kellyrfineman.livejournal.com/876699.html" target="_blank"> here. </a></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Poetry Friday is hosted today by <a href="https://unexpectedintersections.blogspot.com/2021/08/poetry-friday-welcome-to-party.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth at Unexpected Intersections. </a></span></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12225998457253574928noreply@blogger.com13