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Friday, January 09, 2015

Poetry Friday -- Surprises



AUDUBON METRO PARK

The sun -- a low-hanging smudge.
The pond -- a layer of ice over mud.

A movement under the ice -- a darker oval.
A late afternoon surprise -- a winter turtle.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015



Last Friday, we had the surprise of discovering a new metro part that's right inside the city, just south of downtown -- Scioto Audubon Metro Park. We were also surprised by this turtle sighting. I'm sure s/he is buried deep in the mud this week!

Friday kind of snuck up and surprised me this week, too. It's been an odd first week back, with school every other day M, W, F. Hard to get routines reestablished (in the classroom OR in my personal life)! Having four day weeks next week (PD day) and the next (MLKing Day) won't help either. Oh, well. Gotta do the best with what you've got, right?

Tabatha has the Poetry Friday roundup at The Opposite of Indifference today.


24 comments:

  1. Mary Lee, how splendid that you offered this poem and photo for the Winter Whisperings Gallery. Right on time! Thank you for the poem that packs a punch in the end. I never saw a turtle swimming around in winter. Makes me wonder. Will you show your students this poem? If so, maybe one of them will have a winter whispering also.

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  2. A winter turtle! A wonderful surprise, indeed. (I also love your smudge-sun.) Thank you! xo

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  3. Anonymous10:21 AM

    Hello to you all, and hello to the turtle! :)

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  4. Cute poem and a nice surprise for you! Happy New Year :).

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  5. I love that sun as a smudge, Mary Lee. Such an unexpected description!

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  6. I found having school every day + parent conferences the first week back a killer. Who cares about routines when you're so tired? I still need to write my post.
    Love the serendipitous park. I also loved the sun is a smudge. Sure wish we could see more it. Even in the south, it's cold!

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  7. Lucky you for spotting a winter turtle (and a new place to enjoy the outdoors!) Love the low-hanging smudge--that's such a good description of winter sun.

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  8. Wonderful wintery surprise, Mary Lee! Great words in your poem - "smudge" and "oval". Happy New Year! =)

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  9. Yes - a poem full of surprises, to match your less-than-perfectly-smooth re-entry into routine. (I've been yearning to get back into a rut, too! Though seeing family was wonderful.)

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  10. Oh, I love the stillness of this, and the quiet surprise.

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  11. Anonymous9:24 PM

    How wonderful that you were able to surprise and delight us in just four lines of a seemingly sparse scene!

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  12. Mary, so beautiful. Your poetic descriptions are just so fun to read, Mary. The sun as a smudge is just beyond fantastic. Thanks for the welcome today. :-)

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  13. I like the "darker oval" description. There's something distant and mysterious about it. I spend a lot of time walking around ponds with my dog but am sorry to say that I have yet to see a winter turtle!

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  14. Anonymous8:08 AM

    I love these unexpected moments of discovery, and the poem you wrote about your surprise turtle sighting. What a brave creature! Thanks for sharing!

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  15. I love how there is so much imagery in four lines along with the element of surprise. Serendipitous moments like that are always so inspiring. Thank you for sharing yours.

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  16. Love the 'winter turtle/darker oval' Mary Lee, and the way it sounds. What a crazy week you must have had. Getting started is not easy after vacation, and to break it up like that-whew! Hope the weather eases!

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  17. My daughter has been having the same problem with school this week. Two days school, half-day Wed. for PD, Thurs. off due to extreme cold, Fri. school, then the weekend. We wonder how any kid can learn!

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  18. Anonymous1:05 PM

    Love "a low-hanging smudge". That's a great description! And "Yay" for your turtle sighting.

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  19. LOVE the smudge. And what a fun surprise!

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  20. Thank you, Mary Lee. Love the quiet and the muted word-colors, all indicative of open eyes, an open heart, and one little word: notice.

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  21. Lovely structure here and beautiful endsounds. Looks like NOTICE is in full swing!

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  22. Turtles are a wonderful surprise, and I'm glad this one decided to be noticed by you. What a treasure to find close by!

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  23. Winter turtle - does sound like a beautiful surprise - loved the image you shared here too.

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  24. I love your surprising turtle!

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