This week, I received a digital ARC of Irene Latham's September book, This Poem is a Nest.
At first, all I could say was, WOW. Over and over again. Wow. Wow. WOW. I said it to the publicist at Wordsong, and then I said it to Irene. She responded, "No project I’ve worked on has been more exhilarating than that one. Just me being me."
Irene being Irene means she wrote a poem...a "nest"....and then found ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE other poems..."nestling poems"....inside that "nest!" I. Can't. Even. I'm still gobsmacked.
Here is a portion of her nest, and a few of the nestlings she wrote. These are used with permission of the publisher.
I gave it a try using a poem I wrote for my 2020 NPM project as my nest.
I Have a New Friend
I have a new friend.
We've never met.
She chalks art and exercise challenges on the sidewalk.
She leaves the chalk out.
I write and draw my thanks.
Her chalk sticks became a pile of chalk pebbles.
I left a package on her porch --
Highlights magazines and gently used sidewalk chalk.
She left a package on my porch --
coloring pages, crayons and markers, four Cra-Z-Loom bracelets.
And a note.
I have a new friend named Annie.
We've never met.
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2020
Here are some nestlings. Titles don't have to be found inside the nest, but the words of the nestling have to all come from the nest and have to be used in the order they're found in the nest.
Art Exercise
Draw a porch
a package
a note
a new friend.
My Favorite Squirrel Leaves a Message
Pile of pebbles on porch and sidewalk.
A note:
we've met.
Setting Sun
On the leaves,
the sticks,
a pile of pebbles--
highlights.
Try it! It's addicting and not at all easy. But most of all, get excited for September when we can hold a copy of Irene's newest wonder in our hands!
Carol has this week's Poetry Friday Roundup at Beyond LiteracyLink, and next week, the roundup is here!
Carol has this week's Poetry Friday Roundup at Beyond LiteracyLink, and next week, the roundup is here!
