The Poetry Friday Roundup is HERE!

 

Welcome to the first Friday of National Poetry Month! Susan has the Poetry Month Project Roundup for lots of Poetry Friday bloggers' projects. Today we'll get to see your work in progress!

The 2021 Progressive Poem is off to a great start! Follow its progress through the blogs at this post from Margaret.

And as for me? This year, all I can manage is a haiku a day. I briefly thought about skipping a year, but that didn't last. How could I NOT write a poem a day in April?!?!

Here are my poems from April 1 and April 2.

Now, on to the roundup!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Poetry Friday -- Roundup and D-39 Cover Reveal

Novelist and poet Irene Latham has never shied away from hard topics. With Charles Waters, she has tackled race and racism head on (pun intended), and given readers definitions that will pave the way into a brighter future. She has introduced us to heroic characters who lived through difficult times in the past.

And now she's turning her attention to the future.

Arriving in bookstores on May 18, 2021 is D-39: A Robodog's Journey (Charlesbridge). This middle grade dystopian future verse novel is told in tidy rectangular prose poems that are strung together like beads, with the last word or phrase of one becoming the title of the next. The language is rich and innovative, with a glossary full of newly-minted compound words.

For a taste of the look and sound of the poems, here is the very first poem in the book, to whet your appetite:

And yes, you read that description of the book correctly: D-39: A Robodog's Journey is a middle grade dystopian future verse novel.

I asked Irene why she chose to write a dystopian novel for middle grade readers: 

"When circumstances are dire, all the stuff that doesn't matter kind of falls away, and you discover what's most important to you— and maybe even who you really are. As a reader and as a writer, I enjoy exploring that white-hot space."

Although D-39 is a dystopian future novel based loosely on the timeline of diminishing freedoms the Syrians experienced during the Syrian War, it is primarily the story of a child and a dog, a journey, family relationships, home, heroism, and self-determination.

Irene knows the love of a dog. Her Rosie, a 2 year-old Australian shepherd, loves socks as much as D-39 loves gloves.

The landscape of D-39 is similar to that of North Dakota. Here's Irene on a research trip for the book:

Jamie Green is the artist who created the cover for D-39. Jamie is an illustrator/curious person based in Greenville, SC and recent graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design. When they aren't working they can be found climbing rocks, venturing through the woods or scouring the ground for mushrooms to study and catalogue.

This is what they had to say about creating the cover image for D-39:

As an artist, or in this case I will say "visual communicator," it is something special when you read through the manuscript and have the desire to do fanart of the characters. That's essentially what creating the cover for D-39 felt like to me. I was taking the Klynt and D-39 that I had been imagining in this cluttered shed and presenting them outward--how fun for me! My goal was to portray a sense of connection and determination in our main duo, while engulfed in a smattering of items that are seen in their journey together.

And now...

Drumroll...

Here is the cover reveal of D-39: A Robodog's Journey

Join me in congratulating Irene on this newest amazing project! If you'd like to read a galley of the book, contact her at Irene@IreneLatham.com with your request.

And now, on to the Poetry Friday Roundup! Let's see what other wonders the Poetry Friday community has to share today! Leave your link with Mr. Linky.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

While we're on the subject of the roundup, we're gathering roundup hosts for January-June 2020. Check out the calendar and pick your date here.

Happy Poetry! Happy Friday!

The Poetry Friday Roundup is Here!

Gene Luen Yang was the National Ambassador of Young People's Literature way back in 2016, but his "Reading Without Walls Challenge" is as important as ever. He challenged readers to 

1. Read a book about a character who doesn’t look like you or live like you.

2. Read a book about a topic you don’t know much about.

3. Read a book in a format that you don’t normally read for fun. This might be a chapter book, a graphic novel, a book in verse, a picture book, or a hybrid book.

I spent this morning Reading Without Walls while learning about the poet Marilyn Chin. She doesn't look like me or live like me, and I was not familiar with her poetry. I "read" in a format I don't normally "read" for fun: I watched an hour-long video! The Library of Congress "Life of a Poet" session featuring Marilyn Chin being interviewed by Ron Charles of the Washington Post is worth every minute. 

Marilyn Chin identifies as a activist poet, exploring the issues of the day as well as the intersection of Asian and American worlds through her roots in Hong Kong (she lived there until the age of 7) and Portland, Oregon. The themes/topics of language (loss of language, loss of culture, loss of ancestors), names, identity, culture, and feminism shine through as you watch the "Life of a Poet" session. Plus, she's witty, sarcastic, and quick to laugh!

Here are a couple of Marilyn Chin's poems you should know (if you don't already):

How I Got That Name

by Marilyn Chin

an essay on assimilation

I am Marilyn Mei Ling Chin 

Oh, how I love the resoluteness 

of that first person singular 

followed by that stalwart indicative 

of "be," without the uncertain i-n-g 

of "becoming." Of course, 

the name had been changed 

somewhere between Angel Island and the sea, 

when my father the paperson 

in the late 1950s 

obsessed with a bombshell blond 

transliterated "Mei Ling" to "Marilyn."

(read the rest at poets.org)

The Floral Apron

by Marilyn Chin

The woman wore a floral apron around her neck,
that woman from my mother’s village
with a sharp cleaver in her hand.
She said, “What shall we cook tonight?
Perhaps these six tiny squid
lined up so perfectly on the block?”

(read the rest at poets.org)

In her career as a poet, Marilyn Chin has won just about every award, but the one that impresses me most is the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, which she was awarded in 2015. Am I the last person on the planet to have heard of this award? It is the national prize for literature that confronts racism and examines diversity. Why is this not the most celebrated book award in the nation? Why is there not a version for children's literature?

So...what inspired me to learn about Marilyn Chin today? NCTE is offering a webinar conversation with Marilyn Chin, in conjunction with the Library of Congress, and I get to be the member who facilitates this conversation! The event is open to both members and nonmembers of NCTE, so sign up and join us on June 11!

Now let's hear what you're thinking and learning about! Share your link in the comments and I'll round us up old-school!

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HAPPY POETRY FRIDAY BIRTHDAY!

Stop over and wish Michelle Kogan a Happy Birthday!

POEMS OF PRESENCE

Michelle has the Poems of Presence Wrap Up Celebration at Today's Little Ditty.

Molly shares another week of poems of presence, some paired with photos at Nix the Comfort Zone.

Linda's poems of presence have given her some "at-ease" time this month. Find a few recent poems at A Word Edgewise.

Christie, at Wondering and Wandering, rounds up her #poemsofpresence for the week.

POETRY SISTERS

The Poetry Sisters are looking back, and Tricia, at The Miss Rumphius Effect, has an EPIC look-back at a crown sonnet that didn't happen. Spoiler alert -- there's a happy ending to the story.

Sara, at Read Write Think, gave herself multiple throwback challenges with a new numeric poem to pair with an older alphabetic poem. The final result is a stunner with Big Truth in the conclusion.

Tanita, at [fiction, instead of lies], revisits the lai form from the Poetry Sisters’ 2017 challenge.

Poetry Princess Laura, at Poems for Teachers, found a poem inside one of her previous poems that sends positive vibes to her sister on a ventilator in ICU.

Liz, at Liz Garton Scanlon, wrote the pantoum she didn’t write in 2018.

Rebecca, at Rebecca Holmes, looks back to the moment she knew she'd be a scientist, but still didn't know she'd be the physicist she is today.

POEMS FOR THESE TIMES

Ruth, at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town, shares Langston Hughes’ “Let America Be America Again,” a poem that is as true today as it was when it was published in 1936.

Jone, at Deo Writer, finds her thoughts about the current news continuing to churn, even when she seeks solace in nature.

Jama, at Jama’s Alphabet Soup, has two poems and a gallery of portraits honoring our elderly.

Alan, at Poetry Pizazz, is on the same wavelength as Hubby – missing his coffee shop, but adapting/flourishing at home.

Joyce, at Musings, shares a poem by Emily Dickinson that reminds us we don’t need to be in a building to worship.

Janice, at Salt City Verse, speaks out against the death of George Floyd, but finds solace, optimism, and symbolism in her garden.

Catherine, at Reading to the Core, found the perfect poem to inspire her online learners.

MSheehan, at A Few Words, wrote an inspirational poem of personal conviction based on recent events.

Linda, at TeacherDance, took April’s challenge last week at Teaching Authors and wrote an In One Word poem that knocks it out of the ballpark.

Margaret, at Reflections on the Teche, also took April’s challenge and wrote an In One Word poem that takes shelter in an EMBRACE.

ORIGINAL POEMS

Liz, at Liz Steinglass, wrote from Marjory Maddox’s book INSIDE OUT.

Heidi, at my juicy little universe, was inspired by Billy Collins’ Master Class.

Linda, at Write Time, has a poem about the robins outside her window.

Amy LV, at The Poem Farm, has a delightful free verse poem and offers us the invitation, “to begin a poem with the lines, "If you need someone..."

Leigh Anne, at A Day in the Life, wrote about her mother’s struggle with early dementia.

Tim, at Yet There is Method, is in with a poem about intention and roots. 

Rose, at Imagine the Possibilities, captured (literally) a very sweet moment with a wren.

Bridget, at Wee Words for Wee Ones, has a puppy poem (and pictures), plus some more Wee-sources.

Karen, at Karen’s Got a Blog!, is enjoying her garden extra-much this year.

Amy, at Book Buzz, shares a poetic memory of her grandmother’s teacups.

Carol, at Beyond LiteracyLink, has a mini-gallery of woodside goodness for calming our spirits today.

Matt, at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme, dusts off a post from seven years ago that feels as fresh as yesterday!

Sally, at Sally Murphy, is mourning the damage done to “her” beach after recent storms…but she’s also looking for a silver lining.

Buffy, at Buffy Silverman, intended to write a poem of NOW, but wound up with a beautiful poem of THEN.

Irene, at Live Your Poem, writes the truth in her newest ArtSpeak: RED poem.

Susan, at Soul Blossom Living, found inspiration for both art and poetry in the bunnies she encountered on the sidewalk.

Donna, at Mainely Write, checks in with a poem of struggle and hope.

POEMS BY OTHERS

Tabatha, at The Opposite of Indifference, shares a poem by the Australian poet Judith Wright that makes a very reasonable request of This Year.

Little Willow, at Slayground, shares a fun excerpt of a Marge Piercy poem.

Poetry Friday Roundup is HERE! -- Celebrating Naomi Shihab Nye

If you haven't seen Colby Sharp's "Awesometastic" Creativity Project, I'll give you a minute to explore it a bit.

Besides the fun of reading how some of your favorite children's authors responded to prompts, there is the fun of the prompts some of your favorite children's authors offered up, plus a bonus prompt from each of the authors from which you can choose to make whatever you want.

On this Naomi Shihab Nye themed Poetry Friday (don't thank me, I'm just the roundup collector...this week's theme is the brainchild of Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference!) , I thought it would be fun to play a bit with her prompts from The Creativity Project.

This prompt, "Write a dialogue poem--a back-and-forth between human and something or things not human," is one from which I didn't manage a shareable draft. In the book, Kat Yeh writes from this prompt.

This bonus prompt really got me thinking: "Write a list of ten things you are NOT (not an astronaut, a perfectionist, a wool spinner, a butterfly, a name-caller). Then pick your favorite lines and develop, or embellish, them, adding metaphors, more description, whatever you like." Here's my draft:

I AM NOT

I am not a meticulous housekeeper.

I aim for clean enough.

The clutter and dust

rest on the surface of a love that runs deeper.

Similarly, I am not a master gardener.

I keep ahead of the weeds, mostly,

planting to encourage butterflies and bees.

They, I believe, are the most important harvesters.

Perhaps, then, you will be surprised

that I iron sheets

and follow recipes.

I choose when and when not to improvise.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

You'll have to get a copy of the book to see how Naomi Shihab Nye responded to Tracey Babtiste's prompt, but her poem "Missing It" was featured on The Writer's Almanac this past Tuesday. (I'm so glad The Writer's Almanac is back!!)

Now, off you go to see what everyone else around the Poetry Friday corner of the Kidlitosphere has created for this week, whether inspired by Naomi Shihab Nye, or otherwise! Drop your link in the comments and I'll roundup old-school. (I've had news from two bloggers who weren't able to leave comments...not sure why, but if that happens to you, send your link to marylee dot hahn at gmail.)

Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference has a request:

"Send me links to your posts if they are poems about/to/inspired by Naomi Shihab Nye!"

Here's the post that I will be adding them to:
https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2019/05/poems-about-poets.html

* * * * * * *

Ruth (at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town) is first in with a rich Naomi Shihab Nye post! She's got links to the announcement of NSN's appointment as the new Young People's Poet Laureate, links to other NSN posts on her blog, and a gorgeous photo + ode.

Linda (at TeacherDance) shares how Naomi Shihab Nye's poetry made a difference in the lives of the gifted students she taught. The poem she shares is one that can be used as a mentor text when writing personal oral histories and about "discoveries of new lives different from theirs." 

Irene (at Live Your Poem) sparked my interest in THE CREATIVITY PROJECT with this post, in which she also responded to this "I Am Not" prompt from NSN.  

For today's post, Irene shares three favorites from NSN's book THIS SAME SKY, and because she has an extra copy, there's also a give-away!

Linda (at A Word Edgewise) created a brilliant poem out of found words and phrases in NSN interviews. 

Michelle Kogan has so many favorites in her post today! Her beautiful art features monarchs and milkweed. She shares NSN's poem "Kindness," which I LOVE, and her response poem is a deep breath of gratitude and commitment to Mother Nature.

Robyn (at Life on the Deckle Edge) has some news from the recent Haiku Society of America Spring meeting, and some beach-themed haiku.

Christie (at Wondering and Wondering) borrowed a line from a NSN interview and unpacked some big truths. 

Molly (At Nix the Comfort Zone) wrote a beautiful love poem for her husband on the occasion of their 30th anniversary. Congratulations!

Donna (at Mainely Write) 's ocean poem pairs nicely with Robyn's beach-themed haiku! Almost makes this land lubber want to spend some time on a beach! (almost...)

Carol (at Beyond Literacy Link) connected the NSN theme to poems written for her (darling) not-such-a-baby granddaughter's two year birthday. 

Jama (at Jama's Alphabet Soup) has...but of course...and we love her for it...three Naomi Shihab Nye FOOD POEMS! 

Jan (at bookseedstudio) has lots of connections to the much-loved NSN poem, "Famous."

Matt (at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme) shares his poem for the Ditty Challenge, "Instructions for Instructions." All kinds of clever!

Laura Shovan is still serving as Poet in Residence and as such, she shares the PERFECT resident poet poem by NSN, as well as (mostly) delicious food poems written by third graders.

Michelle (at Today's Little Ditty) has the Ditty of the Month Challenge Wrap-Up Celebration, along with links to her interview of Naomi Shihab Nye, the poem she wrote inspired by "To Manage," and the DMC wrap-up for NSN's ditty challenge.

Kimberly (at Kimberly Hutmatcher Writes) has a somber poem about devastating losses of young lives in her hometown.

Cheriee (at Library Matters) shares her next poetic installment "about a pivotal time in 1958, when my family joined other relatives on an adventure into the Pine Valley region in Northern British Columbia." It's diaper week, and it's grim.

Fats (at Gathering Books) joins in this week with a selection from the anthology Of Poetry and Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin. I put this book on reserve at the library before I even finished reading her post. It looks amazing and important.

Renee (at No Water River) shares a selection of poems "from NIGHT GUARD, a collection of middle grade free verse poems by Norwegian poet, literacy educator, and environmental activist

Synne Lea," along with images from the illustrator of the collection, Stian Hole. You MUST listen to her magical voice and hear what she has to say about reading poetry!

Carol (at Carol's Corner) has a new puppy, finished school this week, AND managed to share a favorite NSN poem!

Tabatha (at The Opposite of Indifference) wrote a poem inspired by "Shoulders." I think Carol W. will like this poem!

Kay (at A Journey Through the Pages) used "Valentine for Ernest Mann" as her inspiration. Where are poems hiding in YOUR life?

Karen Edmisten (at Karen Edmisten...The Blog With the Shockingly Clever Title) has NSN reading her poem, "How Do I Know When a Poem is Finished?", my next new favorite!

Little Willow (at Bildungsroman) has song lyrics that remind us that humanity, like beauty, (like the love under the clutter and dust in my poem?) is not to be found on the surface.

Margaret (at Reflections on the Teche) finds magic in a single (amazing) line from Naomi Shihab Nye.

Catherine (at Reading to the Core) also wrote an I AM NOT poem that will sing to your heart.

Jone (at Deowriter) shares news of and a response to Naomi Shihab Nye's newest book, Tiny Journalist. At Check it Out, Jone is discovering buried treasure as she organizes her writing room!

Rebecca (at Sloth Reads) has a dialogue haiku for us that's sure to make you smile!

Amy (at The Poem Farm) has a post that is chock-full of goodness.

Tara (at Going to Walden) shares calming news from the farm in the form of a poem by Patricia Fargnoli.

Susan (at Soul Blossom Living) shares a pelican-filled post!

Poetry Friday -- The Roundup is HERE!

Unsplash photo by Joshua Earle

Life On Top

Make a mess

Make a life

Life is sweet

Life is bitter

Bitter end

Bitter pill to swallow

Swallow it whole

Swallow your pride

Pride before a fall

Pride that bursts

Bursts of anger

Bursts of joy

Joy in a bundle

Joy mixed with tears

Tears your heart out

Tears it to pieces

Pieces of pie

Pieces of writing

Writing on the wall

Writing it off

Off the cuff

Off balance

Balance and checks

Balance the books

Books we rewrite

Books a flight

Flight of wine

Flight of fancy

Fancy that

Fancy up

Up my spine

Up in the air

Air your grievance

Air it out good

Good grief

Good as gold

Gold standard

Gold can't stay

Stay put

Stay ahead

Ahead of time

Ahead of the game

Game changer

Game over

Over easy

Over the top

Top heavy

Top flight

Heavy

Flight

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

I was cleaning up my computer desktop this week and found a link I'd saved for the Blitz Poem poetic form. Perhaps you were the one who shared a Blitz Poem and piqued my interest enough to cause me to save that link. At any rate, what good are summer mornings if we don't spend an hour or two playing around with words?!

This poem was made possible by The Free Dictionary, which has a tab for idioms. I also needed an exhaustive list of prepositions to craft my title. Because the title comes from the 3rd and 47th lines of the poem, I revised the last ten lines four times because I couldn't find a preposition I liked that linked life with blood, back, or easy. And I sure wasn't going to go all the way back and change line 3!

This seems like a form that might be fun for my fifth graders. I was pretty intentional at the beginning, but much of the drafting of the middle involved putting down the first phrases that came to mind. I'm not sure the poem makes a ton of sense when taken as a whole (and I did complicate things by playing free and easy with the tears/tears homograph), but the spiraling way the words and phrases are connected...even the way the poem reads if you just look at the first words of each line...there is a satisfactory feel to it...if only during the writing!

(Here's a bonus poem, also created from idioms!)

The Poetry Friday roundup is here this week, and I'll roundup "old school" since I have time. Leave your links in the comments and I'll add them as they come in.

THE ROUNDUP

It's winter down under, and Sally Murphy has written a snuggly ruggy poem.

Molly Hogan shares her poem swap goodies from Linda B.

Robyn Hood Black has some quick newsletter news for interested subscribers.

Michelle Kogan shares art and writing from her recent trip to Door County, WI.

More summer poem swap bounty shared by Linda Mitchell.

At Random Noodling, Diane Mayr has Statue of Liberty cherita postcards, and at Kurious Kitty, a poem from the anthology Forgotten Women.

The Poetry Princesses wrote sestinas this month.
Laura Purdie Salas self-identified hers as "morose."
Sara Lewis Holmes starts with Oscar Wilde's Miss Prism and goes deep from there.
Tricia Stohr Hunt was the Princess who issued the sestina challenge this month.
Tanita Davis' sestina is combative (her word, not mine...but I do believe hers should be SHOUTED)


Laura Shovan has a 100 Thousand Poets for Change challenge for all of us.

Myra Garces Bacsal is featuring a new book-length poem by Jason Reynolds.

Linda Baie shares selections from a book of poetry by Robert Newton Peck.

Jane Whittingham, the Raincity Librarian, writes about an author visit she did for her debut picture book.

Matt Forrest Esenwine shares a dramatic ocean haiku today.

Brenda Harsham contemplates philosophy in her tanka.

Jan Godown Annino has enough goodness packed into her post to last us all of August!

Erin Mauger wrote a poem for the Rosellas that visit her Australian yard. (Any other North Americans who wish they had some Rosellas in their yard?!?!)

Heidi Mordhorst takes us to a "London-proper narrow lane" to a poetry event celebrating youth poets.

Poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil (yes, I used copy/paste :-) is featured by Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference.

Ruth shares a back-to-school poem by William Stafford.

Margaret Simon wrote a found poem using photos of signs in Boston.

Irene Latham is reinventing August. (Good luck with that!)

Reading the James Stevenson poem Maureen Nosal shares will give you a feeling of synchronicity, if you just read Irene's poems! (I LOVE when Poetry Friday does that!!)

Steve Peterson used Seamus Heaney's "Postscript" as the inspiration for his contemplation of the Iowa summer.

Kay McGriff captures the sounds and spirit of New Orleans jazz perfectly in her poem.

Little Willow shares a poem with a great twist at the end.

Christie Wyman has a bird song mnemonics poem and a challenge for us for August 17, when she'll be hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup -- she's asking that we all share a bird poem that week. Sounds like fun! Remember when we did Billy Collins, or when we did mac-n-cheese?

Donna Smith gave a blitz a go! Yay, Donna!!

Liz Steinglass got Poetry Swap goodies from Irene.

Dani Burtsfield has the final stop on the Bayou Song blog tour. She has poems parallel to Margaret's, but that are set in Montana instead of Louisiana.

Carol Varsalona wrote a delightful summer poem to inspire us to submit our creative work to her newest digital gallery.

Tara Smith honors James Baldwin in her post.

Jone MacCulloch has a hummingbird haiga for us this week.

Ramona was inspired by Laura Shovan to collect rhyming picture books to read aloud on September 29th!

A trip to the American Museum of Natural history got Catherine Flynn thinking about dinosaurs.

Using the prompt from Amy LV's book POEMS ARE TEACHERS "If you could bring someone from this time period to life, what would you ask?", Mandy Robek brings to life Lizzy Murphy in her poem.

HAPPY FRIDAY! HAPPY POETRY! HAPPY POETRY FRIDAY!

Poetry Friday -- The Roundup is Here!

Flickr Creative Commons Photo

boiling water

tea leaves understand

relax

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2017

Welcome to the Poetry Friday Roundup! Have a cup of tea and relax. Leave the madness of the world behind for a few minutes while you peruse the offerings in the roundup. My poem today is a pre December-Haiku-a-Day #haikuforhealing from this past week.

A note about next week's roundup. Lisa at Steps and Staircases will be hosting the roundup. Her blogging platform is Tumblr. She shares this information: 

"Hello poetry friends! The topic/prompt I want to suggest for the December 8 Poetry Friday Roundup is either/and: Respond to "When Life Gives You Lemons..." or write a poem using an object/making a drawing, as Amy Krouse Rosenthal did with a lemon drop. (picture below) If your poem can be expressed visually through a picture or drawing -- like Amy Krouse Rosenthal's "When Life Gives You Lemon Drops"-- I would love to post everyone's visuals. No matter what/how you choose to express yourself, I wanted to share Amy's Lemon Drop poem and her Instagram Project 1,2,3. This is only a suggestion. I look forward to reading all of your submissions!"

When participants go to Lisa's Tumblr space, they should click the "SUBMIT" button at the top of the page to leave their link or their visual. Thanks for being flexible with a different kind of roundup next week.

Also, watch for the Call for Roundup Hosts post, which goes live tomorrow, 12/2. It's time to gather hosts for January - July 2018!

The Poetry Friday Roundup is HERE!

Flickr Creative Commons photo by Greg Wagoner

Playing Checkers With Vincent

Maybe I should have let him win.

He was an honest player,
showing me I could double jump him.

(I had forgotten about double jumps.
That's how long it had been since
my last checkers game.)

I thanked him for the tip
and didn't double jump him that time.

That counts, doesn't it?

He was an earnest player,
thinking through the if-thens of every move,
his strategy as transparent as his joy.
At one point, when I had two kings to his one
but there were still lots of checkers on the board,
he wanted to quit
but didn't.

He didn't flip the board
until my win was inevitable,
laughing gleefully,
no need to concede
because it was time to clean up
for free summer lunch.

Mini corndogs and fries
with two choices from the salad bar.

Maybe I had it all wrong.
Maybe he's the one who let me win.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2017

Welcome to Poetry Friday, the ultimate win-win! You share a poem -- win! -- and read a few others -- win!

There is still ONE slot open on The Poetry Friday Roundup Schedule for July-December 2017 is COMPLETE! Thanks, all!

Leave your link in the comments and I'll round you up into this post throughout the day. Let the weekly celebration of poetry begin!

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Kat at Katwhiskers is first up, enjoying autumn in Melbourne (in contrast to Queensland's quick shift from summer to winter).

Laura at Writing the World for Kids had her poem "The Genre Chant" published in the Journal of Children's Literature!

Irene at Live Your Poem brings us Five for Friday -- a delightful hodgepodge of poetry!

Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup is sharing a picture book from Hawaii called 'Iwalani's Tree.

Linda at A Word Edgewise has created an amazing concrete poem for Laura Shovan's Daily Poem Project.

Violet at Violet Nesdoly | Poems shares a senryu to celebrate parade season.

Brenda at Friendly Fairytales has written a stunning affirmation of self and becoming.

Linda at TeacherDance shares her original take on the 10 words from Laura Shovan's Daily Poem Project.

Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone had me at Ted Kooser, but wowed me with her partner poem set in Maine.

Carmela at Teaching Authors has written a tectractys in honor of the woman who is the subject of her upcoming biography (along with fascinating process notes about the writing of her book).

Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge is back, and she's sharing two recently published haiku.

Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme is celebrating several beginnings today.

Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference looks inside a mermaid's pocket and makes some amazing discoveries.

Donna at Mainely Write is...avoiding joy???

Michelle at Michelle Kogan is having fun with fairies -- in both art and poetry -- this week.

Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink is visualizing joy as she awaits the arrival of a new grandbaby. Be sure you check out her joy-filled poem-video.

Tara at A Teaching Life had me at Mary Oliver and then again at peonies. Ahhh...

Mandy at Enjoy and Embrace Writing shares Haiku #4 (and some process notes) in her ongoing series.

Jane at Raincity Librarian shares the "tip of the verse novel iceberg." Be sure to weigh in with YOUR favorites!

Iphigene at Gathering Books has written the fourth poem in her series "Open Spaces" which pairs her original paintings with poems. Number four is stunning!

Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town shares two original poems written in her first week of summer break.

Margaret at Reflections on the Teche wrote an "I Spy" poem from a Poets&Writers prompt.

Christie at Wondering and Wandering has a heavy heart today. Many will be able to share her sorrow.

Diane has a pair of offerings. At Random Noodling she's got a new project that will make all of you (cat lovers, especially) laugh out loud, and at Kurious Kitty, a tribute to Cole Porter.

Catherine at Reading to the Core shares a "most perfect" poem for the day!

Laura at Laura Shovan celebrates Meg Eden's upcoming debut YA novel with a fascinating "% Questions" interview and an accompanying poem.

Carol at Carol's Corner spotlights a couple of poems from OUT OF WONDER, a fabulous new-to-her collection of tribute poems.

Amy at The Poem Farm is raising some future stars for Diane's Katkus!

Little Willow at Bildungsroman shares a poem about grit and perseverance.

Kiesha at Whispers from the Ridge wrote another haiku this week.

Kay at A Journey Through the Pages tried a charita for the first time, writing about her community theater experience.

Poetry Princess Sara at Read Write Believe is a little late with her golden shovel, but wowser, has the wait been worth it!

Elaine at Wild Rose Reader wistfully shares a Naomi Shihab Nye poem upon her granddaughter' graduation from preschool.

Jone has a pair of offerings. At DeoWriter she shares a double cinquain that's shaped like a teardrop of sorrow, and at Check it Out, more joyous second grade poetry.

Amy at YMATRUZ Instinct shares a quote and three summery snippets of poetry. Cricket Booze Night made me laugh!

Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe has been a bit busy recently. She has some "lyrics as poetry" to celebrate all the endings in her house.

Poetry Friday Roundup is HERE! (Moo)

I'll be rounding up "old school" this week. 

Leave your links in the comments. 

I'll add them to the post as the day goes on.

 But first, Moo. 

Thank you, Kimberley Moran, 

for sharing the ARC of this novel in verse,

due to be published August 30, 2016, by HarperCollins. 

Somewhere,
there's a reader who will pick up this book
and know that's a Belted Galloway on the cover.

Somewhere,
there's a reader who has shown a heifer at the fair,
using a show stick to adjust the cow's stance.

Somewhere,
there's a reader who knows cow nostrils cow slobber cow plops.
Intimately.

These readers
will live inside the story of city-kids Reena and Luke
learning the small-town farm-kid Mainey life,
learning to get along with old Mrs. Falala,
learning to do things they never imagined they could do
or would do.

The rest of the readers
will watch jealously from the outside,
dreaming of freedom and fog and lobster boats.

All readers
will savor Creech's rich language
poetry
prose poems
words that skip and drip down the page
words that stretch and shout
words that
bellow
and
Moooooooooo.



HERE'S THE ROUNDUP!  (moo...)

Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge is pondering time and change, Amy Lowell and the Lowcountry of SC (plus three hokku).

Sally at Sally Murphy wrote three linked lunes...with a wink and a nod to her post from last week!

Emily Dickinson is helping Tara at A Teaching Life celebrate the recent rains.

Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme shares Carol Varsalona's Spring Seeds Gallery.

Keri at Keri Recommends has a vacation haiku from a getaway on the Little Red River in Arkansas.

Bridget's word play poem at Wee Words for Wee Ones will make you groan.

Dori at Dori Reads checks in from vacation in Montana with a glacier poem by a Kalispell student.

Laura at Laura Shovan has a mat-mom wrestling poem for us this week.

Diane at Random Noodling has bunny Haibun, Haiku and art this week!

At Kurious Kitty, Diane is celebrating Gustav Klimt's birthday with ekphrastic poetry written by Ferlinghetti.

Belted Galloways come in cinnamon, as well as dark chocolate. Image via Wikimedia.

At Beyond LiteracyLink, Carol V. shares Jone's Summer Poem Swap poem and encourages us to visit the Spring Seeds Gallery, where you can revisit the Kidlitosphere Progressive poem from last April.

Steven at Crackles of Speech has an original poem for us today about home building.

Linda M. at A Word in Edgewise also has a pair of original poems, inspired by a Teachers Write challenge.

Chelanne at Books4Learning reviews Outside the Box by Karma Wilson.

Myra at Gathering Books highlights Daniel Finds a Poem and tells about her Poetry Workshop for bloggers and families.

At The Opposite of Indifference, Tabatha has chosen a pair of poems with quiet Buddha wisdom.

Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales is contemplating stillness vs. music in an original poem.

Elaine at Wild Rose Reader has an original mask poem that speaks in the voice of everyone's "favorite" wildflower of summer!

Catherine at Reading to the Core shares an original poem that invites readers to slow down and take a closer look.

Heidi ponders the exact moment the new year arrives in her original poem at My Juicy Little Universe.

Carol W. at Carol's Corner spotlights a birder's journal that includes sketching and poetry.

Belted Galloway nostril close up via Pixaby.

Little Willow has some Hamilton for us at Bildungsroman!!

Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone shares a poem-in-progress about her recent family reunion.

Sylvia at Poetry for Children is celebrating TEN YEARS of blogging! As it turns out, this is her 811th post, and we all know which books to find shelved in the library with that number on their spines! How perfect is that? Well, then...811 cheers (or moos) for Sylvia!!

Julianne at To Read To Write To Be shares the connections that led her from a podcast to a beautiful blessing poem by Jane Hirshfield.

Linda B. at TeacherDance has some "wisdom of the ages" for these troubled times.

Tanita at {fiction, instead of lies} shares Sting lyrics to soothe our souls.

Margaret at Reflections on the Teche celebrates her mother-in-law's 85th birthday in an amazingly spectacular way!

What a treat! S. Evelyn at Notes Toward a Definition stumbled upon Patience Agbabi's revision of the General Prologue of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: So. Much Fun.

More Emily Dickinson from Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town.

At AliceNine, Alice shares a poem that's a "guiding beacon" for her.

Time to lie down in the shade. I think the roundup is almost finished.

No, wait! There's more! Irene at Live Your Poem is still up on Cloud Nine after being named the 2016 ILA-Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet! It's the 15th, Irene, not the 8th! Everybody be sure to go over and give Irene another round of congratulations!

Claudette at 100 Words a Day shares an original haibun to celebrate (?) her recent hip surgery. How about some cheer(s) for Claudette?!?

And Carlie at Twinkling Along slipped in under the wire (West Coast midnight) with a poem about falling in love.

Poetry Friday -- The Roundup is HERE!!

Flickr Creative Commons photo by Brett Bolkowy

Have you read LITTLE TREE by Loren Long? Franki reviewed it here. (Go ahead and click over. I'll wait. Make sure you watch the 1.5 minute video by Loren Long at the end of her post. )

My poem for today is the late 1800's version of LITTLE TREE. Both Long and Thomas remind us that change is hard, but necessary.

It might be time for you to let go of some leaves. Have faith that some sort of spring will come. Believe that you can (you will!) continue to grow.

Have a happy new year. And a brave one.


Winter Leafage

by Edith Matilda Thomas (1854-1925)

Each year I mark one lone outstanding tree,
Clad in its robings of the summer past,
Dry, wan, and shivering in the wintry blast.
It will not pay the season’s rightful fee,—
It will not set its frost-burnt leafage free;
But like some palsied miser all aghast,
Who hoards his sordid treasure to the last,
It sighs, it moans, it sings in eldritch glee.
A foolish tree, to dote on summers gone;
A faithless tree, that never feels how spring
Creeps up the world to make a leafy dawn,
And recompense for all despoilment bring!
Oh, let me not, heyday and youth withdrawn,
With failing hands to their vain semblance cling!

The Poetry Friday Roundup is Here!

The Farmer's Away! Baa! Neigh!

by Anne Vittur Kennedy

Candlewick Press, 2014

As the farmer drives away from the barn on his tractor, the farm animals (and other assorted animal friends) can be heard exclaiming, 

neigh neigh baa baa quack quack tweet
arf oink ree ree cluck cluck cheep!

And then the fun begins! The animals take a float trip down the river, have a picnic, ride a roller coaster, go water skiing, fly in a dirigible and have a formal evening dance. But all good things must come to an end. Dog alerts the animals

arf! ARF! ARF! ARF! ARF! afr! arf!
ARF! arf! afr! ARF! arf! ARF! arf!

And all (well, almost all) are back in place by the time the farmer has parked the tractor in the barn.

This delightful book, as you can probably tell from my two quotes, is told all in rhyming animal noises! As with all the best picture books, there is as much (or more) of the story going on in the pictures as in the text. You'll have as much fun reading this one aloud as your audience will have listening and joining in!

Just like the farmer is away from the farm, I am away from the blog today. Share your link via Mr. Linky and I'll look forward to reading all of your posts when I am home from the All Write conference on Saturday!

An InLinkz Link-up

Poetry Friday Roundup is HERE!

The last of my Summer Poem Swap poems will be mailed tomorrow. I have combined my poems and photos to make magnets. I just about snorted my morning tea when I read this poem from The Writer's Almanac last month:

Poem on the Fridge
by Paul Hostovsky

The refrigerator is the highest honor
a poem can aspire to. The ultimate
publication. As close to food as words
can come. And this refrigerator poem
is honored to be here beneath its own
refrigerator magnet, which feels like a medal
pinned to its lapel. Stop here a moment
and listen to the poem humming to itself,
like a refrigerator itself, the song in its head
full of crisp, perishable notes that wither in air,
the words to the song lined up here like
a dispensary full of indispensable details:
a jar of corrugated green pickles, an array
of headless shrimp, fiery maraschino cherries,
a fruit salad, veggie platter, assortments of
cheeses and chilled French wines, a pink
bottle of amoxicillin: the poem is infectious.
It's having a party. The music, the revelry,
is seeping through this white door.

Leave your links in the comments and I'll round you up after water aerobics tonight and between meetings and classroom work on Friday.


Maureen has a summer storm poem for us at Free Range Readers.

Carol shares special memories of her grandmother at Beyond Literacy Link.

Ruth (and many of the rest of us, I'm sure) are driven to despair about the news out of Iraq and Syria. We can think about that situatio through the lens of the Holocaust Museum poem she shares at her blog, There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town. 

Violet Nesdoly is featured in The Haiku Garden at Michelle's Today's Little Ditty.

Robyn, at Life on the Deckle Edge,  celebrates her daughter -- a brand new 3rd grade teacher -- with a Taylor Mali poem that gets me every time. Survive this first year, Morgan, and then go on to have a brilliant career. Leave a legacy.

Irene treats us to a summer swap poem and a selection of Ralph Fletcher poems at Live Your Poem.

Linda, at Teacher Dance, has felt a change in the air and the light. Fall is coming!

Matt is celebrating the second Blogiversary of Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme...and his anniversary.

Holly, at Reading, Teaching, Learning, takes us with her to Prague with an original poem about that city.

Keri shares a back to school poem at Keri Recommends that gives a little nod to a Lee Bennett Hopkins classic.

Let's balance back to school with some vacation mode from Violet at Violet Nesdoly | Poems.

Bridget, at wee words for wee ones, is gearing up for a slumber(less) party.

At Writing the World for Kids, Laura shares a favorite from Joyce Sidman's UBIQUITOUS.

Diane has the perfect poem to hang on her fridge door! Check it out at Random Noodling. Her Kurious Kitty has some information about the Perseids and another (??another??) super moon...plus a skywatching poem by Douglas Florian.

I'm going to let the Author Amok Laura tell you about her post: "It's #5 in my "Summer Reads: Chapter & Verse" series. Today, I'm pairing Holly Black's vampire novel THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN with Sarah Beasley's poem "Grief Puppet." Together, they would prompt a great discussion for the upper HS classroom. (Plus, there is some Marceline fangirling for Adventure Time fans.)"

Joyce Sidman interviews Irene Latham at Poetry For Children, brought to us by Sylvia!

Myra, at Gathering Books, takes us back to the Holocaust with a review of ...I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY...

Lest your heart is heavy (or because current world events can't help but weigh it down), read the pair of poems Tabatha gives us today at The Opposite of Indifference.


***

Well, after a promising start this morning, I've kind of lost control of my day. My meeting was productive, and then a colleague came to my classroom and gave me some suggestions about ways to tweak my use of the space. In particular, ways to make my (extensive) classroom library more accessible to students. I started a bit of shifting and pitching, and suddenly it was time to come home and eat some lunch and go to the eye doctor. After my checkup, I'll be blind for a few hours, so it won't be until later this evening that I can get back and round up the rest of the posts. Sorry! But I will be back!

***

Still half-blind, but back!

Catherine takes us on a picnic at the beach...at Reading to the Core.

Anastasia, at Booktalking #kidlit, is in today with Shaping Up Summer (Math in Nature) by Lizann Flat (and a call for STEM book bloggers)

Carol wrote a poem for the brand new teachers in her district, but it's one I need to copy and put up on my fridge. Head over to Carol's Corner. You'll see what I mean.

Joyce's Musings holds a terza rima inspired by a trip to Kathmandu.

Katie, at The Logonauts, continues her exploration of haiku in the classroom with part two in a three part series.

Amy left The Poem Farm to go to the fair, and she witnessed magic!

Karen Edmisten and I are soul sisters -- shifting books here and there, donating some (never the poetry) and STILL winding up with not enough shelf space!

At Reflections on the Teche, Margaret shares an original poem about chasing a beautiful sunset.

Tricia shares a pantoum perfect for writers and readers alike over at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Little Willow shares In the Gloaming at Bildungsroman.

Ben brings The Small Nouns back to Poetry Friday with a poem for all parents.

Elaine comes to us from Flowers for Socrates. She's got a post about clerihews, including a few of her own.

Colette's got lots to say (way more than her 100 Words a Day) about Van Gogh's Starry Night and various examples of ekphrasis about the painting. (ekphrases about? exphrases of? ekphrastic descriptions?)

Lori Ann Grover is On Point with a sunset poem that pairs nicely with Violet's sunrise poem.

Charlotte reviews  Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and Comics at Charlotte's Library. I can't wait to see this book!

Douglas Florian is in the house! He's got a poem and quote by Mark Twain over at The Florian Cafe.

Donna, at Mainely Write, should just stop trying to rein in her brain!  Plus, I think her Noah Cat should join us more often for Poetry Friday!

Book Lover's Day is tomorrow! Becky's got a post and poem about it at Tapestry of Words.

Cathy's feeling a little lost as she starts the new school year in a non-classroom position. She found the perfect poem as she finds her "new HERE." Read it at Merely Day By Day.

Welcome to Stacy Lynn, new to Poetry Friday, and sharing an original poem "Garden Beans" at her blog, Warning the Stars.