Monday, April 20, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Wonder




FOREST FLOOR

The name of the next street over 
hints at what our neighborhood was 
before there were houses and streets: 
Forest.

The Red Oak in our front yard, 
her sisters the Burr Oak across the street, 
and the trio of Hickories in our neighbor's yard 
are all of a size that suggests they have been standing here 
for at least a century. 
Maybe longer. 
That they have survived the destruction of their habitat 
and adapted to urban living 
is a testament to their tenacity.

But the real miracle can be found 
at the base of our oak. 
On what was once the forest floor, 
(now an unmown ring around the base of the tree) 
sessile trillium, 
perhaps as old as the fragment of forest, 
emerges and blooms 
every spring.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015








Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!


Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.
She celebrates bloggers' voice.

Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.
Jone's word today is TRILLIUM.


Sunday, April 19, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Interest




INTEREST

At the bank
it's what you get
without trying.
You just have to be there.
(monetarily)

At the (river)bank
it's what you get
without trying.
You just have to be there.
(open-mindedly)


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015










Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!
"Invisible Trails"

Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.
Her post is here.

Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.
Her word today is SHALLOWS.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Happiness


from Wikimedia


SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LOOK HARD TO FIND HAPPINESS

Before I was born, my dad was an ag pilot.
He traded freedom and flight for
responsibility and safety and John Deere parts.

Growing up,
we often went for Sunday drives in the country
to get out of town and look at the crops.

But sometimes,
he borrowed a plane and we slipped the surly bonds of earth*
and flew over the faded quilt of fields.

Ironically,
the flight pattern of our small town airport
went right over our back yard.

One summer, I planted a smiley face of marigolds
for the pilots to see
as they came in on final.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015


* "slipped the surly bonds of earth" is from my dad's favorite poem "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
Here's John Denver singing the poem as a song (scrub to 3:25). We played this at dad's funeral.









Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!
"Happiness Is..."

Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.
She finds happiness in family.

Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.



Friday, April 17, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Sorrow

Flickr Creative Commons photo by jenny downing



Table for two
even though one of the chairs
has long been empty.


The kibble
in the cat's bowl
gathers dust.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015








Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!

Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.


Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.



Robyn has today's Poetry Friday Roundup at Life on the Deckle Edge.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Love




FOR ISAIAH

He died suddenly
after school one day.
A fifth grader
with an undiagnosed heart defect.

Every holiday
his family decorates the tree
planted in front of the school
in his memory.

In between holidays now,
the maple blooms.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015










Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!
"Wanted"

Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.


Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Hope


Wikimedia


SNAPSHOTS

The chemicals begin to drip.
She can feel her veins burning.

Fish are rising
in the deep pool across the stream.

Mother waves from the screen door
as the car pulls out of the drive.

Fingertips rest lightly on the keyboard.
Screen glows impassively.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015








Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!
"Hope Pokes"

Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.
"Gentle Stroll"

Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Desire




THE WHOLE SPECTRUM, PLEASE

tulip petal
monarch wing
forsythia's shock
first leaves in spring

prairie sky
shadows on snow
thunderhead's tower
dogwood, crow


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015






Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!
"Ode to Morning Mocha"

Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.
Hers is the desire to write!

Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.



Monday, April 13, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Hate


image from The Home Gardener


VERMICULTURE

human headline news
chewed indiscriminately
shat out as rich soil


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015








Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!


Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.
Today's poem is here.

Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.



Sunday, April 12, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Aversion


Flickr Creative Commons photo by Larry Hoffman

VERSIONS OF AVERSION

crowds
conflict
powerpoint
lollygagging
liver and onions
being in the spotlight
committee meetings
folding laundry
gossiping
oysters
golf


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015









Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month. 
Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!



Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.


Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.
Today's word is LOLLYGAG.



Saturday, April 11, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Despair


Flickr Creative Commons photo by Mike Bitzenhofer


DESPAIR--A FIB

curl
into
a tight ball,
pull covers over,
wail and wallow in darkness.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015









Carol, at Carol's Corner, will join me again this year as often as possible.

Kimberley, at iWrite in Maine, is joining me this month.
Despair of a child...and her teacher.

Kay, at A Journey Through the Pages, is joining, too!
Despair all the way into your soul.

Steve, at inside the dog, is sharing his poems 
in the comments at Poetrepository.


Heidi, at my juicy little universe, will join us when she can.

Linda, at TeacherDance, will join as often as she can.
Check the comments at A Year of Reading or Poetrepository for her poems.

Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind) is back this year,
leaving poetry trax in the comments.

Carol, at Beyond Literacy Link, is writing alongside us when she can.
On the Fringe of Despair


Jone, at DeoWriter, is doing a "double L" challenge. 
She and I are cross-poLLinating our challenges whenever possible.