Friday, May 01, 2015

Poetry Friday -- Emotional




What I love most about my 2015 National Poetry Month project is what I love most about writing poetry: I had the vaguest of notions how the whole thing would play out, and it grew to be more than I ever could have imagined.

I billed the project as emotions from "Anger to Zest," when in fact we went from Anticipation to Relief.

Not I -- we. The most amazing thing about the month was writing alongside Carol, Kimberley, Kim, and Steve. I loved overlapping challenges occasionally with Jone, and also having Carol V., Linda, Heidi and Kevin write with us occasionally. The conversations in the comments both at A Year of Reading and Poetrepository kept me going.

I'm proud of my collection as a whole, but there are a couple with inside jokes I'd like to share.

On April 29, I tucked the adage, "Pride goeth before a fall" into this poem:

PRIDE

Is it branches full of unopened blossoms against
an impossibly blue April sky?

Or could it be rows of trees, heavy with fruit in
late summer, yellow jackets hovering?

Look down. Is it in the remains of
the bounty, rotting after October frosts?


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015



I'm still cracking myself up over the various kinds of interest you encounter at various kinds of banks. (from April 19):

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



But probably my favorite, is this hidden tribute to ROYGBIV, from April 14:

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



There's a whole blogpost to be written about my email haiku lessons from Diane Mayr. In that future blogpost, I will show how this pair, seen here still in draft, have undergone an amazing transformation through a series of gentle nudges by Diane!

The roundup is now at Ellen Leventhal's personal blog, Elementary Dear Reader


Thursday, April 30, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Relief


Wikimedia


THIS IS JUST TO SAY

I have written
the poems
that were sitting on the shelf
in plain sight
and also the ones
locked in the cupboards.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
but I've had enough for now.

I think I'll walk
down to the park.
I sh'an't be gone long.

You come too?


©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!
"In an Instant"

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 29, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Pride

Flickr Creative Commons photo by Todd Shoemake


PRIDE

Is it branches full of unopened blossoms against
an impossibly blue April sky?

Or could it be rows of trees, heavy with fruit in
late summer, yellow jackets hovering?

Look down. Is it in the remains of  
the bounty, rotting after October frosts?


©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!
"Piano Pride"

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.
"Bring Spring Inside"

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


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Optimism




PLANTING BULBS IN THE FALL

It will matter
that I gave them
time 
and 
choice.

It will matter
that they read
widely,
deeply,
voraciously.

It will matter 
that we were family --
accepting
and
respectful.

It will matter
in a someday spring
when they
truly
bloom.


©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!
"An Inconvenient Optimism"

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.
"Optimism"

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


Monday, April 27, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Contentment




this parsley --
all I want from life --
until it's not


©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!
"Just a Glimpse"


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.
"Contentment"

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

Sunday, April 26, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Zest




A CLERIHEW FOR JAMA RATTIGAN

Jama shines above the rest,
cooks up blog posts filled with zest.

She's not gilding on a lily,
she's the allspice in our chili!


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015



Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Cicely Miller

TURN THE HEAT UP

In our haste 
to pack away 
sweaters and mittens
we forget 
that spring is fickle.

Abandoning 
the tulips 
to the frigid deluge,
we stir more garlic, chiles, and cumin
into the steaming soup.


©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!
"A Few Clerihew"

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.
Jone's word today is ALLSPICE.


Saturday, April 25, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Cheerfulness

Wikipedia


flash of gold 
not smelted 
newly molted

lilting flight
burbling song
undulation

concentrated
coruscating
cheer

©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!
"Family Portrait"

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.
"Celebrate Life"

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


Friday, April 24, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Distress


Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Nicolas Raymond


HELP!

I ate too much!
I took a test!
My boat capsized!
I'm in distress!


©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!
"The Procrastinator"

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.




Renee has the Poetry Friday roundup at No Water River.



Thursday, April 23, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Contempt


Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Menno van der Horst


layers of ice
bend willows
break spirits


©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!
"Broken Promises"

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.
Jone's word today is WILLOW.


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

PO-EMotion -- Shame




CAUGHT THROWING A PAPER WAD ACROSS THE CLASSROOM

I'm sorry
I regret it
I know that it was wrong.

(But still
I can't believe that
I made a shot that long!)


©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!
"My Shame"

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.