Category: Poetry Friday Post

Poetry Friday – So Much Poetry Goodness

Denise Krebs21 Comments

Today is Poetry Friday, and the roundup is happening over at The Opposite of Indifference blog with Tabatha Yeatts hosting. She shares a funny poem “Prof of Profs.”

Look what I got from Australia! Thank you Kat Apel for this beauty. Look at that cactusy font she used, and I love the metaphors throughout. “Remember your soft centre / is sweet and refreshing, so… / Grow your heart!” is my favorite.

Kat also shared other poems about cactus and this, my favorite, about the arid land in her Queensland. It reads like it came from a blockbuster musical filmed out on the bush. I so love the form she used in this poem, which is an echo of “On Kiley’s Run” by Banjo Paterson. I’m sharing the first stanza below. Do read the rest of the poem here.

This Land
By Kathryn Apel

Horizons stretch forever ’cross
This sunburnt land.
The shimmer of a heatwave’s gloss
That melds with parched and tufted grass,
As hot winds blow and dust storms pass,
While brittle, yellow tumbleweed
Is swept along with careless heed
Across the land.

Continue…

Thank you, Kat, for sending
your beauty across the world
landing in my heart

On Wednesday, I went to the virtual book launch that Patricia told us about in July. Earlier, on Poetry Friday she shared the poem, “The Big Box of Books”, she wrote during a Mindful Poetry Moment; it is one of two of Patricia’s poems included in the anthology. I had first learned about the Mindful Poetry group from Patricia last February on this post. In April I got busy with other poetry opportunities, and I didn’t participate in any of the activities. However, after spending some time with these mindful poets on Wednesday, I will definitely check out The Well for April 2024.

Patricia reading one of her poems at the Mindful Poetry Book Launch

My Sealey Challenge Update (with some photos of favorite poems)

August 4 – Where the Deer Are by Kate Barnes (a gift from Linda Baie)

I love this poem by Kate Barnes “In the Pasture”

August 5 – Gmorning, Gnight! Little Pep Talks for Me and You by Lin-Manuel Miranda

From Gmorning, Gnight! by Lin-Manuel Miranda

August 6 – Martin Rising: Requiem for a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney and (ill.) Brian Pinkney

From Martin Rising by Andrea David Pinkney

August 7 – I Offer My Heart as a Target by Johanny Vazquez Paz

From I Offer My Heart as a Target by Johanny Vazquez Paz

August 8 – Keep a Pocket in Your Poems, Classic Poems & Playful Parodies by J. Patrick Lewis

Keep a Pocket in Your Poems, Classic Poems & Playful Parodies by J. Patrick Lewis

August 9 – No Matter by Jana Prikryl – I had no favorites in this one. It was a tough read. I didn’t like it.
August 10 – The Year of Goodbyes by Debbie Levy

Books for next week and beyond

Peace to all those in Maui. How awful to be on an island with the devastating fires. Praying for all. Here is the organization President Obama shared if you want to help: Hawaii Community Foundation

Poetry Friday – Poetry in Photos

Denise Krebs12 Comments

It’s Poetry Friday, and the round-up is over at Mary Lee Hahn’s, where she shares the names of some of her beautiful neighbors.

It’s time for summer poetry swapping with Poetry Friday friends. What wonderful fun to participate! I received a package from Carol Labuzzetta with so many fun features.

Thank you, my apple orchard friend,
Cultivating love and hope for learners
at your blog and in the world. Thank you.

Carol sent these sweet photo cards, poems, bookmarks with so much love!

The next poetry swap was with Linda Baie. Another touching and love-filled gift arrived. Here are some photos:

She wrote a poem based on my summer travels
Photos of me during special times this summer
A sweet book of poems, one for the Sealey Challenge this month.
A bookmark
A thank you poem for Linda, made with some words she sent in a decorated box.
One pile of books for the Sealey Challenge this month

Sealey Challenge update:
Day 1: Grandparent Poems, compiled by John Micklos, Jr.
Day 2: Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Day 3: Animal Ark, photos by Joel Sartorel, and words by Kwame Alexander (with two images below)

Such beautiful photos in this book, published by National Geographic
Kwame Alexander’s words really add to the beauty of this book, Animal Ark.

Poetry Friday – Teachers Write

Denise Krebs14 Comments

It’s Poetry Friday, and thank you to Margaret Simon for hosting today. Check out her delicious “Ode to Molly’s Strawberry Jam.” (It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, so I’m glad to be back.)

This month is Teachers Write with Kate Messner. This year’s theme is Poetry and Play with a wonderful group of poet mentors who are creating prompts two times a week. Here are links to the prompts we’ve had so far. I got behind this week because of the July Open Write, but I will look forward to trying all these poems over the next weeks with these inspirational prompts. Do click and read more about each.

July 10, 2023
Found Poem with Kate Messner
July 13, 2023
Hermit Crab Poem with Laura Ruby

This is the only prompt I’ve attempted so far. It’s the hermit crab poem, which I think is so clever. She explains that you take the poem you want to write and climb into a different shell (format). A quote from Laura in the prompt: “Some potential ‘crab shells’ that you might want to try: a speech, list of rules, a disclaimer, fine print, field notes, recipes, dictionary entry, encyclopedia entry, multiple choice test, grocery list, owner’s manual, building instructions, letters of recommendation, ads, jingles, doctor’s note, scientific abstract, playlist, or even a weather report.”

I chose to do a dictionary entry.

Hope

Definitions:

verb

  1. to sip wishes
  2. to whisper into promises and prayers
  3. to envelop with open arms
  4. to climb anticipation

noun

1. a thing with feathers
the hope of springtime pipping

2. a cool autumn breeze after a hot summer
the hope of cooler days 

3. a moon out in the afternoon
the hope of an enticing evening

Here’s a poem that seemed a bit like a Hermit Crab poem, “Self-Help” by Charles Bernstein:

Home team suffers string of losses.—Time to change loyalties.
Quadruple bypass.—Hold the bacon on that next cheeseburger.
Poems tanking.—After stormiest days, sun comes out from behind clouds, or used to.
Marriage on rocks.—Nothing like Coke.

Read more here; he’s got tons of self help advice.

July 24, 2023
Attempting Haiku with Joseph Bruchac
July 20, 2023
Finding Haiku with Loree Griffin Burns
July 24, 2023
The Power of Names with Rajani LaRocca
July 27, 2023
A Poetry Challenge with Rajani LaRocca and K.A. Holt

Poetry Friday – May Days

Denise Krebs13 Comments

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is found here at Linda Baie’s Teacher Dance blog. She shares an “ahhh” poem called “Small Kindnesses.”

May has taken off like a rocket. I’ve enjoyed having our kids here this week. Monday through Friday they worked remotely, mostly from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm, (Central time translated to Pacific). However, we had the afternoons and evenings for eating, fun, and hiking.

So far, I’ve noticed something special about each day in May, so that is my offering for this Cinco de Mayo Poetry Friday. Have a happy day and may you enjoy some colorful and delicious Mexican-American culture this weekend.

May Days

1
Maypole dancing and International Workers’ Day
Here’s to flowers and fair wages for all someday

2
World Tuna Day calls for methods sustainable
Future recovery from overfishing is obtainable

3
Lindsey Graham’s tweet from seven years ago
Predicted the demise of the GOP–truthful blow

4
May the fourth be with you, Star Wars fans
For who doesn’t love Luke, Leia and Han?

5
Cinco de Mayo in Mexico, just a minor celebration
but in the U.S. it has become a new joyful creation

 

Here are a few photos from our time together with my daughter and her husband. Sadly, we have to take them to the airport today.

Poetry Friday with April 27 #Verselove

Denise Krebs13 Comments

Not Once
I taught for 22 years after Columbine,
And I have had to witness the gradual horror of
my country becoming
the only nation in the world
that accepts gun violence
as a part of going to school.

In Arizona, not once did we
practice for the inevitable.
We had just two lockdowns–
Once for killer bees in the yard
And again when a VP in a neighboring school
became an urban legend
by talking down an eighth grader with a gun.

In Iowa, there were no lockdowns.
For Austin’s hunting “how-to” speech,
He was asked to bring his rifle
to the principal’s office in the morning
instead of storing it his hall locker.

In Manama, the ancient-by-modern
capital city of Bahrain,
my students worried once
that America was going to bomb Iran,
but they never had to worry about
or practice for gun violence.

But now in this place,
it has become inevitable–
It’s a given:
Some American young people will die in their schools.
But all American young people worry and wonder.

They prepare, they lie quietly,
pretending an active shooter
Is in the hallway trying to kill their teacher
trying to kill their classmates
trying to kill them
with a gun.

Join tens of thousands of others on June 5th.
We are going to Denver to demand action.
We’re #Here4theKids.
Please join us.

Photo by @mrsdkrebs

I’m carrying this poem by Carl Sandburg in my pocket. Click the image to read the poem in text.

Today’s #Verselove prompt is “Place Tells Me to Be” with Chea Parton.

Today Ruth is hosting Poetry Friday at There is No Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town. It’s her 17th blog anniversary, and she has pulled out a chair for us to sit down and rest awhile. 

Poetry Friday – On Gun Violence

Denise Krebs17 Comments

Thank you, Karen Edmisten, for hosting Poetry Friday today and so glad you are here celebrating journals, life, and poetry month today.

This month I am digging through magnetic words with Laura Salas and others. We are making tiny poems. Yesterday, when I saw the words fear and arm in the upper left hand corner, I knew I had to write about guns.

The titles needed to be north, south, east, west or directions. While these titles didn’t really fit, I figured West was most appropriate. Historically, we’ve acted as if the west is more civilized–[read white supremacy]–but we are proving yet again this is not the case. Here is what I wrote yesterday for Laura’s challenge:

Don’t Go West
frantic 
mind crush
armed up
for delirious fear

Then yesterday and today at #Verselove, I couldn’t write about anything else. Here is a Fibonacci poem inspired by some of the words above.

On Being Armed in America
Here
minds
crush life
Delirious
with fear of losing–
Don’t drive. Don’t ring. And don’t mistake.
Don’t be six, and retrieve your ball from next door.

On Thursday morning, I heard Anand Giridharadas speak on “anonymous trust.” He also wrote a beautiful and haunting article called, “Kaylin, Ralph, and the death of anonymous trust.” After reading it, I wrote a septercet sonnet:

Anonymous Trust Cracking
Kaylin and friends are driving
by mistake to the wrong place
without a word, she’s shot dead
Ralph’s out to pick up brothers
by mistake he rings the wrong
door–no hearing why–just shot
the great accomplishment of
modern societies is
anonymous trust. But now
America’s is cracking.
We are reverting to past:
moated castles need defense.
Democracy requires
a bit of faith in others

Poetry Friday – Don Quixote Found Poem

Denise Krebs10 Comments

Thank you, Jone Rush MacCulloch, for hosting Poetry Friday today, and inviting us to write along with you in a classic found poem.

I’m currently reading Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes. My found poem came from chapter VIII a quintessential chapter on the “terrible and undreamt-of adventure of the windmills.” I used prime numbers to determine how many syllables were in each line– 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 11, 7, 5, 3, 2.

combat
enmity
fly not, you cowards
Engaging monstrous giants
glory of vanquishing these thirtyforty
wicked arts — fierce fluctuations — giants into mills
righteous warfare, adventurous abundance
perceived heard God’s good service
Sails turned by the wind
fortune hush
worship

In other poetry news. I’m having fun with a few different projects this month outlined here. I have a few things I’m trying to do daily:

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

April 7 – #Verselove Death in a Poem

Denise Krebs7 Comments
Death in a Poem with Denise Krebs, April 7, 2024

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup and progress on the Progressive Poem and a Fibonacci poem can be found at Margaret Simon’s Reflections on the Teche blog.

 

“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.”

― Haruki Murakami, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman: 24 Stories

Today is Good Friday and Poetry Friday. Over at #Verselove today, I have shared a prompt about writing a poem that includes some aspect of death.

I wanted to share with you all the two powerful mentor poems I used:

Mary Oliver ties her “When Death Comes” poem to living life fully.

When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

Read Oliver’s full poem here.

Nikki Giovanni, in her poem “Rosa Parks,” ties the horrific death of Emmett Till with the Pullman Porters who helped him on his way to Mississippi and how, later that same year, Rosa Parks “sat back down.” Please take time to read this powerful poem. It begins:

This is for the Pullman Porters who organized when people said they couldn’t. And carried the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender to the Black Americans in the South so they would know they were not alone.

Read the rest of Giovanni’s poem here.