I recently discovered the beautiful poetry collection called HOW TO CROSS A POND: POEMS ABOUT WATER, by Marilyn Singer. As I savored each poem, I was tickled to see some water roles that I showed in WATER CAN BE… shown in her poems, too (although her collection is very diverse, with poems ranging from informational to whimsical–all delightful. Here’s one I love that of course made me think of the “tadpole hatcher” page in my own book.
Rain Forest
In the rain forest, where the ground is a limitless
??????????????????????????? sponge
????????? drinking in cloud after cloud’s worth
??????????????????????????????????????of water,
the treetops are ablaze with private ponds
????????????? each no bigger than a flower’s cup.
Tadpoles hatch within them
???????????? swimming leisurely
???????????? turning into tiny frogs,
???????????????????????????each one master of its estate
where every petal is a teeming shore
??????????????????????????? every pool a boundless lake.
–Marilyn Singer, all rights reserved
Isn’t that amazing? I’ll be sharing my thoughts on reading it on Monday. And speaking of reading it, here I am, enjoying every luscious word of this gorgeous poem.
The Poetry Friday Roundup today is being wrangled by Katya at Write. Sketch. Repeat. Enjoy!
This is very nice I have never heard of this writer but
The ending sounds like something I heard
Before I’m wondering if she way be in some jurnals with other writers I like when you read the poems you talk about would you ever conceter doing that for your 15 word poem group?
Marilyn’s poetry is just wonderful! Fun that you found this poem in the terrific anthology TREE THAT TIME BUILT.
And thanks for the kind words about my reading. No, I would never attempt to do other people’s 15WOL poems. First, I’d need permission from everyone, which is a pain. And second, just no time. Soundcloud is easy and doesn’t take long to do. But if I were doing more than just my poems to share, that would quickly get out of hand. And, I suppose, use up all my Soundcloud storage space, too. Anyway, not anything I want to start! You guys could certainly record your own poems on Soundcloud. I could start a 15 Words or Less Soundcloud group where they would all live. There’s a Poetry Friday group that Irene Latham started recently.
I meant would you ever read your own 15 pome
OOOOOOOooooooh! I misunderstood. But the answer’s still no. The reasoning is different though. My 15WOL drafts and just first drafts, and I’m hesitant enough to even share work online that is written so quickly, but I do it to try to demonstrate that first drafts are just quick, easy, fun (hopefully), and not polished at all. I wouldn’t want to record it, because that would make it somehow more permanent or make it feel more “finished” than it actually is. I wouldn’t want to give it more credibility or authority by actually recording it, if you know what I mean…
This is very nice I have never heard of this writer but
The ending sounds like something I heard
Before I’m wondering if she way be in some jurnals with other writers I like when you read the poems you talk about would you ever conceter doing that for your 15 word poem group?
Marilyn’s poetry is just wonderful! Fun that you found this poem in the terrific anthology TREE THAT TIME BUILT.
And thanks for the kind words about my reading. No, I would never attempt to do other people’s 15WOL poems. First, I’d need permission from everyone, which is a pain. And second, just no time. Soundcloud is easy and doesn’t take long to do. But if I were doing more than just my poems to share, that would quickly get out of hand. And, I suppose, use up all my Soundcloud storage space, too. Anyway, not anything I want to start! You guys could certainly record your own poems on Soundcloud. I could start a 15 Words or Less Soundcloud group where they would all live. There’s a Poetry Friday group that Irene Latham started recently.
I meant would you ever read your own 15 pome
OOOOOOOooooooh! I misunderstood. But the answer’s still no. The reasoning is different though. My 15WOL drafts and just first drafts, and I’m hesitant enough to even share work online that is written so quickly, but I do it to try to demonstrate that first drafts are just quick, easy, fun (hopefully), and not polished at all. I wouldn’t want to record it, because that would make it somehow more permanent or make it feel more “finished” than it actually is. I wouldn’t want to give it more credibility or authority by actually recording it, if you know what I mean…
This poem of hers is in the book The Tree That Time Built I knew it sounded like something I heard 🙂
This poem of hers is in the book The Tree That Time Built I knew it sounded like something I heard 🙂
Such a vivid image! Love this — thanks for sharing. I’ll have tadpoles swimming in my head all afternoon.
Hi Keri! Thank you again for your lovely support of WATER CAN BE… And yes on the tadpoles!
Such a vivid image! Love this — thanks for sharing. I’ll have tadpoles swimming in my head all afternoon.
Hi Keri! Thank you again for your lovely support of WATER CAN BE… And yes on the tadpoles!
It is a wonderful poem by Marilyn Singer, and I don’t know that book by her, so thank you for that Laura. It’s wonderful to think about those tiny tadpoles in leafy pools! So much to celebrate in rain forests!
So glad you like it, Linda! P.S. Are you going to IRA?
It is a wonderful poem by Marilyn Singer, and I don’t know that book by her, so thank you for that Laura. It’s wonderful to think about those tiny tadpoles in leafy pools! So much to celebrate in rain forests!
So glad you like it, Linda! P.S. Are you going to IRA?
I think of myself as a dryad in a past life and so I love the cadence of this rainforest poem. Love Marilyn Singer! Thanks for sharing this Laura.
It’s a lovely one for reading out loud–masterful pauses, I think. Glad you enjoyed this!
I think of myself as a dryad in a past life and so I love the cadence of this rainforest poem. Love Marilyn Singer! Thanks for sharing this Laura.
It’s a lovely one for reading out loud–masterful pauses, I think. Glad you enjoyed this!
Wonderful book recommendation. I have one of her books, this poem is such a gift I’d love to own. Thank you for sharing. And it does bring to mind Water Can Be (which my students love).
Thanks, Julianne. Marilyn is SO creative–her work is really wonderful.
Wonderful book recommendation. I have one of her books, this poem is such a gift I’d love to own. Thank you for sharing. And it does bring to mind Water Can Be (which my students love).
Thanks, Julianne. Marilyn is SO creative–her work is really wonderful.
Two new-to-me books by Marilyn Singer, soon to be added to my collection — this one and her earth one! THANK YOU!
I think there’s a third one in that set, too, Mary Lee. I need to get the others besides the water one. It is glorious! P.S. Are you going to IRA?
Two new-to-me books by Marilyn Singer, soon to be added to my collection — this one and her earth one! THANK YOU!
I think there’s a third one in that set, too, Mary Lee. I need to get the others besides the water one. It is glorious! P.S. Are you going to IRA?
Marilyn Singer is one of my favorite poets, and this poem is one of my favorites. The imagery makes me want to dive into one of those “private pools.” Thanks for sharing!
She is terrific! Excellent poems about other places make me feel like I’m there as I read it, and make me want to physically go there after I’m finished reading it. This one does that for me, too. :>)
Marilyn Singer is one of my favorite poets, and this poem is one of my favorites. The imagery makes me want to dive into one of those “private pools.” Thanks for sharing!
She is terrific! Excellent poems about other places make me feel like I’m there as I read it, and make me want to physically go there after I’m finished reading it. This one does that for me, too. :>)