Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)
I have two things today. First, Meet My Family published yesterday! I’m honored to be over at Kirby Larson’s Friend Friday, discussing how my own unusual family (ok, let’s be honest–my own weird family when I was a child) led to Meet My Family, this book about animals, families, and diversity many years later. This is Stop 2 on my blog tour! I’m so grateful to be visiting with many writers and educators I so admire during this blog tour. Thank you for visiting over at Kirby’s and commenting, if you have time! (I remember what an inspiration Kirby was early in my children’s writing journey when I heard her speak at a Minnesota SCBWI conference. She is so lovely and honest, both in person and in her books!) And there’s a GIVEAWAY!
Click to go to page with clickable links.
Next up, my Poetry Princess poem.
This month, our Poetry Princess challenge, set by Liz, was ekphrastic poetry. She gave us this photo, taken at the Garden of the Gods, for inspiration. There were no words, no themes, no forms required. Total freedom–just inspired by this image.
I put this off way too long and found myself at Taco Bell only last Friday, scribbling words and rhymes and thoughts. Here’s the triolet I ended up with:
Photo: Liz Garton Scanlon Poem: Laura Purdie Salas
I’m looking forward to seeing what my Poetry Sisters have come up with–right along with you guys!
Kelly
Liz
Sara
Tanita
Tricia
Non-poetry demands are keeping Andi away this month, but she’ll return :>)
Click here to see all our previous Poetry Princesses collaborations.
Make sure to visit Renee at No Water River for the entire Poetry Friday Roundup!
This is beautiful and heartbreaking. It makes my poem seem awfully silly.
I love that you keep coming back to the refugee situation. It’s important that we don’t forget.
Your soul searching poem reminds me of two books Laura, “The Red Pencil” by Andrea Davis Pinkney and “The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father” by Kai Kalia Yang, both very moving stories families in refugee camps. I think your poem feels even that much more chilling due to the absence of any family in the image. Thanks for sharing and keeping this difficult dilemma present on our minds.
Very moving poem. I’ll stop by the other location.
So many congratulations on MEET MY FAMILY!, Laura, which I love! I will be posting about it myself next week. And this poem… heartbreaking and beautiful. Love how you put the triolet form to work, creating different meanings with punctuation etc. Excellent! xo
Thanks, Irene–that means a lot! And glad you enjoyed the triolet:>)
Congrats on your new book! Gotta getta copy!!
And your poem. Wow. I want to share it with my students, who have been moved and changed by Alan Gratz’s book, REFUGEE.
Thank you, Mary Lee–that book is on my to-read list. But I’ve read several on the topic lately and am on hiatus. The situation is just so heartbreaking and overwhelming.
I loved hearing about ‘your’ family in Kirby’s post, Laura, and am so surprised by your poem as a response to that picture, but I see it, that “trapped”. Beautifully done!
Thanks, Linda. I intended to write something else, about how you can be trapped somewhere but if you can enjoy the view, it’s not so much trapped as it is supported. But it wouldn’t come. And then it was just “rock and a hard place,” and refugees came to mind. But it was a surprise to me, too:>)
Hooray for MEET MY FAMILY! I’m so excited to be part of your blog tour!
Your poem today is heart-wrenching. A triolet is the perfect form for this simple yet profound plea: Can we find peace?
Thanks, Catherine–I’m so glad you’re part of it:>) Thanks for reading. I sure hope we can…someday.
Oh, Laura. I always feel like my poems are so sad that I’ve made a fierce effort to lighten up… and I thank you for not making that fierce effort. Keep speaking your mind. This is gorgeous.
Mine all feel so preachy lately. But that’s all that’s coming out. I’m not happy about it. But thank you for the kind words:>)
Congratulations on your book birthday, you’re such an inspiration, I can’t wait to read this one, and of course to share it on my blog when it finally arrives in my part of Canada. 🙂
Thanks so much, Jane! I appreciate that so much! And WILD ONE is finally on order from my library system, and I’m second in line! Can’t wait to read it.
What a beautiful, heartbreaking poem to remind us of the refugees all over who are still trapped. And thank you to the Poetry Princesses who introduced me to the triolet. I’ve attempted several this past month!
Wow! What a powerful poem! I love your refrain–We limp away from war.
So good, Laura. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Families. Families under duress. Families apart and together. This unexpectedly all goes together so well. Isn’t it just like poetry to do that? Running to check out your blog tour now…I feel like between your post and Tricia’s, I’m learning even more about the wonderful women I write with every month, So glad.
“We limped away from war. Can we find peace?” – so unforgettable; such plaintive cry. Beautiful. 🙂