Poetry Friday Roundup: Starry Beach

Welcome to Poetry Friday! This is my first time hosting here at my new (and still being decorated) bloghome on WordPress, and I’m happy you’re here!

Here’s a poem I wrote earlier this year. It’s part of a batch of seashell poems I wrote to submit to a themed magazine. None were accepted, but I’m hoping to revise a few of them and send them out somewhere else. Maybe. Or maybe not.

Starry Beach

Magic paints the beach at night
Moonlight pours down, liquid, bright
World of water, sky of sand
A sea star twinkles in my hand

Bony home’s been left behind
Jeweled treasure, night-time find
Five rays gleaming, small but grand
A sea star twinkles in my hand

Gritty beauty, brittle star
I don’t wonder what you are
Stony gems bedeck each strand
A sea star twinkles in my hand

–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

Please leave a comment, too, if you have time!

130 Responses

  1. First of all, congratulations on your new blog! I love starfish too — “bony home…gritty beauty…stony gems” Yes! And “twinkling” is a perfect connection to sea stars from TWINKLE TWINKLE…this was so lovely that I found myself singing your poem as I read.
    Today I have a poem from history, inspired by a npr StoryCorps story. http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2011/11/history-into-poetry-luigi-del-bianco.html
    Thank you for hosting…I look forward to seeing you at NCTE! A.

    1. Thanks, Amy, for the kind words. It will be great to see you at NCTE–you’re on my list of great online poetry resources for teachers!

  2. First of all, congratulations on your new blog! I love starfish too — “bony home…gritty beauty…stony gems” Yes! And “twinkling” is a perfect connection to sea stars from TWINKLE TWINKLE…this was so lovely that I found myself singing your poem as I read.
    Today I have a poem from history, inspired by a npr StoryCorps story. http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2011/11/history-into-poetry-luigi-del-bianco.html
    Thank you for hosting…I look forward to seeing you at NCTE! A.

    1. Thanks, Amy, for the kind words. It will be great to see you at NCTE–you’re on my list of great online poetry resources for teachers!

    1. Hey, April! I see you made it in this morning–yay! I was going to add you from the message you left last night. Anyway, I’ll be over to check out your dog poems later today!

    1. Hey, April! I see you made it in this morning–yay! I was going to add you from the message you left last night. Anyway, I’ll be over to check out your dog poems later today!

  3. Your poem could definitely be sung to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!” Very fun. Such vivid images: “Gritty beauty, brittle star”
    “bony home”
    “World of water, sky of sand”
    Lovely!

  4. Your poem could definitely be sung to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!” Very fun. Such vivid images: “Gritty beauty, brittle star”
    “bony home”
    “World of water, sky of sand”
    Lovely!

  5. Twinkle, twinkle, starry beach
    Seaside magic’s in my reach.

    I always feel so rich with a handful of shells. Like this one.

  6. Twinkle, twinkle, starry beach
    Seaside magic’s in my reach.

    I always feel so rich with a handful of shells. Like this one.

  7. I love the references to the nursery rhyme: “I don’t wonder what you are”, and that you are so sweetly talking to the seastar.

  8. I love the references to the nursery rhyme: “I don’t wonder what you are”, and that you are so sweetly talking to the seastar.

  9. Lovely poem, Laura.

    The Write Sisters share a reflection on Poetry (and art) in society, from a speech by President Kennedy:
    .

  10. Lovely poem, Laura.

    The Write Sisters share a reflection on Poetry (and art) in society, from a speech by President Kennedy:
    .

  11. Laura,

    Thanks for doing the Poetry Friday Roundup this week.

    At Wild Rose Reader, I have a post about the poetry anthology “Dare to Dream…Change the World.” It includes a letter poem that I wrote to Jonas Salk. (That poem is not the one that will be included in the book.)

  12. Laura,

    Thanks for doing the Poetry Friday Roundup this week.

    At Wild Rose Reader, I have a post about the poetry anthology “Dare to Dream…Change the World.” It includes a letter poem that I wrote to Jonas Salk. (That poem is not the one that will be included in the book.)

  13. Thanks for hosting.
    My selection is “Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors” poems by Joyce Sidman and illustrations by Beckie Prange.

    1. Such a fantastic book! I’m just realizing I went to all the links in Mister Linky and I don’t think yours was in there–was it? Maybe I just missed it…

  14. Thanks for hosting.
    My selection is “Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors” poems by Joyce Sidman and illustrations by Beckie Prange.

    1. Such a fantastic book! I’m just realizing I went to all the links in Mister Linky and I don’t think yours was in there–was it? Maybe I just missed it…

  15. Oh, there’s nothing like the beach at night, is there? Lovely poem, Laura.

    I put my Poetry Friday link up with Mr. Linky — but I’ll repeat it here: This week at
    The Drift Record I’m featuring a poem by Stephen Withrow and linking to the interview of him over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

  16. Oh, there’s nothing like the beach at night, is there? Lovely poem, Laura.

    I put my Poetry Friday link up with Mr. Linky — but I’ll repeat it here: This week at
    The Drift Record I’m featuring a poem by Stephen Withrow and linking to the interview of him over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

  17. Oh, starfish! Love your poem!
    Today I’m pondering teakettles over at alphabet soup.
    Thanks for hosting today! Your new blog home is wonderful *wanders off to look around*…

  18. Oh, starfish! Love your poem!
    Today I’m pondering teakettles over at alphabet soup.
    Thanks for hosting today! Your new blog home is wonderful *wanders off to look around*…

  19. Laura, I’m not sharing today, but love Starry Beach! My favorite line is “Gritty beauty, brittle star.” And the allusion to “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” with “I don?t wonder what you are” and the repetitive last line of each stanza is perfect.

  20. Laura, I’m not sharing today, but love Starry Beach! My favorite line is “Gritty beauty, brittle star.” And the allusion to “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” with “I don?t wonder what you are” and the repetitive last line of each stanza is perfect.

    1. P.S. I liked the poem you shared–especially

      I got six overdues,
      suspension of borrowing rights
      and a D in Physics
      but had by heart what Archimedes proves.

      But I couldn’t leave a Comment. The Comment box wouldn’t load on my page.

    1. P.S. I liked the poem you shared–especially

      I got six overdues,
      suspension of borrowing rights
      and a D in Physics
      but had by heart what Archimedes proves.

      But I couldn’t leave a Comment. The Comment box wouldn’t load on my page.

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