Happy Poetry Friday, and welcome! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’re here, and I’m happy to be here, too. I’ve been absent the past week or two (or three?) due to family and book things in August, and I’ve missed you.
Recently, a library in Florida recommended four duck‑y picture books, including my Finding Family. Another title they included was Gertie, the Darling Duck of WWII, by Shari Swanson and Renee Graef. This wonderful book follows the true story of a war-weary Milwaukee, and how its citizens became focused on a duck and her nest built in a precarious spot. It made me think about how, the bigger and more overwhelming our problems feel, the more we focus in on tiny, singular situations. They bring our attention to bits of beauty and hope and inspiration.
Here’s the poetryaction I wrote after reading Gertie. (You can see all my poetryactions here.)
And…I’ve got poems in several books coming out. First up (coming in December) is
Plus, I’m so excited about two gorgeous anthologies with Poetry Friday ties coming in 2025! I’m honored to have a poem in each of these beautiful books. Coming first in March will be If I Could Choose a Best Day, edited by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, with dreamy art by Olivia Sua. And then in April comes A Universe of Rainbows, edited by Matt Forrest Esenwine and vibrantly illustrated by Jamey Christoph. These two anthologies will bring so much emotion, science, and beauty into the world, and I can’t wait to hold them in my hands! (You can follow the links to see the covers and pre-order, if you’re so inclined.)
Huge thank yous to David, Tim, Irene, Charles, and Matt for including my words in your projects <3
And for lots of wonderful poetry, don’t miss the Poetry Friday Roundup with poet-climate activist Heidi Mordhorst!
11 Responses
Hi Laura, congratulations for all your work in so many places. I’ll look for that book about Gertie! And, I love your poetry action poem, the beautiful way to take action for our well-being, find the small things that give us joy, “small shiny threads”. Have a lovely weekend on your own search!
Whoo-hoo for ducks and shiny threads in many places. Your words about small things in the face of big woes echoes what I heard Christina Soontornvat say in her video about TO CHANGE A PLANET (which I learned about this morning at Marcie’s blog). May it be so, and congrats on all your forthcoming pieces!
Congratulations on all your upcoming publications, Laura. Your poetry action is so beautifully true -“when the world feels woven of oversized tragedies, we search for the small…that draw us together in hope”
Thanks for sharing this, Laura, and congratulations on being able to share your words in all these books. I’m very proud to share words with you, not just my own anthology, but in David’s 40 Poems anthology, as well!
Thanks for the link to the 40 Poems for 40 Weeks! My niece is a 4th grade teacher asking about poetry ‑teaching resources. And congrats on the upcoming anthologies!
During our shelter from the hurricane this week I read your loon story to 3 year old Stella. She is full of questions. Such a fun age to read aloud to. I love how thinking about small things gives us hope. I’ll be looking for the small things as I visit my mother this weekend.
So much poetry goodness coming! I can’t wait to read them all!
Truth: “…the bigger and more overwhelming our problems feel, the more we focus in on tiny, singular situations. They bring our attention to bits of beauty and hope and inspiration.” And you echoed that so beautifully in your final stanza.
Laura, congratulations on having your poems in various anthologies. Your poetryaction is wonderful as always. “find the small things that give us joy”-YES!
Laura, congrats on all the poems that will land in the world soon. I love this Poetryaction — so lovely and so true. We need to small things, the beauty close to home, to cope with the big messes in the world. Thanks for all of this!
Hooray for poems coming out into the world! I don’t teach the littles–so “word ladders” is not a term I know. I can figure it out from the context, but what a cool idea in the poetic sense. I want to see some of those that you created. And, I love your poem from a prompt. Beautiful. This is a prompt to tuck away. I want to write to this.