Oh, ah…hello. This is a little embarrassing. You see, each Saturday (I work Tuesday-Saturday, generally), I get my blog posts set up for the week, and then I just dash in throughout the week if I feel like it to add up-to-the-minute notes. So, it’s Saturday, April 30, as I write this. And I don’t have a dang word written for this month’s Poetry Princesses poem. In fact (face red), I don’t quite remember what we’re doing. It’s a poetic form new to me chosen by Tricia (The Miss Rumphius Effect), and I feel totally guilty that I haven’t thought about it at all. Crumb.
April was kind of overwhelming for me. House on the market (still). Mom in the hospital. Sick half the month and half-sick the rest. All that’s just a lot of whining and excuses, because poetry is the thing that makes the stress of all that other stuff bleed away. I just need to get my act together and write something.
So, hopefully, below, you’ll see a poem of some sort. If not, this post will just be a roundup of everyone else’s poems. Sigh.
[Added on Thursday] Yesterday and today, we all threw poems into a Google Doc, and I was inspired by everyone’s (in turn) gorgeous, clever, heartbreaking poems. Thank God for my Poetry Sisters. Although I didn’t change it tons, revising my first draft left it feeling a little richer, to me. Here’s draft 2.
Now, please don’t miss the wonderful offerings of my friends/poets! They remind me every month how my own poetry can grow, and my own heart can grow, by reading poetry. I’ll put my favorite lines in parentheses as I get around to visiting and reading their posted drafts.
Andi (that echos from old piles of stone)
Kelly (the greening swell of hope / whether in feathers or not)
Liz (Hope / for a warm tart, weak light, words sweet.)
Sara (even the mouth / of a grave sweats)
Tanita (This spiderling, with heart in tiny mouth)
Tricia (My heart and mouth / slammed shut.)
And here are the previous Poetry Sisters collaborations:
| Apr 2016 | Poem inspired by a Mark Balma ceiling fresco (mine was “Channel-Hopping Through Reality Grasshopper TV”) |
| Mar 2016 | Sedoka |
| Feb 2016 | Poem Inspired by a Picasso Sculpture (ugh) |
| Jan 2016 | Crown sonnet (on the periodic table) |
| Nov 2015 | Ekphrastic poems |
| Oct 2015 | Etherees |
| Sep 2015 | Found poems |
| Aug 2015 | Classified haiku |
| Jul 2015 | Inspired by e.e. cummings’ poems |
| Jun 2015 | Odes |
| May 2015 |
Pantoums |
| Apr 2015 | Raccontinos |
| Mar 2015 | Sestinas (Lord have mercy) |
| Feb 2015 | Villanelles on hidden things |
| Jan 2015 | Triolets on beginnings (And I posted an extra one here.) |
| Pre-2015 | Villanelles, a crown sonnet, rondeau redoubles, and pantoums |
And awesome poetry advocate and teacher educator and Caldecott Committee Member (wha-wha!) Sylvia Vardell has the Poetry Friday Roundup. Enjoy!
28 Responses
Laura, that poem is just so exciting and heartening! The growing joy of spring spins on those three end words. What a month you’ve had, and still turned it into beauty. I am hoping May is all rest and flowers for you and your mom!
From your lips to God’s ear, Andi. And a joyous month to you, too! Despite…life.
This poem is artfully crafted. What is the form? I love how you say that poetry makes the stress fall away. Some of us would be stressed to write in a structured form. Such a great practice and group of poet sisters!
It’s called a tritina, Margaret. Can’t believe I didn’t even say that. Sigh:/
I want to try a tritina. Just love to say that word.
It IS a pretty one, isn’t it? Like a ballerina poem.
Ooh, you added a few shiny touches here, Laura. The final is quite, quite lovely.
I’m so sorry you were ill, and your Mum, too. It’s just this “shoulder season” time of year. Soon, we’ll all turn a corner. *fingers crossed* Be well!
Thanks, Tanita…We just keep looking at each other (me and Randy) and saying, “Surely, the house will sell, Mom will have a healthy spell, etc., etc., etc.” Thanks for the good wishes!
I love the image of the “thick green thread” peeking through the cold ground. Hope you’re feeling better, Laura, and that your mom is doing well.
Thanks, Catherine. Mom is home after 9 days in the hospital. Pacemaker procedure in 10 days. At least I’m pretty healthy, though, which is nice for dealing with all the stressful things going on. Thanks!
Yes. Poetry melts stress. I find I write poetry most often when I’m supposed to be doing something else or when life is overwhelming me. I hope Spring grows into a more peaceful season for you and your whole family.
I’m enjoying your tweaks to this poem. The use of rabbled.…the April breezes and unfreezes line…all new, yes? I’m happy you kept my favorites lines, though—-
“one fat, flat thread
and a star that shines, golden and cold”
SO lovely.
Also, your opening commentary is heartening to those of us who are ALWAYS last minute. 🙂
Apparently, I have a new name: Sara Lewish.…
Maybe you’d been drinking? Then why not Shara Lewish?
Hehe–I’m sure she was just drunk on poetry!
Thanks, Sara–I don’t know quite where rabbled came from, but I needed something hard and…cheap, somehow. I so loved y’all’s feedback to help me know which lines I shouldn’t mess with:>)
It seems that you have written a ‘thread’ to hold on to during these challenging months, Laura. I love the “broom of thread” that starts it. Wishing you good wishes for your mother and to sell your home. I have a picture of one daffodil poking through the snow, they persist and give us all hope, I think.
Thank you, Linda. Your comment makes me picture the ubiquitous kitten hanging onto a rope with its tiny claws! There’s something about one flower that’s better than a whole field, sometimes–especially to a poet, right?
Laura, I love how you used the word thread to keep the focus on the cycle of life. I would love to learn more about this poetry form. The title and the ending work beautifully together.
Thanks, Carol! This one is a tritina, and Kelly explains it a bit in her post. Thanks for the kind words–I like your thought on how the repeated words function!
I thought your poem was — no, IS — wonderful! From grave-digging cold to threads. So wonderful.
Thanks, Kelly!
I can’t believe we all pulled this one off!! Yours is perfect, Laura. So sensual and evocative. “A broom of thread” — YES!!!
Thanks, Liz! I kinda can’t, either. When last Sunday/Monday came, I was thinking, Sheesh, I guess I’d better get SOMEthing written down!
Laura,
I loved the line, “and a star that shines, golden and cold.” I like that for a description of the daffodil. This form reminds me a lot the sestina, only like a half-sestina. Your end words worked very well. Nicely done.
I read somewhere that if you spend an hour a day reading and writing in your chosen field, in 7 years you will be considered an expert. I think you are an expert. It is wonderful to see the Poetry Princesses growth.
An intriguing challenge, which I think you tackled admirably! I wasn’t sure if it was going to be about the crocus specifically, but when you mentioned the golden star (daffodil), I realized you were talking about spring in general and the lifting of winter’s death-grip. Nicely done!
Lovely, heartwarming, and inspiring (based on what your April was like)!!!
Hi, Laura, thanks for kicking off Poetry Friday at my blog– and sending a big hug as you get well (er) and your mom gets well. Mine had a pacemaker put in (years ago) and replaced (more recently) and it was fairly routine and has made a big difference. Hope that’s true for your mom too! Hang in there!
“Petalled thread” sounds absolutely beautiful. Hopefully, your May would be somewhat lighter. 🙂