Poetry Friday - Bookshelves and Bins and Blogs, Oh My!

This has been an exciting month of poetry.  I raided my own bookshelves frequently to pull favorite books of poetry.  I checked out bins of books in preparation for a month of sharing poetry with our after school book club.  We read poems, marked favorites, shared poems, wrote some poetry, and copied some poems.  Tuesday afternoon we posted favorite poems all around the school.  Carrie Bowman, the librarian from KCLS (King County Library System), arrived with poems ready to tie with yarn for our lunchtime sharing for Thursday's Poem in Your Pocket Day.  It was a busy meeting!

Yesterday, I sorted through 3 bins of poetry and managed to return 2 of them.  Some I'm keeping for a future post on favorite books by individual poets, some I'm keeping because I haven't read them yet,  and some I'm keeping because I can't bear to return them yet. After quickly reading the poetry shelves again in both the children and adult sections, I left with only 1 bin of books.  And my library card is no longer in danger of being maxed out.

What a rich month of poetry I've enjoyed!  I'm amazed by the stamina and creativity shown by friends who wrote a poem-a-day in April.  I may not have made it by every day, but I can't wait to catch up. I've loved following our mermaid girl in the progressive poem.  I was excited by Tricia's post of poetry books that focus on form and the writing of poetry. And I'm sad that I didn't manage to chalk a poem yesterday for Chalk-A-Bration with Betsy. Instead of celebrating poetry all day, I was helping out with testing (but I had a poem in each pocket).   I think that next year I'll refuse to let such an onerous task mar my month of poetry.

Here's the haiku I wanted to chalk in honor of our sweet Hadley who went to cat heaven in April:

Sunshine filled landing

Memories of Miss Hadley

Curl perfectly round

So glad I have this community where I can celebrate poetry every week of the year.  See you next Friday!  This week's roundup of poetry love is hosted by Ellen at Elementary Dear Reader.

Look What I Found!

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Tara, Betsy, Dana, Beth, and Anna

for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday 

                                                      and nurturing our writing lives.

We have our usual walk to the small downtown district from our home.  It's about 3 miles round trip.  Recently, we've expanded a bit with a longer loop which makes our walk about 4 miles.  Occasionally we hike through the woods, onto the Lid, and through the downtown district for a five mile walk. 

On Saturday we did the quickest and most efficient walk possible.  I had forgotten to purchase hamburger meat when I went grocery shopping that morning.  So we walked directly to QFC and took the most direct route home instead of our usual scenic route through the residential area.  That's when we discovered blooming flowers on an evergreen tree! Okay, they're probably not flowers, but they sure look like flowers at first glance.  I'm pretty sure the center is what becomes the pine cone.  I haven't identified the tree yet.  We have birding books for the NW, but no tree books.  If you can identify this tree, be sure to leave a comment.  There are so many things all around us that deserve a closer look.  I'm glad that I forgot the hamburger.  And now I'm off to the KCLS site to request a tree book.   

Celebrate This Week!

                              Join us each weekend for Celebrate this week with Ruth Ayres.  

 When we pause to celebrate, we find the joy.

  A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember!

1.  Messages and pics from Sara!

Sara's in Baltimore helping out after Ann and Andrew's family grew to four.  We haven't carved out as much time to chat, but I've loved the pictures and yesterday's FaceTime chat with the birthday girl, a three year old propelled by birthday exuberance!  I celebrate a three year old who moves constantly,
and a one week old who seems to be sleeping a lot!

2.  An evening walk with a friend!

We used to walk together frequently.  Schedules and life get in the way,

but we carved out time to squeeze in a stroll at sunset.  

3.  Poetic pleasures!

Our Thursday afternoon book club prowled the pages of poetry books in search of poems to share with the school community.  Next week, we'll meet on both Monday and Tuesday so we can post poems around the school in preparation for celebrating "Poem in Your Pocket Day" on Thursday.  

4.  400 Posts!

Today marks my 400th post!  I'm still grateful to my students who encouraged me to go public with my posts during Slice of Life 2012.  I closed my eyes and plunged in.  I've continued to plod along faithfully, rewarded by reading your posts and continually being inspired by the writers who surround me.  

Poetry Friday

Renee LaTulippe (such a poetic name!) at No Water River

is hosting Poetry Friday this week.  She has a wonderful Q & A

post that explains how to participate with us each week.

 Be sure to stop by for a taste of poetry love.

Evening light shimmers

as father-son paddle boarders glide by.

Walkers, drunk on lilacs, 

stroll blossom-filled roads.  

Poetry struts at sunset.

Spiritual Journey Thursday: Family

The bloggers at Spiritual Journey Thursday are            

writing about family this week.  

  Thanks to Holly Mueller for hosting

this group each Thursday. 

Even though I'm a day late, I'm linking up with my friends at Spiritual Journey Thursday with a poem and a pic.  Holly shared her reflections as her family grows to embrace a new son.  I share a short poem that notes the many ways we stay connected as a family.  Our photo was taken in August 2013 at Sara's graduation.   We are looking forward to Christmas 2015 when we will ALL be together again.  

Notes, letters, stories

Tender points of connection

FaceTime, Instagram, messages

Link us lovingly together

Until the next time

We meet to hug and talk

Enchanted Afternoon

Today I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice" 

to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.

Thanks to Stacey, Tara, Betsy, Dana, Beth, and Anna

for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday 

                                                      and nurturing our writing lives.

In honor of poetry month, I continue my efforts to capture my SOL in poetry.

This week I choose the arun* to capture our Thursday afternoon book club.  

*Arun - a fifteen-line poem in three sets of five lines.

Each set of five lines follows the same syllable structure:

starting with one syllable and increasing by one (1/2/3/4/5 - 3X).

Enchanted Afternoon

Called 

outside,

surrounded

by poetry,

we celebrate poems.

I 

impose

silence.  The

muse delivers

weaving her wonder.

Six

heads share

enchantment,

laughter, sunshine

as poems beguile us.

Celebrate This Week

                               Join us each weekend for Celebrate this week with Ruth Ayres.  

 When we pause to celebrate, we find the joy.

  A week filled with moments to celebrate and remember!

1.  A visit from a friend and a new book!

Patty's visit was perfect.  We shared hot cookies, cold milk, hugs, and tears.  

She gave us the book Cat Heaven, a new-for-me book and a forever keeper.

I think Hadley must love sleeping on God's bed, but I miss her every day.  

2.  A Monday departure!

Sara's Monday departure meant her May arrival is creeping closer.

3.  Thursday book club in the Gator Garden!
Construction on our campus makes finding an outdoor spot difficult.
One of our book club members suggested the Gator Garden.  
We loved writing, reading, and sharing poetry outside.    

4.  A Friday post!

Even though I had to whittle my list to six essential poetry books,

I followed up with a Poetry Friday post to expand the list.

5. A Saturday morning indulgence!

I let myself meander blogs for one hour before writing today's post.

6.  Saturday afternoon workshop today!

"Haiku and Painting:  Inspiring One Another

Join artist Molly Hashimoto and librarian Carrie Bowman

to discover ways that poetry, art, and nature mingle with delightful results."

I wish my blogger friends could join me, but I promise to report back.