Sarah J. Donovan is a former junior high English language arts teacher of fifteen years and an Assistant Professor of Secondary English Education at Oklahoma State University. She wrote Genocide Literature in Middle and Secondary Classrooms (2016) and the young adult novel, Alone Together (2018). She is a co-editor for the online journal Writers Who Care. Dr. Donovan was the Books in Review columnist for The ALAN Review (2019) and serves as a state representative and board member for The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN). She has contributed chapters to The Best Lesson Series (Talks with Teachers, 2018), Queer Adolescent Literature as a Complement to the English Language Arts Curriculum (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), Moving Beyond Loss to Societal Grieving (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), and Contending with Gun Violence in the English Language Classroom (Routledge, 2019).
Inspiration
I have found that sometimes writers need help coming up with a topic, and sometimes they need a structure or form to organize ideas, and sometimes they need both (or neither), so while today, I offer you a topic suggestion and a form to try, feel free to reject it all and write whatever you wish.
Topic suggestion: Earth day is tomorrow. What has Earth given you? What experiences do you have working the land? What amazing beings and creatures, places and spaces in the corners of our Earth do you know that you could introduce us to today? Do you know an Earth activist, scientist, tribal leader who is leading the way to protect Mother Earth? Write about any of the above.
Form suggestion: The ovillejo is an old Spanish form popularized by Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616). This 10-line poem is comprised of 3 rhyming couplets (or 2-line stanzas) and a quatrain (or 4-line stanza). I have the outline and example below. This form has call-and-response quality. The responses are repeated in the final line, so make those punch if you choose this form.
Process
There are so many wonderful picturebooks exploring nature and Earth activists. I have shared a few below. Be inspired by the covers linked here (if you’d like to order a few): https://www.amightygirl.com/mighty-girl-picks/top-children-s-books-on-the-environment.
The subject, setting, figures, and composition in cover art can inspire a topic for your poem today. Select a book cover that resonates with you. Notice the title, objects, the “character’ image, and the setting. Use color from the cover. Imagine the story. Ponder the relationships between the being and the place. What is the message? What are the concerns? What are the lessons to be learned? What can we celebrate?
Now use the mentor poem, “The Ovillejo” by Rhina P. Espaillat, to play with meter and rhyme in crafting your short Earth poem today. My poem below enters the cover of Kenya’s Art. The form proved to be tricky for me, so I took a few liberties. (There is no shame in that.) In playing with the rhyme, I uncovered the beauty in what Kenya does for our Earth. I hope you do, too. Here is the pattern line-by-line if you wish to use it.
Line 1: a rhyme in 8 syllables
Line 2: a rhyme in 3-4 syllables
Line 3: b rhyme in 8 syllables
Line 4: b rhyme in 3-4 syllables
Line 5: c rhyme in 8 syllables
Line 6: c rhyme in 3-4 syllables
Line 7: c rhyme in 8 syllables
Line 8: d rhyme in 8 syllables
Line 9: d rhyme in 8 syllables
Line 10: (Line 2) (Line 4) (Line 6)
Sarah’s Poem
Come, Ballerina, tutu needsreused beads
Let us one-arm twirl as I tape
Drum’s cape
Bowtie Patch needs new stitches
button switches
Kenya’s Art is her recycling niche
garbage piles,landfills she roams
toys tossed aside find new homes
reused beads, Drum’s cape, button switches
Write
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.
This is beautiful! Im from http://Skystuccosystems.ca I really like to know Sara, if you can contact me directly at (Info @ skystuccosystems.ca)
I love to work with you im in need of some songs and poem same!
Too High a Cost
Climate crisis, nature dying
Earth is crying
How can we see paradise lost?
Too high a cost
Change could come if we began it
Save the planet
Tell our leaders we can’t stand it
Voices of our generation
Lead the cause of conservation
Earth is crying, too high a cost, save the planet
The earth is a beautiful place
Catching a case
Disease is prone to take action sadly
People act madly
Friends stuck inside, going crazy
Forced to be lazy
Everything is becoming hazy
Boredom became a daily thing
As I wait for my phone to ring
Catching a case, People act madly, Forced to be lazy
I can relate to the part “going crazy” because we’re all stuck at home most of the time now and I miss hanging out with my friends. I like the way you say “forced to be lazy” because it used to be that when I had the chance to sit around and do nothing (“be lazy”), I thought it was great. But, now that it’s being forced on me, I resent it. Those words capture that idea nicely.
*Inspired by the book cover for Clarence Goes Out West and Meets a Purple Horse by Jean Ekman Adams
Yes, Clarence met a purple horse.
Odd? Of course!
The vast desert holds many tales.
The wind wails.
A pig and horse become fast friends;
a journey ends.
A universal truth transcends,
and speaks directly to your heart.
I fear the horse and pig will part.
Odd? Of course! The wind wails. A journey ends.
Shaun, nice work on the ovillejo. What a fun retelling of this book. I love this form here, and your last line really packs a punch, as Sarah suggested.
Roaring River
Red and brown pebbles fill the floor
Rapids roar
Here on the bank I soak my feet
Clear cool sheet
Ripples traveling to my toes
Soft breeze blows
I watch to see where it all flows
And let the sun fall on my skin
I start to wonder where it’s been
Rapids roar, clear cool sheet, soft breeze blows.
Ann, this is lovely. It makes one want to be there to enjoy the scene. “Ripples traveling to my toes / Soft breeze blows.” I also like the skin falling on your skin. Nice job with the ovillejo.
Flower of my Youth
Honeysuckles draped on wire fences,
pure incense.
I dash to the edge of the yard
my cares discard.
From your vines I pluck a flower
nectar devour.
Droplets of honey, not sour
ambrosia could not be sweeter
not unlike a lotus eater:
pure incense, my cares discard, nectar devour.
Oh, Erica, you captured this wonderful childhood memory with rhythm and rhyme that you wouldn’t have tapped had you not been using the ovillejo. It is powerful and effective. The beginning is marvelous and sets the scene perfectly. Really? How did you do that? “Honeysuckles draped on wire fences / pure incense.”
Minnesota Lake
Awakening from your winter sleep
Wrinkles creep
Across your white and frozen face
But soon, no trace
With warmth and kindness of the sun
All is won
Your smile welcomes us to fun
Your soul hides treasures deep and dear
But nothing there for us to fear
Wrinkles creep, but soon no trace, all is won!
Wow, I am loving these amazing ovillejos today. This is a beautiful description of a Midwestern lake in winter and summer, but magical when you add the personification, rhythm and rhyme. Thanks for the memory!
This is an ovillejo about the book Pearl Moskowitz’s Last Stand, one of my favorite children’s books, because it shows a older woman leading a multiracial, multigenerational crowd to save the last gingko tree on the block.
Anne, Chicago, IL, new to this group
Alone on a New York block, a tree
Bubbe Pearl saved me!
Amas, abuelas, round that tree
All grandmas saved me!
Bike chains, card games, food and iced tea!
Whole block saved me!
White Helmet Man brought his saw for me!
Pearl said, My last stand this I’ll make!
No more gingko trees they’ll break!
Bubbe Pearl saved me! All grandmas saved me! Whole block saved me!
Welcome, Anne! I love how you tightened the rhyme scheme and used repetition in lines 2, 4, and 6 to heightening effect! This builds to its conclusion in such a satisfying way. Lovely.
Cathedral Lake
the wooded trail through the aspens wastes
no time to climb
as it steepens views spread out and
highlight the valley’s meadows
near the boulder field the grade subsides
with a talus slope below
up switchbacks to the basin’s wall through
scrub brush, trees as hand rails
the trail turns down to the shore beside the alpine jewel,
Cathedral Lake
Blue
In every ocean symphony
lies symmetry
Mournful blue whale musician
begs listen
This warm blooded locomotion
stirs emotion
miasma choking blue oceans
entangled in marine debris
Blue’s sonorous voice dies unseen
lies symmetry, begs listen, stirs emotion
Tammi, your poem makes me so sad! The mournful musician, miasma choking, and marine debris are such vivid images. So tragic.
Hi Sarah, I’m very late posting today. Had a lot going on and my mom’s only sibling (age 87) is in a rehab for a broken foot and just found out that her room partner has the virus. Trying not to even let my head go there.
I’m thankful for your prompt and the fantastic choices with those book covers. I am a huge fan of illustrator Kadir Nelson, so needless to say I opted for Mama Miti. I read a sample page and decided to stick with it. Loved this pattern too!
Harvest
By Stacey L. Joy
Plant joy to harvest I say
Everyday
Seeds of my gratitude grow tall
Blessings will fall
Upon me. Hold open my hands
Feed the land
Give love or help a hungry man
Because someday it could be me
Needing help or support to BE
Everyday, blessings will fall, feed the land.
Stacey, this is such a lovely, hopeful poem. Your last line is beautiful. I’m so glad you wrote today, even with so much going on in your life. Take care of your family and yourself! Blessings will fall.
Thank you ☺️
Appreciate you!
I, too, am a believer in planting joy. Thank you for wording it that way. I like how the hands are open to receive the blessings–but also to give generously. <3 <3 <3
Lakes and streams glimmer in moonbeams
Stand in its gleam
We stand as water protectors.
Respecters.
The river’s rhythm in our veins.
Earth is in pain
Contamination- she explains
We stand as stewards of the earth
hand in hand, protectors since birth
Stand in its gleam. Respecters. Earth is in pain.
-jenny sykes
I love that we’re in sync today (imagine that!?!). The line, “We stand as water protectors. Respecters” flows so naturally. The rhythm here and throughout works to move the reader through the poem, along the water. The image of the glimmering water in moonbeams is an alluring way to draw us in too!
I’ve been teaching remotely, so I used the view from my office/kitchen window as inspiration for today’s poem.
The blue jay visits my window,
needs a beau.
Robins, juncos fly far away.
She shrieks, “Jay!”
She’s the queen of a stolen nest-
bird needs rest.
Majestic with her perky crest.
Hopping noisily limb to limb.
Why not, the forest is your gym!
Needs a beau, she shrieks, “Jay!” Birds need rest.
Mo — This was clearly a terrific inspiration, as I’m seeing and hearing those familiar birdies. Jays really do “hop” — you nailed that! And you gave her a “gym,” — so fitting. I watch these same birds every day from my window as well… I like the notion of seeing the same birds… our visitors. I’m glad you posted despite those long days of remote teaching and the planning and then writing poems. Thank you! Susie
I found upon the step a puppy’s tooth.
I tell the truth.
Small and clean and white as milk,
Smooth as silk.
A treasure cradled in my palm,
A gift of calm.
Who knew a tooth as mid-day balm?
A small white star, come down to earth:
A tiny sigh, a tiny mirth.
I tell the truth smooth as silk a gift of calm
Allison—another poem to unclench my shoulders. A tiny sigh, a tiny mirth. And from me, a tiny smile of enjoyment…
Allison, I just love the middle lines in your poem, “A treasure cradled in my palm,
A gift of calm.
Who knew a tooth as mid-day balm?” They are delightful and really do make me feel calm! Thanks for this treasure.
Allison — How did you do this… so smoothly crafted?! Each line is seamless and it moves so easily from line to line….like you didn’t even have to think about rhyme and syllables. Now, let’s get down to the beautiful message of bringing calm through something so simple as discovering a puppy’s tooth. I so like the surprise of that… the “who knew”… like a “star, come down to earth/a tiny sigh, a tiny mirth” — gee whiz, that’s beautiful. And the three repeated lines come together like the “tight ball of string” that is an ovillejo. Well done! Susie
Allison, your poem is pure perfection! “A treasure cradled in my palm” shares how one small object can be valued. The last line works so effectively. I especially enjoyed the sixth line. Truly beautiful poem!
Allison, I love how the truth is transformed in your final line. You shape this simple, singular moment and urge us to look closer at the world around us, finding wonder and gratitude in the smallest surprises. Thank you for sharing your poem (and the “truth”) with us!
The Tree Lady
Center of redwood fairy ring,
arms wide, stretching
Face skyward, strain to see the crown:
All her own.
I snuck off the path for a quick
glance, some magic.
The symmetry defies logic.
Three-sixty turn, full of wonder
for Giants that live forever.
Arms wide…stretching…all my own. Glance! Some magic.
Betsy! I feel myself in the magic of this poem, looking up at the impossibly huge redwoods, arms outstretched. This poem honors the earth’s wonder.
Betsy, I have this book at school. Your interpretation of the cover is beautiful and I think really captures the spirit of the story. I adore how you’ve punctuated your final line.
Betsy,
I love the first lines so much: “Center of redwood fairy ring,/arms wide, stretching”. It is lovely that you anthropomorphize the tree, which brings us into proximity, alongside to care more deeply as we would a person. And then the speaker moves in to stretch. Love it.
Sarah
love the last stanza – 36 turn – Giants that live forever
Donnetta’s Ovillejo
School is out the rest of the year.
Have no fear!
Adjusted all of what we knew.
My love is true!
Distance Learning on the fly.
They are my WHY.
Being apart feels so awry.
Teaching them is what completes me.
My Scholars are my LEGACY.
Have not fear! My love is true. They are my WHY!
I love how lines 2, 4, and 6 fit so perfectly in line 10: Have no fear! My love is true. They are my WHY!
“Distance Learning on the fly” was a line that resonated with me, and I bet you can guess why!
I am with you on this one. So surreal to be out for the year. This line totally resonates with me, “Being apart feels so awry”
Mother Earth
It’s not a break that I am taking.
I am dying!
Please change your careless attitude
It is crude!
Please change before it is too late
to change fate.
New ways must be orchestrated
Please, please, do not ignore my plea!
Can’t you see you are killing me?
I am dying: It is crude! To change fate.
This is so clever! I love that the speaker is Mother Earth — it was unexpected. I really enjoy how melodic this is, and I feel like I can almost sing it angrily in my head. You did a wonderful job with the rhymes. The poem conveys the heavy topic even through the lyrical writing. Thanks for sharing!
I agree. “New ways must be orchestrated” ! I love that you have personified Earth here.
Took a crack at it
No matter what, life will go on
Duty upon
So while we do all we can
Honor of Man
It’s not our burden to bare
To Simply Care
So, may we of Earth take a dare
Worry not, enjoy the splendor
For our eternal endeavor
Duty upon, Honor of Man, To Simply Care
Kain, this was a fun prompt, wasn’t it? I like your uplifting message about caring for the Earth.
The last stanza really gets to the heart of our problem. We seem to be so willing to gamble and take the care without recognizes how fragile our whole ecosystem is. We do need to Simply Care. Thanks for sharing.
Picnic in the park before dark
Simple memory spark
Bright sun shines, trees we all will climb
Friends , dogs, and time
Food and drinks to be devoured
Nothing will make this day soured
Enjoying the view, shade we scower
Sitting enjoying company
This place is where I long to be
Simple memory spark, friends, dogs, and time, nothing will make this day soured
Your line first line “Picnic in the park before dark” really resonates with me as it brings back many fond memories I have of enjoying time in the park with family and friends before dark. “This place is where I long to be” so true!
Michelle: Your repetition of time- and memory-related words resonated for me, calling out memories of days in parks with long-gone beloved dogs. Your description of the parks is so evocative (bright sun shines/trees we all will climb/food, dogs, and time) I immediately was drawn into your park and through it into my own memories. Thank you–what a nice Earth Day trip down memory lane!
I tried this, because it was a big challenge for me! This is what I did. I hope it was on task.
The Majestic Elephant
By Donna Russ. 4-21-2020
Majestic, mighty, standing tall
Over all
The jungle animals have fear
When he is near
Even lions, tigers and apes
No challenge makes
For of the jungle he is king
He has no fear of anything
But man his tusk will try to take
Over all, when he is near, no challenge make
Donna, You chose the verse poetically about my favorite animal!
You show, no matter how big or majestic one may be, each has something valuable enough for others to seek to cause harm , something that attracts attack!
Sad, but true.
School Abandoned
No one sitting in those blue chairs
Teachers care
Dust on desks, no pencil tin
It’s really in
The dim, empty hall; no tracked mud
Our blood
Feels lifeless without a “hey, bud”
A school with no pulse or heartbeat
Eerie and just a bit too neat
Teachers care, it’s really in our blood
Oh, you hit my heart with “A school with no pulse.” I miss it more than I ever thought I could!
Emily, I like how you used blood imagery, then deepened it with “no pulse or heartbeat.” The way lines 2, 4, and 6 combined for your final line was brilliant!
I chose the Shark Lady cover sorry I am having trouble writing this.
Sharks a modern mystery for the mind
Little is known about them.
Classified as endangered by many
Yet they are still killed by few
One woman will push the boundaries of nature
To try and understand them
She sees them as a thing of beauty
Not some cold heartless animal
If we were more like her then what would the world look like?
I chose the Tree Lady cover.
“For Unelavnhi,
The Great Spirit”
Before god moved into the Americas
Built his white brick house and burned crosses
In our neighbors yards, the Cherokee’s worshipped
Here. The rise and fall of the Appalachians,
The colossal peaks of the Great Smokies,
The plentiful and green gullies and valleys.
There are still bones were my ancestors lay,
Under your plantations and your highways,
Under your malls and your domesticated feet,
Are the flattened mounds of unrestful souls.
In the spring, I imagine you can still hear
Their stomps, their prayers, their turtle shells shaking
From their feet with the beat. The Cherokee’s were
Not meant to be sedentary. I think that’s why
I long for exploration. They had the earth to worship,
To wander, to love. I imagine if I laid down on this
Grassy slope, the trees would stretch their
Roots to my arms, hold my hands as they
Washed me in the thick dirt of the Mother.
This is where I belong – in the light of the day,
Under the same skies my people once followed,
But I will not stay.
From the massive oak trees who’s century old
Roots dig into the ground deeper than the
Stakes of my tent could ever fathom, from
The silver and turquoise fingers that plant
My gardens and beg for them to yield their
Peppers, from the crackle and pop of my kitchen
When there are ten people between me and the
Door. I can hear them
Iyuno unelavnhi wadiyi nasgi nanahwunvgi,
nasgi hawinaditly duyugodv nahnai.
Translation:
If the creator put it there,
It is in the right place.
Power flows though this poem. My favorite part:
I imagine if I laid down on this
Grassy slope, the trees would stretch their
Roots to my arms, hold my hands as they
Washed me in the thick dirt of the Mother.
I am somewhat speechless here…
Abigail,
I love the code switching at the end of your poem and all the nature imagery. I was very lucky back in the 1970s to take a history class that focused on telling history from the point of view of “minorities” at my high school in Missouri. I remember learning about the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee alphabet, and much more. That was the beginning of my questioning of manifest destiny, the “Before god moved into the Americas / Built his white brick house and burned crosses / In our neighbors yards,” with which you begin. It’s not lost in me that you do not capitalize “god.” I hope this is intentional, a commentary on the god who supposedly sanctions evil. Anyway, I love your poem. Thank you.
—Glenda
This poem is so powerful. I could feel the pain of the Cherokee in these lines: “There are still bones were my ancestors lay,/Under your plantations and your highways,/Under your malls and your domesticated feet,/Are the flattened mounds of unrestful souls.
Cat Moves
My cat crouches, a silent killer
almost still, her
Sleek fur, masking muscles of steel
does not reveal
Her plan of attack. Her prey, unaware
of danger there,
Lost in a dream, lies fast asleep
Then. She. LEAPS
An aeronaut launched into space
My cat’s skills belie her race.
She misses the place.
A graceless belle, she fails at felineness
Ambling away, her demeanor innocuous.
Still, her leaps remain incongruous.
(I tried. I really tried to follow the rules. And I failed…)
Gayle, breaking rules makes original poetry! I like your rulebreaking results! Where your cat fails at felineness…..she succeeds at entertainment. What an image of a graceless cat missing the place. Give me THAT cat any day over one that is predictable! I think your poem AND your cat are both winners today!
This was a difficult task for me, too. But, your imagery was right on. I have seen cats do, or try to do this feat many times and it, always, amazes me how indifferent they are whether they succeed or not!
I love the playful tone of this piece. I totally laughed at loud at “An aeronaut launched into space/my cat’s skills belie her race” Such a fun poem!
love how you punctuate – Then.She.LEAPS, reference as aeronaut, innocuous
[Sarah – I had to laugh at myself… even this tight little ball of Ovillejo, I had to cheat on! Ha! I used 10 syllables instead of those 8 syllable lines… but I had fun! Thanks!]
To the Landfill
A wordsmith! Oh sure, I’ll give it a go
Ovillejo!
Counting and rhyming, I’m sure to fumble.
Hear me mumble?
Recycle a sound, reuse and reduce.
I’m just too obtuse.
Maybe an ode won’t end up refuse.
Free verse or sonnets would feel good right now.
The NYT crossword — that I know how!
Ovillejo! Hear me mumble? I’m just too obtuse.
by Susie Morice©
I think the story your poem is telling goes so well with the 10 syllable lines instead of the 8. It tells a story: I’m not sure about this but I’ll give it my best. And your best shot is GREAT! That seems like a very wonderful story to tell to me! I love the repetition occurring in the last line, bringing us back to the beginning of the poem and reminding us to connect the story. Great piece! Thanks for sharing!
Susie, I had to edit and revise several times today because I also can’t count and rhyme. Numbers on a crossword puzzle: any day. Numbers that require my brain: no way. I love your conversation you were having – – “hear me mumble?” And that last line……like you’re screaming at the Ovillejo to get its attention – – there’s a big chuckle in that last line.
Susie—I feel your pain! This was a challenge! However, your ability to pull that last line out makes me want to bow down to you! Thanks for expressing what most of us were feeling!
Thank you for sharing Susie! I related to the “hear me mumble?” line because I always struggle with my own rhyming poetry. I really liked your link to recycling lines in the writing process to recycling and reusing in life too. Very clever!
I find it rhythmically appealing and your choice of word rhymes is amusing. It was the counting that made it difficult for me, but you seem to have mastered it, effortlessly!
That first couplet is everything! I can almost hear you talking (this poem) aloud to yourself as you write. The title makes it all the more funny (except, I’m sure, to the person trying to write it!).
Ha! This is such a funny take on the form. Especially, the crossword line.
Susie,
You crack me up. You, of course, are not obtuse. I enjoyed your recycling of words and playful approach to the ovillejo, which I’ll never learn to spell. Oh well. I often imaging your reaction when you see a form in the prompt. Sorry/not sorry. Love the irony in the final two lines., the contrast between working the NYT crossword and tackling a short poetic form. Thank you for this fun poem.
—Glenda
Sarah,
You can imagine what a challenge this was for me. Rhyme. Economy of words. Nature rather than emotion.
It’s a fantastic inspiration. I love all of the book covers . . . the titles and images got me thinking.
Your poem is dynamite. You craft it so well and the last line is a perfect culmination.
Seasons Cycle
Life awakens from sleeping state
around this date.
Tree buds blossom and flowers bloom
ending the gloom
Shamrock lawns and cerulean skies
delight to our eyes
Mother Earth shows why she is wise
Cycling through the seasonal change
Her beauty has astounding range
Around this date, ending the gloom, delight to our eyes.
~Susan Ahlbrand
21 April 2020
Susan,
Your poem is brilliant. Honestly, I love everything about it. Wowza, lady. The rhymes are perfect. The last line succinctly states our delight in spring. Now you must stop doubting yourself. You nailed this. Thank you.
—Glenda
Susan, the shamrock and cerulean are perfect earth colors to show the springtime in bloom against blue skies! I’m so glad that Spring is here to end the gloom and green up our world – – even though it means the mower…..I’ll eagerly take the warmth and sunshine.
How effortlessly you flow through this task. Your description of Mother Earth is breathtaking. I particularly enjoyed the lines, “Mother Earth shows why she is wise Cycling through the seasonal change”. Without the seasons we would be in quite a pickle. Mother Earth is wise, indeed.
Sarah, this was definitely a challenging prompt for me as I struggle with rhyming words, etc. I tried to capture a yearly event I know well.
Detasseled
Armed battalions march across green
Hungry to glean
Pillaging ripe virgin tassels;
Seizing castles
Feeding foreign infertile lands
Takes many hands
July’s savage heat roughly brands
Unheeded droves of gorging beasts
Who desire a bountiful feast
Hungry to glean; seizing castles, takes many hands
Barb Edler
April 21, 2020
Barb,
I love this celebration of detasseling corn. The first line’s personification creates a visual feast. The poem has a searing quality that resonates w/ the hard field work. Love it. Thank you.
—Glenda
Ooo, Barb — This is really a knockout! Dang, girl! You really hammered this one over the fence! I wish I had written this. It really felt like farm “detasseling” … those big tractors. The “pillaging” is a great word here…getting that job done in “savage heat” with the “many hands.” Really good stuff! Thanks, Susie
Barb—I love the imagery of the armed battalions marching across the fields. I never had thought of them that way, but it is perfection. And carrying it through brilliantly amazes me!
Didn’t expect to find you here,
Slithering near.
Your scales so smooth provide shielding,
Yet unyielding.
A single amber stripe I see,
Cautioning me.
As I kneel here on bended knee,
We’re a terrestrial trinity,
Just earth, just you, it’s just us three.
Slithering near yet unyielding cautioning me.
Katrina, this would be a great poem to use to teach the difference between tone, the author’s attitude toward the subject, and mood, the emotion evoked in the reader. Your lines,
As I kneel here on bended knee,
We’re a terrestrial trinity,
Just earth, just you, it’s just us three.
Slithering near yet unyielding cautioning me.
suggest your tone, unafraid. For me, the reader, my mood is “fear”! My response to you is admiration. I don’t think I would have stayed around long enough to write the last stanza! 🙂
Katrina– I can see you really made this form work for you and your subject matter. The movement of your body bending down to be close to Earth and its beings is so moving.
Sarah
Katrina,
I have goosey bumps down my spine after reading about the snake “slithering bear.” Your poem reminds me of Dickinson’s “A narrow fellow in the grass.” “Terrestrial trinity” is a fabulous turn on the biblical trinity. Be careful out there. ?
—Glenda
Katrina,
“As I kneel here on bended knee, / we’re a terrestrial trinity, / just earth, just you, it’s just us three.” — what a wonderful stanza. Your rhymes flow so well, and they don’t feel forced at all. I am a tad concerned for your lack of fear; I hate snakes. Although I’m not sure if I am correct, I want to picture the speaker in their garden only to find a surprise friend. This is such a melodic and happy piece, and it brightened my day. Thanks for sharing!
Katrina, thank you for sharing your poem with us. I love the words you have chosen to include – they bring this image to life! Slithering, cautioning, trinity
I really loved the line “just earth, just you, it’s just us three” because it gave perspective that all three are key not just one. Thank you for sharing!
You did not have to title your poem! Your story said it all. A snake in the grass! It was the line, ” a single amber stripe I see, cautioning me” that told how dangerous the situation was, but you seemed not to be afraid, but curious. The last four lines tell of your belief that we are all part of nature and we all deserve to be here, even the poisonous snake in the grass.
Katrina, I love that you pointed out the amber stripe of caution – – and that you didn’t seem bothered at all, but just respectful of your space and its space. I’m glad you let it go about its business of living and that no harm was done either way. Beautiful tone, beautiful image.
Kudos, Sarah, on the optimistic tone of your poem! I feel almost guilty about the bleak direction I took today…
In a forest where nobody sees
The trees
Home to the birds that won’t fly
They die
Feeding the spiraling mushroom
In their gloom
The uranium in bloom
There’s a scent of despair in the air
Despite the thick smog, the sky is still there
The trees, they die, in their gloom
Alex, no need to feel guilty. We need to hear both sides in order to protect Mother Earth. If no one waves the “danger” signs, we would miss opportunity to learn and decide to protect. Thanks for that reminder that our behavior also can have negative effects. 🙁
Like Anna said, we do not shame or make others to feel guilty here. As the host, I just wanted to offer a subject matter and form that welcomed variety and exploration — where ever it takes you!
Love the line “scent of dispair in the air” and continuing with that literal and figurative metaphor of smog is so powerful. It is bleak but you give the reader some hope with the word “still there,” at least that is how I am reading it.
Peace,
Sarah
Alex, although your poem is grim; it is an important reminder of what happens when we let nature be destroyed. I really liked how you set the scene with the opening stanza. The third stanza really carries a punch….love the lines “Feeding the spiraling mushroom/In their gloom”. Your last lines worked well to carry the overall message. Very well done!
Alex — I really think this is a terrific piece. The cautions against abusing our forest, trees, birds… that’s really captured in pointing to what we lose. Really good stuff and the form worked totally in your favor — I’m impressed! Thanks, Susie
I think the line “Despite the thick smog, the sky is still there” because it made me think about how the Earth and plants and trees are still around us. It to me, was a call to remember to better protect the physical Earth and things around us. Thank you for sharing!
Don’t feel bad about telling about the underbelly of what is happening to our planet. You told it beautifully, with compassion oozing through every line. “The trees, they die, in their gloom”, is a fitting ending to this story. We are killing our planet and your poem hits the nail on the head, hard. It should be used in one of those “save the earth” commercials. Bravo!
“Las Lagunas de Chacahua”
The mangroves nestle, gnarl and expose
cangrejos.
Bioluminescent salon:
el plancton.
A moonlit oceanscape aglow–
el pacheco.
Just a few summers ago
we explored a cranny of this
Earth on which I oft reminisce.
Cangrejos, el plancton, el pacheco.
Laura,
I love how you’ve chosen to blend languages. It always seems to add complexity as it honors multiple heritages. As I read it feels as though you’re taking me on a moonlit ride through a glorious mangrove lagoon. I can picture the bioluminescence. Gorgeous!
Andy
Nice switch between English and Spanish! I enjoy how, reading this, I immediately feel like I am on vacation on some moonlit beach, miles and miles away.
Laura, the musical rhythm of your poem is awesome. I love the image of “a moonlit oceanscape aglow-” Such beauty here!
Love the blend of languages here. Your ‘call backs” work perfectly, and make for a last line that sits on the ear perfectly.
Like others have said, I love the mix of languages. I wish I could hear you read it. Lovely word choices: bioluminescent, oceanscape, reminisce.
Drafty draft, but if I don’t post now, I never will. I love the different layers of this prompt. The form pushed me, though. I’m not sure it says anything.
A change will be arriving here.
Come near.
The captive shell is broken free.
Follow me.
Someone will likely lose their way.
You may.
We’re on the crest of a new day.
Fear should never capture your hand.
When Moon rises above this land.
Come near. Follow me. You may.
Perhaps it was your contextualizing your poem as potentially not saying anything, but I find it to be quite meaningful as it reminds the reader of possibility, trust, and courage. I know I need this reminder regularly as I, at times, feel trapped in a moment or in March or in stagnation. That last line reads as an exhilarating invitation! Thank you for sharing!
Drafty drafts might be the best since they are not overworked and maintain a lightness to them. I loved that about your poem today. It speaks of this present moment and what will come. I love the line, The captive shell is broken free, as well as the idea that some may lose their way.
Margaret, you may not have been aware of where you poem was going, but as I read it, I recalled scenes from the YA novel, A VIEW FROM SATURDAY by E.L. Konigsburg and a scene about turtle walks. There, in Florida, turtles lay eggs on the shore. Members of the Sea Turtle Preservation Society watch for the eggs to hatch. If the ocean waves look as though they will pull the hatching eggs out to sea before the turtles are fully hatched, these preservation team members dig up and move the egg nests to safety.
Your line “follow me” reminded me that though the hatchlings usually swim out to the rising sun, they sometimes are distracted by the lights in the beachside homes and condos, and the waddle inland to danger rather than scramble out to the safety of the sea.
Anna, you have allowed me to look at my work with new eyes. I am very familiar with A View From Saturday. I taught it for a few years. Thanks!
Margaret — This really works. The tone is downright inviting. I like that sense of hopefulness (especially given where we are right now) and how the three repeats at the end worked out so tightly. Dandy! Thanks, Susie
Margaret, your poem really spoke to me. I’ve had a tough few days, and your words really brought a fresh lens and reflective moment for me.
Tomorrow
I don’t know if I’ll ever know
tomorrow
I don’t know what I’ll even say
In a day
I can’t make a promise to you
from your view
I don’t know what you think I’ll do
I can’t look at you anymore
You’ll think I want to be in war
Tomorrow, in a day, from your view
Paige,
I admire the way you were able to use the 3-4 syllable lines to create a powerful last line.
Thank you for sharing,
Andy
Your first three stanzas are beautiful. Each one could be an entire poem on its own. I can’t pick as to which speaks to me most powerfully. There is sorrow sitting in each of the lines. So much that I’m sending you a hug.
Paige — This form really brought out a strong voice here. The tone of a sort of “matter of fact” reality is strong and I like that “I can’t make a promise to you” — the conversation of it… the proclamation of it … that really works! I appreciate the intimacy of this. Susie
Paige, I like the idea of the poem that we as humans can’t know what tomorrow will hold only time knows. The only thing we can do is guess what will happen.
Whew! This was tough. I am grateful, Sarah, for the challenge and introduction to a new form. This is my best effort for today.
Shhh! Breathe. Be still. Enjoy. Silence.
Seek benevolence.
Chirping birds share songs and poems.
Safe at home.
Croaking frogs calling out their love.
Voices rise above.
A cacophony: Earth Day love.
Stop and listen for sounds of Earth.
Pause for a day – your right of birth.
Seek benevolence. Safe at home. Voices rise above.
Andy, you make this look so effortless! Having just spent the last couple of hours (on and off again) struggling with syllables and meaning and rhyme, I know it comes with great effort! But, you’ve crafted such a lovely celebration of this current time, Earth day, and action (or inaction, whichever the health of our planet needs…).
That first line invites us to sit with the poem. To sit where we’re at. To tune it all out. And once that happens, we can hear what’s in your poem (birds chirping, frogs croaking, the cacophony). And the line, “chirping birds share songs and poems.” To think of birdsong as poetry – just gorgeous!
This is so peaceful. The phrase “seek benevolence” and the sounds of the animals made my shoulders come down from my ears for the first time today! Thank you for the calm.
Nice, upbeat, and hopeful, “voices rise above.”
Andy,
I love this! It flows so easily from line the line and your rhymes fall right into place. I love the lines “Chirping birds share songs and poems/Safe at home.” I pondered the simplicity here for awhile thinking that nature gets to mingle in their home (nature), yet we are restricted and “safe at home”. I hope that makes sense. Awesome job! Thanks for sharing.
Garden, Harvest, Compost
every spring I give the Earth
hopeful questions planted in dirt
I ask, “will you be kind to me,
to all these little sprouts and seeds?”
I know She doesn’t mean to hurt
but Earth isn’t gentle- She is free.
in the summer She answers back
with bright red peppers and fragrant lilac:
“these are the flowers and the fruit
you gave to me, now i give to you”
I accept Earth’s gifts, and when they lack,
I still give thanks. I always do.
each fall I return what I do not want
the stems and leaves, the scraps and spots
I give it to Earth’s squirming friends
who gratefully take the odds and ends
I watch as they turn it to rot
and give it to the Earth i tend
These words are so tender from the question about “will you be kind?” to giving the “odds and ends” back to the earth. There is conversation the free earth and the poet. Just lovely. Well done.
Swaney,
I notice right away the capital S in She sprinked throughout the poem to anthropomorphize Earth and explore agency and intention in every stanza. And the end you offer agency in the phrase “I tend.” to show the need for reciprocity.
Sarah
I love the rhythm and meaning of the line, “I still give thanks. I always do.”
The phrase “I return” got me thinking about the cyclical nature of things that happen to us even while we are each taking a linear journey. Also, with the Earth Day theme for this “assignment”, that same phrase highlights the importance of leaving the Earth healthy for future generations.
This was a fun new-to-me poem style, and I absolutely adored all the picture books for Earth Day! The Mama Mita book caught my eye…I hope I have done it justice here:
Mama Miti, she planted trees
On her knees
Seedlings to stop the drought
She dared to shout
Peace, courage, and helping hands
Save our homeland
Protect the earth and understand
There’s so much wisdom in small things
Provide children with roots and wings
On her knees, she dared to shout: Save our homeland!
Maureen,
Your poem is perfect. I can hear you reading it to your preschoolers. It’s a feast of rhyme and wisdom: “Save our homeland.” The line “there’s SD o much wisdom in small things” feels perfect for this moment in time. Wonderful poem. Thank you.
—Glenda
Nice, Maureen! I especially like how you set up the last line, a perfect summation of a protector of the Earth.
Maureen — Wow1 This is really tight! I love Mama Miti! What a strong image of a loud, wonderful message! Super! Thank you! Susie
Maureen, wow! As I read each line I was more and more eager to get to the bottom to hear the final line. So beautiful and thoughtful. I’ll be reading this poem again tomorrow in honor of Earth day!
Elephant
Strange looking yet, wonderful sight
Great in height
Elephants should roam free as day
Untroubled play
A beautiful creature, so grand
Just as God planned
Elegant when they run the land
Not meant to be hunted by men
Nor kept in pin
Great in height, untroubled play, just as God planned
I was captivated by the elephant book jacket as well! You have painted such a vivid picture of elephants with your poetry. My favorite couplet, “Elephants should roam free as day/Untroubled play” – my wish, too. They are amazing animals and surprisingly elegant when running! Loved this, thank you.
A beautiful tribute to a great animal 🙂 I love: “so grand / Just as God planned.” Your rhymes are perfect!
Kole, I love that you wrote about elephants! I love to see them in pictures in the wild, living their best life as they “roam free as day.” “Just as God planned.”
Our Tree: Phyllis
A flimsy little tree
let it be
we tied a ribbon round
forever bound
the trunk to lovingly embrace
just in case
the brewing storms displace
us from the place we know
our footprint still will show—
Let it be forever bound just in case.
I find two interpretations to your poem. One, a wonderful Earth Day poem, celebrating trees and hoping that a tree will weather a storm. Two, metaphorical, will our love weather the storm? Love “our footprint still will show”, this idea that storms may send things into disarray, but we’ll remember. So sweet!
Rachel, I love the tree because it’s flimsy…it needs love and it gets it with a ribbon and goes through the storms with the ribbon and the footprints still show.
Rachel,
I love the care you show the tree and the story growing from the tree. We planted three crimson spiraling oaks in our side yard almost twenty-two years ago and tied a ribbon round each one next to a pole to anchor it in place. These trees have grown tall and have brought me much joy in this mountainous desert over the years. I love the way the tree anchors the reader even during life’s storms. Beautiful. Thank you.
—Glenda
Rachel, this sounds to me like a little love song, an ode to a life that is near and dear. And the last line really fits well, tying it together with that ribbon!
The powerful simplicity here: a flimsy little tree. Let it be.
That’s just a grounded hope that your ecological footprint will emerge strong.
The only time I can rewind
Sitting outside.
I can forget all my troubles
No struggles.
Trees are blooming and blossoming
Feels promising.
My fresh mind begins processing
Comprehending like a new girl
The wind begins to make me whirl
Sitting outside, no struggles, feels promising.
What a precious salute to Mother Nature! Being outdoors has meant so much to me throughout this pandemic, being able to sit outside or walk outside on a daily basis has been pretty crucial to my psyche. I love the final line of your poem – very clever to have your couplets end with these perfect small phrases so that you might end with “Sitting outside, no struggles, feels promising.” Love this!
Lauryl,
The repetition works so well here — way better than mine. It took me a while to figure how to how best use the Ovillejo, which I am still learning.
Your poem and the idea of promising brings me back to a goose I passed by every day. When we began spring break, I passed this Canadian goose sitting on her nest perched on some rocks in the middle of a stream. Every day, the goose sat there protecting her egg. And then just a few days ago, I saw that they were gone, and a few meters downstream, the gosling and parents were swimming. I always thought of the promise of that day when I walked all those weeks.
I love your message to look for what is blossoming!
Peace,
Sarah
I love the image of a “new girl” and how nature can re-create us!
Lauryl, I agree – – outside has a refreshing quality when these walls start closing in. “My fresh mind begins processing.” It’s amazing how that change of scenery can do so much for us. I went out today and picked flowers to press, and it did me a world of good just to see the colors and smell the fresh air. Happy Earth Day tomorrow!
Lauryl,
Lovely poem. There’s a musicality in your poem, the effect of the wonderful rhymes. The last line makes me want to go outside and “forget my struggles.” Thank you.
—Glenda
Love the easiness and carefree nature of your poem. I felt so relaxed reading it, and then the closing lines came together so perfectly. I can totally relate to this feeling of letting it all go outside. Thanks so much for sharing with us today.
Lauryl, from your Oklahoma to my Georgia, we share a similar “outside” space. Your poem speaks to my new daily (well, almost daily) ritual of sitting outside. I am cherishing my early morning or late afternoon or midday respites. It keeps me sane. I feel cagey without it. I hope you are enjoying mild Spring weather where you are; we are blessed with the best season in years. Not too hot, or too wet, no late freezes, very few bugs. Thank you for sharing your poem!
Love, love, love. Thank you for this prompt, Sarah. Thank you for introducing me to another new poetry form (I guess I really love the puzzle in trying to stay true to a form) and so many new children’s books. I love the upcycling of your poem and “Kenya’s Art” – “Kenya’s Art is her recycling niche” – love. I chose “Rainbow Weaver” because of the upcycling and one of my favorite parts of nature. And main character’s name, and that she made these things to go to school 🙂 HAPPY EARTH DAY, YALL!
Resourceful Ixchel
Can she make a textile rainbow?
Yes. Go, go!
Collect colorful plastic, weave,
and believe!
The rare ROYGBV fabric
Merely magic.
Trash bags turned to new prismatic
Patterns, mosaics made with spool.
Ixchel now gets to go to school.
Yes. Go, go! And believe! Merely magic.
Thank you for your enthusiasm, Angie! Makes me feel good. The first sentence as a question is so powerful: “Can she make a textile rainbow?” And then the “trash bags turned to new prismatic/Patterns” — this weaves in such vivid language and setting-specific words to teach and celebrate the magic.
Sarah
Angie,
Really great poem. I think this was a wonderful take for the prompt today. “The rare ROYGBIV fabric, merely magic” is such a sweet line and brings me back to learning about the color wheel in primary school. Thank you for sharing!
What a great poem! The rhyme of “fabric, magic, prismatic” imparts such wonder…this poem makes me want to read and discover the picture book! (Are poems ever, in and of themselves, book reviews? This would be perfect!) I love the feminist sound of “Yes. Go, go!” Well done. Thank you for this!
This is so cool! I love the idea of this…having seen some of these textiles. I like the “Yes. Go, go!” There’s energy in this.
Whew! That is one kaleidoscope of color – I love this “prismatic” poem! Your rhymes are beautiful and fit so nicely into the message.
Zooo-weee-mama! That was a poetry work-out. But, so much fun! Thank you, Sarah for introducing me to the Ovillajo form. I’ve not heard of it before. I like the repetition challenge. Your poem’s use of re-cycled sewing notions is a fresh way of honoring Earth Day. My poem doubles for today’s #waterpoemproject and #verselove
Earth Day Celebration
Today is Earth Day – shout hooray!
Our Earth Day
Outside we walk and run joyful
We are thankful
For our place in this universe
on mother earth
Flowers new and bright sing rebirth
Waves cymbal-crash for all their worth
We celebrate today’s great gift
Our earth day, we are thankful for mother earth
© Linda Mitchell
#WaterPoemProject Day 30
#VerseLove 4/21
I love the POSITIVITY in your poem, Linda. Yes HOORAY! We so need it! Thank you 🙂
Linda,
Thank you for embracing this topic and form. I know it was a work-out — I felt it, too. This line is particularly beautiful: “Waves cymbal-crash for all their worth” — the alliteration of “w” and the contrast of “cymbal” and crash” to bring attention, to celebrate.
Sarah
Linda,
I love how honest and positive you are in this poem. You really made me feel peaceful and even made me want to go for a walk outside. Earth really is our greatest gift. Really nice job. Thank you for sharing!
I think it’s wonderful that you are able to double-dip and make each poem meet two different criteria! That takes brain power! The celebration of Earth Day is felt here in your poem in an exciting way. Love the cymbal-clash as a sound of real pizzazz!
Linda,
Wonderful job keeping our focus on Earth Day. My favorite image is the auditory stimulus of waves crashing like symbols. Thank you.
—Glenda
This was definitely a challenging prompt but I had fun with it! My inspiration of this poem was through the children’s book Seeds of Change.
Seeds of Change
The world is constantly revolving.
As are we.
Glimmers of hope we have diminish.
When we are lost.
As springtime blooms in our midst.
We plant a seed.
Rebirth and resurrection awake.
Our comes a petal of healing.
That stores faith in our times of trouble.
As are we. When we are lost. We plant a seed.
The repeated : “as we are. When we are lost. We plant a seed” is so perfect and inspirational, full of life and meaning.
Alexa,
I am so glad you had fun with this. Love the language of spring’s activity with glimmer, bloom, healing and then the reflection of how to acknowledge loss and heal with action — planting a seed.
Peace,
Sarah
This is beautiful! I love how you used the prompt as a base to build off of, instead of having it restrain you. Your short lines are succinct and meaningful, and they come together to make something even better.
Alexa, the line, “As springtime blooms in our midst”, I felt that was a beautiful line, I really felt that
It is peaceful on the lake shore
I can’t be bored
I can go kayak everyday
Or backpack
Allowed me to catch my fist fish
This is my wish
Cleanest air I have ever seen
It will stay like this if we try
You would not want to see this changed
I can’t be bored, Or backpack, This is my wish
Wow, this is a great piece describing a beautiful lake shore paradise. It is amazing to see the impact of the earth om everyone’s life.
Sounds like paradise! I love: “It will stay like this if we try / You would not want to see this changed” – it’s hard to think about the fragile nature of these environments we love so much, their peace could be destroyed so quickly. I hope we can preserve them!
Adam, The imagery of this piece really works to build the picture of the great outdoors, good job
A Drunkard and his Friend
I said no, and yet you ordered more
On the floor
I said “let’s leave,” you said “I’ll make it quick”
Covered in sick
Eventually I had to drag you out
All passed out.
Now you’re just laying about
throwing up your thirteenth drink
Goddammit man, you truly stink!
On the floor, covered in sick, all passed out.
Robin I really love your poem that you wrote. I love the way it rhymes and I love how at the end it came back together nicely.
Yes, your rhyme scheme and the last line work perfectly! You create such an intriguing image, letting us feel the frustration. I love the dialogue in line 3.
Robin — This is a smackeroo! Wonderful voice and strong! You turned this form on its head with the punch of this. I love every line! Definitely time to let “you” read this for a wakeup call. Wow! Susie
I like how this opens up the truth of what really happens with alcohol when letting it get too far.
How do you treat Mother Earth?
She who gave birth,
To ground, air, creatures and their strives,
who gave you life.
Do you give her full respect? Man…
Do all you can.
Indeed, you are her greatest fan.
So, show her some of your great love,
Protect her from humans above.
She who gave birth, who gave you life. Do all you can.
your words really moved me because with earth day being tomorrow and the coronavirus being now, I fear that we will forget to respect our planet amidst this crisis.
Salma,
I really liked the way you posed a question about Mother Earth and how you answered that with conviction. My favorite part of this poem was “Do you give her full respect? Man… do all you can.” Especially with the difficult times going on right now, we need to give this Earth respect knowing that this will all go away in the near future.
Thanks for sharing!!
Salma — I totally enjoyed that you used the voice to ask “do you” … that direct address really comes to life here. “Show her” and “protect her” … good stuff! Thank you, Susie
The beautiful lakes, rivers, and streams
The beautiful
The broad trees and massive forests
uncorrupted
The illustrious mountains stand
Planet of ours
The beautiful tundra, natural
Uncorrupted by humankind
Let us go back to how it was
The beautiful, uncorrupted, planet of ours
I like the “The beautiful, uncorrupted, planet of ours” line because it shows the beauty of the Earth.
I love the imagery that your poem gives and how it shows the diversity of Earth.
I think the heart of this poem is in the line “Let us go back to how it was” because it clearly resonates with the feeling of modern times, how we wish that things would go back to normal during the crisis.
Tyler, I enjoyed the imagery of this poem with all of the different setting that you used that all encompass the earth. I also like the phrase “uncorruptted” implying that mankind has not yet touched that area so its beauty still stands.
I like how the poem makes me wonder what I haven’t seen in the Earth yet, glorifies the beauty.
I noticed you used the technique of turning the last line into a single full phrase. I think that worked really well as the final statement.
The world revolves spinning, around
Up and down
clashing against unseen forces dizzy
Like a dancer
A deadly balanced battleground
On a razor edge
Yet somehow it finds itself
Upon the line our vital spine
She keeps us on mind yet we stay blind
I like the line “Like a dancer A deadly balanced battleground On a razor edge”, it was an interesting metaphor and added a nice touch to the piece.
I like how you compare the earths struggle to a battleground, this is a nice comparison and seems eerily accurate.
I love that you are looking at the earth entirety as it moves around.
Connor, the lines, “Yet somehow it finds itself… Upon the line our vital spine… She keeps us on mind yet we stay blind”, those were powerful, I really felt that
Connor, I like the personification that you use in this poem to describe the earth, and the idea that the earth is always thinking about us but we don’t always think about the earth.
I like how this puts an imagery in my head, to see what is happening.
I recently gave Carole Lindstrom’s gorgeous book “We are Water Protectors” to a friend, colleague, and former student expecting her first baby in June. And Carole is part of one of my sessions at NCTE 2020, so of course I had to choose her debut picture book as my inspiration.
inspired by “We are Water Protectors”
Water: Our liquid mother load
Earth’s gold bestowed
Clear flowing babbling brook spring
Bubbling song sing
Protect our source of life. We must
honor land trust.
Black snake steals, destroys: Man’s land lust.
Benevolent humans earth seeks.
Voices arise, one chorus speaks.
Earth’s gold bestowed, bubbling song sing, honor land trust.
—Glenda Funk
Glenda, what a beautiful gift this book will make for a new baby who will know the importance of our earth from the early pages of life in books!
How true is “honor land trust” but how challenging with “man’s land lust.” I love that on the heels of seeking, voices arise as one chorus. I can hear this beautiful music ringing out, people singing out.
Glenda,
I love the way you described this poem as visually as possible. This poem has an story that pulls me from the beginning to the end and creates life that I never imagined. My favorite part of this poem is “our liquid mother load Earth’s gold bestowed.” It is truly Earth’s incredible gift from God and without it, I don’t think Earth would be truly as beautiful as it is.
Thanks for sharing!!
I really like the sound words in this…babbling, bubbling. And, the view of water as precious…mother lode & gold.
I love how this poem completes this circle – your friend the author, giving the book to another, and adding this poetry blessing. Your phrasing and word choices beautifully echo messages of the indigenous people, “Water: Our liquid mother”, “black snake steals,” “Protect our source of life.” Now, I must go find this picture book!
I love the way this form connects snippets from throughout at the end, and your final line is so profound. Your final line seems to suggest that the song of water is asking for us to honor and be entrusted with the land. Thanks for sharing!
I love the playfulness of “bubbling song sing” – it truly celebrates what water is. The metaphorical language speaks strongly – Earth’s gold, Man’s land lust – and the desire ties these two images beautifully. I hope to be able to meet Carole at NCTE this year. I appreciated getting to know her through Sarah’s introduction (I listened to her reading the book) and now, through your poem.
Glenda — How lovely to honor a former student and friend and her terrific contribution to our readerly ways! The whole idea of “water protectors” is strong… we have a job to do. The ovillejo form really work so well here. “Earth’s gold bestowed” … a very native American and all American sense for me. Thank you and congratulations to you and Carole! Susie
We Need to
Planting each spring more new seeds?
We need to.
Hoeing and pulling pesky weeds?
We need to.
All of this work to fill our needs?
We need to.
We need to for food to savor.
And, yes, to grow herbs for flavor.
So get to work. Wipe off that smirk!
We need to. Fresh food to eat can’t be beat.
Your repetition of “we need to” is a call to action – – to get up and make a difference, to get to work taking care of the earth and taking care of ourselves!
Anna,
As Kim notes, the repetition of “we need to” calls us to plant, tend, and harvest. My favorite part of your poem, however, is the rhyme in “seeds, weeds, needs.” Thank you.
—Glenda
Anna,
I love your use of call and action within this poem. In the first part of the poem, the way you pose a question and answer with “we need to” (the call) is mesmerizing and then you follow up in the second part of the poem with responding why we need to do these things (the action. ) My favorite part is “so get to work. Wipe off that smirk! We need to.” This is a good way to call us into action on creating the best world possible.
Thanks for sharing!!
The repetition here is wonderful…there’s an urgency to getting to work, get serious, we really do need to grow food. Well done.
There is a chant-like quality to the repetitive lines – we need to. It becomes a mantra to remind us of the necessity of the work to bring new life and fill needs. It reflects my feelings about gardening – I love putting in new things (veggie, flower, tree, all of it). But that need to maintain? ugh! And yet it’s all fulfilling.
I love your take on the form with that repeated verse “We need to.”
Sarah, I am glad to be reminded of this day to celebrate the earth and the life that comes in springtime. Your poem allows us to spend some time within a character and her world (our world). I love the invitation (Come, Ballerina), the motion (one-arm twirl and most especially button switches). This captures the purpose of recycling (toys tossed find new homes). Thank you!
In Honor of Earth Day 2020
First Nations people understand
this land
Nourishing connections with earth,
our birth
Following both orbs: moon and sun,
all one
Water protectors, never done
celebrating river’s rhythm,
from our common mother we come.
This land, our birth, all one.
Jennifer, the perspective of the First Nations people and the connections we all share with earth is strong – and needed by all of us! Your final lines show how mankind is unified in our origins and our oneness with earth. The orbs, the earth, the rhythm of the rivers – – you draw an intersecting web that encompasses us all. I love that the form is seamless for you – it just flows. I can’t count, so I had to keep editing mine, but your words are like a waterfall.
Thank you, Jennifer. The selection of books (images) shows the many ways that authors and activists are honoring our Earth. I so appreciate that you chose First Nations. You may enjoy this lecture by Dr. Debbie Reese: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2563974863706713&id=597389310365288
The phrase “water protectors, never done” and “celebrating river’s rhythm” is so beautiful. The alliteration makes the movement sing.
Sarah
Jennifer,
Your poem has a lyrical, rhythmic structure that draws me in and I think replicated both drumbeat and heartbeat. It’s wonderful. I love the way lines 2, 4, and 6 come together at the end. I’d like to share your poem with Carole Lindstrom with your permission. I think she’ll be honored by your tribute to “We are Water Protectors.” Thank you.
—Glenda
I would be honored for you to do so. Thank you.
Oh Jennifer, I love the way poetry makes us think about both skill of the poet and the message that writing transmits to us, the readers. Your lines,
“Nourishing connections with earth,
our birth”
struck me for the poetic device of rhyme and the message: the connection we have to the earth, from birth to death, and way the earth sustains us between those times.
ooooh, I really like how your last line, the combination of previous lines work together. And, I’m a fan of using the term First Nations. I wish more Americans would adopt that. I think that is the term that Canadians use. It makes so much sense! And yes, let’s celebrate river’s rhythm…..I love the sounds of rivers at different times in the season.
We spent some time in the Whistler area of British Columbia a couple of summers ago. In talking with the Squamish and Lil’wat peoples there, they said they preferred First Nations. There is a strength behind that title that I appreciate.
I love the way you tie everything together. Sun, moon, water, and us.
Jennifer — Honoring First Nations people is beautiful here. The wisdom of the people who understand the “all one” – ness of the earth is so clear in your words…”common mother” and “connections” and “nourishing” — quite beautiful and so on target for tomorrow’s recognition of this land. Thank you, Susie
We picked the same cover. I actually listened to the story and picked out a few key moments that are similar to yours. I love how you opened the poem with “First Nations people understand” that is soooo true. It really captures that true passion of protecting the land and showing that honor and respect that it should be shown. I also love how the final lines unite it all. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Sarah. I love the prompts that make me have to consider so many details in topic and form. I think it does help us discover things and stretch ourselves in ways we never have before. Also, today it is good to stop and consider Earth Day. Sadly, it was sneaking up on me. We aren’t preparing to wear green and do activities in school, so I almost forgot.
Thanks for your sweet poem about Kenya. I loved the rhyming words stitches, pitches, switches. You really focused on that book cover to such detail. Lovely. My favorite lines are
I don’t know any of those books, yet, but I’m missing my compost pile (I mean compost stew!) so I chose that book title.
Compost Stew
Hey, friend, what are you up to?
Compost stew
Compost stew? Oh, that makes me smile.
Yes, not a pile
Organic bits simmering true.
It’s a stew.
Sent fresh from Mama Earth to you.
This special concoction redeems,
Truing our mother’s highest dreams.
Compost stew! Yes, not a pile. It’s a stew.
Denise, how clever! Your word choices and arrangements of lines are creative and pop with new fertile soil, teeming with promise. I love the final line: “compost stew! Yes, not a pile. It’s a stew. ” I love the “yes, not” confirmation of what it is and isn’t. The idea of stew is a nice parallel – earth that sustains life, stew that sustains us as we traverse earth. I love this “restaurant review” of a winning simmering entree.
Thanks, Kim, for your comment. I loved your word choice in what you said here, so I’ve been thinking about it since. I used your words to rewrite lines 8 & 9:
Compost Stew
Hey, friend, what are you up to?
Compost stew
Compost stew? Oh, that makes me smile.
Yes, not a pile
Organic bits simmering true.
It’s a stew.
Sent fresh from Mama Earth to you.
Fertile soil, a promise redeemed
“Be fruitful, tender earth,” God beamed.
Compost stew! Yes, not a pile. It’s a stew.
I love the new lines, Denise! I like it both ways, but these lines with God’s perspective on our land stewardship and land ethic are positively beautiful. Happy Earth Day!
Yes! Composet Stew! Love that imagery and how you used the ovillejo to make it stir with “simmering true” and “concoction redeems.” This form really celebrates a poet’s craft, drawing on meter and rhyme to illuminate the subject matter. Such a lovely rendering of the cover.
Sarah
Denise,
This is such a fun poem. I’d love to know more about composting. I think about it every time I discard scraps. Your rhyme is so fun: “smile, pile”; “true, stew.” I need to read this book. I have a feeling I’m going to be buying a lot of picture books when today ends. Thank you.
—Glenda
“Sent fresh from Mama Earth to you.” Looooove mama. I really need to get into composting especially now. This just may be my inspiration.
Denise,
This is such a fun and clever poem. You really worked with today’s prompt and used it to your advantage. I love your use of italics the second time you mention ‘stew’ because it makes me think of someone scrunching their nose up at the thought of this particular concoction. Love it! Thanks for sharing.
This is fun…and smart! I like the simmering bits…sent fresh from Mama Earth.
Sarah, I adore this prompt today. Thank you for honoring Earth Day and reminding us that we can all do our part to leave a cleaner earth for future generations. Your poem emphasizes the importance of recycling – from beads to drum capes to button switches – – “toys tossed aside find new homes” is my favorite line, because finding new life in a castoff is an act of joy and love for both the item and the recipient. This reminds me of the love I have for thrift store items and my two rescue dogs. Your poem paints a picture of patchwork art that mends the heart.
Listening to Our Experts
“We are one with the Earth,” cried Chief,
in deep grief
“One word: UNLESS…..” cried the Lorax,
stating facts
Aldo Leopold, County Sand:
“Love the land!”
“Will gardens grow?” From where I stand,
Oliver: “I Worried,” you know
We still have a long way to go
in deep grief, stating facts, love the land
I drew from four beloved books, in this order:
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Devotions by Mary Oliver, poem “I Worried”
Wow, Kim. You have taken the prompt and added a prompt to it. Such a challenge. What fun to see you use this great variety of works to become your inspiration. That makes your title even better “Listening to Our Experts”
This has a very nice sound–“Chief, in deep grief”
And the powerful message in the last line: “in deep grief, stating facts, love the land”
Thanks for always being here, setting the bar high, and leaving us hope for a successful day of poetry.
Kim, this is a clever blend of literature and voices, in celebration of Earth Day. You’ve interwoven the characters into one narrative, perfect for the care we should all have together for our world. “In deep grief” really centers the loss of connection for me. While you share that despair, you also offer hope. Thank you for telling this story today.
Kim,
Such a powerful intertextual or transtextual poem! We all draw on our reading lives to write, but that you can identify the source and cite them is fabulous. Such artful crafting of common themes and literary figures in this Earth tribute.
Sarah
Kim,
The conversations in your poem pull me into the land of experts. This is a perfect tribute to those who know more than lay people. Wonderful idea to cull from myriad books. Thank you.
—Glenda
so so so creative. I absolutely love what you have done here and paid tribute to texts you love and the earth!
Wow! That’s pretty cool. What a poem weaver you are. I would love to see kids work on something like this. Have you done this type of activity in a classroom ? How did it go?
Kim – I LOVE LOVE LOVE each one of these books and Mary O, of course. This was genius to pull their sacred words and do this so eloquently in this form. Wow! Totally hit my heart, especially as “I worry” as well. Beautiful! I’m hugging the earth and you right now! Susie