Thursday, July 13, 2017

Poetry Friday 7/14/17 Where am I?

I have been traveling.....about 1,200 miles in four days but so worth it. I have collected bushel baskets full of words and am happily looking over the harvest and enjoying the fruits of my collection labors. 

One of the places I visited has been on my bucket list for a while now....and I finally got to spend some time there. Can you guess where?

trying to decide.....to the cottage or at the cottage....it's one of those grammar snafus for me!

July 12, 2017
Ah, a rendezvous in the country
to the cottage
where it is as common
to greet a king
or a firebrand
as a sugar maple.
Here, life is a
vanity fair gathering.
Walking the trail
dreaming grand dreams
playing truth or dare
with our lady who insists
“You must do the
things you think
you cannot do
.”

Where am I? Update: Hmmmmmmmm perhaps I made my riddle a little too tricky. I was visiting the first National Historic Site dedicated to a US First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt's cottage, Val-Kill. If you can get to Hyde Park, NY....is just a train ride from NYC and totally worth it. At Val-Kill, ER entertained pals, royalty, political operatives and diplomats of all sorts with country charm. She made everyone feel welcome and valued as a guest. She inspires me. 

Despite the steamy heat of July....it's #NationalMacAndCheeseDay here in the US. 


Our Poetry Friday host, Tabatha Yeatts, at The Opposite of Indifference is holding a feast. Dig in!

22 comments:

  1. I love your poem! And I do believe that you are in a certain National Historic Site? I would love to visit there someday!

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  2. Not sure where you are but, I wouldn't mind visiting. Dashing poem and collaged image, and interesting take on Yankee Doodle. Enjoy your summer journeys Linda!

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  3. Road trip-when will you reveal your destination spot, Linda. I like what you conjured up today to intrigue us. Yankee Doodle Insult begins with a lofty stance and then leads to Macaroni-a different historical bent for Mac and Cheese Day. Are you at Mt. Vernon or another historical landmark?

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  4. What fun to create a travel riddle poem! I don't know where you are, though I suspect I will be all "of course" when you reveal it to us. :) Thank you for sharing! xo

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  5. Ah, I love a puzzle poem!
    It's so well-crafted, Linda.

    Knowing the region/state, I will not play.
    So glad you escaped to this adventure.

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  6. Ah, I love a puzzle poem!
    So well-crafted, Linda.

    Knowing the region/state I'll not comment.

    Glad you escaped to this adventure.

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  7. Hmmm, I feel like I can identify the clues, but they don't help me guess! I love love love your second poem--I was just now wondering how macaroni came to the pasta of choice for Kraft, and now I guess I have a clue there too!

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  8. I have no idea where you are! Alas my knowledge of American geography is that that great!

    I remember singing "Yankee Doodle" merrily as a kid, and only when I got a bit older did I stop and say to myself "what the heck is this all about? Macaroni is a pasta, not a feather in a hat!" ;-)

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  9. "turn their skulls into headcheese"-- woo! you know how to hurl a potent insult.
    I recognized the ER quote, but that's all I got.

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  10. The sugar maple makes me think Vermont, but then I'm puzzled by the firebrand or king--maybe that suggests a revolutionary state. Was the King Pine tree revolt in New Hampshire? I'm getting a live free or die vibe, so I'm going to go with New Hampshire! Where ever you might be, hope you are having a good vacation. I love that you are harvesting bushels of words!

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  11. Hmmm...I don't know where you are, but that poem was fun to read.

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  12. The combination of this work shows how poetry can lead us to new discoveries. The golden shovel is so brilliant including American history that is rarely what we recall in the history books, the riff raff that was the Revolution and the arrogance of a king who thought he'd always win. Thanks for stretching your writing muscles because I am inspired to stretch mine.

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  13. Oh, being a late bird means I get to catch your "reveal" - terrific riddle and love the bit of history! And HOW clever - your Yankee Doodle/Macaroni creation! Bravo. (I've been watching TURN... sometimes fast-forwarding through the most graphic parts, but such a captivating series. Alas, it's almost over!)

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  14. Both your poems are clever constructions. Well done, you! (Of course I would never guess where you are - but still it's fun to read - and I'm hoping to remember your game when next I go on holidays...)

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  15. I'm glad you explained where you were. After knowing the ER connection, it made perfect sense. I'm heading on vacation today and want to follow your example to harvest words along the way.

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  16. Your "Yankee Doodle Insult" is an interesting twist on the macaroni theme! I thoroughly enjoyed it! (And the puzzler, too.)

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  17. What a bountiful harvest of words, Linda! Thank you for sharing about your visit as well. It sounds like a really neat place to stop off and explore.

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  18. You are having a marvelous summer, it sounds like! Thanks for bringing us along on your travels!

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  19. Fun! I had no idea of the answer til I read it, but enjoyed yoyr poem anyway.

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  20. Fun! I had no idea of the answer til I read it, but enjoyed yoyr poem anyway.

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  21. Eleanor Roosevelt estate, I know it well. My daughter went there for a Girl's Leadership retreat in high school-a real honor. Hillary Clinton was the keynote for a very small gathering of girl leaders and parents.

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Friendly, positive comments and feedback are always welcome here. Please let me know I'm not just whistling in the dark!