Finding Moonbows

Hello Poets,

Thank you, Catherine, for hosting this week's round-up at Reading to the Core https://readingtothecore.wordpress.com/.

Catherine inspires me to blend science and poetry. Today, I saw some photos that took my breath away. I had never heard of a moonbow. It seemed like a beautiful but made-up term. However, moonbows are real! I knew I had to learn about them...which led me to look for poetry in my learning.

Enjoy some found haiku with these incredible photos from lake Ontario in New York State. Words found at https://sciencemadefun.net/blog/the-science-of-moonbows/

the sky must be dark

raining opposite the moon

a lunar rainbow

Davis, Jerome. “Photography by Davis.”

fainter than rainbows

the smaller amount of light

a moonbow is rare

Davis, Jerome. “Photography by Davis.”

   to discern colors

   layers of mist in the air

   seeing a moonbow

Davis, Jerome. “Photography by Davis.”

More Refurbished Clunkers

Zoo-wee-mama it's hot!

It was 100 degrees hot...for my son's graduation ceremony, outside, on the track behind the High School. It was a sweet ceremony all the same and I so appreciate the efforts of our high school faculty to make a special moment for our seniors.

Thank you to Margaret for hosting Poetry Friday this week at Reflections on the Teche. She asks us to respond to this question: What is poetry?

I have more refurbished clunkers to share. Thanks to poets that played along. You gave me some giggles this week and they are so appreciated.

*It is what it is. Linda Culp Trout

*in a yard strewn with acorns. Mary Lee

*“My tooth fell out!” our hero wailed. Kat A.

*relentless seeker of life.  Carol V.

“Tina Fey for American Express, 2007-2014.” Rebloggy!, rebloggy.com/post/tina-fey-penelope-and-alice-will-rule-the-world/81538902464.

All these little ditties are written by Linda Mitchell from lines shared by poets listed above. 

Photos are either Linda's or from Pixabay with no attribute requirements.

Refurbished Clunkers

Friends,

It's been a week. Anxiety about the coming school year has taken its toll on me. Thank goodness for poetry and the clunkers poets gave me last week to work with. They were a welcomed distraction.

And, thank goodness for the kindness of friends like Jan who hosts our Round-up today at BookseedStudio .  Her theme for this week is float. Isn't it lovely? 

Last week, I received seven humdinger clunkers to work with. These are the first four.

*a philosophical manual on the human form – Laura Shovan

*Get your yahoos out.-Michelle 

*I wish I could explain. – Margaret
*big cheeks (on your face) a plus --Bridget 

I tackled two with mood-brightening limericks.  Thank you, Michelle and Bridget!

Fred was a yahoo extractor

he could remove anyone’s rude factor

I’ll pull all your loud yahoos out

Fred would wildly shout

until all that’s left is civilized whispers

Young Miss Wilhelmina Weeks

was born with some very big cheeks

a pretty plus on her face

they provide plenty of space
for her double rows of shark teeth

Margaret's line took me in a tanka direction...

I plant promises--

wishes dandelion blown

I close my eyes and

could follow each one

explain faith is evidence of things not seen

Finally, for some exceptionally bad poetry that just made me laugh, (best medicine for me this week). Thanks to Laura's clunker.

A Philosophical Manual on the Human Form

Shockingly states only humans are born   
with the distinctly comical funny bone

which some digress… is not strictly human

For instance, a dog:
Canis lupus familiaris

finds human commands hilarious

Or, a field mouse high in a flower
a mus musculus
laughing ridiculous

Consider this gray sunning seal

beach-loving carnivora pinnipedia
can snicker all the way to Sardinia

And a school of stingray?

Myliobatidae of the deep

chortle and chuckle until they weep

And finally, the common Struthio camelus
known to most of us as an ostrich
screech, shriek and scream at high pitch

If you ever thumb through manuals
and pause at a funny bone page
remember humans too are animals--
their funny bones can indeed be upstaged

*Photos taken from: Amy Heard Amy Heard Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow, et al. “The 30 Happiest Animals In The World That Will Make You Smile.” Bored Panda, 1 Jan. 1964, www.boredpanda.com/cute-smiling-animals/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic.

Clunker Exchange

Happy Poetry Friday!

Thank you to Molly for this beautiful Poetry Swap package! Have I told you all how much I enjoy Poetry Swap? It's so much fun. 

Molly's poem, in conversation with Ron Finley. Poetry Swap 2020 

We are halfway through this year of writing opportunities. How's it going for you?

As usual, I have some good lines annnnnnnd some clunkers. 

Merriam-Webster

I'm offering you as many of my clunker lines as you would like to tinker with in exchange for one of your clunkers. Your clunker might be a pot-of-gold for me! Please drop your donated clunker in one of the comments below. I'd love to know what line you are taking from me. But, it's not necessary. 

Thank you, to Ruth at http://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/ 
for hosting this week's poetry Round-up. 

CLUNKERS

(TAKE SOME - GIVE SOME - MAKE THEM WORK)

1.     Flinging off starlight and dew

2.     those plastic cups in the cupboard

3.     the wish is the thing

4.     I had an advantage, being the eldest of the pack

5.     kid sisters…cannon fodder for whatever little battle we could dream up.

6.     Heather Taylor walked into the third floor bathroom as I was cleaning dog shit off my shoes

7.     The thing about Gracie de Beers.

8.     Towels around our necks as superhero capes.

9.     The pure dark, dark blue of jealousy

10.  I couldn’t understand then the slippery walls that had to be climbed to get up and out.

11.  Insecurity is a scar I carry with me and it weeps when the jealousy hits.

12.  The privilege of making plans

13.  Sounds of the pandemic

14.  smiled more today

15.  a script we know by heart

16.  bit of comedic karma

17.  My mother had a basset hound named Otto.

18.  I was tiptoeing along the side toward the deep end.

19.  The path was the woods of home.

20.  He had one job—to be loud like he normally is at home when he saw a wave coming.

21.   Walking in the creek in the sunshine.

22.  Slow green river giving

23.  Thank you, Covid-19 for

24.  Friends bring friends water

25.  Writing about water is weird               

26.  Once upon a time, Rain  was just water                           

27.  Water from Home tastes best                                

28.  Success is scoring a case of water these days       

29.  Coffee is chocolate diamond water                        

30.  Water by Design                       

31.  Water is Creative in surprising ways      

32.  Read the water signs

33.  Not enough water to take the edge off that Guacamole

34.  Water is the purest form of Sincerity

35.  Freedom to water the lawn, at last

36.  Trust water to do the job

37.  Thanks be to water

38.  God is afraid of water                            

39.  Serendipity looks like a mud puddle                   

40.  Books about water were dripping wet                     

41. Not enough money to buy water         

Spiritual Thursday

Friends,

My church regularly takes prayer requests. I usually don't make any. I'm not opposed to them. It's more that I feel my requests are private and God can handle them anyway. So, why bring anyone else into it?

A couple of weeks ago I changed course. One of my children graduated from High School. As a family, we were taking graduation to far-flung and elder family members instead of putting any burden on them to travel to our celebration. 

Our road-trip took us through and to states where Covid-19 is spiking.  

My prayer request had nothing to do with Covid-19 (although I have prayed for good health). My prayer request was for me to have peace as we were traveled to loved ones with varied political and world views. I asked that the church pray for me to not let my opinions or mouth get the better of me as it has many times.


I have already spent much time reading scripture and in prayer over this worry. I have sought secular wisdom as well. There is a lot out there. This from Brene Brown is one of my favorites:

Brene Brown

In this time of public discord, we need tremendous strength of spirit to love one another. It's OK to ask for prayerful help. I'm stronger for the added prayers of many to my own. It feels like growth.

Poetry Friday is Here!

Hello and Happy July!

It's summer Poetry Swap season and I am a lucky poet to receive this hand-made and personalized gift from Margaret Simon. Thank you, Margaret. You made my week. If you've never joined one of the Poetry Swaps graciously hosted by Tabatha from The Opposite of Indifference, consider it. It's fun and gives your creativity a boost.

A lovely and much-appreciated gift of poetry from Margaret Simon

Click on Poetry Friday to find out what it is. I've always enjoyed Poetry Friday Eve...which is now. 

I've been tinkering with a form introduced by April Halprin Wayland, In One Word. 

 
Tomorrow is July 4th -- Independence Day here in the USA. I decided on a patriotic and current events theme. My selected word:

AMERICANS

Woke

When in the course of our era

we, the people, stand guilty of crimes

against our neighbors caught on camera--

chokeholds, weaponized mace,

ramming our dearly beloved with cars

murdering E Pluribus Unum; We are

recalled to our duty, our aim
as preservers, protectors, and defenders

of our United States Constitution to scream

Help! Rescue Liberty from the mire
where her cries fall on deaf ears.
We peaceably assemble as we can
by right as children, as women and men
to redress grievances against fellow Americans.

(c) Linda Mitchell -- draft

Photo: L. Mitchell. Jepson Center Art Museum

Have you tried In One Word yet? I'd love to see your version.

Please include your blog link in a comment below for Poetry Friday. I will categorize links for easy reading here (I'm still traveling so it will be every few hours or so). 

There are some blogs that I consistently have a difficult time commenting on. If I do not comment on your blog this week, please contact me at hubeimom (at) yahoo (dot) com. I will at least connect with you by old-fashioned e-mail.  If I regularly comment on your blog, you do not need to contact me separately. 

Original Poems

Janice Scully shares a poem of imagination and water at http://janicescully.com/

Laura Purdie Salas shares a spectacular firework haiku from her book Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons (Millbrook 2019) https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/fireworks-poem/

Michelle Kogan shares a thoughtful and original in conversation poem about freedom for all https://moreart4all.wordpress.com/2020/07/02/poetry-friday-rethinking-the-4th/

Bridget Magee shares a poem and lots of wonderful advice and resources about language learning.
http://www.weewordsforweeones.com/2020/07/fun-with-languages-wee-sources.html

Irene Latham shares a new RED poem https://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2020/07/artspeak-red-cave-painting-altamira-poem.html

Tim shares refreshing haiku  https://timgels.com/2020/07/03/summer-haiku/

Mary Lee shares an IF poem she did not submit to Irene and Charles' new anthology. http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2020/07/poetry-friday-if.html

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater shares a pantoum with vital science facts http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2020/07/a-pantoum-for-our-times.html#comment-form

Margaret shares a poem from her weekly poetry prompt, This Photo Wants to be a Poem
https://reflectionsontheteche.com/2020/07/02/this-photo-wants-to-be-a-poem-19/

Carol shares a poem about a day in the life of a loon. http://theapplesinmyorchard.com/2020/07/03/poetry-friday-a-loons-day-in-free-verse/

Molly shares two poems from recent prompts. It's hard to decide which I like more
https://nixthecomfortzone.com/2020/07/03/ethical-ela-prompt-responses/https://nixthecomfortzone.com/2020/07/03/ethical-ela-prompt-responses/

Matt Forrest Esenwine revisits a poem from the past that was selected for publication. See page 12.
https://issuu.com/moniqueberry/docs/halcyon_-_summer_2014

Mandy shares a poem about birds building a nest. https://enjoy-embracelearning.blogspot.com/2020/07/my-wooden-box-poetry-friday.html

Susan shares a poem preserved in a journal about fairies that is wonderfully inviting. https://www.soulblossomliving.com/the-fairies-in-my-garden-a-poem/

MSheehan shares a reflective poem about today's holiday. https://mhshee1104.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/freedom/comment-page-1/?unapproved=4&moderation-hash=f17915a572d9925de631b995a894cf21#comment-4

Sharing Poems of Others

Little Willow shares  lyrics from When the Smoke Clears by Imaginary Future and Kina Grannis

Karen Edmisten shares a poem by Langston Hughes that is always timely...but more so today. https://karenedmisten.blogspot.com/2020/07/poetry-friday-i-too-by-langston-hughes.html

Myra at Gathering Books is celebrating 10 years of blogging with 10 of her favorite Mary Oliver Poems. Congratulations, Myra! https://gatheringbooks.org/2020/07/03/poetry-friday-58/

Christie shares a Fourth of July poem by Marilyn Singer and a Poetry Swap goody
https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/2020/07/03/on-the-fourth-of-july-poetryfriday/ 

Ruth shares When People Say We Have Made it Through Worse Before, by Clint Smith
https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2020/07/poetry-friday-when-people-say.html

Poetry Swap Fun

Tabatha Yeatts Lonske shares a Poetry Swap goody. https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/

Carol shares poetry swap goodies and responds with a golden shovel poem. https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2020/07/poetry-gifts-from-kat.html