Thursday, April 22, 2021

Earth Day Writing from Reading

Friends,

How wonderful that Earth Day corresponds with Poetry celebrations. I've been enjoying Poetry Friday blogs this month and the project's writers have taken on. 

Catherine, at Reading to the Core, has been writing wild in response to her reading of Writing Wild: Women Poets, Ramblers, and Mavericks Who Shape How We See the Natural World, by Katheryn Aalto (Timber Press, 2020). She also hosts our round-up today. Make sure to read her latest.

I was taken with Lauret Savoy (Day 15 of Catherine's project)which led me to Dr. Savoy's website and an essay taken from her latest book, Trace (Counterpoint 2015). What beautiful writing and weaving together of history and science. I highly recommend reading Savoy's excerpt from TraceLetter to America published for Terrain.org. From that gorgeous five-minute read I came away with gems of words for this found poem...

After Reading Letter to America
A Story in Return

Sound asked Magic other ways
to wander the horizon 

That map’s paper landscape
mean landforms surface
and, sinuous rivers

Once, the continent
wore no toponyms between fields 

Imagination quieting
left no mark 

The home for Saint Found
recall a world bespattered
with remnants of echoes 

A nod to marks of the snowy range
erasing faith,
future spilled

words found by Linda Mitchell


Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge has spent April with dewdrops of the haiku of Issa as translated by David G. Lanoue. I'm paying homage with...

haiku and photo by me April '21


And, is there anything more fun than personal mail in your mailbox from a poet friend? I don't think so. It's good to be in a community of poets.


postcards by Jone and Irene


Hamish's Ox-Tales

Last week, I was taken with Janice Scully's phrase, a little history before her Salt City poem--which I hope is growing into a collection. Hamish found some history friends from the American Revolutionary War days to add to his padlet: 

16 comments:

  1. What a poetry journey you're sharing today, Linda. I love that found poem with the tiny jabs at what once was - " no toponyms" & "future spilled" & your 'dewy' haiku for Robyn. Have Earth Day!

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  2. "Letter to America" is a powerful read, thanks for the link to it. In your poem, I especially like your beginning couplet on magic and your ending lines of "erasing faith,
    future spilled"
    And lovely ladybug photo and haiku, she's so perfect, she almost doesn't look real. Rich post, thanks Linda!

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  3. What a rich, wonderful post, Linda - you have been thinking deeply and creating at every turn. Thanks for sharing all, and I'm honored you found a dewdrop of poetic inspiration over at my place, that sprung up outside at your place! I have enjoyed seeing ladybugs here in the last couple of weeks, too, along with four zillion caterpillars.

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  4. Thanks for sharing the "Letter to America" and your poem. It led me to trying to go back and imagine what America was like before there were "toponyms between fields." Love the ladybugs and your postcards.

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  5. Love the tickles on your toes and your found poem has me curious about reading Letter from America. Now I have to google toponym. :) Thanks for all.

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  6. "...a world bespattered
    with remnants of echoes" <-- What an image!

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  7. Catherine's project has been fabulous! I bought the book right away and have been following along. So many new amazing women writers to learn about! Love your ladybug cum dewdrop! -- Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/

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  8. What a wonderful seasonal poem - love the dewdrops and ladybugs!

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  9. Dew dotted bugs are the best. Small words to capture a big small moment. :)

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  10. Any day reading Catherine's blog could send you in a deep dive of research. Thanks for sharing yours here in a found poem. Love the ladybug tickles.

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  11. Wow, that found poem is ambiguous and evocative and yearning.

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  12. I like the mixture of physical maps and real-life landscapes in your found poem. I'm heading out to find some ladybug dew drops in my yard!

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  13. Wow! You really did find all the best words! And that ladybug!!!

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  14. Linda! Just the first line "Sound asked Magic other ways" is captivating, and the poem does such interesting things "wore no toponyms between fields"...but I am confused. I read the Letter to America but your found words don't all appear there--did I read the wrong thing? Red dewdrops! Hamish! so much going on, my genius friend.

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  15. I'm so glad you were inspired by Lauret Savoy's writing! Trace is one of the first books I'll be reading when this project is over (but I'm beginning to wonder if it ever really will be). I love the idea of looking for other ways "to wander the horizon," and your ladybug haiku is quite charming!

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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!