Another Story

Goodbye February.

Thanks for the memories...let's work on solving angst-ridden world problems that keep us up at night, eh? 

Thank goodness for poetry that covers all.  Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference hosts our poetry round-up this week. 

It was a Poetry Friday post of Tabatha's in January that generated this comment from me:

The very next day, I saw this photograph online in the New York Times. 

New York Times 1/24/23

It calls for poetry, don't you think?

As I write this post, it is one year of an aggressive war on Ukraine by Russia. I've wondered about people like me living in the 1930s...when did they know their entire world was at war? Surely, they weren't calling World War II, "World War Two," until well into it. 

It feels like my world is at war--or at least on the brink. How will humans remember this time eighty years from now?

I need poetry to help me put it into words. 

In the Snow, a golden shovel
by Linda Mitchell 2/24/23

I didn't think I had a poem for the padlet today...and then, I woke up with an idea and have a very drafty draft. That's OK. I'll go back and fiddle with it later. The word is war. 

Poets Take a Bow, Your Cento

Hello Poets,

Happy Poetry Friday. Thank you, Molly, at Nix the Comfort Zone, for hosting our weekly round-up. 

One of the things I love best about Jone McCulloch's annual New Year's postcard exchange is all the lovely lines of poems I receive and then play with!

I took lines of poems from ten other postcards exchanging poets and arranged them into a cento. 

I actually made lots of poems...but this one was my favorite and it included all the poets.

collage by Linda M.

Prospering Poetry Friend

In nature
sunrise is
incoming tide
old and new
lifting a mirror
the proof that
a new year rides the wave
we pay attention
one year gone, another blooms
Out of tree crumbs

in snow-dust
where the border ends.

lines arranged by Linda Mitchell Feb. '23

Contributing poets:

Carol Luzbuzetta
Gail Aldous
Linda Baie
Jone McCulloch
Mary Lee Hahn
Patricia Franz
Margaret Simon
Mary Lee Hahn

Marcie Atkins
Carol Varsalona
Heidi Mordhorst

There's a new poem, Words of Other Poets, on the padlet this week: https://padlet.com/mitchellhubeimom/word-bwfgg0bqmjhf62fd/wish/2485658929

Story

 Hello Friday!

I am participating in Laura Shovan's February poem project. Each year, Laura chooses a theme, and participants take turns sharing prompts around that theme as the group writes daily poems. This year's theme is story.

Weeks before the project began, I went to my camera roll and selected photos I thought might fit the theme. It was about the time that I was also writing to prompts from Ethical ELA a monthly free-write for educators. "Write a short poem: haiku, cinquain, or lantern form."

I had fun writing a bunch of little lantern poems and then I saw that one of the lantern poems fit two of my photos...and there was a story poem in very few words.

Linda Mitchell

You
are the
bright lantern
that makes my
night
safe

Linda Mitchell. '23

Have you written lantern poems? Warning--they are addictive! Try it out. And, if you want to follow along with Laura's February project, check out her blog for more information.

There is a new word poem on the padlet in memory of poet Linda Pastan, a poet I admired and who recently passed away. 

Thank you, Carol for hosting our Poetry Friday round-up today.

Flow is Wolf Spelled Backwards

Can it be February already?

Oh, my! Thank goodness for Laura hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup. 

This first Friday of February, the Inklings are sharing a poem writing challenge from Catherine at Reading to the Core.

My poem and collage:

Poem & collage by Linda Mitchell '23

Flow is Wolf Spelled Backwards

My pen is a wolf

all heat

heart

power and scruff

breaking from the trees

loping along the fence

gathering speed

in the moonlight.

Paws punctuate snow

without breaking ground

leading the pack

to a scent just ahead

just ahead

just ahead

The end of a line

a turn of page

hunger,

exhaustion

   cannot break this

               flow.

(c) Linda Mitchell '23

Flow: A cognitive state is where one is completely immersed in an activity.  It involves intense focus, creative engagement, and the loss of awareness of time and self. An artist in the course of flow, persists in their task relentlessly, regardless of hunger or fatigue.

To see how more Inkling friends took on this challenge visit: Reflections on the Teche

Reading to the Core My Juicy Little UniverseNix the Comfort Zone A(noth)er Year of Reading

There's also a new poem on Word's padlet:

https://padlet.com/mitchellhubeimom/word-bwfgg0bqmjhf62fd/wish/2465935926

 

SJT. Colors of My Life

 The Colors of My Life

I am an earth girl. I have always loved dirt, the forest, clay from creek bottoms, a winter landscape, and chocolate. One of my favorite colors is brown. 

https://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/neutrals/colors-that-go-with-brown/

However, there’s a time for brown and its opposite bright colors.

Several years ago or so, my husband was super tired of the crafty paint technique on the walls of our mid-90s kitchen-family room. I was game to paint the area. We moved furniture, took down the window treatments and switch plates, prepped the walls, and painted the area in my choice of a cafe-au-lait color.

My husband painted in his careful (aka engineering mind) way. Before new window treatments, switch plates, etc. were put back up, the love of my life looked around at his handiwork and announced, “I hate it.” 

Uh oh. 

Today, our kitchen and family room area remain painted cafe-au-lait and unfinished. My husband and I have launched enough of our four kids that we can finally attend to sprucing up the house we raised them in. It is scuffed up! I’ve been watching Netflix decorating shows, browsing Pinterest and learning about color theory. 

What does this have to do with my spiritual journey? 

Today’s host, Bob, asks us to think about the colors that describe our life. He uses these biblical quotes to guide our writing:

I Am the Light of the World” (John 8:12)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

Browns represent stability and dependability. I hope the bedrock of our home is that…as I add light and interest to my rooms. There are plenty of family photos and mementos with splashes of color to frame and highlight. I will be looking for paint and window treatments to apply too. I’m enjoying looking at this part of my spiritual journey as a gathering and use of color to extend our journey.

Thanks, Bob!