Friday, April 2, 2021

From Hearth and Home #NationalPoetryMonth

 

It is April, and I am joining many others in celebrating National Poetry Month by reading, writing,  sharing, and celebrating poetry each day this month. Many years ago I was a quilter. After I began teaching, I had to put my needles and frames away because I just did not have the time. This year I am going back to my quilting roots and will be playing with patchwork-themed poems from memories of my own quilting years to the history of quilts and to quilt patterns. Pull up a needle and thread and let's stitch awhile.



From Hearth and Home

                                log
                                cabin
                                a symbol
                                of love, home, and
                                the pioneer life

                                the
                                red square
                                and warm hearth,
                                where families
                                gather, share stories
                             
                                the 
                                day's sun
                                casts shadows
                                from east to west
                                on notched cabin walls
                                
                                © Leigh Anne Eck, draft

                                

This poem is an Arun, which I found on Margaret Simon's blog, Reflections on the Teche. It is a fifteen-line poem of three stanzas of five lines, starting with one syllable and increasing by one (1/2/3/4/5/ -- x 3) The shape of this form reminded me of the stacking of logs.

It is also Poetry Friday so check out all the goodness from Mary Lee at A Year of Reading.


This week also marks the beginning of the Kidlit Progressive Poem, which is being organized by Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche. A different poet adds a line each day for the month of April. Last year was my first year participating, and since I lived to tell about it, I will participate again this year! You can find the poem's trail below.

April 1 Kat Apel at Kat Whiskers
2 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
3 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
4 Donna Smith at Mainly Write
5 Irene Latham at Live your Poem
6 Jan Godown Annino at BookseedStudio
7 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
8 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
9 Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche
10 Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
11 Buffy Silverman
12 Janet Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
13 Jone Rush MacCulloch
14 Susan Bruck at Soul Blossom Living
15 Wendy Taleo at Tales in eLearning
16 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
17 Tricia Stohr Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
18 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
19 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
20 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
21 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
22 Ruth Hersey at There is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town
23 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
24 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference
25 Shari Daniels at Islands of my Soul
26 Tim Gels at Yet There is Method
27 Rebecca Newman
28 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
29 Christie Wyman at Wondering and Wondering
30 Michelle Kogan at More Art 4 All

15 comments:

  1. I never would have noticed the connection between poetry and quilting before. I'm glad you are taking on this project and I'm excited to follow its course!

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  2. The first thing I saw was how the poem's shape matches the Log Cabin pattern -- form and function! Perfect!

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  3. Wonderful, Leigh Anne. This is my favorite quilt design and you've shown the essence of it to me, that warmth with family and love, then the choosing of the arun reflecting the logs stacked. This project is going to be fun!

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  4. That is a gorgeous quilt pattern. It stacks in way s similar to your poem with those growing and retreating lines of color. I love the last stanza, seeing shadows in the quilt and poem form.

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  5. You chose a perfect form to match the pattern. Perhaps years of quilting were a precursor for your life as a poet!

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  6. Leigh Anne, i wonder if this is your beautiful patterned quilt. The quilt blocks are stacked so precisely to frame your poem. It takes patience to create a quilt and perseverance to write to a theme. I do like your graphic for your project.

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  7. I had forgotten about this form. Love how it works with the log cabin quilt.

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  8. The arun is a new from to me and just perfect for this topic. It becomes a shape poem. Thank you for sharing it, and a glimpse at your lovely quilt.

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  9. What a great form for this particular poem. I love the idea of pioneers stacking logs as you stack words and lines for a poem. Wonderful.

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  10. Lovely poem. Enjoy your exploration through quilting. I have never tried it, but my daughter has made several quilts, and I love seeing them

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  11. I love when the form dovetails so nicely with the content itself! That third stanza's extra beautiful to me!

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  12. I love how you pointed out the hearth at the heart of the home and the log cabin. And the day's shadows. I look forward to your month of quilt poetry. And I love the arun form!

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  13. An aron seems a good fit for a quilt poem project as it builds one syllable upon on syllable in much the way I quilt builds one piece of fabric at a time. Your poem really sets a place. I can almost see everyone cozy, warm, and gathered together.

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  14. Love the way you've stitched together this fine poem, one syllable at a time. And how cool that you are quilting again!

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