Orbiting Partners

 

It is April, and I am going to do my best to join many others in celebrating National Poetry Month by reading, writing, sharing, and celebrating poetry each day. On April 8th we will experience a solar eclipse, and my hometown is the longest totality in the state of Indiana. We are expecting several tens of thousands of visitors to my town of 17,000. I thought it only fitting to write about sharing my sky with them. 

My inspiration this month will be from the Teach Write monthly writing prompts. Today's word is orbit, and I wrote a short haiku. 

Check out 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, and today's contribution is added by Irene at Live Your Poem.

Umbrella Summer {5}

 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. I have chosen to combine my love of reading with my love of writing. I will be writing poems using all things bookish--from titles to quotes to characters. So, come turn the page and write a little poetry with me.

Today's poem is a quick haiku. We have already had one round of storms go through this morning that caused us to lose power at school for the third time in less than a week. More bad weather is predicted again this afternoon, which makes me look forward to moving out of this rainy, temperamental, stormy spring season and into long stretched-out summer days.

I am borrowing the title Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff.

raindrops give way to

carefree days kissed by sunshine

umbrella summer

Check out 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. You can find the poem's trail below.

April 1 Mary Lee Hahn, Another Year of Reading
April 2 Heidi Mordhorst, My Juicy Little Universe
April 3 Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 4 Buffy Silverman
April 5 Rose Cappelli, Imagine the Possibilities
April 6 Donna Smith, Mainely Write
April 7 Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche
April 8 Leigh Anne, A Day in the Life
April 9 Linda Mitchell, A Word Edgewise
April 10 Denise Krebs, Dare to Care
April 11 Emma Roller, Penguins and Poems
April 12 Dave Roller, Leap Of Dave 
April 13 Irene Latham Live You Poem 
April 14 Janice Scully, Salt City Verse
April 15 Jone Rush MacCulloch
April 16 Linda Baie TeacherDance
April 17 Carol Varsalona, Beyond Literacy Link
April 18 Marcie Atkins
April 19 Carol Labuzzetta at The Apples in My Orchard 
April 20 Cathy Hutter, Poeturescapes
April 21 Sarah Grace Tuttle at Sarah Grace Tuttle’s Blog, 
April 22 Marilyn Garcia
April 23 Catherine at Reading to the Core
April 24 Janet Fagal, hosted by Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 25 Ruth, There is no Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town
April 26 Patricia J. Franz, Reverie
April 27 Theresa Gaughan, Theresa’s Teaching Tidbits
April 28 Karin Fisher-Golton, Still in Awe Blog
April 29 Karen Eastlund, Karen’s Got a Blog
April 30 Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, and Writing

January Writing Prompts

I participate in a monthly writing challenge with members of the Teach Write Academy. A word list is published before the new month begins to inspire and challenge us to write every day. These word prompts can take me to unexpected places and lead me to untouched memories. But they always inspire writing and help me to write from a place of joy.

The January 16th prompt was the words were "my dream." I used this prompt to write a golden shovel using Marin Luther King Jr.'s words from his "I have a dream" speech. This was my first time writing one and is definitely a form I want to try again.

Drafting a Dream

Looking back through my life’s pages, I

have scribbled memories; I have

words holding hope and a

chapter left unwritten, drafting a dream.

Today's prompt was "this morning," and I chose to write a haiku inspired by our first measureable snowfall of the year. 

this morning's daybreak

playing nature's melody

of snow-filled silence

February's list will be coming out next week. Look for the word list on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We would love to have you join us! Learn more about The Teach Write Academy.

Butterfly Release #NationalPoetryMonth #NationalHaikuDay

It is April, and I am joining many others in celebrating National Poetry Month. This month many people turn to their gardens and landscapes and play in the dirt. I'd rather do a little playing with words. This month I will be creating found poems by taking words, phrases, and lines from other texts and rearranging them into a "literary collage" with a whole new meaning.

Happy Haiku Day! 

And Happy Poetry Friday!

I missed last Friday due to the terrible storm in my hometown, but I'm glad to be here this week on National Haiku Day. Molly has the round-up at Nix the Comfort Zone with some yummy bread and jam poems.

In keeping with my theme of "Finding Poetry", I saw Margaret Simon's Facebook post about her monarch butterfly. Her words and her video were just what I needed on this rainy, dreary Friday. Check out her butterfly story and poem on her blog, Reflections On the Teche.

Keeping with the haiku celebration:

Check out Jama's round-up of month-long Kitlit poetry events for more inspiration.

And the progressive poem continues with Heidi today. Check out the progress below.

1.   Donna Smith at Mainely Write
2.   Irene Latham at Live Your Poem
3.   Jone MacCulloch at deowriter
4.   Liz Steinglass
5.   Buffy Silverman
6.   Kay McGriff at A Journey Through the Pages
7.   Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
8.   Tara Smith at Going to Walden
9.   Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
10. Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme
11. Janet Fagel hosted at Reflections on the Teche
12. Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
13. Kat Apel at Kat Whiskers
14. Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche
15. Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
16. Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
17. Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
18. Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading
19. Tabitha at Opposite of Indifference
20. Rose Capelli at Imagine the Possibilities
21. Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
22. Julieanne Harmatz at To Read, To Write, To Be
23. Ruth at There is no such thing at a God-forsaken town
24. Christie Wyman at Wondering and Wandering
25. Amy at The Poet Farm
26. Dani Burtsfield at Doing the Work that Matters
27. Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
28.
29. Fran at lit bits and pieces
20. Michelle Kogan

Tattered Edges #NationalPoetryMonth

It is April, and I am joining many others in celebrating National Poetry Month. This month many people turn to their gardens and landscapes and play in the dirt. I'd rather do a little playing with words. This month I will be creating found poems by taking words, phrases, and lines from other texts and rearranging them into a "literary collage" with a whole new meaning.

When I started this month's challenge of "Finding Poetry," I knew I was going to use the words from magazines to write my poems. But I also wanted to look for other sources, too.

Today's found poem comes from a tweet from Jen Greene that I found on Twitter yesterday. When I read it, the words were already metaphorical. I took the words and created a haiku with them. 

So many people, including my own family, are working puzzles to pass the time at home during the COBID-19 crisis. And I know people are also trying to keep families together while apart and trying to glue the pieces together.
This seems to be our current metaphor for life, doesn't it?

And the progressive poem continues with Buffy Silverman.

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. For the first time, I am participating and will be adding line 15 (yes, that scares me just a little!). You find the poem's trail below.

1.   Donna Smith at Mainely Write
2.   Irene Latham at Live Your Poem
3.   Jone McCulloch at deowriter
4.   Liz Steinglass
5.   Buffy Silverman
6.   Kay McGriff at A Journey Through the Pages
7.   Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
8.   Tara Smith at Going to Walden
9.   Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
10. Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme
11. Janet Fagel hosted at Reflections on the Teche
12. Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
13. Kat Apel at Kat Whiskers
14. Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche
15. Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
16. Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
17. Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
18. Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading
19. Tabitha at Opposite of Indifference
20. Rose Capelli at Imagine the Possibilities
21. Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
22. Julieanne Harmatz at To Read, To Write, To Be
23. Ruth at There is no such thing at a God-forsaken town.
24. Christie Wyman at Wondering and Wandering
25. Amy at The Poet Farm
26. Dani Burtsfield at Doing the Work that Matters
27. Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
28.
29. Fran at lit bits and pieces
20. Michelle Kogan

Awakening Assumption

It is hard to believe another March has arrived, and it is time for another Slice of Life Challenge.  This is my third year of participating.  Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

Last week as I was leaving school, I noticed the buds on the small maple trees along the walkway. I know it is wishful thinking, but could spring be on the way?  Here is a quick draft of a spring haiku.

buds bursting open

awakening assumption

spring is arriving

Morning Treat - December Tanka Riddle #29

Back in early December, I was inspired by a post from my wonderful blogging buddy, LeAnn Carpenter, also known as Elsie.  After reading it, I knew I wanted to use her words for one of my December haiku because many of her lines were the perfect syllable count. 

To change things up a bit, I wanted to write a riddleku, taken from Laura Purdie Salas, where the poem is written from the point of view of an object or animal.  The reader tries to guess "what" has written the poem.

The only problem with using Elsie's post, was that I needed more syllables than a traditional haiku, so it is now a tanka.  Or should I say, a tanka riddle?  Read the poem and then scroll down to see if you correctly solved the riddle!

freckled with age spots

to the point of no return; 

I'm saved by retreating hands

only to be turned into 

a delightful morning treat

What am I?

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015

Banana Muffins!

Pictures taken by LeAnn Carpenter.  Click here to read her post.

I just realized I did not follow the tanka line/syllables rule! Oh well, I kind of like it the way it is!

Turn - December Haiku #27

It is almost time for me to say goodbye to my one little word for 2015.  A reflection post will come on Tuesday, but for now it is my haiku for the day.

my one little word 

leading me on a journey

telling my story

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015

Merry Christmas - Christmas Haiku #25

celebrate the day ~

joy and peace of the season

in one small package

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015

Christmas Eve - Christmas Haiku #24

I remember those sleepless Christmas Eve nights as a child, waiting for morning and thinking it would never come.  I shared a room with my older sister, and we would lie awake wondering and hoping.  Even as my own two children become adults, that excitement and anticipation is still there, leaving me wonder if it ever goes away.

night before Christmas

the wrapped gifts under the tree

waiting for morning

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015

Molasses Cookies - Christmas Haiku #23

molasses cookies

warm from the oven, begging

for a glass of milk

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015

Last Minute Shopping - Christmas Haiku #22

last minute shoppers

push, shove, toss kindness aside

in search of bargains

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015

Summer Wishes - Christmas Haiku #21

My December haiku writing challenge took a short detour due to chaos:  end of the semester, Christmas, and life.  But break has officially started today, and I am back writing again.

Last week as I was shelving books in my classroom library, I noticed the syllable count of many titles.  So many titles had five syllables which was perfect for a book spine haiku.  I have played around with book spine poetry, and it is not an easy poem to "write."  So what made me think book spine haiku would be any easier?  I began pulling titles and rearranging.  It actually became quite fun!

This one is my favorite because I think the only good thing about the months of December, January, and February is Christmas.

takeoffs and landings

the last best days of summer

where I'd like to be

Santa's Job Description - Christmas Haiku #14

This haiku is part two from a writing assignment I gave to my students.  We were talking about point of view.  This one is from Santa's point of view.  Click here to read from the unhappy little girl's point of view.

my job description

says:  bring joy to little children

does this look like joy?

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015

The Toy Boy - Christmas Haiku #12

When my daughter Megan was about 3 or 4 years old, she called Santa the Toy Boy and it has just stuck with us.  Here is  my haiku about The Toy Boy.

Photo by Flickr

the toy boy putting

smiles on children's faces

on Christmas morning

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2015