Irene Latham's Blog, page 86

GUESS WHO, HAIKU by Deanna Caswell

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit lovely Linda who wrote some amazing haiku during December at TeacherDance for our very first Roundup of 2017. Wow!

I am at a school visit today talking books and writing with elementary students, which is a wonderful way to spend a Friday! But I did want to share a link to a post I wrote earlier this week over at Smack Dab in the Middle entitled One Hope for Writers.

And click here to read about my 2017 One Little Word.

Also, other good news: FRESH DELICIOUS was selected as a Cybils finalist for poetry along with some other great titles:
Photo collage created and shared
on Twitter by Sylvia Vardell!

When I realized I'd read all but two, I logged in to put a hold on those books at my library.  Interesting thing: our library system has just over 20 libraries, and there were at least a dozen copies of GUESS WHO, HAIKU by Deanna Caswell, illus. by Bob Shea (Abrams Appleseed) in the system! Yay for poetry!

This is an adorable, accessible book, perfect for our youngest listeners. I like how it's interactive -- not just haiku, but a guess who? game. Poetry for wee ones should be fun, and this book is! And who doesn't love farm animals?

I like this one, offered up by the cow:

"flower visitorsbusy buzzing in the fieldblack and yellow stripes
Can you guess who from her haiku?----A bee!"- Deanna Caswell
Something in the author's note caught my eye: "Try covering the middle line of other haiku in this book." Hmmm... I will try this with other haiku as well.

Wishing everyone a lovely day and weekend. xo

2017 One Little Word

Hello! Today marks our first Spiritual Journey Thursday of 2017, hosted by Carol at Beyond Literacy Link. Thank you, Carol! We'll all be posting about our One Little Word. Want to sign up to host? We still have one slot left!

This year marks my 10th year of practicing One Little Word. (!) It's been such an enriching experience that I really can't imagine NOT choosing one little word to guide and inspire my year.

Here are the words I've selected in the past:
<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> <br />--> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2008/... joy</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2009/... listen</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2010/... celebrate</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2011/... deeper</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2012/... fierce</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2013/... sky</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2014/... mystery</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2015/... wild</a></div><a href="http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2016/... delight </a><br /><br />For 2017, the word I've selected is ABUNDANCE.<br /><br /><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> <br />--> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Abundance</i> is not a state of finances or wealth, it is a state of inner health. Wherever there is joy, appreciation, gratitude, giving, caring, creativity, vision, inspiration, love, patience and playfulness, there is abundance."</span> <i>- unknown</i></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">The word makes me think of the sky or the ocean, how there is enough for everyone. It makes me think of love and forgiveness -- also enough for everyone. It pulls me away from thoughts of comparison or feelings of lack -- I am enough. I am exactly where I am meant to be.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KSLCzxBk-8..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KSLCzxBk-8..." width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">This year I want to love from a place of abundance, and write from a place of abundance. There are more than enough words and ideas for everyone! I want to focus on ways I can create abundance. Instead of asking, <i>what can I get out this experience</i>? (which has many times been the way I've decided whether to do this thing or that thing), I want to focus on <i><b><span style="font-size: large;">what can I give?</span></b></i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">Consider this quote from Lao Tzu:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white;"></span><br /><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">"The sage never tries to store things up. The more he does for others, the more he has. The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance."</span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I think I've done a lot of "storing up" in my life. Choosing this word makes me want to let go of things -- things in my basement and closet, mementos, even photographs. Somehow I think abundance is related to simplicity. In the way that a flower only takes the water it needs. And the ant carries only the amount of food it can eat. Having more, storing up is a byproduct of fear -- fear of future loss.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And so it seems abundance is also a way to live in the present, to be fully present in one's own life. And the time to give is always, always NOW.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qLjx6cHF5h..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qLjx6cHF5h..." width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/people/LifeAndSt... Life & Style on Etsy!</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you for reading... I'm excited to see where this word takes me! Please share your thoughts below!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>

Movie Monday: FENCES

I love plays. I don't always love movies adaptation of plays. And I didn't love this one, but I did like it enough to blog about it.

Based on August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning FENCES, the movie version of FENCES stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Their performances are great. But the movie felt flat? I don't know, it just didn't get me in the gut, I felt too much like an observer. The movie felt too long. The dialogue was so so powerful in places, and how powerful a metaphor is a fence? So. Many. Fences. Fences to separate, fences to trap... fences that can't be breached, and fences that are breached. Unfinished fences. Lives lived between the slats. And on and on.

Rich stuff. I just wish I'd felt more a part of it.

Wonder if either of these actors will get Oscar noms?? Denzel directed this one as well... We'll see Tuesday, January 24, 2017!

Also, coming Thursday: my 2017 One Little Word!

Letter to 2017

Dear 2017,
Soon you'll be here. The news is full of you today, and I can't drive anywhere without passing a fireworks stand flashing your name in neon lights. I do hope your final hours of travel are smooth and free of blizzards or other storms.
Please accept my regrets about the party this evening. It will certainly be full of good cheer and smiling faces! I look forward to welcoming you in the morning. We can share a cup of tea, then walk the trail together. Enjoy the quiet.
I need you to know right up front that I want nothing from you. I've made no resolutions. I have no grand plans, just the everyday ones: to love this world in the best ways that I can. I simply want to share the moments, to exist together. To laugh and know beauty and be grateful. Who knows what magic will happen? Your predecessors have taught me that miracles are everywhere, that the unexpected things are often the best things. All I need to do is to be open to them.
I look forward to our journey together. I know it will include new adventures and new words nesting on white paper. Anything can happen – and will! I'm ready.
Love,
Irene

Selected Poems from ONE MINUTE TILL BEDTIME

Hello and Happy last Poetry Friday of 2016! Be sure to visit Donna, my Winter Poem Swap partner!, at Mainely Write for Roundup.

ETA: Why/how has this posted a day early... and says "Friday" on the header when it is but Thursday?! O Mystery!

I'm in with a few poems from the delightful ONE MINUTE TILL BEDTIME, edited by Kenn Nesbitt, illus. by Christoph Niemann, brought to us by Little, Brown & Co.

I love this book. So often these big anthologies are wildly uneven -- a shining poem here, a meh poem there. And sometimes, when there are so many poems, they just kind of all run together ?? (This could be just me.)

What's great about ONE MINUTE TILL BEDTIME is that pretty much wherever you crack open the book you will find something surprising, something delightful. And many of the poems are short, which is good. And the illustrations really add to the fun of the book -- some poems are presented sideways, or upside-down. On one spread a lion turns into a bed! This is good book-making. Thank you to all involved! It reminds me of those Shel Silverstein volumes I so treasured as a child. This book, I think, will be enjoyed for many years to come.

And now for a few poems from the book that are calling to me this morning (so hard to choose! so hard to choose!):

A Hard Rain
by Greg Pincus

Tonight the rain is falling hard.
It's washed the colors from the yard.
It's scrubbed the paint right off our house.
It's rinsed the fur right off a mouse.
The rain's turned fields to huge mud pies.
It's cleaned the stars up in the skies.
Rivers run and try to hide.
Tonight I think I'll stay inside.
--------------
I love this page in the book! The poem is presented sideways, and the page is mostly black. Delightful! Side note: my son Eric LOVES rain! He always goes OUTSIDE when it's raining to write songs and take pictures and ponder life. Fun.

Btw: Greg's newest middle grade novel THE HOMEWORK STRIKE (coming in January) is a JLG selection! Congrats, Greg!

Bedtime on 7th Avenue
by Ron Koertge

Big old dog sighs and lies down.
Spider closes her many eyes.

In the vacant lot, weeds lean against
each other.

Even graffiti opens its loud neon mouth
and yawns.
-----------------------
Can't you just see those (unexpected!) weeds leaning against each other? And the "loud neon mouth" -- wonderful! (Want to know Ron's secret to a long life? Click Ron's name above.)
-----------------------

Rolling down the Hill
by April Halprin Wayland

Sky,

     grass,

             sky,
 
                    grass,

                               Grandma,

                                            grass,

                                                        grass.

---------------
This poem is so April! It's zany and fun and makes me smile every time I read it! (I suspect April wrote this poem after actually having the experience in the poem!)
---------------


Wild Flowers
by Bob Raczka

Our dandelions
are tame, but their color is
a loud yellow roar.

------------------
Perfect example of a short, vivid poem... and the illustration is adorable! ROAR! Also check out Bob's latest WET CEMENT, which has earned a whole constellation of starred reviews!
------------------

Sky Story
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Who has the keys
to the moon,
to the moon...
who has the keys
to the moon?
Not me,
said the owl,
said the owl;
no keys.
Not me,
said the mouse
as he nibbled his cheese.
Not me,
said the bee,
Nor I, said the fly.
Only I, said the sky.
Only I.
------------------
This poem is magical! I love all the animals in it, the repetition, the rhyme... and the "unexpected inevitable" at the end: of course the sky is the only one with the keys to the moon. Of course! If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to read Rebecca's THE KNOWING BOOK, which I adore! (Look up!)
------------------

Shelterby Joyce Sidman
Such a slim space you're tucked into,Butterfly:feetstuck tothe undersideof this dripping leaf,wings shut tight like a flat gray purse holdingribbons of color.
----------------------Can you see the cocoon?? Beautiful example of how language need not be compromised in a shape poem. (Shape is just one tool -- don't forget language!) The cocoon does look like a gray purse, doesn't it? And speaking of stars... weren't we? Joyce's new BEFORE MORNING has also received a lot of shiny!----------------------
November Volcanoby Heidi Mordhorst
November volcanoexploding a lava of leaves
--------------------Another short, powerful poem! I am completely enamored of "lava" in this poem. And the illustration! Joy! For more poetic goodness, check out #haikuforhealing on Twitter, which features many wonderful poems, including a slew of them by Heidi!--------------------
and finally.....
Good-Night Poemby Ralph Fletcher
Now the long dayfeels complete.
Tuck your feetbetween clean sheets.
Tuck your bodyinto bed.
Tuck sweet dreamsinto your head.
Tuck your coverssnug and tight.
Tuck the goodinto the night.
-----------------------I love how the poem and illustration work together on this page... the poem is tucked into the curve of the moon! And how delightful is that last stanza?!
Thanks so much for reading... support poetry and poets and have fun doing it: get this book!

Winter Poem Swap "DELIGHT" by Donna Smith

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Buffy's Blog for Roundup.

Wow, can it really be Christmas Eve tomorrow? I feel like I have been Christmas-ing for a good month, maybe more. My mailbox has indeed been a happy place! I was thrilled to receive a penguin-y package from Donna Smith. Among other things, it included a handmade quilted penguin ornament! Donna is a true Renaissance woman. She does everything! And of course there was a poem -- titled after my 2016 One Little Word.


Can you see the penguins
hiding in this graphic?? Love!DELIGHT
by Donna Smith

Delight greeting daybreak,
Delight meeting noon;
Delight in the evening
With barred owl's croon.

Delight in the heavens,
Delight in each star,
Delight in the twinkling
Winks from afar.

Delight in the quiet,
Delight in the noise;
Delight may be found in
The humblest of joys.

Round pebbles to ponder,
Sweet laughter, warm breeze,
Tall mouuntains to wander
Each day that you seize.

Delight in each moment
Dissolving in air,
But hold some as memories
When moments are rare.

Though we may not see as
Delight moves along;
It whispers to others
Who hear your heart's song.

Delight taken in is
A gift to bestow.
Precious seeds of delight
Delightedly sow!

If ever you feel that
There's no more Delight,
Remember that morning
Still dawns with new light.

Delights's the beginning,
Don't look for its end,
For all who delight have
Embraced the soul's friend.

May delight in your heart
Flow freely and sweet
So others will see it
And bless all you meet.
--------------------
Thank you, Donna! And thank you Tabatha, who facilitates such wonder and joy in our lives. I'm so grateful!

And now, a few links for you:

On Twitter -- #haikuforhealing and #commonplacemarvels - Wow! Some amazing poems from some amazing poets. JOY.

an original poem for the Winter Solstice

Reflections on my 2016 One Little Word "Delight" + a sign up for Spiritual Journey FIRST Thursday (just two slots left!)

A post about why bookmarks are important.

My Secret Santa mystery: solved!

My son Eric has a magical, new instrumental song called "Four Years," about his four years of school at Alabama School of Fine Arts. Give yourself a gift and listen!

Poem for the Winter Solstice

Tonight's the night! Birmingham friends, I hope you'll join me for SHINE BRIGHT, a poetry reading and open mic in celebration of the winter solstice.

Here is the poem I will be reading:


Winter Solstice

No more hurry
hurry.

Time now for firelight
and dreaming,

for church bells
mingling

with the cold,
quiet sunlight.

And somewhere
deep

inside of you

a kernel of courage
unfurling --

each day, more light.

- Irene Latham
-------------------

I can't wait to hear what others will be sharing! What poem would YOU share on the topic of "winter" or "light" ?

And, here, just for fun, is the Little Bear "Winter Solstice" episode.  Lanterns and snow angels... and a song! (The night is cold, the snow is cold, Grandmother loves winter, and I do, too!) We loved watching this when the kids were small. :)

For the Love of Bookmarks

Over the weekend, in between wrapping gifts and other assorted holiday fun, I decided to do a little tidying up in my closet. One of the things I found was a small box of things from my childhood, including a jewelry box, my birth announcement and some trinkets my father brought home to me from his travels (when I was a child).

But the most interesting thing was the stash of bookmarks!

Now, what kid, besides an avid reader, would keep her childhood bookmarks?! Here they are:


I found so many of my favorite things: handmade bookmarks! bookmarks with quotes! Animal bookmarks! Bookmarks from places I've traveled (Cherokee, NC)! And some of them had writing on the back:

I discovered one was a gift from my mother. Another contained the name of one of my best friends at William Pitcher Jr. High in Covington, LA. One I gifted to my parents and instructed them to "USE IT FOR A VERY SPECIAL BOOK." (I don't know how I wound up with the bookmark after I'd given it to them... I can only surmise that I needed it more than they did!)

So I added these bookmarks to my nightstand drawer o' bookmarks. Using them makes me feel connected with a younger me. And it's validating, you know? I have always always been a reader. So many of the things that are important to me now were important to me then. I'm still me!

Other weekend highlights: Birmingham Cello Project Christmas concert!

Spiritual Journey Thursday: Reflections on 2016 One Little Word

Hello, and welcome! I'm delighted to host a roundup today for Spiritual Journey Thursday.

What is Spiritual Journey Thursday? Well, it was a tradition started by Holly Mueller at Reading, Teaching, Learning, as a weekly space to explore aspects of our spiritual lives.

The first few months of 2016 we discussed each person's One Little Word. These posts included reflections on why the word was selected, and what that word means in our lives. I found these posts so nourishing and enriching! And then things kind of fell apart when Holly let us all know that she was being called in other directions and needed to step away for a while. Several of us discussed ways to revive the practice, and now, after talking with Holly (who graciously passed the torch to me) and tweeting with others, I think we have a plan for 2017!

Instead of weekly posts, we will be scaling back to once a month:
Spiritual Journey FIRST Thursday!

We'll run the roundups the way we do Poetry Friday, with people signing up to host the roundup. Hosts will choose their own topic -- and we will all write on it. This can be your One Little Word, or something else. The only catch is this: I will need to know topic within the next couple of weeks (so I can create a schedule proper and share before the first Spiritual Journey First Thursday of 2017)!

So, here are the dates. Please let me know in comments which date you would like to host, and what topic you want us all to write about!

January 5 - Carol Varsalona (One Word to Guide our Journey 2017)
February 2
March 2
April 6 - Violet Nesdoly (New Life/Spring/Easter)
May 4
June 1 - Margaret @ Reflections on the Teche (Finding Joy)
July 6
August 3
September 7
October 5
November 2
December 7 - Irene @ Live Your Poem (One Little Word end-of-year reflections)

And now for a few words about DELIGHT, my 2016 One Little Word. This word has brought much joy and meaning to my life this year. I've found myself using the word in every day life: "I am delighted." It's a version of happy that feels more in the moment, more connected with presence and wonder. I've discovered the things that delight me are often the unexpected things, the lighter things, the everyday joys. Simply naming these things "delight" has had a huge impact on my life. It's hard to feel bad about anything for too long when you are focused on delight!

I'm also seeing more delight in my writing life. More playfulness and experimentation. More "just because I want to see what happens" kind of writing. And now, because it was this year's word, and this is the year my father died, "delight" is a word I associate with him. He was like my very own Santa, complete with a twinkle in his eye... the embodiment of delight. He still is that for me.

Finally, the one delight I return to every day is the sky. It's so easy to feel delighted. Just look up!



Thanks so much for reading! And now it is time to select a word for 2017... I'm pretty sure I know what mine is. :)



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Movie Monday: FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK

We've seen a number of movies lately in theaters that I liked okay but not enough to write a blog post about them:
ARRIVAL
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
ALLIED
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
DOCTOR STRANGE
HACKSAW RIDGE
(I was especially disappointed in FANTASTIC BEASTS... probably because I had expectations attached.)

Thank goodness for Netflix! The other night we watched a biography of Leonard Nimoy FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK.

I am not a Trekkie (in fact, I'm glad I checked Google for the spelling of the term, because I was using a "y") - never watched the TV show. I have, however, enjoyed the latest movie franchise very much. And this documentary is fascinating on a number of levels. (Trekkies will know why I said that!)

First, the whole rise-of-a-pop-culture phenomenon. The movie is made by Leonard Nimoy's son Adam, and he recalls, among other things, how in the beginning, fan mail came to their own home, and they answered the letters as a family activity. (Adam was 9 or 10 at the time.) And then we get a look at all the fan festivals and merchandise and the Spock's influence on later TV shows, art, etc.

Here's Nimoy. (Try as he might,
my husband cannot do this salute!
 Clearly, he is not Vulcan. :)Second, the appeal of Spock himself. I was very interested in what a hand Leonard Nimoy had in the creation of Spock. For instance, the "fascinating" dialogue was his idea and really set forth Spock's controlled, don't-show-emotion character. Also, it was Nimoy who thought of the famous Vulcan salute. And the fans included in the film said they related to Spock because he was an outsider, and they, too felt like outsiders. Also, viewers could relate to Spock's inner struggle to feel things, but not express them. This made him a mysterious, yet very relatable character. How many times to we feel something and not show it? Great fodder for we who love storytelling.

Third, I loved learning about Leonard Nimoy's relationship with his son Adam. It wasn't all rosy, that's for sure. Both struggled with addiction. There were periods of turmoil and estrangement. Ultimately they were able to enjoy one another, and in the later years of Leonard's life, they really came together as father and son, and as friends. Oh boy, can I relate to THAT! What a gift and a miracle.

Finally, who knew Leonard Nimoy was a poet? And a musician. I'll leave you with the poem that opens the film, because I love it:

I may not be - Leonard NimoyI may not be

I may not be the fastest
I may not be the tallest
     Or the strongest

I may not be the best
Or the brightest

    But one thing I can do better
     Than anyone else...

      That is

        To be me
More poems here.

Great film, whether you're a Trekkie or not!