Irene Latham's Blog, page 97

ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #12 "Gathering Fruit"

Welcome to day 12 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired! 

But first, please visit Michelle at Today's Little Ditty to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

This year's ARTSPEAK! theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market.

Here are the poems so far:

"Bread's Lament" after Boy with Basket of Fruit by an unknown American artist
"After the Fire" after Ruined Farm by Hubert Robert
"Cow at the Gate" after Landscape with Open Gate by Pieter Molijin
"I Am the Plate" after Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit by Paul Cezanne
"Courtship (According to the Cat)" by Winslow Homer
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Today's poem was tough for me! I adore work by Mary Cassatt... all those lovely domestic scenes, often of mother and baby... and I wasn't sure what fresh and surprising I could bring to this piece. Then I thought about the title, how there are all kinds of "fruit"... I'll want to revisit this one in the future, but for now, here's where I've landed:

Gathering Fruit
Skirts swishawake the day
as she climbsthe ladder
and pearspeal like churchbells:
Please, O pleasePick me!
But Babydoesn't hearor seeanything
exceptone facegoing away,coming back again –
Mama, Mama.
- Irene Latham
Listen to the poem on Soundcloud.

ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #11 "Bread's Lament"

Welcome to day 11 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired! 

But first, please visit Buffy's Blog to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

This year's ARTSPEAK! theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market.

Here are the poems so far:

"After the Fire" after Ruined Farm by Hubert Robert
"Cow at the Gate" after Landscape with Open Gate by Pieter Molijin
"I Am the Plate" after Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit by Paul Cezanne
"Courtship (According to the Cat)" by Winslow Homer
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Today's image was the first image I found when I began rounding up images on this year's theme, so I've been thinking about this little boy for a couple of weeks now. Those eyes! But, again, I didn't know what the boy could say that would be unique/original. So I started looking at the other elements of the painting. I kept coming back to that hunk of bread...

Bread's Lament
How am Ito competewith a basketof fruit so lusciousand sweet?
Look howthe plum fitsperfectlyin the boy's palm –
and I am but crust and crumb.
My life isnothingbut boring –
until the micecome along.
- Irene Latham
Listen to the poem on Soundcloud.

ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #10 "After the Fire"

Welcome to day 10 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired! 

But first, please visit Pat at Writer on a Horse to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

This year's ARTSPEAK! theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market.

Here are the poems so far:

"Cow at the Gate" after Landscape with Open Gate by Pieter Molijin
"I Am the Plate" after Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit by Paul Cezanne
"Courtship (According to the Cat)" by Winslow Homer
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Today's piece was tough to write, in part, because I attended a funeral for my nephew, who was only 23. The day was filled with family and remembrances and sadness. This is a poem I will want to revisit in the future -- I do like its simplicity. BUT. We aim for specificity as poets, and using a word like "bird" isn't as strong as using a word like "owl" or "sparrow." But the way I set this poem up, a more specific word didn't work either... and then I ran out of time. As did my nephew. Sadness. But writing the poetry helps.



After the Fire
What is a farmwithout a barn?
It is a bodywithout a heart.
What is the earthwithout sky?
It is a bird with no place to fly.
- Irene Latham
Listen on Soundcloud.

ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #9 "Cow at the Gate"

Welcome to day 9 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired! 

But first, please visit Margaret at Reflections on the Teche to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

This year's ARTSPEAK! theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:

"I Am the Plate" after Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit by Paul Cezanne
"Courtship (According to the Cat)" by Winslow Homer
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Today's piece Landscape with Open Gate by Pieter Moijin is certainly rural, and I am certain there is a garden/farm just out of the frame. And cows. There are definitely cows! When writing poems inspired by art, it often helps me to look beyond the frame... this is a way to bring something unexpected to the poem, to enrich the experience of the painting. Another question to ask: who (or what) is seeing this image? Right away, that gave me the eyes of a cow.


Cow at the Gate
Cow knowsa closed gatemeans graze,sleep;its early –or late.
An open gatemeans,Hurry now,pick up the pace!The world  awaits.

- Irene Latham

Listen to the poem on Soundcloud!

ARTSPEAK! 2016: "Cow at the Gate"

Welcome to day 9 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired! 

But first, please visit Margaret at Reflections on the Teche to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

This year's ARTSPEAK! theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:

"I Am the Plate" after Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit by Paul Cezanne
"Courtship (According to the Cat)" by Winslow Homer
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Today's piece Landscape with Open Gate by Pieter Moijin is certainly rural, and I am certain there is a garden/farm just out of the frame. And cows. There are definitely cows! When writing poems inspired by art, it often helps me to look beyond the frame... this is a way to bring something unexpected to the poem, to enrich the experience of the painting. Another question to ask: who (or what) is seeing this image? Right away, that gave me the eyes of a cow.


Cow at the Gate
Cow knowsa closed gatemeans graze,sleep;its early –or late.
An open gatemeans,Hurry now,pick up the pace!The world  awaits.

- Irene Latham

Listen to the poem on Soundcloud!

ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #8 "I Am the Plate" & Janet's Line in Our Progressive Poem!

Hello, and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Laura at Writing the World for Kids for Roundup -- and to see the latest installment of her Putrid Poetry series!

So we're a week into National Poetry Month... how's everyone holding up? So much creativity flowing... I hope to catch up on my blog reading this weekend.

Real quick, I have to share my favorite pic from yesterday at Fay B. Kaigler:
Joyce Sidman & me (the person who photographed us said, "Smile, Poets!"
And we did. :)
I had such a great time... if you're curious, I live-tweeted from speeches made by Lois Lowry, Jacqueline Woodson, and Joyce Sidman. Search for the hashtag #USMCBF (University of Southern Miss Children's Book Festival).

But first, please join me in welcoming Janet Fagal, who is here to share the newest line in our Progressive Poem. Hi, Janet!

I am happy to be back as part of the Progressive Poem 2016 “team”.  I loved watching the poem grow the first year and asked Irene in 2013 if she would host me since I do not have a blog. She has graciously agreed 3 times now.  It is so interesting to see the poem grow, turn and sing. I don’t know about the other poets but I certainly spend a lot of time pondering what my line ought to be. Since I grew up on Long Island, the beach, the ocean and all things sandy hold fond memories. I feel a lot of responsibility to those who have started the poem but especially to those who follow.  We have a nature poem, a poem of pondering and a poem of adventure, perhaps. Where will it go? I send it off to Margaret to see where she takes us next.Thank you, Irene, for including me!  I love watching this group poem grow.
A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky
A hummingbird holds and then hies
If I could fly, I'd choose to be
Sailing through a forest of poet-treesA cast of crabs engraves the sand
Delighting a child's outstretched hand
If I could breathe under the seaI’d dive, I’d dip, I’d dance with glee---------------------------------------Thank you, Janet! It's a pleasure to have you at Live Your Poem, and I'm so glad you are a part of our Progressive Poem yet again. :)

And now, welcome to day 8 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired!  This year's theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:

"Courtship (According to the Cat)" by Winslow Homer
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

For today's poem, I am focusing on the "eat" part of my theme... sort of! The piece I've selected is "Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit" by Paul Cezanne. My regular readers know I adore persona poems, so this newest should come as no surprise. Although it DID come as sort of a surprise to me... I started out trying to bring movement to this still life, but I just wasn't finding anything fresh... and I kept looking for some strange angle, some unusual way into the poem... voila! The plate! (It might actually be a bowl, but it's so shallow... and so unremarkable it didn't even make it into Cezanne's title of the piece, which gives me the freedom to call it a plate if I want to. :)



I Am the Plate

I am the platethat sits by the jug
that rests full-belliedon the breakfast table.
I can hold onto nothing:
not the apples,the pears,the lemon.
Not time nor sunlight.
Not even
this poem.
- Irene Latham

Listen to the poem on Soundcloud!

ARTSPEAK! 2016: "I Am the Plate" & Janet's Line in Our Progressive Poem!

Hello, and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Laura at Writing the World for Kids for Roundup -- and to see the latest installment of her Putrid Poetry series!

So we're a week into National Poetry Month... how's everyone holding up? So much creativity flowing... I hope to catch up on my blog reading this weekend.

Real quick, I have to share my favorite pic from yesterday at Fay B. Kaigler:
Joyce Sidman & me (the person who photographed us said, "Smile, Poets!"
And we did. :)
I had such a great time... if you're curious, I live-tweeted from speeches made by Lois Lowry, Jacqueline Woodson, and Joyce Sidman. Search for the hashtag #USMCBF (University of Southern Miss Children's Book Festival).

But first, please join me in welcoming Janet Fagal, who is here to share the newest line in our Progressive Poem. Hi, Janet!

I am happy to be back as part of the Progressive Poem 2016 “team”.  I loved watching the poem grow the first year and asked Irene in 2013 if she would host me since I do not have a blog. She has graciously agreed 3 times now.  It is so interesting to see the poem grow, turn and sing. I don’t know about the other poets but I certainly spend a lot of time pondering what my line ought to be. Since I grew up on Long Island, the beach, the ocean and all things sandy hold fond memories. I feel a lot of responsibility to those who have started the poem but especially to those who follow.  We have a nature poem, a poem of pondering and a poem of adventure, perhaps. Where will it go? I send it off to Margaret to see where she takes us next.Thank you, Irene, for including me!  I love watching this group poem grow.
A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky
A hummingbird holds and then hies
If I could fly, I'd choose to be
Sailing through a forest of poet-treesA cast of crabs engraves the sand
Delighting a child's outstretched hand
If I could breathe under the seaI’d dive, I’d dip, I’d dance with glee---------------------------------------Thank you, Janet! It's a pleasure to have you at Live Your Poem, and I'm so glad you are a part of our Progressive Poem yet again. :)

And now, welcome to day 8 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired!  This year's theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:

"Courtship (According to the Cat)" by Winslow Homer
"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

For today's poem, I am focusing on the "eat" part of my theme... sort of! The piece I've selected is "Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit" by Paul Cezanne. My regular readers know I adore persona poems, so this newest should come as no surprise. Although it DID come as sort of a surprise to me... I started out trying to bring movement to this still life, but I just wasn't finding anything fresh... and I kept looking for some strange angle, some unusual way into the poem... voila! The plate! (It might actually be a bowl, but it's so shallow... and so unremarkable it didn't even make it into Cezanne's title of the piece, which gives me the freedom to call it a plate if I want to. :)



I Am the Plate

I am the platethat sits by the jug
that rests full-belliedon the breakfast table.
I can hold onto nothing:
not the apples,the pears,the lemon.
Not time nor sunlight.
Not even
this poem.
- Irene Latham

Listen to the poem on Soundcloud!

ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #7 "Courtship (According to the Cat)"

Hello, and welcome to day 7 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired!  Also, please visit Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass to see how our Progressive poem is progressing!

I'm still reveling in the wonderment that is Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival in Hattiesburg, MS... I can't wait to tell you about it! Very soon, I promise! I did live-tweet Lois Lowry's talk yesterday, and I will be doing the same for Jacqueline Woodson and Joyce Sidman (!) today.

Meanwhile, it's also Spiritual Journey Thursday. Today we are sharing posts about Bobbie Ann Taylor's One Little Word MERCIFUL. It's a beautiful word isn't it? I want to spend more time with it, but right now the thing I'd like to share is how it brings me straightaway to these words of wisdom from my mother:



And now, back to ARTSPEAK! This year's theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:

"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro
Today's poem is another love poem... and it's kind of fitting, as today marks 26 years since me and Paul's first date. It was a blind date, actually, and a whirlwind courtship followed... we married almost exactly a year later. So when I saw "Rustic Courtship (in the Garden)" by Winslow Homer, I knew it was the piece I wanted to write about. But courtship poems have been done and done and done... how could I bring an element of surprise to this subject? Change perspective, of course! Read on...

Courtship (According to the Cat)
He comes tucked in those suspenders,
carrying that pitchfork –
my cue to slink away.
They never say anything interesting anyway.
But how his face blooms –
as if she is sun andrain andsoil.
Not once has henoticed me.
When he is there,she forgets my name.
- Irene Latham
Listen to the poem on Soundcloud!

ARTSPEAK! 2016: "Courtship (According to the Cat)"

Hello, and welcome to day 7 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired!  Also, please visit Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass to see how our Progressive poem is progressing!

I'm still reveling in the wonderment that is Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival in Hattiesburg, MS... I can't wait to tell you about it! Very soon, I promise! I did live-tweet Lois Lowry's talk yesterday, and I will be doing the same for Jacqueline Woodson and Joyce Sidman (!) today.

Meanwhile, it's also Spiritual Journey Thursday. Today we are sharing posts about Bobbie Ann Taylor's One Little Word MERCIFUL. It's a beautiful word isn't it? I want to spend more time with it, but right now the thing I'd like to share is how it brings me straightaway to these words of wisdom from my mother:



And now, back to ARTSPEAK! This year's theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:

"Courage" after Planting Corn by Stanley Mazur
"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro
Today's poem is another love poem... and it's kind of fitting, as today marks 26 years since me and Paul's first date. It was a blind date, actually, and a whirlwind courtship followed... we married almost exactly a year later. So when I saw "Rustic Courtship (in the Garden)" by Winslow Homer, I knew it was the piece I wanted to write about. But courtship poems have been done and done and done... how could I bring an element of surprise to this subject? Change perspective, of course! Read on...

Courtship (According to the Cat)
He comes tucked in those suspenders,
carrying that pitchfork –
my cue to slink away.
They never say anything interesting anyway.
But how his face blooms –
as if she is sun andrain andsoil.
Not once has henoticed me.
When he is there,she forgets my name.
- Irene Latham
Listen to the poem on Soundcloud!

ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #6 "Courage"

Hello, and welcome to day 6 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art.  Please join me, if you feel so inspired!  Also, please visit Carol at Beyond Literacy Link to see how our Progressive poem is progressing!

Two things about today: 1) I am at Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival in Hattiesburg, MS. My presentation is called Reading is Delicious: Fresh, Fun Food Programming for Kids. Hello, all my fellow book lovers! 2) It's our 25th wedding anniversary! How did THAT happen? I'm so, so grateful for that man, this life. Love love love.

Okay, back to ARTSPEAK! This year's theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:

"Orchard Barber Shop" after Gardener Pruning a Tree by Jacques Callot
"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro
Today's poem is inspired by "Planting Corn" by Stanley Mazur. This poem went in an entirely different direction than I was expecting. What drew me to the painting was the row of women, and the farmer in charge. Yes, I could make this a feminist poem, but mostly I was drawn to the mathematics of planting and started out writing about the way the farmer measures the field like a seamstress. But then I read the April 5 (I write these poems a day ahead during National Poetry Month so I can post in a timely manner) reading in The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo, which, in a wonderful bit of serendipity, spoke of the courage of the seed. And then that's all I could think about! So often I am inspired by what I am reading... which is a good reminder to read wide and often. (I can always go back and write the feminist and mathematics poems later.)

Courage
The seed in the apron pocketdoesn't knowit will growinto corn
yet it nevercomplainsabout the darkor the dirtor the farmer'scalloused hands –
instead it simplywaitsfor light.
- Irene Latham

Listen to the poem on Soundcloud.