Holly Thompson's Blog, page 15

Tanbo

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Tanbo

the tanbo are quietwaiting for tadpoleslarvae, egrets, and legs
of kids like us stepping into the mud to plant the year’s rice seedlings


tanbo = rice paddy
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved





Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Beached

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Beached 

the boats are pulled upwell beyond the greedy reach of the strong high tide

© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved





Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Koi Fish

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Koi Fish

if you climb up the hill to the temple where local legend says that warrior Yoshitsune wrote his Koshigoe letterbegging his half-brotherruler Yoritomo to allow him to enter Kamakura, there’s
a tunnel through the hill to all the temple gravesand near the tunnel is small inkwell pondand in this pond are koithat rise to the surfacemouthing maybe the truestory of what happened
to warrior Yoshitsuneafter his brother refusedhim entry and made himinstead the ruler’s enemy
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved



Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Wakame

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Wakame

wakame hangslike laundry dryingin the sea breeze
seaweed on saladseaweed in soupseaweed with riceseaweed shampoo
wakame hangslike laundry flappingin the sea breeze
winter too mildseas too warmwakame shortprofits too small
wakame hangslike laundry waving in the sea breeze


© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved




Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Rooftops

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Rooftop View 

our neighborhood  is like a chef’s house salad— all colors and flavors


© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved





Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Lotus Wake-Up

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Lotus Wake-Up

lotus roots that sleptin cold mud all winterare nudged awake rinsed and readiedfor planting in the temple’s big clay pots
to sprout aerial leafbowls that catch rainin silver jewels, bloom, and seed with pods that if dried will rattlerattle when shaken

© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved



Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Red String Park

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Red String Park


my sister Cora knows
and names every single park
she checks out in our town

grass slide park
BB pellet park
tree seat park
dog party park
wall climb park
skinny park
pointless park
zip wire park

at red string park Cora says
if two friends climb together
they’ll stay friends forever


© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved



Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Shoreline

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Shoreline


our town is on a coast
with stretches of beach
and waves that shape
and remold the shore

weather turns
winds shift
waves charge
sands slip

our town is on a coast
with hills and cliffs
and fingerlike valleys
with ribbons of streams

weather turns
winds whip
rains fall
rivers swift

our town is on a coast
with ports for boats
that ride the swells
and swing with tides

weather turns
winds shift
air cools
fog drifts

our town is on a coast
with stretches of sky
and clouds that tint
and touch up the sea

weather turns
winds still
surfers surf
sun sets


© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved





Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Sakura Trick

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Sakura Trick


sakura have this trick they play
whenever clouds bleach the sky—
a basic means of camouflage
that makes blossoms go invisible
as if the petals aren’t all hovering
above us soon to fall like snow


© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved







Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com

Notice

Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems

Notice
nearly graduated
from elementary school
nearly on spring break
and Ōshima-sensei gives us
one more assignment

no! we say zurui—not fair!
but Ōshima-sensei tells us
we have an obligation
to know our neighborhoods
and remember our town

so Ōshima-sensei asks us
do you know your town?
are you paying attention?
and explains: our assignment
since we are nearly graduated

from elementary school
is to go outside and notice
and pay attention so that
we will always remember.
then Ōshima-sensei shows us

a photo he took this week
of some young ferns uncurling
and Ōshima-sensei urges us:
look around you, and notice
the world, here, in your town


© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved




Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems 
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. 
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards

Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com