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JoAnn's Blog

April 17 Poem

 

after the face masks
my hands still remember how
to make shopping bags

 

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April 16 Poem

 

skull-and-crossbones signs
would give a clearer warning
of the danger here

 

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Visit, read, enjoy! 

 

Read on--more National Poetry Month poems below!

 

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April 14 Poem

 

open this little
brown leather wallet and find
magic coins inside

 

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April 13 Poem

 

I.
I raked the front hill
still some weeding to do but
the front hill is raked


II.
I slept well last night
remarkable clarity
this morning's thinking

 

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April 12 Poem

 

no amount of nudge
can convince this dog to budge
when she stops we stop

 

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April 11 Poem

 

election's over
but one yard sign still displays
its timeless message

 

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April 10 Poem

 

10-year warranty—
if they're so durable, why
wrap them in plastic?

 

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April 9 Poem, Poetry Friday, & Book Giveaway Reminder!

 

just a little bit
out of my way this fine view
neighbor's hellebores

 

Tabatha Yeatts is hosting today's Poetry Friday Roundup at The Opposite of Indifference. Enjoy!

 

And remember to enter the Book Giveaway of my new picture book Grow, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman and published by Boyds Mills & Kane, at the Teaching Authors blog. Good luck!

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April 8 Poem

 

haiku in progress
what I want to say won't fit
maybe tomorrow

 

 

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April 7 Poem

 

I never label
my plants. Oh, look—Pasqueflowers!
I love surprises.

 

 

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April 6 Poem

 

oof I'd forgotten that
raking takes muscles my
arms not as strong as they
once were I fear


but


oh what a joy to be
working outside this is
truly my favorite
time of the year

 

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April 5 Poem

 

nose-to-nose greeters
side-by-side sidewalk walkers
puppy-pounce playpals

 

 

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April 4 Poem

 

Nothing overhead but blue.
Nothing urgent I must do.
Dog asleep in sunny spot—
better than the plan I've got.
Time for me to take her cue.
Nothing urgent I must do.
Let the list go in the breeze,
listen to the chickadees,
lie back, gaze up at the blue.
Nothing urgent I must do.

 

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April 3 Poem

 

heading home again
leaving sunset behind us
miss you already

 

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April 2 Poem

 

riverside sculpture
remarkable toothwork by
creative creatures

 

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April 1 Poem

 

seedlings already
optimistic gardeners
ignore calendars

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 31 (April 23, 2020)

 

last riverside walk
farewell beavers, turkeys, coyotes
golf course reopens

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 30 (April 22, 2020)

 

Earth Day river cleanup
many small contributions
add up to big change

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 29 (April 21, 2020)

 

what to do with these
clenched fists--write poetry,
sew face masks, plant seeds

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 28 (April 20, 2020)

 

new morning routine
coffee, muffin, riverbank
before crowds arrive

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 27 (April 19, 2020)

before / after

 

half my steps today
up and down this hill--maybe
this year I'll keep up

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 26 (April 18, 2020)

 

somber morning walk
bones amid the greenery
o, this deadly spring

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 25 (April 17, 2020)

 

quiet park lagoon
grebe, merganser, muskrat, geese
distant siren wails

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 24 (April 16, 2020)

 

big mistake last night
reading the news at bedtime
nightmares all night long

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 23 (April 15, 2020)

 

picking up dog food
newfangled shopping adventure
topsy-turvy world

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 22 (April 14, 2020)

 

brave Wisconsin voters
stood in line for hours--
six feet apart for hours--
stood outside in the rain


brave Wisconsin voters
stood up to voter suppression
stood up to gerrymandering
to show the world that this is what
democracy looks like now


may they all be safe

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 21 (April 13, 2020)

 

busy morning--I'm
rarin' to go until (thud)
oh, yeah--I remember

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 20 (April 12, 2020)

 

this morning's service
white-throated sparrow chorus
sings Alleluia!

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 19 (April 11, 2020)

 

My groceries are quarantined
beneath the kitchen table.
I washed off bottles, cans, and fruit
as well as I was able.
Soapy water, kitchen sink.
Dunked the broccoli in the drink.
The rest of it
can sit a bit.
Won't it be fun to open up
each can that has no label?

 

Our Wisconsin governor has issued a "Safer at Home" order for the state. I'll try to post a new poem each day based on my experiences and perceptions. You can read more below.  Stay safe, everyone! Wash your hands!

 

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 11 (April 3, 2020) & Poetry Friday!

 

How to Help: Stay Home!

 

Everybody on the street,

stay at home. Please stay at home!

It's not safe for friends to meet.

Stay at home. Please stay at home!

Be a hero. Don't go out.

Don't go frolicking about.

Seriously, must I shout?

STAY AT HOME! STAY HOME!

 

I've been posting a #SaferAtHomePoem each day on Facebook and Twitter since our governor issued the alert for Wisconsin. This one has been rattling around in my head all week as I walk through our busy neighborhood. I've also gathered the others on this blog. (Please keep reading!)

 

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at My Juicy Little Universe. Enjoy!

 

xox,

JoAnn

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 10 (April 2, 2020) & National Poetry Month!

 

pin in the carpet
needle in a haystack
virus in a community

 

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#SaferAtHomePoem No. 9 (April 1, 2020) & National Poetry Month!

 

mask production starts
at the dining room table
like normal things do

 

Today is the first day of National Poetry Month! Celebrate with me by reading and writing poetry! 

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Day 30: Migration Day & the Last 2018 National Poetry Month Book Giveaway!

               Today is the day that spring flies north.
               That’s what the forecasters say.
               I think I will lie right down in the grass
               and watch the sky all day.

               Our feeders are filled. We’ve put oranges out
               for the favorites we see every year.
               Orioles, grosbeaks, indigo buntings,
               and warblers are on their way here!

               Hummingbirds, tanagers, kinglets and wrens—
               I’ve got nothing better to do
               than to lie outside in the grass and watch.
               Come out and join me, won’t you?

 

Poetry has sustained me through this wintry National Poetry Month, but I’m always happy to welcome May with its migrating birds and bursting blooms. This year’s poem-a-day exercise has taught me good lessons about my voice and writing habits. I’m really glad I was able to stick to my plan and write something new every day. I hope to continue that practice, although I don’t expect to post every day.

I'm giving away a copy of Write a Poem Step by Step every day in April. Today is the last giveaway of the month! The book is based on my school visit presentations and includes a simple plan you can follow to create your own poems. I wrote it for students, teachers, and writers of all ages.

Post a comment here to enter. I'll choose one at random tomorrow and drop a copy of Write a Poem Step by Step in the mail—U.S. addresses only, please. I’ll email you for your mailing address if you win. Good luck!

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Day 29: Haiku on Haiku & a Book Giveaway!


Yesterday, we walked around a lagoon in the park, and I posted a silly haiku about my photography skills. (Yes, that's my thumb again in the photo above.) What I wanted to say was something about the flashes of red in the not-yet-spring landscape. Alas, it still eludes me. Here's what came out instead:

 

               too much to say
               in three short lines
               make it a tanka

               making words fit
               I lose the logic
               try another draft

               haiku on haiku
               no nature in these lines
               look out the window

               which matters more
               the form or the meaning
               neither
                              both
                                          let go

 

I'm giving away a copy of Write a Poem Step by Step every day in April. The book is based on my school visit presentations and includes a simple plan you can follow to create your own poems. I wrote it for students, teachers, and writers of all ages.

Post a comment here to enter. I'll choose one at random tomorrow and drop a copy of Write a Poem Step by Step in the mail—U.S. addresses only, please. I’ll email you for your mailing address if you win. And if you don't win right away, please try again. I'll have 31 copies to share! 

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Day 28: Taking Pictures & a Book Giveaway!


birds, flowers, landscapes
all my photos look alike
thumb in a corner


We went to the park this morning to walk around the lagoon and see what was migrating through. I sat on a bench, waiting for the local geese to swim closer so I could count the goslings. They climbed the bank and waddled almost to my feet, pecking in the grass. I deleted the worst of the photos before I realized that my photography skills could be the topic of today's haiku. (In my defense, I was wearing mittens. In April-almost-May!)

I'm giving away a copy of Write a Poem Step by Step every day in April. The book is based on my school visit presentations and includes a simple plan you can follow to create your own poems. I wrote it for students, teachers, and writers of all ages.

Post a comment here to enter. I'll choose one at random tomorrow and drop a copy of Write a Poem Step by Step in the mail—U.S. addresses only, please. I’ll email you for your mailing address if you win. And if you don't win right away, please try again. I'll have 31 copies to share!  Read More 
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