after the face masks
my hands still remember how
to make shopping bags
JoAnn's Blog
April 17 Poem
April 23, 2021
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April 16 Poem
April 16, 2021
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 13 Poem
April 16, 2021
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
April 9 Poem, Poetry Friday, & Book Giveaway Reminder!
April 9, 2021
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!
April 6 Poem
April 7, 2021
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
April 4 Poem
April 7, 2021
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.
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 31 (April 23, 2020)
April 23, 2020
last riverside walk
farewell beavers, turkeys, coyotes
golf course reopens
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 30 (April 22, 2020)
April 23, 2020
Earth Day river cleanup
many small contributions
add up to big change
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 29 (April 21, 2020)
April 23, 2020
what to do with these
clenched fists--write poetry,
sew face masks, plant seeds
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 28 (April 20, 2020)
April 23, 2020
new morning routine
coffee, muffin, riverbank
before crowds arrive
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 27 (April 19, 2020)
April 23, 2020
before / after
half my steps today
up and down this hill--maybe
this year I'll keep up
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 26 (April 18, 2020)
April 18, 2020
somber morning walk
bones amid the greenery
o, this deadly spring
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 25 (April 17, 2020)
April 18, 2020
quiet park lagoon
grebe, merganser, muskrat, geese
distant siren wails
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 24 (April 16, 2020)
April 18, 2020
big mistake last night
reading the news at bedtime
nightmares all night long
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 23 (April 15, 2020)
April 18, 2020
picking up dog food
newfangled shopping adventure
topsy-turvy world
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 22 (April 14, 2020)
April 18, 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
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 21 (April 13, 2020)
April 18, 2020
busy morning--I'm
rarin' to go until (thud)
oh, yeah--I remember
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 20 (April 12, 2020)
April 18, 2020
this morning's service
white-throated sparrow chorus
sings Alleluia!
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 19 (April 11, 2020)
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!
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 11 (April 3, 2020) & Poetry Friday!
April 2, 2020
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
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 10 (April 2, 2020) & National Poetry Month!
April 2, 2020
pin in the carpet
needle in a haystack
virus in a community
#SaferAtHomePoem No. 9 (April 1, 2020) & National Poetry Month!
April 2, 2020
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!
Day 30: Migration Day & the Last 2018 National Poetry Month Book Giveaway!
April 30, 2018
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!
Day 29: Haiku on Haiku & a Book Giveaway!
April 29, 2018
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!
Day 28: Taking Pictures & a Book Giveaway!
April 28, 2018
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