I am not bound to win but I am bound to be true – I am not bound to succeed but I am bound to live up to what light I have – I must stand with anybody that stands right: stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes […]| The Opposite of Indifference
October had tremendous possibility. ~Sarah Guillory For Poetry Friday, a letter and a poem. The letter is a response to a 10-year-old’s question “What do you think makes a good citizen?” Today’s poem is by Langston Hughes: Poet to Bigot I have done so littleFor you,And you have done so littleFor me,That we have good […]| The Opposite of Indifference
I consider it a rare gift to discover a new-to-me poet, one whose work immediately resonates and whets my appetite for more. Reading Freya Manfred’s poems for the first time was like taking a rejuvenating breath of fresh air, or drinking a tall glass of cool water on a warm day. She often writes about … Continue reading two poems by Freya Manfred| Jama's Alphabet Soup
Imagine standing beneath a tall tree in a quiet snow-laden forest, your soul abloom with heightened awareness. Or perhaps you’re lying on your bed, eyes closed, envisioning a butterfly fluttering just above you, its wings stirring up the gentle air before it softly lands on your fingers, nose and eyelids. Whether immersing yourself in nature … Continue reading [mindful review+ giveaway] The Gift of the Broken Teacup by Allan Wolf and Jade Orlando| Jama's Alphabet Soup
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! Howdy! Lots to […] The post Can’t Get Away, a Contest, a Winner, and Reviews appeared first on Laura Purdie Salas.| Laura Purdie Salas
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! Randy and I […]| Laura Purdie Salas
Some of my Inkling writing group friends have been inspired to write poems using Wordle guesses. I’ve tried a few times, but as a person who plays Wordle infrequently and always starts with the same word, the practice didn’t appeal to me. Mary Lee’s rule is when she guesses in three words, she writes a […]| Reflections on the Teche
I have lived in the same neighborhood for 21 years, and for all of that time, there was an empty lot in the cul-de-sac at the end of the street. This empty lot was my crossover space for walking from my street to a neighboring one that also follows the bayou. The crossover lot was […]| Reflections on the Teche
Last weekend we kept two of my grandchildren overnight. It was an opportunity to get them out in the canoe on the bayou. Leo is almost 7, so Jeff decided it was time to put him in the front to paddle. He doesn’t have a powerful stroke, but he knows how to put the paddle […]| Reflections on the Teche
I love surprising students. When schools invite me to visit, I often share the behind-the-scenes journeys of my books or unusual aspects like illustrations or STEM elements. These receive great reactions, when kids discover so many things about the creative process – and the world – they didn’t know. But when a school requests a … Continue reading Poetry Friday: First school visit of the year yields more student poetry!| Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
There are few things more comforting than a nice, warm serving of pasta – whether it’s a plate of angel hair carbonara, a thick slab of lasagna filled with roicotta and bolognese, or elbow macaroni swimming in five different cheeses. And today, we get to celebrate! I discovered earlier this week that today is National … Continue reading Poetry Friday: National Pasta Day needs something cheesy| Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
I was delighted to have a chance to share Laura Purdie Salas’s upcoming “Flurry, Float and Fly! The Story of a Snowstorm” with my second grade students recently. As Maine residents, we’re all well-versed in snow, so would they be the perfect audience for a snowy book or a snow-jaded lot? As we settled in […]| Nix the comfort zone
This week has been a doozy. I’m chiming in with a little poem in praise of Autumn, and with thanks to Georgia Heard‘s October prompt calendar for inspiration. Autumn If I chose wordsto hangupon an autumn treeI’d write dazzletremblerelease andflutterfall and be thankfulfor them all ©Molly Hogan This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Linda […]| Nix the comfort zone
This month Margaret posed our Inklings challenge. She matched us up with partners and instructed us to send images to each other and write a poem sparked by the image we received. Catherine Flynn w…| Nix the comfort zone
“Dust is something bad, something evil and wicked.” ~ Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials, 1995) DUST IF YOU MUST by Rose Milligan Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better To paint a picture, or write a letter, Bake a cake, or plant a seed; Ponder the difference between want and need? Dust if … Continue reading to dust or not to dust| Jama's Alphabet Soup
When we were little, we likely heard about the cow jumping over the moon and the dish running away with the spoon. We learned the moon was made of green cheese, and that when the man in the moon tumbled down too soon, he burned his mouth eating porridge. Whether in nursery rhyme or popular … Continue reading [review] Sweet Dreams: Moon Poems for Bedtime by Charles Ghigna and Jacqueline East| Jama's Alphabet Soup
art by Melanie Parke. Happy to share another insightful poem by California poet Lori Levy today. Last time she wrote about her love of eggplant, wanting to make it her special hobby. Now, what abou…| Jama's Alphabet Soup
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! Thanks for all […] The post One-Sentence Excerpt from Flurry, Float, and Fly! appeared first on Laura Purdie Salas.| Laura Purdie Salas
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) A few good news items: I’m presenting at the Iowa SCBWI Conference over Halloween weekend! And I’m presenting with Dr. Sophie Ladd and some amazing nonfiction authors about mentor texts at NCTE this year? Anybody going? And, finally, I signed a contract for […]| Laura Purdie Salas
Today is the first Friday of a new month, October, and time for an Inklings challenge. I asked my writing group friends to exchange photos for an image poem. I invite you to participate in image poetry every Wednesday right here with This Photo Wants to be a Poem. My exchange partner was Heidi. She […]| Reflections on the Teche
Matt is our host for Poetry Friday this week. Hop on over there for the roundup. Poetry in the Spotlight Since I’ve been out of posting, a few cool things have happened nationally with poetry. The National Book Awards Longlists were released, and the new U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze was announced. National Book Award Longlist for Poetry I haven’t read any of the books on this list yet. National Book Award Longlist for Young People’s Literature There are several verse novels on t...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Hello friends. I participated in Tabatha Yeatts summer poetry swap again this year. I received so many lovely poems and gifts from this com...| missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com
This month's challenge was to write in the form of the tritina. The tritina is composed of 3 tercets and a final line (envoi) that stands alone. Similar to a sestina, though shorter, it uses a set of 3 alternating end words instead of six. The form is: 123 / 312 / 231 / 1, 2, 3 (final line/envoi).| The Miss Rumphius Effect
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. I have been comforted by all of the sympathy notes and messages from this Poetry Friday community over the death of my mother this sum…| Reflections on the Teche
Today’s Poetry Friday is being gathered by Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities. A new release from Laura Purdue Salas, Flurry, Float, and Fly! On this hot, humid southern day when the temper…| Reflections on the Teche
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! My wonderful mom-in-law […] The post Poems Inspired by My Mom-in-Law and Her Dementia appeared first on Laura Purdie Salas.| Laura Purdie Salas
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! [Note: a longtime […]| Laura Purdie Salas
Let me begin by saying this: If you’re going to write a poem with this kind of title, you can be guaranteed I’ll read it. Much like last week’s post, this was not the poem I’d intended to share today. But with the events of the past week or two, I’ve been trying to tone … Continue reading Poetry Friday: “Instructions for Building Your First Time Machine”| Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
Well, I’m finally back from my summer hiatus – spending time with the kids, enjoying some vacation time, doing lots of library visits – and I come back to see the country is on fi…| Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche is our host for Poetry Friday. Hop on over there for the roundup. I haven’t done a Poetry Friday post in a month! I’ve been so swamped this year with the beginning of school. I write my Poetry Friday posts in the evening to free up my morning brain for writing on creative projects. But each evening, my brain is so tired. Beginning of school tired is real! August Roundup of Books Middle Grade Books I’ve Read So Far in 2025 (2 pages)–Not...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
These days, as our country mutates into something foul and ignoble, I turn to Nature again and again to find solace. Sometimes I feel almost desperate in my search for a peaceful distraction. It reminds me of the fledglings I see at our feeders in the spring, fluttering their wings insistently in a drumbeat of […]| Nix the comfort zone
This month it was my turn to set the Inklings challenge. I suggested that we “write a love note to something or someone or some place.” I shared José A. Alcántara’s Love Note to Silence…| Nix the comfort zone
I have the Poetry Friday Roundup Today! Today is the first Poetry Friday of September and time for an Inklings challenge from Molly Hogan: Write a love note to something or someone or some place. G…| Reflections on the Teche
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” ~ Japanese proverb Hooray for September and a brand new school year! As a grade school student, I loved …| Jama's Alphabet Soup
This month, our challenge was to talk back to a poem, specifically the poem "Talk to Me Poem, I Think I Got the Blues" by Nikki Giovanni. ...| missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com
It's been a long time since I've written a poem for David Harrison's Word of the Month Poetry Challenge . The word for August is box . I'm q...| missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! I’ve been away […]| Laura Purdie Salas
Happy Poetry Friday & Happy August! IN AUGUST All natureUnder skyGregariously blooms andUndresses before yourSenses creatingTitillating sensations… © Michelle Kogan, draft As the bones of the world feel like they are being picked apart, especially here in the US, I … Continue reading →| Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, & Writing
Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone is our host for the week. Hop on over there for the roundup. July Museum Roundup My goal this year is to visit 25 museums in 2025. I don’t have to visit the entire museum (something that can be very overwhelming in the DC area). I am committing to doing as little as one exhibit in each museum. Even though I traveled a LOT this month, I was only able to squeeze in one visit to a museum. 14. Biltmore, Asheville, NC Visited on July 30, 2025 This was my first...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Jane at Rain City Librarian is hosting this week. Hop on over there for the roundup. Hollins Recap Last week, just after getting off a red-eye from the Nevermores’ retreat on the West Coast, I drove to Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. I lived in Roanoke for more than 20 years. I also went to graduate school at Hollins. It was a joy to be back on campus for some of that Hollins magic. I gave a “Lunch and Learn” talk about my process about One Step Forward. In a full circle mo...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
The challenge this month was to write sedoka. The sedoka is a Japanese poetic form that is an unrhymed poem made from a pair of katuata. A katuata is a three-line poem with the syllable count of 5 / 7 / 7. Generally, a sedoka addresses the same subject from different perspectives. Sometimes the first stanza asks a question, and the second stanza answers it. Given our theme of "in conversation," this form was a good choice for this year. | The Miss Rumphius Effect
This week, the Inklings are writing poems of protest for our nation’s birthday. The challenge was to"write in praise of democracy and patriotism if you’re so moved, or write in frustration and befuddlement over the “leadership” in the White House and/or Congress and/or the courts and/or and/or and/or." | The Miss Rumphius Effect
This month the challenge was to write a raccontino. The first time I saw this form was in the Helen Frost verse novel Spinning Through the Universe: A Novel in Poems from Room 214 (2004). This was released in an updated form in 2016 as Room 214: A Year in Poems.| The Miss Rumphius Effect
Hello Poetry Friday friends! I took the month of May off (mostly) after posting daily for National Poetry Month. If you didn't see my poems, I spent April writing poems in "different" or uncommon poetic forms on a variety of topics.. You can find all the poems written this month on the page NPM 2025 - Uncommon and Unusual Forms. | The Miss Rumphius Effect
For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. I'm deviating a bit from that today as I join my poetry sisters in writing a poem to a vintage photograph. | The Miss Rumphius Effect
For National Poetry Month this year, I am writing poems in uncommon, unusual, or inventive poetic forms. The only rule I have set for myself is that I choose forms I am unfamiliar with. Here are some of the resources I am referencing. | The Miss Rumphius Effect
I’m so happy to host Poetry Friday this week! If you are new to Poetry Friday, welcome! Drop your link below. If you don’t have something to share, I hope you’ll still swing by to visit the posts. Apologies in advance. I know my blog is slow to post comments. I’m trying to fix it, but it’s been tricky to get it exactly right. It should work, but there still seems to be a lag. You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter Sealey Challenge Plan The Sealey Ch...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! Happy news from […]| Laura Purdie Salas
Tabatha at the Opposite of Indifference is our host today. Hop on over there for the roundup. Books News and Links Hollins Events On Wednesday, July 23, I’ll be speaking at Hollins University. I got my M.A. and M.F.A. there in Children’s Literature. I spent almost a decade of summers getting these two degrees, and I had two children in the midst of that. I’m excited to go back and talk about One Step Forward. 12:30 “Lunch and Learn” in Moody Basement (“The Rat”) I’ll...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Mary Lee is hosting us for this Poetry Friday. Hop on over there for the roundup. Poetry Society of Virginia Event I’m doing an online event with the Poetry Society of Virginia next week. It’s July 9 at 5:30pm ET. You can register here. June Museums Roundup My goal this year is to visit 25 museums in 2025. I don’t have to visit the entire museum (something that can be very overwhelming in the DC area). I am committing to doing as little as one exhibit in each museum. ...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
composed of couplets (any number)| saralewisholmes.blogspot.com
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’ve missed you! Last week, I was in Chicago for the NCTE-NCTM Joint Conference. A couple of poetry-related highlights: hearing Irene Latham and Charles Waters’ wonderful keynote and then getting to talk poetry, mistakes, publishing, and life with them at lunch; meeting Keila […]| Laura Purdie Salas
This post was originally published 9 years ago, in June 2016; considering everything going on in the world these days, especially the turmoil here in the States, I felt it was important to pull it …| Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
Tanita at {fiction, instead of lies} is our host this week. Hop on over there for the roundup. Haiku of the Week DC rush hour— Rock Creek pushes over stone spring rains Photo Taken: May 18, 2025 at Rock Creek Park Haiku Written: June 9, 2025 25 New-to-Me Poets in 2025 In her essay “Ten Things About Poetry,” Patricia Smith challenges the reader to “discover one new poet every week.” (in The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics edited by Diane Lockward). I’m setting ou...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Carol at The Apples in My Orchard is the host for this week. Hop on over there for the roundup. Cover Reveal I’m thrilled to share the cover of my next book, WHEN TWILIGHT COMES. It’s beautifully illustrated by Michelle Morin and coming out from Chronicle on March 31, 2026. It’s a lyrical celebration of the plants and animals that are active at twilight and is set in Virginia in the summer. Michelle Morin’s art is just gorgeous and I can’t wait for you to see the whole thing. ...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Ruth is our host this week. Hop on over to her blog for the roundup. The Art of Summering Last week I was really struck by Carol Varsalona’s post about “The Art of Summering.” With my summer starting on Friday afternoon, I have been making a list of what I’d consider “The Art of Summering.” I’m sure everyone has their own ideas. Gretchen Rubin often talks about “Designing Your Summer.” If you are a list maker, she has a great list for designing your summer. Summer is ...| Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! I’m in a […]| Laura Purdie Salas
You are in for a treat, today. And no, I don’t mean I’m sharing someone else’s poetry – you’re still stuck with mine. I am, however, keeping today’s post brief! The last couple of weeks, I’ve been sharing poetry I wrote was I was in high school and college – but today I’m giving you … Continue reading Poetry Friday: “Summer Frost,” from the Poetry Society of NH’s Spring 2025 literary journal| Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m writing this post while waiting for kids to arrive for today’s Young Authors Conference, so this will be short and sweet :>) This month, the Poetry Sisters wrote golden shovel poems, choosing a strike line from Elizabeth Bishop’s poem, “Letter to N.Y.” […]| Laura Purdie Salas
Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy! [ETA: I’m taking […]| Laura Purdie Salas
April 1965| saralewisholmes.blogspot.com
It’s the last Poetry Friday of National Poetry Month 2025 and the end of a week that included both Earth Day and the launch of The Clock and the Boulder, my time-travel novel for ages 9-12—a book that takes place … Continue reading →| Karin Fisher-Golton
November's challenge was to take a line or theme from Jane Hirshfield's lovely poem, "Two Versions," and create a new poem with it. I can't link to the poem online, but it can be found in her latest collection, The Asking. | Read Write Believe
September's challenge was to write a poem in the vein of Wallace Stevens' Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird---except we were only going to attempt SEVEN ways of looking at something.| Read Write Believe
My flowerpots,| Read Write Believe
It was an easy choice to kick off 2024 with an ekphrastic challenge. Writing about or in conversation with a piece of art automatically gives a poet several places to begin:What do you first notice? What lingers with you after you look away? Is there more to the story, things beneath the surface that you're curious about? What questions would you ask the art or the artist if you could? | Read Write Believe
One of my favorite small things: | Read Write Believe
Dead or not?| Read Write Believe
Of course we stopped | Read Write Believe
"The Weather" by Laurie Anderson, | Read Write Believe
The March challenge was the etheree, an expanding syllable-based form we've attempted before (back in 2015, and also in 2020, although it looks like I skipped that one.) The first line has one syllable, the second, two, and so on until you reach the tenth line with ten syllables. | Read Write Believe
Fairy rock, Iceland| Read Write Believe
In 2023, the Poetry Sisters are exploring transformation in all its forms: conversion, alteration, metamorphosis, mutation, growth, evolution, revision, modulation, change...| Read Write Believe
The challenge for November was to create a recipe poem---any form or subject---and "serve it forth." I fear mine is half-baked, but here it is:| Read Write Believe
Another Poetry Friday! The days are tumbling by fast, my friends. | Read Write Believe
At Planet Word's photo booth, | Read Write Believe
Quilt by Chawne Kimber*| Read Write Believe
The challenge for March stayed close to our 2025 theme of conversation: we were to be "in conversation" with a series of four poems written by Lucille Clifton, loosely known as Notes to Clark Kent. Here's an excerpt:| saralewisholmes.blogspot.com
February is a fancy word,| saralewisholmes.blogspot.com
Ruins of a banquet hall,| saralewisholmes.blogspot.com
News: The Kindle edition of Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten is on sale for $2.49 through June 30 only. Just in case you’re looking for some back-to-school reads for later! Happy Poetry Friday! Are you a regular or a newbie? No matter…you are welcome! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) This month, the Poetry […]| Laura Purdie Salas
Happy Friday! Thank you for all the comments, well wishes (I'm feeling much better now, thank goodness!) and poems (it's so fun to see what other poets do with the same prompts!) in response to last week's post.| Unexpected Intersections
Two weeks into 2024, and I can say I've been sick for more than half of the year ... I hope your year is off to a healthier start!| Unexpected Intersections
There is so much happening in our world right now, it can be hard to take it all in.| Unexpected Intersections
We are surrounded by snails. We see snails of all sizes on the paths after the rain.| Unexpected Intersections
This week Monday (June 20th) was World Refugee Day, an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. | Unexpected Intersections
It's been a busy couple of months, with several writing deadlines. Now, with deadlines met, I'm embracing the pause that follows the busyness of this spring. | Unexpected Intersections
Let's talk about turtles! Last month I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of the wonderful new middle-grade novel, Trouble at Turtle Pond, by Diana Renn, which is out in the world this month! | Unexpected Intersections
There's been a lot going on in my writing world lately, so today I thought I'd round up some of my latest news.| Unexpected Intersections
Spring is here!| Unexpected Intersections
My very first Poetry Friday poem was inspired by the fact that my mother taught English as a Foreign Language when I was growing up. Our church ran a free program which allowed my mother, whose dream of being a teacher had to be deferred when she left high school, to finally realize that dream. | Unexpected Intersections
This week my students will be taking a test that includes the present continuous verb form. We use the present continuous to talk about actions that have started, and are not yet finished. As I prepare my test for my students, I realize that I've been in a present continuous frame of mind all week.| Unexpected Intersections
I'm processing the events of the past few days in poetic fragments. | Unexpected Intersections
In our family, we do a lot of thinking about thinking, because we are all neurodiverse (autism and ADHD). We're often engaged in discussions about how our neurodiversity influences the way we experience the world. From how we socialize to how we organize ourselves to complete tasks, our neurodiversity is a factor in everything we do and every experience we have.| Unexpected Intersections
Welcome everyone to Poetry Friday! If you're new to Poetry Friday, you can read more about it here.| Unexpected Intersections
How can it be the end of January already? Yet here we are, on another Poetry Friday, with February standing the wings, waiting to claim center stage.| Unexpected Intersections
I hope everyone has had, as we say here, a good "slide" into the new year! | Unexpected Intersections
On a recent lunchtime walk, we were greeted by this wonderful figure, and I knew the moment I saw her that I would have to write a poem about her. | Unexpected Intersections
