Susan Ahlbrand challenges us today at http://www.ethicalela.com to write This But Not That poems by defining what something is AND what it is not. I chose the haiku form for awe.
Awe is autumn air wondrous leaves, refreshing breeze deep-down soul praises
Awe is not, with -some, a catch-phrase for each moment anticipated
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Our host at ethicalela has challenged us today to write Sestinas. Here is my Sestina for today, thinking back on our memories of the weekend camping at F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia:
Autumn Sestina
What’s thumping on the camper roof? Acorns!
A sure sign of autumn~
Cozying around the campfire
The smell of smoke
Us, kicked back in our chairs
Warming our hearts, holding hands
Joining our spirits, clasping hands
As squirrels gather acorns
We watch one scamper from our chairs
In the chill air of autumn
Through the wisps of smoke
Curling up from our campfire
This marshmallow-roasting campfire
We try not to burn our hands
Our hair, clothes saturated in smoke
Burning leaves, logs, twigs, acorns
In the evening air of autumn
In our folding camp chairs
A Christmas gift from our kids, these chairs
Perfect for the campfire~
Anytime, but especially autumn
(Careful! They will pinch hands!)
Are there patterns in these acorns?
Signals in this smoke?
Early morning embers revive a flame from smoke
We reposition our chairs
Shield our heads from falling acorns
Drink our coffee by the campfire
Hot mugs warming our hands
Ahhh…..the crisp air of autumn
There is no season like autumn!
Rich with leaves and smoke
Jump in the leaves! Run, holding hands!
Nestle under blankets, side by side, in chairs!
Gather at the campfire
Under the head-pelting acorns
Plant a tiny acorn
There by the campfire
will it be an oak? You wonder, from your chair
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Here in Pike County, Talk Like a Pirate Day stays on our radar since my school system’s mascot is a pirate! Even if we don’t all observe the other days on the national day calendar, Talk Like a Pirate Day is one that is celebrated here in my small rural Georgia county. Students have a creative time using pirate lingo, and some hilarious conversations take place.
The Try It! section of Dictionary for a Better World today encourages us to use our voice to share thoughts and ideas with the world – through podcasts, letters, speeches, poems, and other ways of getting messages to others. I like the new podcast Dear Poetry, which is a creative spin on Dear Abby, an advice column in newspapers years ago. If you haven’t listened, give it a try. Readers write with problems, and answers are offered through poems and lines that provide insight.
How will you use your voice to make a difference?
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Our host at www.ethicalela.com today, Denise Krebs of California, inspired us to write poetry using multiple languages. I got lost in a corn maze yesterday with my husband and stepson, so multiple languages seemed to fit here as nothing – no language, no direction, no space – made sense to us.
Cason’s Corn Maze at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia
A-Maze-ing
into the maize
we disappeared
with the map key
tucked in his pocket
in case of emerxencia
we got lost
in the मकई
we backtracked
followed folks down one row
met them on the next
reached dead ends
we were lost
in the मकई
shucking our noggins
wondering, wandering
among these
ears, husks, kernels
random scarecrows
nothing but
blue skies overhead
from this sea of korn
we were lost
in the मकई
he reached into his pocket
in case of emerxencia
led us
schritt für schritt
out of this maize maze
.....amazed
The mazeThe Johnson men charting a course out of the mazeThe key, in case of emerxencia
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Denise Krebs, a writing group friend who lives in California after returning from several years in Bahrain as a missionary and teacher, inspires us to write Odes to Childhood Loves today. You can see the prompt and responses with examples here. I chose a Nonet to share my deep, thick, rich, sweet, chocolate love of Koogle….
Koogle
Ode to Koogle
chocolate, banana, strawberry
Koogle: flavored peanut butter
Nutella’s family tree
oh, how I miss you so-
your sandwiches rocked
after-school snacks…
(I hid you
in my
room…)
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Finding ways to minimize stress and alleviate anxiety to be able to fully relax can be challenging, but on National Play-Doh Day, we can appreciate a natural remedy through creativity and colorful design! Last May, to celebrate National Mental Health day, our local coffee shop sent part of the day’s proceeds to a mental health organization and offered those fancy coloring pages, a peaceful steeped tea, breathing classes, and different types of soothing music. I felt the stress dissipate as I entered the room.
Today, to bring peace, I’m lighting a fall candle I chose especially for the season – – to bring peace. There is nothing like coming home from work, kicking off my shoes, changing into comfy clothes, and lighting a candle and having a cup of tea. I read, write, and say no to television. I walk dogs and cuddle with them. And if I’m writing letters to mail to friends or family (yes, I still do that), I sometimes play relaxing piano or harpsichord music on Google Home.
How do you practice peace? Consider joining us at http://www.ethicalela.com for the Open Write over the next 5 days. We’d love to have you write with us!
A peaceful candle for fall
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Greenpeace Day is a day to recognize and appreciate activism efforts toward environmental justice carried out in peaceful measures – to improve the quality of the air we breathe, the earth, the water – – the planet. Back in the 1970s when littering was prevalent and people freely threw their trash out of their cars without a second thought, there was a television commercial with a Native American standing on the highway. I remember seeing his moccasins on the screen when suddenly a bag of convenience food trash splattered at his feet. The camera panned up to his face, where a tear streaked down his cheek as he mourned the land; he knew that the lack of sacredness by others would have a future impact on all his people held dear.
On a recent trip to Alaska, I admired the rugged terrain of The Last Frontier and hope that nothing changes the landscape of its natural beauty. Eagles soar, whales play, bears roam in the rustic outdoors where the fresh, clean air recalibrates the soul. My hat is off to all those who work tirelessly to ensure that we leave fewer damaging footprints for future generations. In April 2020, my writing group at ethicalela.com was inspired to write lists about our passions, and I wrote about ecologically-friendly cultivation of outdoor spaces. You can read it here. Happy Greenpeace Day!
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
For National Live Creative Day, I celebrated last weekend with a concert, an audiobook, and a play! On Saturday night, we saw my husband’s all-time favorite band – Atlanta Rhythm Section – and a bonus band, Mother’s Finest, in concert in Peachtree City, Georgia. We’d heard that the play Everybody was getting rave reviews, so we picked up tickets and attended a Sunday matinee. And I finished listening to The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah on Audible. I celebrated by living creatively, immersing myself in literature, music, and performing arts. With so many upcoming fall festivals and cultural events, grabbing hold of life and getting out to experience moments is a way to make each day fuller and more robust. Every single weekend can’t hold this much sensory excitement and be as enjoyable, but seeing creativity from so many perspectives enriches each moment. Even an anthill, free to casual onlookers to observe on a nature walk, is a work of creativity and extends an opportunity to take time to wonder.
Today’s word, Create, in Dictionary for a Better World, inspires us to exercise eyes to see the world in vivid technicolor. The poetry form introduced on page 18 is a Roundel, a poem with eleven lines and three stanzas, having an abab bab abab rhyme scheme. Line four is repeated as line 11. I tried my hand at creating a roundel today, celebrating living creatively.
The Ticket
Museum, movie, puppet show
Play, concert, art exhibit
No matter where we plan to go
Creative culture is the ticket
Life is here for us to live it
To seize each moment as we learn and grow
Emotions freed, arts uninhibit
Inner voices ebb to and fro
Perspectives in a creative thicket
In oceans deep or tidepools shallow
Creative culture is the ticket
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
National Celiac Disease Awareness Day is one example of a time to ask questions to fully understand another person’s experiences and needs. In Dictionary for a Better World, the Try it! encouragement today is to ask questions to start a conversation the next time we are curious about a person’s experience, and allow their comfort level to drive the conversation. I couldn’t agree more – it’s okay to ask questions to increase awareness.
The poetry form introduced on pages 74 and 75 for the word question is a villanelle, which is a 19-line poem with two rhymes throughout, made up of five tercets and a quatrain. The first and third lines of the opening tercet recur alternately at the end of the other tercets and both repeat at the conclusion of the final quatrain. As I was writing this post, a redbird broke the silence with a tweet – and inspired this poem.
Heavenly Tweet
A red cardinal feeds at my window
Singing a song of praise
That’s my mother tweeting a heavenly hello
Fluffing crimson feathers, putting on a show
Reminding me to be kind in my ways,
This red cardinal feeding at my window
Everything I do, and everywhere I go
Honoring her legacy in all my days
That’s my mother tweeting a heavenly hello
She checks in from above on her daughter below
As I make way through the maze
This red cardinal feeding at my window
She shows up to say I’m still with you, you know
Yes, I’m right here beside you always
That’s my mother tweeting a heavenly hello
She brings me such joy, her halo aglow
I smile through my tear-blurry gaze
A red cardinal feeds at my window
That’s my mother tweeting a heavenly hello
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Today we celebrate National Just One Human Family Day, a day of belonging. I’m thankful for my earthly family, but also grateful for my heavenly family awaiting my arrival someday. I’m glad to know that I belong in the kingdom. I think of my mother’s entry into Heaven today as I think of belonging.
The form of poetry introduced in Dictionary for a Better World on page 12 is a pantoum, a poem that is a series of quatrains where the second and fourth line of each stanza repeating in the next. I remember being introduced to this form by Anna J. Roseboro years ago when she encouraged us to write a pantoum about a memorable event in our lives. I decided to cut my lines, shortening each to the end, as breaths running out, to parallel the dying breaths of my mother as my brother and I chose her final resting place at Christ Church Cemetery on St. Simons Island, Georgia.
Appointment
Racing home for your last breath
Choosing your burial plot at Christ Church Cemetery
Dodging traffic on Frederica Road
Sprinting to your bedside, car still running
Choosing your burial plot
Deciding – historic section or new?
Sprinting to your bedside
Expecting an angel to fly
Deciding – which section?
Asking for a sign the choice was right
Expecting an angel
Rejoicing your suffering was over
Asking for a sign
Dodging traffic
Rejoicing
Racing home
Christ Church on St. Simons Island, Georgia
*During the months of August and September on days when I’m not participating in the Open Write at www.ethicalela.com, I will be writing in response to the pages of Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. The poems, poetic forms, narratives, quotes, and calls to action to make one small difference might be just the medicine my world – or the whole world – needs. I’ll be inviting insights in the form of an immersion into a 10-minute-a-day book study (just long enough to read the page, reflect, and connect). If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can order one here on Amazon. I invite you to join me in making August and September a time of deep personal book friendship. A few teachers will be following the blog and engaging in classroom readings and responses to the text. So come along! Let’s turn the pages into intentionally crafting beautiful change together.
Common Threads 