Common Threads

On National Daughter’s Day, I love all my children but celebrate my daughters today with a skinny, found on pages 60-61 of Dictionary for a Better World. I’ll celebrate National Son’s Day with my boys when their day rolls around.

A skinny is a poem that has eleven lines; the first and eleventh lines use the same or close phrasing of few words, and the same one-word lines are used in lines 2, 6, and 10.

For My Children

my love for you is
unconditional
patient
forgiving
protective
unconditional
trusting
abiding
never-ending
unconditional
is my love for you

Happy National Daughter’s Day to Ansley and Mallory!

How are you celebrating daughters today – – your own, or any daughters you know?

*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 in Dictionary for a Better World, Abecedarian poetry is on the menu on pages 6 and 7. In this form, each line or stanza begins its first letter with an ordered letter of the alphabet, running from A to Z. Since today is my youngest daughter’s birthday, this one is for her:

Ansley's
Birthday ~
Celebrating my
Daughter
Every day,
Finding
Grace and Mercy
Healing 
Iniquities ~
Jesus'
Kindness and
Love
Making
New 
Opportunities
Promising -
Quietly
Restoring the
Spirit,
Touching
Unhinderdly this
Valuable,
Worthy Woman
Xenial and
Young with an unwavering
Zest for Him! 

During the months of August and September, I have been writing poetry forms and responding to quotes and narratives from Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini.  Join me at the start of a new school year by turning over a new leaf – writing more, reading more, reflecting on quotes, connecting to text, and performing a simple daily act of kindness.  Together, we can make the world a better place!  

Today’s poem is an abecedarian poem, in which each stanza or line begins with the letters of the alphabet, written in order vertically. I’m writing this one in honor of my daughter Ansley on her 29 birthday!

*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.

On Teal Talk Day, conversations open the door to greater awareness and understanding of health conditions – and life experiences – through dialogue. In Dictionary for a Better World, today’s quote by Bell Hooks on page 21 is, “Honesty and openness is always the foundation of insightful dialogue.” All too often, conversations hinge on each person thinking of the next point to make rather than authentically listening to what the other is saying. The Try it! challenge today urges readers to resist the urge to offer opinions but instead to listen to others and see where the conversation leads.

I’m connecting deeply with Charles about when it is time to stand our ground and when it is time to walk away. Currently, in my county in rural Georgia, books are being challenged at every turn – as they are all over this country. One recent comment in a county meeting by an elected official was that our public library needs to make sure that they are not putting “inappropriate” books on our shelves. A citizen complained that a book had a picture of a child with same-sex parents.

This “leader” brings an agenda of personal value matching to the table and would like to make the same choices for all of the children of the county that he would make for his own household – in a Public Library that uses government funds. It saddens me greatly that anyone in a seat of power to make decisions would abuse that position to pass judgment of what is or is not appropriate and remove a book that allows a child who may also have two mothers or two fathers the opportunity to see herself on the pages of a book in our county library. It angers me that someone in a position of leadership would call a family unit “inappropriate” and send a message to any child that his family does not meet an acceptable standard and does not count – and that other children “should not be seeing that.” That’s an abuse of power, along with a myopic and selfish attitude – which does nothing to better the world – in fact, harms it. I want to continue in the dialogue, but I’m making the choice to wait until my anger subsides.

Because I realize that I can’t better the world with a tongue that (once unleashed) may not heed my brain’s stop signs.

*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.

Whether you keep a diary, an art journal, or write blog posts, today is your day! Dear Diary Day celebrates our efforts to document our journeys and share our perspectives. Today’s form of writing introduced in Dictionary for a Better World is a byte (p. 108) which is written in 140 characters or fewer, which is the original tweet limit. Try a byte – – just one small byte.

The Power of 1 Byte

just 1 byte, 1 message, 1 smile can change the world
just as Malala says of 1 child, 1 teacher, 1 pen, and 1 book

*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 http://www.ethicalela.com today for the Open Write is Susan Ahlbrand, who inspires us today, September 21st, to use the lyrics of September by Earth, Wind, and Fire to inspire a poem about a significant date in our lives.

February 16, 2008

smashed Cracker Jack ring
(we knew love was here to stay)
you knelt and proposed

*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.

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.

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

*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….

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.