New Year Poems and the Poetry Friday Roundup

With the start of the new year, I decided to try something I've thought about for awhile. I walk to Lake Michigan almost every day, and I marvel at how the landscape changes from one day to the next. So I've been carrying my camera with me, taking a picture each day, and writing a quick, short poem in my head on the way home. Sometimes I have to stop, take off my gloves, dig the notebook and pen out of my pocket, and write down what I'm thinking so I don't lose it. In the cold, I have to write fast. Here are a few of my 2012 lake poems.

January 1

wet, stinging wind

slick path downhill

view from the pier:

lake between flakes

January 2

Landscape with Dog Nose

I wanted to capture the crisp horizon,

gradations of shades,

mountainous clouds,

but she insisted on

stepping into the shot.

Well, why not?

She’s always part of the picture.

January 3

                                                       wall

                                                   hill      fall

                                            swell             spill                 swell

                                      well                           lull      well

I hope the last one keeps its wavy format!

And now for the Poetry Roundup:

Diane Mayr is our first Earlybird with four poetry posts:

Random Noodling explores the OEDILF (the OED in Limerick Form).

Kids of the Homefront Army has a poem about a girl who explores career choices for women during the war.

Kurious Kitty has found a poem called "My Bomb."

Kurious K's Kwotes' has a great quote by Truman Capote.

Charles Ghigna (Father Goose) has "Nothing More Than a Door" at The Bald Ego blog.

Tara posted about a collection of poems and essays about dogs.

Linda at teacherdance is relishing the poems in P*Tag.

Myra Garces-Bacsal from GatheringBooks sent a contribution from GatheringBooks.

KKSorrell has a poem on water at The Iris Chronicles.

Gregory K.is up with an original today: Instructions for Helping the World.

Tabatha's post is inspired by one of her kids' homework assignments.

Heidi Mordhorst has the pleasure of passing on an award to five versatile bloggers.

Mary Lee has some Walt Whitman.

Jeff Barger has a review of Over in the Forest, a collection of animal poems for young readers, at NC Teacher Stuff.

Linda is in with thoughts about writing and filling the empty spaces.

At maria horvath's blog, the poem takes a look at silence, as part of the theme of "ars poetica" or the art of poetry.

Carol is in with Joyce Sutphen's "The Bookmobile."

Mandy is sharing a poem - Serenity Prayer with a question, is prayer a form of Poetry?

laurasalas is in with 15 Words or Less poems.

Over at The Poem Farm, Amy LV has a goodbye to Christmas trees.

Irene Latham is in with an original poem - her first published piece in the children's market! It's called "You Cannot Measure Courage."

Karen Edmisten is in this week with Naomi Shihab Nye here.

Robyn Hood Black has Naomi Shihab Nye today as well: "The Words Under the Words."

As Katya was hunting for New Years Resolution ideas, she came across a poem that mirrored her mood.

Ruth is in with some melancholy Japanese poetry here.

Jeannine Atkins wrote about the bravery needed in writing poetry.

Jim Hill has added two originals this week, tied together (sorta, kinda) by a common theme: flight. By the Seat of My Pants on Hey, Jim Hill!

At Wild Rose Reader, Elaine Magliaro has an original poem titled "Rock Candy."

Shelley has poems about our grandmothers' generation: Rain: A Dust Bowl Story.

More, more, more:

maclibrary said, "Here's mine."

I'm Jet . . . offers up a Ted Kooser poem at The Write Sisters.

Beth is participating with a Chesterton poem in honor of Epiphany.

Julie Larios at The Drift Record has lyrics from "Children Will Listen," and links to Steven Sondheim's fairy-tale musical, INTO THE WOODS.

david elzey is in with a cento that begs the question: is it possible to make the lyrics of a steve miller song better then the original?

You can hear Joy's poem My Shoes Sing, illustrated by Violet Lemaysaid, at http://www.highlights.com/audio/high-five-audio-january-2012. Click the bottom option BONUS Mini Book, My Shoes Sing, or stop by her blog. Today's poem is an action rhyme.

Carlie has written an original poem about dance.

And finally, Sally is in with a post on a call for submissions of children's poetry on sports at PaperTigers.


Thanks for joining us, everyone! I can't wait to explore all these tempting links! Enjoy!

JoAnn Early Macken