Poetry Bliss

When the muse calls, word weaving follows and perhaps, if I am in the zone, a poem evolves. This is a euphoric experience for me. When this occurs, I am totally wrapped in a poetic moment that suspends time. I mindfully engage in the moment that leads to other gathering moments. 

What triggers this spurt of creativity? It can be a simple noticing, a sound that opens my day, or a text that I am reading. Whatever sends me into a write zone is a pleasurable experience. 

a sigh of bliss

a poetic kiss

fragrant grace

a happiness place

a beach kite
pure delight

euphoria

What else has afforded me poetic bliss this month?

- On April 9, 2018, I enthusiastically moderated the #NYEDChat / #WonderChat combo convo, "Poetry Is for Everyone," with John MacLeod from Wonderopolis and my friends/guest poet hosts, Irene Latham, Laura Purdie Salas, and Charles Waters. 

• The chat was an amazing roller coaster ride of poetry bliss and #poetrylove. I thanked everyone for their poetic hearts and conversations that floated into the Twittersphere. You can access the trending on Twitter conversation with resources gathered here.

-Yesterday on #EarthDay2018, I unveiled my Winter Wonderland Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions after a #winterinspring phenomenon occurred. 

• Please consider taking a gallery walk through an array of vivid nature photographs, image poems, and inspirational quotes while listening to two original compositions, one from Kevin Hodgson and the other from Kat Healy. 
• This gallery is a tribute to the majesty of Mother Earth during the winter season and the strength of poetic voice. Some of Two Writing Teachers slicers are showcased in the gallery that also features Poetry Friday writers; #stuvoice is clearly evident, as well as other voices from around the world. 
• You can enter the gallery here to enjoy a virtual gallery walk during National Poetry Month. 

Each Tuesday, Two Writing Teachers offers Slice of Life Tuesday. I will meet-up with other writers there. Join me. 

NPM 2018: #winterinspring

For those who are familiar with this year's changing weather patterns in New York State, you will not be surprised at this bit of interesting information.  On Easter Monday, Lady Winter dropped in on Long Island leaving her calling card, but left no traces of snow in Syracuse where I was visiting my sister for our family's Easter gathering.  Then, on Tuesday, as we traveled back to Long Island, pelting rains and grey skies followed us all the way home. There was a chill in the air, reminding me that winter was making its presence known in the early days of spring.

Just when spring seems to be in the air
and the forsythia starts to bloom,
#winterinspring knocks on the door
of earth's soon-to-be snowy room.
©CV, 2018

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Does this give you a hint at what is coming soon to Long Island? If you guessed snow, you are correct. I created the hashtag, #winterinspring, because of changing weather patterns here on Long Island. While some are dismayed, I am enjoying the weather play that has provided me with rich content for my poetry writing this month. Of course, the #winterinspring motif is also a great backdrop for me while I continue to design my global winter gallery of artistic expressions, Winter Wonderland. Stay tuned for the gallery's grand opening during National Poetry Month. 

Speaking of National Poetry Month, please join me this Monday night at 8 p.m. EST for an amazing Twitter chat with #NYEDChat and #WonderChat as we explore "Poetry Is for Everyone" with my guest moderator poet friends, Irene Latham, Laura Purdie Salas, and Charles Waters. John MacLeod from Wonderopolis will moderate with me and send out each question we have designed during the chat. Here is your sneak peak.

Today I join Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm for Poetry Friday where she is celebrating National Poetry Month with her "1 Subject 30 Ways" poem project. 

Special Thanks to Jama Rattigan for mention in her comprehensive National Poetry Month happenings' post that you can find here. 

March Musings #30: Poetry Is for Everyone

Dear Readers,

As we near the beginning of April, not only is spring in the air (finally) but National Poetry Month, the largest literary celebration in the world, is being celebrated. To honor the impact of poetry on our culture and in our lives and promote #poetrylove, #NYEDChat and WonderChat will host a long-awaited poetry chat. My amazing poetry friends, Irene Latham, Laura Purdie Salas, and Charles Waters, will guest moderate. John MacLeod from Wonderopolis will moderate alongside me. 

Save the date, April 9th at 8:00 pm EST for our combined Twitter chat, Poetry Is for Everyone. There will be announcements, reminders, and a countdown to call everyone into this global chat because poetry is not just for the educational world. Stay tuned for more because John MacLeod from Wonderopolis, the three poets, and I have been planning this chat for months and we want to spread #poetrylove across the Twittersphere.

Here's a digital inspiration on poetry that I created for you to ponder.

Everyone has keepsakes. Which ones do you have hidden in your soul? 

Will you join me to celebrate poetry this April during any of the following happenings?

-I will host Spiritual Journey 1st Thursday on April 5, 2018 at my blog site, Beyond LiteracyLink. The writing prompt that I will be using is "Poetry as a Spiritual Practice of the Heart".

-I will unveil my winter gallery of artistic expressions, Winter Wonderland.

-I will be part of the annual Progressive Poem organized by Irene Latham. I will add my one line to the poem on April 12, 2018.

-I will write digital poems on springtime and later in the month send out an invitation to my spring gallery

Thank you for being a faithful reader and poetry lover.

Sincerely,

Carol

P.S. I am heading over to my poet friend, Heidi Mordhorst's blog to celebrate Poetry Friday. Then, I will be making my appearance at Two Writing Teachers for Day 30 of the March Slice of Life Challenge.

March Musings 23: Nor'easter 4

Wednesday night as the nor'easter settled down for a #winterinspring nap, I captured its beauty, wondering what to expect next. 

Knowing that the morning commute across Long Island would be long and laborious, I went to sleep but the thought that my the alarm would not go off made me jittery. I kept waking and checking outside my window. Each time I looked, it appeared that the snow inched higher and thicker than before. 

A quick wake-up call announced, "Two hour delay for my workshop presentation." I peered out from my window. The neighborhood was even more still than the night before, except for huge snow droppings from heavily snow-laden limbs. Off  I went to get a few more winks of sleep until another call woke me. "Workshop canceled. It's a snow day." 

A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky - unbidden -

and seems like a thing of wonder. - Susan Orlean

...and so as the tale goes, Lady Winter continued to hang onto her winter dreams and created one more #winterinspring day.

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Poetry Friday is being hosted today by the wonderful children's poet and writer, Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World For Kids. 

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Please Save The Date, April 9th, for the combined #NYEDChat/#Wonderchat  to hear from Laura Purdie Salas, Irene Latham, and Charles Waters as they celebrate National Poetry Month with twitters.

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Day 23 of Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge

Salute to Spring

While our spring weather seems to be out of touch with Long Island's spring frame of mind, the time is right for an end of National Month Poetry celebration of springtime joy. 

I created the following poem last spring, but since it is Arbor Day

I wanted to share my beautiful Willow Tree Hakura as a digital inspiration.

Happy Arbor Day!

I designed the following image poem in response to Charles Waters' post on the creation of a "new poetry form," the Chisana uta, which means "tiny poem" in Japanese. I like the term tiny poem that is a 3 line poem using the 7-7-5 syllable form.

You can access Charles' post on the Chisana uta/tanshi form here. Below is the poem he created. 

I loved Charles' tiny poem so much that I asked him if I could place it in my upcoming Spring's Seeds Gallery. To honor Charles' words, I was inspired to transform his original poem into an image poem. I am awaiting a thought from the poet on whether the composition I created fits his poetic style. 

While I created a hashtag on Twitter, #SpringsSeeds, to hold the digital inspirations / #imagepoems that have been coming in already, I have not sent out an official invitation. That will follow shortly. The digital poems that are displayed on the site so far are from the following writers:

Kumud Ajmani

Debbie Diller

Kevin Hodgson

Fred Harwood

Irene Latham

Janet Wong

Leia Cator offered a photograph for the Photo Corner of the upcoming gallery and Mark Weston offered a digital quote image. Other writers have sent in their offerings but they are not at #SpringsSeeds yet. 

In tribute to spring, I bid April good by with a little ditty tune that I created with the app, Ditty. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQoDRd39W5g

My offering for Poetry Friday is late since it is now moving into Saturday but it will still be placed at the Poetry Round-Up being hosted by poet, Buffy Silverman. Buffy, our hostess, has beautiful close-up photos of a toad with an accompanying poem, Toad's Swampy Serenade, at Buffy's Blog. Please visit Poetry Friday and be amazed by Buffy's work.