Summer Swap Surprise

As an aficionado of antiquing and turn-of-the-20th-century traditions, I enjoy corresponding with friends from far away as people often did in the early 1900s.  While I do not engage in this ritual as often in the past because of the digital age, I find it to be an important one.  

When Tabatha Yeatts started the Summer Poetry Swap, I became a fan.  Swapping poetry with faraway friends deepens my relationships and brings joy.  I was delighted with the news of my swapees when Tabatha notified me.  My first poetry swap was for Donna Smith, my bold, Maine to Pennsylvania motorcyclist friend.  One piece of the visual journal that I created for her is below.

Next, I was fortunate to be on the receiving end of the Summer Poetry Swap. I was  surprised when Ruth Hersey, a friend residing in Haiti, notified me to be on the lookout for something in the mail. I shared Ruth's bountiful garden of blossoms and poem at last week's Poetry Friday post.

At the end of last week, I was surprised again.  I not only created a swap for Linda Baie in Denver, but I received a package from her.  Linda called us swapees and that term has stuck with me.  Below is the collection of poetic offerings that LInda gathered together for a remarkable swap. 

I am sure that you will agree that this is a beautiful collection of keepsakes!  Upon opening the package, I found a gorgeously-designed photo haiku card from Robyn Hood Black's Etsy collection with a personal note that made me smile.  There was an adorable pocket for the handcrafted card and the original poem Linda created.  This pocket will be my traveling companion during professional development workshops when I share the power of poetry with teachers. 

Linda's Opposing View poem that she wrote is one to ponder. Just the other night, while at an oudoor concert, I was wishing that summer nights would continue to linger longer.  Do you see the little umbrella that accompanied the card?  It is a reminder of the bright, scattered umbrellas that line the shores of Long Island beaches each summer. 

The journal Linda sent has delicate faded flowered pages to write upon. I am not sure that she knew I always have loved pressed flowers.  When I first looked at the beautiful journal, I thought that since I am such a messy writer with scraps and snippets of thoughts and crossed-out words all over I would not want to destroy the treasured gift.  Then, I thought I could make the journal my special Sierra notebook for all the poems I write for my granddaughter.  "In every moment there clings the sweetness of a faded flower."  What an endearing thought to remind me of nature in all its stages of seasonal delight. 

Also included in the package was a poetry book, When We Were Very, Very Young by A.A. Milne, that will become my Grandma read aloud.  As I browsed through the pages, I found a poem, "Sand-Between-the-Toes,"  that reminds me of summers on Long Island.  Tonight, as we traveled to a new beach on the north shore of Long Island before the theater, my family and I found a coarser type of sand that filled my sandals with a gritty mix. I laughed as I tried to discard the sand that lodged between my toes.  

What Linda Baie offered in her swap will entertain me throughout the summer and into the year.  Summer has a special spot in my heart as Linda knows.  Her swap was handpicked and handcrafted to make my summer days brighter.  

Linda plans on sharing what I sent her in a future Poetry Friday post. 

I have one more swap to engage in and I have been already been collecting ideas.  Stay tuned for that reveal.  In the meantime, if you have poetic offerings for my #EmbraceableSummer Gallery collection, please send them my way to share all the ways to embrace the summer season. 

 🏖  🏖 🏖

The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted this week by my friend Margaret Simon at her blogsite, Reflections on the Teche.   While cleaning out her parents' home and helping them transition to a retirement home, she found some items that sparked the creation of a poem that has depth, meaning, and a beautiful image in its closing line.