I invite you to pause, be in the moment, and enjoy visiting The Poetry Friday Roundup. If you are new to our poetry community or just stopping by you can learn more about Poetry Friday at Renee La Tulippe's blog.
Do you know that postcard writing was popularized at the end of the 19th Century? The trading of postcards became a favorite pastime leading to a new social event, postcard-swapping parties. While a postcard-swapping party is not a common way of corresponding in 2023, Jone Rush MacCulloch resurrected the art of the swap. 11 writers in our group were asked to send sending postcards with a photo and a poem to each member. I am happy to say that this project has become an annual event.
Enjoy the mini-showcase of our poetry postcards celebrating the year of the rabbit.
Linda Mitchell opens the Calvacade of Poetry Wishes with her collage art and poems.
Heidi Mordhorst's poem shares a Happy 2023 greeting with an interesting last line.
Carol Labuzzetti offers a water rabbit's wish for poet writers.
Sunsets always surprise the viewer and provide sky magic.
"Sunrise is
the proof that
the best
things in life
are free."
-Linda Baie
Patricia Franz celebrates a silent gathering.
Nature poems share the beauty of earth.
Mary Lee Hahn speaks of nature's passing seasons through a haiku.
old and new
one year gone, another blooms
wheels keep turning
-Mary Lee Hahn
Marcie Flinchum Atkins's photographic eye focuses on a tiny mushroom.
Gail Aldous adds color and an inspirational poem about nature.
I fashioned my poetry postcard to include my one word "be".
I thank you for enjoying the Calvacade of Poetry Postcards 2023 with the hope that you will
↓
May your winter days be filled with tranquil moments so you can just be!
Collage Art Logo by Linda Mitchell
Now for more poetic goodness from the Poetry Friday community, click on each poet's link.
Thank you for hosting today, Carol. It's been such a gift to see these postcards popping up on everyone's blogs. Marcie's umbrella mushrooms made me smile.
ReplyDeleteLaura, small gifts from friends are received at my end with a thankful heart. Blog comments are appreciated as well. Thank you for your gift of the February Poetry Project. The prompts and the community of writers' responses are strong.
DeleteThank you for hosting Carol and for sharing all those beautiful postcards. I am sorry I have not participated, but have dipped in now and so am really grateful you shared them.
ReplyDeleteSally, poetry is an ongoing special treat when it comes from friends. Our PF community is a wealth of poetry goodness. Enjoy your swimming routine.
DeleteI so love seeing all these postcards - thanks for sharing, Carol, and for hosting all of us with your usual panache! I really missed participating this year, but when I'm at just one address next year, I'll jump back in. Lucky for me, Poetry Friday is full of gracious, amazing, generous, accepting people. xo
ReplyDeletePF is an amazing community of poetry friends. I always love see what each individual poet brings to the roundup. Best of luck with your move.
DeleteOh, these postcards are the best! What a lovely gathering of them here, Carol. May you have lots of time in 2023 to simply *be.*
ReplyDeleteKaren, I need to make more time for my OLW "be" to bring stillness and renewal into my life but I am working on that.
DeleteThanks for sharing all these cool postcards. Our internet has been down since this afternoon. Hope to get my post up by morning. Thanks for hosting this week! ~ Jama
ReplyDeleteHosting is always my pleasure, Jama.
DeleteBeautiful postcards, Carol, in both text and art! Here's to a wonderful 2023! Thanks for sharing and for hosting.
ReplyDeleteMatt, as a lover of the Victorian period, the whole notion of postcard sharing is intriguing. I have many different types of postcards dating from the turn of the 19th Century in my collection but also cherish the poetry postcards.
DeleteSo many exquisite lines and images. What a treasure-trove of inspiration. Thank-you for sharing, Carol. And for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThe Poetry Postcard swap is always a highlight of the new year.
DeleteThanks for sharing this inspiring collection of postcards Carol, offering us space, thoughts, textures, and hope in the New Year! And thanks for hosting too!
ReplyDeleteI treasure my poetry postcards just like my antique postcard collection, Michelle.
DeleteThe effort that has gone into these 'gifts' is outstanding. Thank you highlighting them and for the historical perspective, Carol. Images and words persisting through time and space and the tsunami of the digital age. Thank you also for hosting.
ReplyDeleteAlan, perhaps the poetry postcards will remain as treasured memories throughout the years.
DeleteThank you for hosting this week. I just sent a poem to you. It's my first on my new blog.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful that you are dedicating your blog to poetry. May your collection grow with each posting.
DeleteWhat a fun swap this was - so much joy in reflection this year! Thank you for BEing our host this week, Carol.
ReplyDeletePatricia, you made me smile with the word BEing. I intend to be in the moment all weekend now that I finished reading and commenting on this week's PF Roundup.
DeleteThank you for hosting, Carol, and for your wish to "BE"! After a few full days, I am ready! The postcards are very special, I agree.
ReplyDeleteLinda, enjoy being in the moment this weekend and how wonderful it is that you were able to meet up with poetry friends in person.
DeleteI love your postcard themed post. When I lived in Russia, my roommate dubbed me the post card king as he would write long letter after long letter home and I would just be able to get a few lines on a few post cards.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing your daughter to our group, Dave. Have a wonderful weekend.
DeleteYour post is a beautiful love letter to the PF community, Carol! Thank you for BEing our host this week. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bridget for the love letter thought. I really like that. Now with the hosting and commenting almost at a close, I can now concentrate on Laura Shovan's February Poetry Project this weekend.
DeleteI'm waking up to a new day and am enjoying a peaceful moment with this gallery of postcards. I so enjoy the snail mail arriving during these exchanges. Thank you for collecting them here. I have to tell you that my library partner and I are so enjoying sharing Wonderopolis with our students as we teach how to find the main idea and sketchnoting. So many of our students are delighted to be able to translate into Farsi, Turkish, Urdu, Spanish to do the work. Please give your buddies at Wonderopolis a hug from me.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I am delighted to hear that you and your library partner are advocates of Wonderopolis. We want all children to be filled with wonder.
DeleteThank you for sharing all these beautiful postcards, Carol. It was a wonderful way to greet the day this morning. Thanks for hosting, too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Rose. Have a wonderful weekend.
DeleteBeautiful postcards! Thank you for sharing your bounty with us. Thank you for hosting today
ReplyDeleteMy collection is full of beautiful image poems. I remember when you and I were partners swapping our image poems, Kay.
DeleteThanks for collecting all the postcards in one place! Each one so different; each one so beautiful! Thanks also for hosting us today!!
ReplyDeleteThe collection has color, vivacity, and words that sing of a new year.
DeleteThanks for your stunning collection of postcards, Carol! I love it! And thanks for hosting. Amazing !
ReplyDeleteKaren, the collection of poetry postcards makes for a beautiful display that I just had to showcase.
DeleteCarol, Thanks for posting and featuring the postcard exchange. We just returned from vacation (I wrote about it) and look forward to receiving the last of them! You gave me a great preview!
ReplyDeleteI hope your collection brightens your gray days, Carol. Let's celebrate turquoise this week.
DeleteThank you for hosting today, Carol. I felt bad that I couldn't include your postcard in my postcard sunburst. But I am so happy that you featured our cards today. I so love creating and sending them.
ReplyDeleteJone, I hope you did receive my poetry postcard. If not, let me know. I have extra to put together. Thanks for bringing the love of postcard exchanges to your annual venture.
DeleteI love these postcards. It is like a party. It’s fun to see so many together.
ReplyDeleteJoin in next year, Janice. It is so much fun to get these small gifts in the mail.
DeleteWhat a nice collection of postcards you have, Carol. Thank you for rounding up; I enjoyed reading your poem, too.
ReplyDeleteMy collection grows each year. It is wonderful to go backward in time and read some.
DeleteBeautiful collection, thanks for sharing. And I loved your poems and focus on just being.
ReplyDeleteAbove comment from Ramona
DeleteRamona, I do need to keep the focus on just being in the moment each day. Have a wonderful weekend. I still think about your yellow door that must bring joy.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous collection of images and poems and wishes. Thank you for sharing them all! In your poem, Carol, I especially love the last three lines. I can sort of pause at different points between them, totally changing how I interpret them. If I'm present in each moment, then my heart slows. Or I need to be present, because each moment, time is ticking away until our hearts slow forever. Etc. Love it! Also, thanks for sharing my poetryaction on social media. You're an amazing amplifier of poetry and poets, and I so appreciate that!
ReplyDeleteLaura, I love your commentary on how to read my poem. I think you picked up the "be" in the moment practice and made it your own.
DeleteFrom Amy Ludwig Vanderwater: Thank you, Carol, for the lovely post and hosting this week. I was unable to get my comment to show, so here it is below:
ReplyDeleteOh gosh. I feel like I just had a beautiful mail day! Indeed, these are lovely "small gifts from friends." Thank you for sharing them with all of us. Thank you, too, for hosting with such generosity. xo
Amy, thanks for sending me a comment via email. I am not sure what the snag was but am glad to share your comment so others can know you chimed in. Enjoy winter in upstate NY. Stay warm!
DeleteFrom Kiesha Thank you so much for hosting this week and for inviting me to join! I have left my offering, but I could not get my comment to show. Not sure what the issue is, but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading the post card offerings. They are such a wonderful collection. Best wishes to you, and thank you for your kindness.
ReplyDeleteKiesha, thank you for accepting my invitation to write. It is always good to hear from you on the ridge. May your new journey be filled with exciting possibilities.
DeleteCarol, thank you for displaying all the beautiful images and poems we received. I was excited like a child each time I opened a new gift of a postcard! I have some on a bulletin board and some next to the bulletin board on the wall because I have run out of room on the bulletin board from the postcards from the past two years. I need to purchase a huge bulletin board or maybe my husband can be crafty and make me a whole wall bulletin board. It was fun to see the different photos and poems you received from Patricia, Carol L and Mary Lee. Your postcard poem reminded me of each time I cross country ski and drink in the rejuvenation of a winter's day. I also love you winter art of snowy trees and your haiku:
ReplyDeletestillness settles
in winter's sanctuary
tranquility found
I wonder if you would let me write your haiku with your copyright and name in my notebook to use as a mentor poem.
Gail, I am honored to have you add my haiku to your notebook. I am glad that we connected this year. I must thank you for the oatmeal soap. It has been a refreshing additional to my shower during my body rash experience. May stillness surround you. I shall remember to drink in the rejuvenation of a winter day even when it brings chilling rain (like today).
DeleteCarol, thank you for letting me add your haiku. I'm glad we connected, also. I'm sorry you had a rash, but I'm glad the oatmeal soap helped you. Thank you, I definitely need stillness. Yeah, I liked the line I wrote about drinking in the rejuvenation of a winter day. I said to myself that will make a good poem. I still don't receive your blogs anymore. I can't sign up again either because when I look at your followers to sign up it says unfollow. Do you think I need to unfollow you, then follow you again? We have hardly received any snow this winter so that's why I haven't sent you any photos.
DeleteI enjoyed these poems and the artwork very much! Thank you for sharing them!
ReplyDelete