Poetry Gifts

There are those thankful moments in life when you stop and reflect on the power of friendship. Writing is one way to keep in touch with friends but over the years the art of writing letters and postcards got lost in the shuffle of tweets, messaging, and text messages. Recently, notecard and postcard writing, a past practice of the 20th century world, is being revived as a non-digital way of communicating with poetry friends. Lately, I have been receiving written poetry gifts from friends through the mail. This is a delightful way to be on the receiving end of kindness.

After celebrating acts of kindness over the past weeks, I sit back to recall the poetry gifts I received that provided moments of joy.

Michelle H. Barnes sent me a copy of Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's marvelous new Poetry Friday Power Book, Here We Go, with a personal note. Michelle said that I won the book and this pleased me so much because I have been eager to read Here We Go. I have read many reviews on it by other Poetry Friday friends, have been happily reading each of the power packs in the book, and tweeted out my excitement for receiving the book. My quick thought is: Educators, this book is a Must Have for your classrooms and a fun resource to encourage students to write poetry. 

Beside that wonderful gift and card, other Poetry Friday friends sent me poetry postcards from Jone MacCulloch's New Year #PostcardXchange.

Thanks to Linda Baie, Brenda Davis Harsham, Jone MacCulloch, Bridget Magee, Diane Mayr, and Donna Smith for their beautifully-created digital postcards and notes that brightened each day that I received one. 

The last treat arrived a few days ago from my poet friend, Laura Purdie Salas. She has written an imaginative children's book, If You Were the Moon. Keri Lewis's review was the first one I read and I was immediately intrigued. My response to Keri was "Keri, your review of Laura’s book makes science come alive with a poetic touch". You can quickly become immersed in this captivating book that lets you see the moon through the lens of science. Check out the book trailer below. Then, let the book have a prominent spot in your children's bedtime library or in your classroom's library corner.

While I believe what Carl Sandburg said about poetry, "Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes", I have a visible place of honor for all of the poetry gifts I have received. Lasting memories will be stored in my heart. 

Please join me for the Poetry Friday Round-up at Karen Edmisten's site.

Snow Waltzes into Winter

Because it is difficult to let go of the words swirling like the snow, I continue to compose along with other Poetry Friday writers. My mission is simple. As part of my #oneword initiative, I search my surroundings for small moments of wonder to capture and then spread to release a spirit of joyfulness like the butterflies that flutter. 

Snow is the topic of conversation around the country but today there is a distinct change of spirit in the New York City area. People are filled with lightheartedness. There is a spark of energy in their walk and the meteorologist has a smile on his face. All of this is attributed to the dramatic change in weather patterns. 

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Today, the temperature on Long Island rose to 65 degrees and broke the record high set in 1890. The snow pattern has been erratic so I decided to capture snow as a lead character in my poetry writing. 

SNOW'S DEBUT ON LONG ISLAND

PART 1

it crept in slowly
poised for its gentle descent-
vanished in the night

PART 2

it left its dusting-
marginal amount sparkling
rain kissed it goodbye



PART 3

Since I was housebound with a horrible sinus infection when the snowstorm finally arrived I could only view the frost and snow mounds from my window. The snow glistened in the darkness as the Christmas lights, still lit, reflected a serene sight. I wrote the above Part 3 haiku as a tribute to what I witnessed from my window view. Then, the rains came.

Snow waltzed into my life and waltzed back out but winter is still present.

What does winter look like in your part of the world? Does it allow you to find a poetic lens to look through? If so, I am designing an invitation to my next gallery, Winter Wonder, and you are invited to write alongside me. For those who live in warm weather climates, winter takes on a different look than the snowy scenes above. All perspectives are welcomed, though. 

If you access #WinterWonder17 on Twitter you will find some digital inspirations, photographs, and #imagepoems starting to appear. Stay tuned for my official invitation. In the meantime, enjoy the weather wherever you live. 

Please visit the Poetry Friday party at Keri Collins Lewis's blog that you can access here or here. Keri has an eye-opening video for all to watch that made me ponder how often I spend time embracing pure joy. Hence, the need to have joy as my guide on this year's journey. 

Thanks Linda Baie for the snowy Poetry Friday logo.

Write With Heart

Within spaces of communication,

our words become an experience,

a single voice living inside
with a chance to leap 
from the heart.

©Carol Varsalona, 2016 

Each 2016 Poem Swap that I received this summer had its own significant focus and voice flowing through its lines. They were genuine gifts of authentic voice with words written from the heart. 

Keri Collins Lewis' package arrived in July with a note on the back of the envelope that said, "Do not open until Aug. 22 (if you are a rule follower)-This is Poem Swap #5." I was intrigued by the package and the thought and desperately wanted to rip open the package.  Half-heartedly, I waited. The contents of the package were well worth the wait. Keri wrote a lovely poem, added an image that tied in beautifully with the poem she created and then laminated it into a large postcard-like shape. 




Wonder-full

ideas spark

fresh perspectives

renewal 

rebirth
©Keri Lewis, 2016

Keri wrote a poem for me to capture what she calls "the fabulous spirit you share on your blog." I am grateful for this poem of wonder that brings to life words like spark, perspectives, renewal, and rebirth. I am deeply touched by her note. Beside the poem and card, Keri included two mini pocket journals to store my snippets of thoughts and subsequent word weavings for subsequent galleries. 

As I prepare for future PD presentations, I hold dear the poem swaps that have been sent by Jone MacCulloch, LInda Baie, and now Keri Collins Lewis. Their friendship and words sustain me as I continue to create digital galleries and word weave new inspirations. I thank Tabatha Yeatts for creating the 2016 Poem Swap that was a huge success in my eyes. 

Quick Request: Please forward me any offering you may have or wish to contribute to my newest gallery, Summerscapes, because I will start designing it during the first week of September. I have received many digital poems, photographs, and music from inspired writers and photographers but seeking more from colleagues who have created alongside me this year. 

Life is full when the heart speaks softly of what's felt inside.

After reading several posts, I felt drawn to the above quote
and created a digital to accompany it.

Today Heidi Mordhorst is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-up: Open House so we can all visit here.  Heidi has an original poem of her own that greets readers as they open the page. Join the fun.

Poem Swap 2016

Summertime is our time to follow our passion, recharge, and relax. Poem swapping is one activity that I have been involved with for two summers now. There is an element of creativity and anticipation each time a swap approaches. Swappers send an original poem to a person in the writing community via Tabatha Yeatts, the originator of the Summer Poem Swap.  Poem swapping allows me to be taken back to a quieter time in America when postcard writing was the norm.

Poem Swap #1 was sent to me by a writing colleague, Jone MacCulloch early this summer. After Jone visited Yellowstone National Park she sent me another surprise. Inside the package was a postcard that read: "I got  home from this gorgeous place. Felt inspired to create little journals to tend to poetry swappers. Enjoy." Thank you, Jone, for the inspirational quote and petite notebook beside the summer postcard poem that can be found here.

An intriguing POEM SWAP #5 package arrived on July 20, 2016 from my poet friend, Keri Lewis. I sent this tweet back to her with a hug. 

While I am tempted to open the package, I tweeted this to Keri, "I'll play by the rules, Keri, until August 22nd."

Then, Poem Swap #3's package arrived before I left for a beautiful "summerscape" weekend celebrating a family friend's wedding at the Jersey Shore. My Twitter friend and poet, Linda Baie, filled the envelope with many pieces to read. It was like Christmas in July this month. Linda wrote a beautiful summer poem using the Etheree poetic format. The Etheree consists of 10 lines of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 syllables.

Whose POV?

When

Flowers

Cry to be

Celebrated-

Pink, cerise, orange,

Spring cycles summer bright;

Rainbow-swathed gardens invite

Bees, butterflies, ladybirds, worms

To add their part to this growing crowd.

Boastful humans write poems of their feat.

©Linda Baie, 2016

Beside the poem, Linda sent me a precious, little book that is over 100 years old (see above).The book celebrates poetry, florals, life, nature, and faith. As Linda said, it reminded her of my galleries (the invitation to #Summerscapes can be accessed here). I thank Linda today for her thoughtful collection of poetry that she sent me. Little did she know that I have a collection of books dating back to the Victorian era that I purchased from one family's collection along with a beautifully carved, rosewood couch from the 1850's. 

When I returned from the Jersey Shore, I sent off my Poem Swap #3 to my colleague, friend, and writer, Margaret Simon. It was a humble attempt at a riddle poem inspired by the intense heat. After that, I found a poetry prompt on Margaret's Instagram site that intrigued me, so I composed this while thinking about my journey into digital writing.

Reflection in Pink

journey to restful

pleasures deep in the forest-

which way to turn

©CV, 2016

Now please join my friend Margaret Simon who is hosting Poetry Friday this week at Reflections on the Teche.

Winter Creativity

Winter has arrived on Long Island with a chilling wind but no snow-tipped landscapes. There is talk of a dusting coming but for now there are only winter trees standing tall in the still morning. 

Each morning winter trees, 

stark and barren,

boldly frame the sky

saluting daylight.

I watch them dance

to wind's orchestration-

leaning in, bowing down,

swaying, conversing

bidding life to wake.

Howling, they move in rhythm,

not tipped with frost

nor touched by snow,

listening for earth's response.

My mind wanders.

Winter progresses.

©Carol Varsalona, 2016

Today is Poetry Friday and Keri Collins Lewis is hosting. Please visit Keri Recommends where she talks about the book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear and welcomes our ideas on creativity. Since I am ready to embark on a new creative journey for the Reflect With Me Galleries I design, I am eager to share my first thoughts on creativity with Keri.

At some point these ideas will make their way to a new blog post and poem but for now here are my thoughts.

Keri, I appreciate your conversation starter on creativity since I think it is the heartbeat of the innovative classroom and life. What is creativity to me? Creativity is bubbling froth spilling over allowing passion to expand into a delicious, far-reaching feeling. It is a wind chime that greets day to ring in good cheer. It is inside our spirit, within our soul allowing us to find our effervescent qualities and share them in an artful ways. Without creativity life would be devoid of inspiration and innovation. It is the "stuff" dreams are made of-the artist's brush, the poet's words, the dancer's rhythm, and the body's elixir. Creativity has unlimited reach when brought to the surface. It is my heartbeat! 

Water-Painted Words

Water-painted words wash over my screen, casting shadows.  

They speak softly in the light, moving in rhythm, 

finding their fit amongst the splashings

as singular tributes to summer.

As I dreamily create new inspirations for the gallery I am designing, 

I 

and invite all those who enjoy a creative challenge to join me
in a Summer Splashings' moment of thought.
More information can be found here.

*************
Now, please visit Keri Recommends where Keri Collins Lewis 
welcomes Poetry Friday to the Farm.