Positively Reaching and Connecting

While gearing up for #NYEDChat's conversation on Positive People Do More, my writing colleague Kevin Hodgson, sent me poem based on the invitation to the chat that I tweeted. I then, retweeted Kevin's text to honor the work fellow poets and writers are engaging in during National Poetry Month. 

We search the gap

between the difficulties

of the world

and the silent negativity

of the complaints;

We nestle our way forward

and work around way into the warmth

of the positive.

I'll light the fire, with words if I have to,

these poems make fine kindling,

and you bring the sustenance of ideas

we can share together.
Kevin Hodgson, 2016 

Intrigued by the line lifting remix technique, I composed a poem based on one line of Kevin's poem.

Following the lead of poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater who created Wallow in Wonder for her 2016 National Poetry Month project to celebrate learning and writing from learning, I searched Wonderopolis for an article on positivity. I found Wonder of the Day #991, Do You Have a Positive Attitude?  Below is a blackout poem that I created from the information in the article.

My fellow Wonderopolis Wonder Lead Ambassador, Paul W. Hankins, has also been writing poetry alongside Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, based on Wonders of the Day. His series can be accessed here. 

To reach out and connect with #EduFriends and connected colleagues across the globe, NYEDChat will open its doors on May 2, 2016 for a chat on positivity that will surely be a meeting of the minds. 

Join the NYEDChat Moderating Team(Bill Brennan, Victoria Day, Blanca Duarte, Dan McCabe, Lisa Meade, Starr Sackstein, Dennis Schug, Tony Sinanis, Carol Varsalona) and our Positivity Champions (Bobby Dodd, Sean Gaillard, Reed Gillespie, Phil Griffin, Neil Gupta, Jon Harper, Jennifer Hogan, Eoin Lenihan, Craig Vroom, Jennifer Williams) for an epic conversation.

In the meantime, stay positive. According to the Mayo Clinic, looking at life's challenges in a positive way has its long-lasting rewards. Here are some benefits: 

• lower levels of distress 
• greater resistance to colds 
• better coping skills

You may enjoy listening to Luke Britnell's catchy tune, Think Positive. 

New Growth

"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep the Spring from coming." 
--Pablo Neruda

We rejoice in springtime as new growth salutes life.

Life, like spring,

can be dark and grey,

raindrops from clouded skies.

                                          But

                                             in the greening of the season,

                                                  new hopes spout from cracked fissures of life.

©CVarsalona, 2016

Ida Gerhardt was was a Dutch poet of a post-symbolist tradition.

https://ergonseed.nl/spring-poem

REFLECTION on NYEDChat:

This week, Janet Wong, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, and Paul W. Hankins joined me to guest moderate NYEDChat's convo, April is Poetrylicious. For one hour, Poetry Friday poet friends and poetry lovers from around the states responded to questions about the wonders of poetry. Many creative ideas were sparked, spine poetry created and displayed on the #NYEDChat Twitter feed, resources collected, and professional learning networks (PLNs) grew.

To scan the transcript of the chat created with the support of Participate Learning, please visit the site here. 

In addition, please visit the witty and creative Michelle Heidenrich Barnes for the Poetry Friday Round-up at Today's Little Ditty. There you will find Michelle's original poem, Alter Ego, created for her ditty challenge and a plethora of Poetry Friday posts from the poetry-inspired community members.

Waiting in Silence

Writing a poem about the end of a glorious, multi-colored season has afforded me the opportunity to see the world through a different lens. While desiring the return of glowing days of bright, painted scenes and thoughts flowing as gently as the leaves, I know that there comes a time when one season turns over to the next. The snowy landscape seen in Albany last week, pushed my thoughts not to sadness but hopefulness to what nature, the brilliant artist, has in store. 

The image below signals a time for recollection. 

I tried to establish a positive voice for fall as it bids us adieu.

While not ready to showcase the Finding Fall Gallery yet, my hope is to

offer an unveiling of the collection as my Christmas gift.

In addition to the above poem, I searched poetry galleries for an end to autumn poem that would contrast mine. I was delighted to find a lyrical poem, Chanson de l’Automne by Paul Verlaine in 1866. It is written in French with an English translation by Arthur Symons in Poems (First Collected Edition, 1902). Paired with this poem is a reading by Marlene Dietrich in French that you can access here.

Les sanglots longs
Des violons
De l’automne
Blessent mon coeur
D’une langueurTout suffocant
Et blême, quand
Sonne l’heure,
Je me souviens
Des jours anciens
Et je pleure
Et je m’en vais
Au vent mauvais
Qui m’emporte
Deçà, delà,
Pareil à la
Feuille morte.

When a sighing begins
In the violins
Of the autumn-song,
My heart is drowned.
In the slow soundLanguorous and long.

Pale as with pain,
Breath fails me when
The hours toll deep.
My thoughts recover
The days that are over,
And I weep.

And I go
Where the winds know,
Broken and brief,
To and fro,
As the winds blow
A dead leaf.

I found an interesting interpretation of the poem with a fascinating piece of background knowledge. Go here to access it. 

Now please stroll over to Paul W. Hankins's blog,
for the Poetry Friday Round-Up. 

Paul is kind enough to leave a spot for my late post since I was at a state curriculum conference this past week.