Thursday, March 14, 2019

Poetry Friday - Sharing An Older Anthology

             Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe hosting Poetry Friday today, with a call to action for "changing our actions" to combat climate change, to call attention to our administrations to act responsibly, to DO SOMETHING!  Thanks, Heidi!

       I don't usually write of our weather, but Wednesday turned out quite a different day, evidence that climate change is happening. We set a record!        
        For me in Colorado, daylight savings time ushered in a strange welcome to this 'almost' springtime. We do have big snows sometime, but this was different.
        On Tuesday I spent a lot of time at a park, then returned with my granddaughter Ingrid to walk and admire geese on the pond, climb trees, then get ice cream. It was about 60 degrees. On Wednesday, it started raining in the night, began snowing about 9 am, and then the blizzard hit. The city was rather shut down, am sorry that (I imagine) that groceries and coffee shops may have stayed open, but every school, every museum, etc. closed. It was called a #bombcyclone and snowed all day till dark. I did go out to shake the trees as much as I could, but realized this was not fluff, but blown-in ice balls. Only some fell. Many lost their power. I am fortunate because all the power lines around are underground. I was okay, did not need to go anywhere, and hope everyone, even if sliding off the road, ended up okay.
           Now, today, seems as if it didn't happen, though I know some still do not have power back, and some endured a miserable time stuck on the side of some highways, or ended up stuck at the airport. The sun was out, much has melted. 



       I'm still celebrating women, and wanted to tell about an older anthology I picked up long ago. I do not remember where, but it is lovely. Published in London first in 1990, then in 1991 in the US. The anthologists, Susanna Styles and Morag Styles, write that they began collecting years before, realized that the book would not only be for young people of 9-13, but for all ages. And it is a gem, filled with poems by women and girls of many cultures. 
          You will recognize the poet names of Eve Merriam ("On the pad of my thumb"), Nikki Giovanni ("they always said "what a pretty little girl you are"), Charlotte Zolotow ("It is only I/who have changed.", Karla Kuskin ("And the hollow of night/Fills up with dreams:"), Aileen Fisher ("The day is warm/and a breeze is blowing, the sky is blue/and its eye is glowing"), Gwendolyn Brooks ("Hello, little sister,/Coming through the rim of the world.", Jane Yolen (Sleep, little wriggler,"), Valerie Worth (Hollyhocks stand in clumps/By the doors of old cottages.) and Maya Angelou ("When you see me sitting quietly/Like a sack left on the shelf,/Don't think I need your chattering./I'm listening to myself.". 
         Like that taste? There is more! Also included are poems by children and traditional chants and rhymes from North America, Ireland, Japan and Africa. 

        The book divides into eight sections, from Here I Am!, girls and women writing about themselves, through Telling Tales which includes songs, ballads and stories to the ending A New Day Dawning, hopes for the future. If you can find it, I hope you enjoy it all. Here is a taste from Here I Am!

A few powerful words for this time in girls' and women's lives.

I May, I Might, I Must

If you will tell me why the fen
appears impassable, I then
will tell you why I think that I
can get across it if I try.

Marianne Moore


28 comments:

  1. Sounds like a rich poetry collection, I'm going to look for it! I love the spirit in Marianne Moore's poem–I would reply similarly if given that situation. Sorry to hear about your "ice ball" storm sounds horrid–these high/low/extreme variations in the weather seems highly related to Climate Change…

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. The anthology is one I love reading. And yes, our weather people made connections from the storm to climage change. We've had larger amounts of snow, but never quite with this wind.

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  2. I need to request this anthology from the library. it sounds like a great collection, Linda. I'm glad you made it safely through the blizzard. Let's hope spring really does arrive soon!

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    1. Hoping you do find it, Kimberly. And yes, I am really looking forward to springtime. Thanks!

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  3. Climate change poses all kinds of challenges to weather forecasters and emergency personnel and others...there's no historical pattern to learn from. Glad you are okay.
    Thanks for sharing this anthology -- looks worth seeking out!

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    1. Thanks, Tabatha, yes, no history, but we have scientists to rely upon. I'm grateful for that. Enjoy the book if you can find it!

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  4. Oh my, I know Prof. Morag Styles, of this women's anthology, Linda. I will send her the link to this post. I studied with her at Hollins. She is a treasure. And this collection looks the same.

    On the bomb cyclone - how fitting that this climate change Friday follows that s t r a n g e event so closely. What better way to shake us to the core. I can't imagine how odd it was
    to shake the tree & have that ice response. Many appreciations for your sharing both of these.

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    1. Wow, Jan, how wonderful that you know her and have studied with her. That is wonderful! Yes, our weather was rather frightening, okay for me indoors, but terrible for so many. Thank you!

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  5. Glad you're okay after the bomb cyclone. Len was stuck at the Denver airport until yesterday (he was supposed to fly home Tuesday night).

    Thanks for featuring this anthology -- something I'd never seen or heard of. Wow, it looks fabulous! The cover art alone has me intrigued, and your sample list of poets is impressive.

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    1. As I wrote to Jan, the bomb cyclone was rather scary. I saw the airport news, so sorry for Len's experience, Jama. The anthology is lovely. Hope you can find it! Thanks, Jama!

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  6. This looks like a wonderful anthology, Linda. Marianne Moore was one of a kind. I can picture her stomping across the fens in her black cape.

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    1. Yes, I loved this poem of power, Laura. Thank you!

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  7. I was in England at the time this came out, Linda, and it was part of a beautiful series that included origin stories and fairy tales featuring strong girls and others illustrated by Jane Ray. I have a couple of them but hadn't seen this one! Thank you, and how fitting to the day's girl-led strikes!

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    1. Another person who knows of this, and a series, Heidi. How wonderful. Thanks for telling me.

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  8. So many familiar names in this anthology. I love books illustrated by Jane Ray. Sadly, our library doesn't have it.

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    1. Perhaps you'll see it somewhere, someday, Ramona. It is a special one. Thanks for trying!

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  9. The cover art of this anthology is stunning! It drew me to your post like a magnet. I love it. And, thank you for continuing to celebrate women & girls. I am too from my library's twitter account. We must nurture and nourish future generations of strong, healthy women. I'm so glad you got through the blizzard OK. Crazy weather!

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    1. Well, I have a personal stake, my granddaughters, but I do think wider than that, Linda. I'm glad to hear about your twitter support! Thank you.

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  10. What a great anthology, and the perfect poem for the times!

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  11. Here's to Spring - I feel very done with winter, Linda. I'm glad you made it through the latest winter mess, what a long day it must have seemed! This looks to be a stunning anthology - we can't have enough poems about strong women for our daughters and granddaughters, can we?

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    1. Yes, I agree. This storm was a quirky surprise, quite a record-setter & indicative of the strange phenomena believed caused by climate change. Our winters are generally not as severe as yours, though they are in the mountains. Thanks, Tara, wishing you a springtime soon!

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  12. Linda, I did hear of your blizzard but not the title bombcyclone. Do you have a picture of your full blown ice-balls. That must have been a scary day? I am glad that you were safe inside. It's odd how the blizzards come and are gone so quickly in both Denver and on Long Island. Thank you for the lead into another beautiful poem on women.

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    1. Yes, I posted one pic of those 'ice balls' on FB, Carol. The wind and cold whipped them up! I certainly was fine, but it was sad that many were stuck on roads, etc. What a terrible day for them. Thanks!

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  13. Crazy weather, Linda! Glad you came out of the blizzard unscathed. Thanks for the introduction to this anthology - love the teaser lines by Maya Angelou and Moore's inspiring poem. =)

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    1. Aren't they great, Bridget? Perhaps you can find the Angelou poem elsewhere. Thanks!

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  14. Thanks, I will keep my eyes peeled for this one, Linda! International Women's Day or not, IMHO it's always a good time to celebrate women and girls. Love the Marianne Moore gem and also that snippet from Maya Angelou.

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    1. Yes, those are favorites, Michelle. Hope you'll find this book sometime! Thanks!

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