Matt Forrest Esenwine hosts us today on Poetry Friday. Visit his website Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme, to celebrate that recent life's challenges have changed for the better, his first book deal, and the poem he's written about spring romance in the woods! Congratulations, Matt, sounds like it's been a good week! Then, check out all the other links.
Jone MacCulloch at Check it Out had students write "what it knows" poems and put them on postcards to send out to other poets. I received this wonderful poem about the tragedy of Pompeii and what it knows. Although historically fascinating, there isn't much positive to say about Pompeii erupting and its victims. I enjoyed thinking about this tragedy again when I received the poem card, and appreciate the thoughts that Ruben included. He imagines the scene beautifully, with lots of action that I'm not sure I've ever considered. Usually I have read and tried to imagine the terrible plight of the living things there, and after the end, not during. Those people in Pompeii knew more than one terrible things, but hopefully they knew it briefly. Thanks to Ruben for helping me consider new ideas about Pompeii in his wonderful poem.