It's Poetry Friday - Sharing Scraps

         Tabatha Yeatts of The Opposite of Indifference is our lovely and thoughtful host today for Poetry Friday. She's sharing an original poem giving advice during this challenging time using the most caring words. You will love it!

          I have written that during this time I have been, am, scattered. This results in a flitting from thing to thing, asking myself, what next? before I've even finished the current task. 

Thus, 

a Dictionary online defines ‘scrap’ as “a small piece or amount of something, especially one that is left over after the greater part has been used. You can see from my hasty collage what is taking my time. I've written notes on the wonderful notecards from Robyn Hood Black. I've done a bit of inventory work at the bookstore, carrying along my Clorox wipes. I'm reading from Irene Latham's and Charles Waters' new Dictionary, reading Internment (apt perhaps?), reading Cosy, a bit of joy, enjoying lessons from Peanuts and Tuffy, The Tugboat (read that page), and of course the New Yorker. And I'm walking to find nature's gifts. I'm fortunate that I can be home, but so often wish I was elsewhere!

Scraps – Now That The Greater Part Has Been Used

S o I’m trying hard to find some 

C ogent argument to stay on a schedule.

R ealistically, the idiom “all the time in the world”

A t last, seems like a gift, does it not?

P lease don’t expect much production, however.

S cattered motions from task to task only fill hours of empty. 

Linda Baie ©

         Best of my wishes to each of you during this sad time in our history. There are moments of celebrating humans who are doing good and I am so grateful for them.

Poetry Friday - Sweet Swapping Helps This Sad Day

It's Poetry Friday, this week hosted by Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone. She's sharing a poem idea, to write from a title that intrigues from another poet. It is interesting to read the original poem and then the direction Molly took from just that title. Thanks for hosting, Molly.

    Thursdays are my regular shift at the bookstore, also the day we weed through the week's donations and then shelve or discover doubles, fix boxes of books to pass on to others. While I do other shelving, I'm in charge of the children's/YA sections. In all the times I've done this, we've never had an anthology donated by Lee Bennett Hopkins. I was thrilled to see it, an older one that I don't have.
       Then in a brief lull, I checked my Facebook page and read the news about Lee's passing. I won't forget that this particular book came this day, and won't forget all the books from Lee I do have and cherished sharing with my students. I have only had a brief connection personally with him, but know many whose hearts are broken tonight and I am so sorry for their and his husband Charles' loss. Luckily for us, he left many, many gifts for us, especially for children.

        Remember when I discovered a wonderful poetry book, though disintegrating, and shared a poem by Celia Thaxter, the poet found because I googled the lines via a nudge from Heidi Mordhorst. From it to again sharing more from research and another poem by her to honor Paul B. Janeczko. I have since read An Island Garden; some write that it's Thaxter's most famous work. Well, many of you may not have remembered, but Tabatha Yeatts did and used lines of poetry by Celia Thaxter to write a poem for me. She has seen me share about our family beach trips every summer and sent this poem hug celebrating that for me. I am so grateful to see that Tabatha and Celia have collaborated so wonderfully! 

Poetry Friday - Lasts

       Margaret Simon at Reflections on The Teche hosts our Poetry Friday as we say goodbye to August Fridays. She's sharing a swap, too, and responding with a "zine". Don't know what that is? Margaret explains and it's probably something you'll want to try! Happy Friday!

        
    One can think it's the beginning of the end, the end of summer sun and sweat, iced tea and outside play. Our September arriving in one week can bring temps in the nineties or someone wanting to be picked up because it's snowing. It's time to celebrate all the "lasts", including my "last" Summer Swap! First, thanks to Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference, our super planner for our swaps!

     Opening this final swap package, and from Michelle Kogan, I know I'm in for a treat. Not only is Michelle a poet, but also an artist. Inside is a poem to frame, a poem with a postcard note, a bookmark, and a handmade journal. Thank you, Michelle, for the beauty to enjoy seeing, the beauty to love reading, and the extra fun filling up my own pages via your inspiration.