Poetry Friday - Bringing Hope IN

 It's Poetry Friday, and Marcie Flinchum Atkins is hosting HERE on her blog, sharing so much delight as she prepares for book launches! I wish I'd had time to write to the Poetry Pals end-of-month prompt, but I'm sure it will be fun to read what others have written.

             

            The nicest thing this month is that yesterday, I finally got Marcie's book from my library. I haven't started it yet, but will this weekend. It certainly sounds terrific! Congratulations, Marcie.

             I haven't posted since the end of February. It's been a month filled with challenges, and my days have not been what I've wished. I've had car repairs from a person running into the rear/right bumper. Plumbing problems started and having a bad plumber made them worse. I have a huge repair going on right now and I am hopeful that soon my home will be back to normal. In addition, I seem to have been hit with painful sprained muscles from shoulder to leg, and there doesn't seem to be an answer as to why. I'm starting PT soon! I know that many in our world have terrible things happening in their lives, much worse than I do, and I wish it weren't so, but these things in March have taken much of my time and energy. I've really missed reading and reviewing books and writing for myself and Poetry Friday. 

a little hope on the way in my garden

          I may not write every day in April, but I will try to do some days. Today, my best thoughts turn to Emily Dickinson, bringing me some hope, too!

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

        Wishing everyone a special Poetry Month!

It's Monday - All About "Hope"

Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who post their favorites. 
         
     Some weeks I find connections among the books I share. This time, each book centers around "hope", something everyone can use more of. 

     FYI - I shared Stonewall last Wednesday here in celebration of #PrideMonth!

        Eleven-year-old December has landed in her umpteenth foster home with bird lover and taxidermist Eleanor, certainly not a person to trust. Eleanor might see that December is really a bird, lure her and eventually stuff her. Meeting December in a tree, ready to jump to see if her wings will emerge from the scar on her back so she could fly away took me into a child's hopes hard to imagine. For such a young person to have experienced the trauma she had is heartbreaking. Sandy Stark-McGinnis shows the powerful truth of December's strong methods of survival. The one thing from her mother is a bird guide inscribed with "In flight is where you'll find me." Stark-McGinnis shows how hard is December's journey to release her dream, to realize that trusting Eleanor might bring a 'home' instead of another 'house'.  Though December's thoughts rarely waver; she WILL fly away someday! Slowly, a few cracks appear as December begins a new kind of journey. The scenes at her new school show also the heartbreak of bullying but a strong trans girl who becomes December's ally shows December that she can be one, too. There are many moments where I held my breath wishing that the truth shown was never so harsh for a child. I am reminded of these words: "Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle you know nothing about." For teachers and those who work with children and for children who might recognize themselves in this story and find new ways to be, this is the book.

      I could read every one of Matthew Cordell's books over and over.  This one is special to me, a grandchild's and a grandparent's message for each other.

      Diana Murray's rollicking rhymes celebrate this special day (for unicorns) with Luke Flowers' spectacular bright and bold colors and faces expressing all the feelings of a celebration, but then one where something is not.quite.right. It's a happy story that comes to a surprising stop. Oh no! The unexpected happens, and children will cheer when the problem is happily solved. This will be a good low-key way to introduce the idea that everyone can be included, no matter that they are different.

Poetry Friday - Mixing It Up

             Jone MacCullough hosts Poetry Friday today at Check It Out. And she is celebrating with a Cybils Party. Congratulations to the Cybils winners announced here yesterday! And hope each of you enjoyed a sweet Valentine's Day, too. I enjoyed being a second round judge for poetry, but what a hard task to choose among the seven marvelous finalists. You can find all the finalists' lists here! If ever you need a new book to read, as Joan's blog title aptly tells, "Check It Out"!

                It has been a busy week. I worked at the bookstore today, a lovely day to be there because of Valentine's Day. There were lots of customers and along with helping them find books to love, we gave out chocolate and bookmarks for the children (or maybe adults) to color.

          But I am so distracted by the current political state, I was not sure what to share today. I found a poem I wrote two years ago and considering it, I suppose I felt similarly, though I did not know then how challenging these past months would be. The fall elections helped. I am still hopeful. 

                      Hope

I feel the need for a narrative tale,

hard porcelain words, but a sweeter scale - 

no more need to rewrite the tweets

with pseudo illusory echoing beats.

We will continue a skeptic’s cry,

that will not fade in the bye and bye.

The only tears for a twisted mind

will slip down cheeks of a human kind

to rue artifacts of yesterday

that acquired a tarnish we’ll clean away.

But do not plug all past mid-deeds,

or rearrange tales with a goal to please.

Cylinders will spiral; it’s called evolution -

the intent to flourish, in our Constitution.   

      Linda Baie (c) All Rights Reserved