POETRY FRIDAY ROUNDUP

It's definitely fall in Colorado with mornings that are chilly enough to make me grab a jacket, but somehow, the rose bush at my neighbor's house (which is not currently occupied because it's being renovated) has mysteriously burst into full bloom. We just moved into the house this summer, so I don't know if it does that every fall, but it kinda seems like a reminder to seek joy in the midst of what have been a couple of long, hard weeks.

I wasn't surprised, yesterday, to learn that Don Graves had touched many of your lives. I'm still trying to wrap my head and the heart around his "goneness...." Thanks so much for sharing your memories and condolences. And now for the Poetry Friday Roundup…

October Poems

• Today is John Lennon's 70th birthday (does anyone else remember watching The Beatles first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Jama Rattigan has devoted an entire post to this event and includes, The Wish Tree by Yoko Ono, a poem that would be a great "cousin" for Langston Hughes, "A Dream Deferred."

• "Columbus Day," by Charles Ghigna (Father Goose) is another poem that will be perfect to share with students next week.
  

• And "Mine Host of the Golden Apples" at Kurious Kitty is perfect for the end of apple season on the Atlantic Seaboard.

• "October Berries" is another harvest offering from Julie Reinhardt, a barbecue restaurant owner/poet from Seattle

• Ted Kooser's "Neighbors in October," from Tricia at Miss Rumphius Effect is another "absolutely right for this time of year" poem. I especially loved the last line, "Bagging gold for days to come" and thought of pairing it with Robert Frost's "Nothing Gold Can Stay" for our fifth and sixth graders next week.
  

• And of course there is that favorite black and orange holiday at the end of the month. Andromeda Jazmon shares HALLOWILLOWEEN- a book that I sooo need to run out and by this weekend at Wrung Sponge.

Poems About Poetry

• In addition to his Columbus Day poem, Charles Ghigna also shares "The Magic of Poetry," a beautiful poem about poetry (is there anything better than a poem about poetry?) at Bald Ego.

• Wow, wow, wow-- let's have a round of applause for Amy who presents her 19th and no that is not a typo, original poem about poetry at The Poem Farm! And it's lovely! The other 18 poems are listed in the sidebar so you can go back and check out some of those as well.

• David Elzey wrote "Buke," about an adolescent experience with the poet, Charles Bukowski. A previous entry about the first Bukowski poetry book David purchased reminded made me think about how distant mentors can impact young writers…
  

• And although it's not exactly a poem about poetry, "Trees" at Kurious K's Kwotes, is definitely a poem for poets.

Poetry Anthologies

• Tabatha Yeatts gives us LOOKING FOR JAGUAR AND OTHER RAINFOREST POEMS, along with a link for what sounds like it might be a really interesting blog and some very sobering aerial photographs of the rain forest.
  

• At Paper Tigers, you'll find some fun animal couplets from THE SELECT NONSENSE OF SUKUMAR RAY. I have PYROTECHNICS ON THE PAGE, Ralph Fletcher's new book about word play, on my list of books I want to to read. Sukumar Ray sounds like it would fit perfect into that category.

• At Wild Rose Reader, Elaine Magliaro reviews ONE BIG RAIN, twenty poems about rain throughout the year. Elaine hunted through her own body of work and found several more rainy day poems.
  

Original Poetry

• Head over to The Write Sisters to read Barbara's very clever poem about change, and no, it's not the kind of change you are thinking about!

• At A Writer's Armchair, Toby Speed shares the original "Fold Me Up With the Laundry," a perfect parent poem. I think this would make a great picture book Toby!

• Laura Purdie Salas shares "The Insult" an original found poem. You can also " button in" to a whole bunch of original 15 word or less poems by a variety of poets at Laura's 15 word or poems post.
  

• Linda Kulp offers a poem about bullying. I'm going to use this with our intermediate graders, who have been having a few "issues" this week.
  

• Heidi Mordhorst participated in Laura's 15 word or less poem challenge and also provides information about SPARK, an intriguing opportunity for authors and artists to interact with each other's work.

• If you are looking for other opportunities to share your original poetry, Pat invites you to post your poems at her site, Quotes and Poems.

Singles

• Don Graves often opened graduate classes by reading poetry and Seamus Haney was one of his favorites. It seems somehow fitting, then, that Haney won the Forward Prize the week that Don passed away, and also that Haney's work made its way into Poetry Friday. Go to Castle in the Sea for a link to Haney's reading.

• When I think about my life in New Hampshire, some of my best memories involve sitting at a dear friend's kitchen counter, watching her roll pie crust and knead pizza dough. At the Stenhouse blog, we find Shirl McPhillips "Rolling Pin," a poem about the things we take/leave from our mothers. Be sure to follow the link to "Shaking Up the Muse," Shirl's poem from the previous week.

• Sometimes poetry just makes me laugh. Yesterday was one of those long, hard days when I wondered whether my child might end up on Jerry Springer talking about his dysfunctional mother's parenting skills (OK, if I am totally honest, I am actually absolutely sure he will end up there). This morning I read George Bilgere's "Return of Odysseus" on Karen Edmisten's blog. And laughed.
  

• In another take on poetry as a lens for understanding life, Liz Garton Scanlon gifts us with Tony Hoaglund's "Taking It Personal" a poem that she describes as "both both beautiful and accessible, both story and metaphor, both humor and utter conviction."

• Mary Lee took a week off to have surgery (thanks for filling in Franki!) but she's back this week with "Did I Miss Anything?"

• And it wouldn't be Poetry Friday if we didn't have at least one offering from the Bard Himself. You can get your weekly dose of Shakespeare from Ruth at "There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Town."

• While we are on the subject of much-loved bards, this rendition of Shel Silverstein's "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout," at Blue Rose Girls is terrific. Think I'd like to ask some of our students if they'd like to try selecting images from a favorite poem and putting them together.
  

Other

• Jeannine Atkins tells some great stories about a visit to Steepletop, Edna St. Vincent Millay's home. It seems St. Vincent Millay's sister lived in the house for 30 years after Edna's death, but didn't want to disturb anything, even going so far as to hang her clothes on the shower rod instead of in the closet. And I loved the pictures of Edna St. Vincent' Millay's writing cottage! I want one of those (with no messy, mouthy, moody teenagers!).

• Laura Shovan, Author Amok, tells us that she is headed to the 13th Annual Dodge Poetry Festival, where she will hear Iraqi-American poet Dunya Mikhail. In honor of that event, she's posted "War Works Hard," a heavy and powerful list poem.

• Diane Mayr (Random Noodling) is also headed to the Dodge Poetry Festival, and gives us descriptions of some of the sessions she's hoping to attend. Sounds like a great event if you are anywhere near Newark!

Think that's it for the roundup. My apologies in advance if I forgot anyone! Have a blessed weekend.