POETRY FRIDAY ROUNDUP

Lots of celebrations in this this week's Poetry Friday posts!

Several people celebrated the 70th anniversary of D Day…

First, head to Catherine Flynn's blog, "Reading to the Core" (earlier today I mistakenly confused Catherine Flynn with Catherine Johnson- my apologies to both ladies!). Listen to actor Charles Durning's recital of "Carentan, O Carnetan," written by Louis Simpson, a soldier in WWII.  It made me cry. 

Mayer commemorates D  Day with Yvor Winters' stark, "Night of Battle" at Kurious Kitty's Kurio Kabinet, then move on to Random Noodling and read three original D Day poems from Diane's other website, Random Noodling. Diane also has a great Yvor Winters' quote about writing at Kurious K's Kwotes.

Jan Godown Annino honors her soldier dad with a beautiful post that combines poetry and memoir

Others celebrated the end of the school year…
My fellow Denver friend Linda Baie (who I met through kidlitosphere, but actually lives about ten minutes from me), but is celebrating the end of the school year with an original poem, "Outta Here!"

At the Poem Farm, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater not only has an original end of school poem,  "Last Day," but also shares a terrific guest post about themed student anthologies. I am soooo going to try this idea next year!

Laura Shovan (Author Amok) also features student poets. She's just finishing a residency at Northfield Elementary. This week's post features "Pocket Poems," but her posts includes ten more links to student poems.

Carol Varsalona, the very last poster this week, is wrapping up her school year with a post remembering her first year as a teacher.  She captures, I think, so many of our hopes and dreams!

And there were celebrations of other important days…
Greg Pincus celebrated a totally different holiday yesterday. Warning, his poem, Doughnuts Oh, Doughnuts! will make you crave "fried circles of yum" all day!

Greg needs to talk to Joy, who is also celebrating doughnuts at Poetry for Kids. Joy has been busy making Poetry Boxes, which seems like an idea with distinct possibilities for teachers.

Happy Anniversary to Tara, who is celebrating her 27th wedding anniversary with a new-to-me e.e. cummings poem, "love is more thicker than forget." 


Some posters celebrated books…
Children's author, Tamara Will Wissinger, and a ragtag band of cowboys are celebrating the release of their first poetry picture book, THIS OLD BAND with a book giveaway!  Congratulations, Tamara- definitely cause for a huge celebration!!

Liz Steinglass features an annotated list of ten new poetry titles she's planning to read this summer. First on the list is POETRY FRIDAY regular, Laura Purdie Salas' new book, WATER CAN BE…

 This week, Laura's post celebrates the natural world with  Joanne Lindens"Curly-leaf Pondweed," Linden's new book,  FIDDLEHEADS TO FIR TREES, looks like a book I definitely want to own!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes puts the spotlight on Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's POETRY FRIDAY SCIENCE ANTHOLOGY in an interview that made me laugh! I'd love to dine with any of these ladies any time!

April Halprin Wayland celebrates a brand new poetry book THE POEM THAT WILL NOT END: FUN WITH POETIC FORMS AND VOICES, by prolific poet, Joan Bransfield Graham, with an interview.

Almost every week, I read a post that makes me think, "Hey, that used to be one of my favorite books! Where is it?" This week it was Myra Garces Bascal's post of "Headstrong Boy," which she found in Naomi Shihab Nye's collection, THIS SAME SKY.

At No Water River, Renee LaTulippe and Lee Bennett Hopkins have their sixth post highlighting NCTE Poets. This week's poet is longtime favorite John Ciardi. Renee says, "This series isn’t about analyzing the poets and their work, but rather about preserving Lee’s personal recollections, insights, and memories of each of these amazing people."

Lorie Ann shared YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME, a perfect poetry book for young readers.  


There are celebrations of beaches… 
Violet Nesdoly has an original poem, "Walk the Beach," that makes this land-locked sea lover long for beach time.

I agree with Jama, who thinks Richard Michelson's book, S IS FOR SEAGLASS, would be a perfect companion to HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE BEACH LATELY?  Jama, ever the gourmet goddess has a really fun recipe for flip flop cookies. For those of you who are still teaching, this would be a perfect end-of-the-year treat!

and original poems celebrating other aspects of the natural world…
At Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme, Matt Forrest Esenwine honors the moon with an interesting metaphor in his poem, "indecency,"which he describes as "definitely note for children

Lorie Ann Grover uses an original photograph as a jumping off point for writing haiku, "A Flowered Conjunction."

Jennifer Ward celebrates kale (yup, kale, as she says) with a poem about her experiences harvesting this vegetable as a young teenager. Even her "back story" is poetic…

Several members of the Poetry Friday community are celebrating significant life changes…

Charles Waters found time for a really meaty post, even though he's preparing for a move to New York.  His poem, "Sack Lunch," is featured in a really important article on the role of poetry in the Common Core. Charles links with Diane Mayr and Jane Hulstrunk, at a new-to-me website, Spark, which pairs writing and art. Charles ends his post with an original lullaby, "Dreamtime Boulevard."

Kelly Mogk isn't undergoing any significant life changes, (that I know of anyway), but I'm adding her link here because Stephen Burt'sTED talk, "Why We Need Poetry," seems like a perfect companion text to Charles' article about the role of poetry in CCSS.

Robin Hood Black, fresh from a move to South Carolina, offers news of a poetry contest. Her post made me want to go buy a bike.

Dori has opened a yoga studio, but assures us that she will be back to poetry very soon. Maybe you could read poetry at your yoga classes on Friday, Dori!


And then, as always seems to happen with poetry, there are some big life truths…

At Drift Record, Julie Larios has Wendell Berry's, "The Peace of Wild Things," an important reminder for all of us worriers in the crowd.

Mary Lee has another big life truth poem, "Sonnet I," by Phillip Britts.

I think Mary Lee must have talked to Margaret, whose original poem, "Picking Blueberries," reminds me to be still and savor those small and delicious moments

Little Willow shares a big truth from Marilyn Monroe. I think it would be interesting to juxtapose this poem against one of her blonde bombshell pictures, then write about it.

Karen Edmisten has had a  traumatic few days! She celebrates the wonder of connection with "From the Telephone," by Florence Ripley Mastin.

At, "There is No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town," Ruth is slowing down after a busy school year. She shares excerpts from Australian poet, Mark Tredinnick's "Eclogues." You can listen to Mark read his work here.

Thanks so much for participating!

 If I left anyone out, it was purely accidental! 

Let me know and I will fix it immediately!