Kathi Appelt - What Was She Thinking

What Was She Thinking?
by
Kathi Appelt

It’s the question her mother keeps asking.

That her only child could stop the train,
Snap her fingers and make it screech to a halt?

And now if only
are the only two words this mother can say.

If only she knew why the girl
looked up just in time to see
the golden beam of the engine’s light,
thought, how close is the moon, reached out to touch it.
Why she patted the dashboard of her new red Mustang,
the one her daddy gave her when she turned sixteen.
Now, she whispered, now. All her faith
in speed and gasoline, St. Christopher
dangling from the rearview mirror.

She would cry if she could remember how.

Her mother can’t stop crying.

And what about the engineer,
making his regular run between New Orleans
and Houston, sipping a cup of coffee
watching for deer along the tracks.
He always loved this time of night, the way
they turn and run,
their tails a white flash of goodbyes.

Now, he can’t bear the sight of them,
only looks straight ahead,
startled by each and every crossing,
so sorry for the lonesome
holy dark.

©2011 Kathi Appelt. All rights reserved.

---

True confession time: I haven't always been a fan of free verse, and that fact often still hovers way in the back of my brain. When I read Kathi Appelt's poetry, however, that distant thought never crosses my mind. I don't think there's time, really, as I'm instantly caught up (like I was last time she was here), engaged, reveling in well turned phrases and perfect, juicy words... even when the subject matter's not easy.

Her fiction's the same way. Her most recent novel, Keeper, ended up on seven slews of year-end 'best' lists, and followed up her Newbery Honor/National Book Award finalist The Underneath with more of the wonderful, poetic writing that just plain works for me (and, clearly, for many, many, many others!). I am, as I said last time, a fan indeed... and am very excited to have Kathi Appelt here wrapping up this year's edition of 30 Poets/30 Days.

(Greg's note: Kathi was the first poet to send me a poem this year. I had written up a draft post of hers first thing... then, in some frenzy of rescheduling, I made some still unknown to me error that left her post in the ether. I apologize for that but am thrilled to be able to close this year's celebration down with her now.)

Yesterday we had The Alphabet: A Found Poem by Jane Yolen. Tomorrow... a wrap up of the 2011 festivities!

Jane Yolen - The Alphabet: A Found Poem

The Alphabet: A Found Poem
by
Jane Yolen

The 24 letters
of the alphabet
may be transposed
620,448,401,733,239,439,360,000
times.
All the inhabitants of the globe
could not
in a thousand million years
write out all the transpositions
of the 24 letters,
even supposing
each wrote 40 pages daily,
each page containing 40 different
transpositions of the letters.

JY notes: My alphabet contains
26 letters.
And I have a computer.
Do you think that changes the game?

Found in: Anecdotes of Books and Authors,
London, Orr and Smith, Paternoster Row, MDCCCXXXVI

© 2011 Jane Yolen. All rights reserved.

---

Jane Yolen sent me poem choices. Oh, yes she did. I agonized (okay... fine... in a fun way!) before settling on The Alphabet which, I think, is a fitting send off to 30 Poets/30 Days and National Poetry Month. The possibilities of language may not be infinite mathematically... though that's one eyepoppingly big number... yet when you add in meaning and interpretation, I'd make the argument that we'll never run out of stories to tell or poems to write.

I'd also make that argument about Jane Yolen herself. Author over over 300 books (stop for a second and absorb that. 300 books!), she is also an incredible speaker, mentor, blogger, editor, anthologist, and so much more. I am an unabashed fan and, just like last time she came by, I am thrilled to have her here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday ended with Kristine O'Connell George and Daze of the Week. Tomorrow... Kathi Appelt's What Was She Thinking.

Kristine O'Connell George - Daze of the Week

Daze of the Week
by
Kristine O'Connell George

Little sister tells me
     today is Two's Day
     and two morrows away,
     from yesternight
     will be When's Day—

     her birthday.

© Kristine O'Connell George. All rights reserved.

---

Kristine O'Connell George has that poet's gift with words, I tell you. She can play with them, mold them, shape them, make them say whatever she wants to say in the exact way she wants to say it to get us readers to see things we might not otherwise see (or to laugh (like she did last time she was here) or think or or or). Lucky us!

The above poem could easily be in Kristine O' Connell George's new book Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems which features sisters Emma and Jess. (I can speak as an expert here, too, and say that this poem could be a brother poem, too!) The link between sisters is such rich territory in her poems and beyond and, in fact, the book has a Facebook page where folks are leaving stories and photos of and about their sisters. Good times, indeed, from a poet I'm so happy to have here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Earlier today,  Linda Sue Park was Explaining Baseball to an Alien. Tomorrow, 30 Poets/30 Days finishes off with Jane Yolen! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Linda Sue Park - Explaining Baseball to an Alien

Explaining Baseball to an Alien
by
Linda Sue Park

This poem is a sijo. Sijo is a traditional Korean form of poetry. Like a Japanese haiku, a sijo is written using a syllabic structure. In its most common form, a sijo in English has three lines of fourteen to sixteen syllables. Each line in a sijo has a special purpose. The first line introduces the topic. The second line develops the topic further. And the third line always contains some kind of twist--humor or irony, an unexpected image, a pun, or a play on words.

(Description adapted from TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF, by Linda Sue Park, which contains many more examples of sijo and a fuller explanation of the form.)

Hmmm, where to start? There are nine players in the field—but wait,
the game’s starting, Mets-Yankees! We’ll watch it together.
When you have a question, just poke me with one of your tentacles.

© Linda Sue Park. All rights reserved.

---

Linda Sue Park had me at "hello" - or really with her poem's title. I'm a big baseball fan, for starters, and since I tend to find her writing out of this world, there was an extra level of satisfaction already. Up until this poem, the only other sijo I'd read had been from Tap Dancing on the Roof (illustrated by Istvan Banyai)... and I have to say the whole experience has made me a fan of the form. I love humor, twists, and unexpected imagery, and, well, now baseball pushes me to start writing 'em myself. Or trying, anyway!

This is interesting, actually, because often when I read Linda Sue Park's work (her novels or even her villanelle last time she was here), my first reaction after absorbing the story is "whoa! I wish I could write like that!" I know I'm not alone in that reaction, but, of course, she is one of a kind... and I'm thrilled to have her here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

And hey... it's Poetry Friday, with this week's roundup of poetic goodies at The Opposite of Indifference. Go on and check it out!


Yesterday we ended with Kurt Cyrus and The Mummy and the Mermaid. Later today, Kristine O'Connell George with Daze of the Week! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Kurt Cyrus - The Mummy and the Mermaid

The Mummy and the Mermaid
by
Kurt Cyrus

"Sure I'm dead," the mummy said,
"but look at what we've got--
a bride, a groom, a desert tomb
impervious to rot.
Oh, come away from all that spray,
the water and the waves.
Forget the tide. Get mummified,
and join me in my caves."
Sadly, she was wild and free
and far too fond of water.
So, with a sassy "Pardon me"
she slipped into the silver sea
to giggle with a manatee
and frolic with an otter.
"When she's dead," the mummy said,
"the sea will surely rot her."
And with a dry and dusty cough
the ancient fossil wandered off
and instantly forgot her.

© 2011 Kurt Cyrus. All rights reserved.

---

Kurt Cyrus has the type of mind I love. I mean, what type of crazy brilliant mind comes up with a mummy in love with a mermaid and then rhymes otter with rot her? Right. The type of mind I love. Just like last time he was here and gave us The Big Snore, I simply love his ability to create utterly unique turns of phrase and make me laugh.

Beyond his delicious way with words, Kurt Cyrus also has a remarkable way with pictures. His illustrations, whether he's written the book or someone else has, are remarkable. Check out his books or even the outtakes page on his website and you'll see what I mean. I doubly admire the double threats among us, and that means I'm doubly happy to have Kurt Cyrus here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

We had three tanka from Nikki Grimes earlier today. Tomorrow kicks off with Linda Sue Park with Explaining Baseball to an Alien! For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.

Nikki Grimes - Busted/Closet/Someone Like Me (three tanka)

Busted / Closet / Someone Like Me
Three Tanka
by
Nikki Grimes

Busted

Best thing about friends:
They know you inside and out.
Worst thing about friends:
They know you inside and out.
My turtle shell is useless.


Closet

I flip through my shirts,
tan, brown, grey, black, colors that
make me disappear.
If nobody knows I'm here,
it's hard for them to hurt me.


Someone Like Me

I surf the channels,
spy network and cable kids
parading like sticks.
Where's the star who looks like me?
I want to be special, too.

© Nikki Grimes. All rights reserved.

---

I'm a big Nikki Grimes fan... which I think made today very hard. You see, she had sent me other poems besides these three tanka. Other tanka, a riddle, a... well... the point is, I wanted to run them all. (And yes, I kept stalling with the hope she'd send me MORE poems to choose from. Can you blame me?). In the end, I picked these three because they show how she can nail truths in a way that looks effortless. Plus, I got to share three poems!

Nikki Grimes has a new book coming out in September called Planet Middle School. It's a novel in poems and, having just finished an advanced copy today, I can safely say that it's fantastic. It's funny, emotional, and exceedingly real. And, yes, it's poetry! Make sure you're looking for it in the fall. In the meantime, grab some of her poetry, sit down and enjoy, and you'll know why I'm so happy to have her here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

We ended yesterday with Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Skating Pond. Up next... Kurt Cyrus and The Mummy and the Mermaid! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Rebecca Kai Dotlich - Skating Pond

Skating Pond
by
Rebecca Kai Dotlich

It was the year of ice, they said,
the year of slip and slide and fall --
so what was a girl to do but put the hose
to her yard, lace up her skates,
ballerina glide, slice figure eights
while brother and cousins
caught dozens of flakes, falling
onto their tongues, then they
formed mitten-chains, chilled circles
in winter. How now she hears echoes
of wind-white years storming her dreams
come December; full-frosted sky
and chimney smoke above. And love,
from such a long, long time away
from here.

©2011 Rebecca Kai Dotlich. All rights reserved.

---

Can Rebecca Kai Dotlich turn a phrase or what?! The images she paints, the feelings she evokes in the reader, the sense of time and place... and, yeah, I know. I'm falling into fanboy mode again, but what can you do? Just like last time, with Midnight Stray (who one commenter called "pretty much a perfect poem"), she's packed so much in so little space that I'm left scratching my head figuring out how she did it.

Of course, it's not a surprise. If you've read her poems anywhere or read Bella & Bean, her most recent picture book, you run into the same wonderful use of language no matter the subject. And if you haven't read her... well, fix that ASAP! Then, I know, you'll see why I'm so excited to have Rebecca Kai Dotlich here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Earlier we had The Voice of the Voiceless by J. Patrick Lewis. Tomorrow we start off with three tanka from Nikki Grimes! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

J. Patrick Lewis - The Voice of the Voiceless

The Voice of the Voiceless
by J. Patrick Lewis

    Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
    Political and spiritual leader of India
    1869 –1948

The outcast sits and prays, or sleeps,
Untroubled by a human’s touch.
From his oppressive seat, he keeps
Away from you at least as much.

His house is on the street: the curb.
His body signifies, Beware.
The flag he waves, Do Not Disturb,
No one can see, and still it’s there.

Such savage rites, decreed by caste,
Divined by birth, and quick with rot,
Insure one hostage to the past
Will be this godforsaken lot.

My children, I shall end my days
Reminding you: Your greatest sin
Done to these humble castaways
Is to forget the state you’re in.

For we are not the ones to say
What will erode and what endure,
Where the iron, where the clay,
Who the foul and who the pure.

(The poem above will appear in the as yet untitled collection,
subtitled Poems for the Civil Righteous, Harcourt, 2012 or 2013.)

© J. Patrick Lewis. All rights reserved.

---

I once again state that J. Patrick Lewis can write wonderful poetry about any topic. Whether he's creating a powerful piece about Mahatma Gandhi or telling the story of a house through the ages (The House, with amazing illustrations by Roberto Innocenti) or telling stories about the First Dog or writing about the poet of the world, his utter mastery of language and form is always apparent. Don't tell him, but I read his books first for enjoyment and then, at some point, I study them to try and improve my own craft.

I've had the great fun of reading Pat's Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles aloud while wearing my volunteer-librarian hat. My experience (documented here and repeated yearly) is that kids cheer, talk, laugh, and want to write poetry after hearing it. The only other thing I'll say is that it's a BLAST, and you must try it. And I want a sequel. OK, fine. I said more. The truth is, though, you can grab any of J. Patrick Lewis's books or read any of his poems and you're likely to get that same reaction of joy from someone in your audience. In fact, it's a guarantee if I'm there, and that's why it's such a joy for me to have him here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday ended with I Put Each Carrot In a Suit by Greg Pincus. Up next... Skating Pond by Rebecca Kai Dotlich! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Greg Pincus - I Put Each Carrot In a Suit

I Put Each Carrot In a Suit
by
Greg Pincus

I put each carrot in a suit.
The lettuce in a scarf (how cute!).
Tomatoes? Ribbons in their hair.
The celery's in underwear.
Sneakers for the kidney beans.
The cucumber's in new blue jeans.
The avocado wore a dress.
The onion's in a tux (oh, yes!).
The jicama's in high-heeled shoes.
The mushroom? Any belt I choose.
The apple is a naked guy.
The olive's in a shirt and tie.
I put the radish in a vest.
There, I think the salad's dressed.

©2011 Greg Pincus. All rights reserved.

---

Some of you know me as Greg Pincus and some of you know me as Gregory K., but we're one and the same and very happy to have you visiting our... err... my blog today. Besides being a blogger and a poetry fan, I also write poetry of my own. You can see a lot of my poems linked along the right hand side of the blog or check out my last entry to 30 Poets/30 Days here. Food, it seems, remains a major theme of my work. I'll mull the significance of that after I get a snack....

I love bringing poetry to kids (and in fact, launched Poetry: Spread the Word to enable me to do more of that), and I can't tell you how many times I've read aloud a poem by one of the 59 other poets who've been part of 30 Poets/30 Days and seen kids come alive with laughter, conversation, recognition... the works. It's inspiring, as is the passion so many of you who read the blog have about poetry. I love getting to hang out with all of you, even if it's just virtually, and I look forward to sharing the rest of April and everything that lies beyond that with you, too.

Earlier we had Charles Waters' I Wear Mommy's Dress. Tomorrow we kick off with J. Patrick Lewis with The Voice of the Voiceless. For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Logo by Mary Peterson

Charles Waters - I Wear Mommy's Dress

I Wear Mommy's Dress
by
Charles Waters

I wear Mommy’s dress,
I wear Mommy’s heels,
I wear Mommy’s hats
To feel how Mommy feels …
Uncomfortable.

I wear Mommy’s rings,
I wear Mommy’s purse,
I wear Mommy’s gloves,
I now feel even worse!

©2011 Charles Waters. All rights reserved.

---

When I read Charles Waters' poetry, I get the sense that he could put himself in any child's mind and give us their point of view. He captures moments and feelings (like he did last year here with I Love Being Me) that are so honest and real. It makes you think he's still a kid himself.

Charles has had a wonderfully busy poetic year (you can see details over at David L. Harrison's blog), and just this past week did his first one man show of his own poetry. The lucky students at Southwest Middle School saw Poetry Time with Uncle Charles... and they saw a natural performer with the voice, energy, and passion to make anyone a poetry lover. I've been so glad to see continuing success for him, and I'm so excited to have Charles Waters here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday we had On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon/El lunes me siento como un dragón by Francisco X. Alarcón. Next up, I Put Each Carrot In a Suit by Greg Pincus! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Francisco X. Alarcón - On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon/El lunes me siento como un dragón

On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon/El lunes me siento como un dragón
by
Francisco X. Alarcón

On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon early on Monday my hair stands out like a sea urchin I can barely open the shut oysters of my sleepy eyes Monday morning I’m a wild porcupine with a real bad humor this trail of smoke you see following me it’s the dragon in me ready to let go at any moment a big blazing roar but a friendly “good morning!” is enough to douse its fire after I greet and chat laughing aloud with many of my classmates by mid-morning I’m so happy to be at school on Monday

El lunes me siento como un dragón el lunes temprano tengo el pelo parado como erizo de mar las ostras cerradas de mis ojos dormilones apenas las puedo abrir el lunes de mañana soy un puercoespín de muy mal humor esta cola de humo que ven dejo al pasar es el dragón en mí listo para rugir en cualquier momento un gran llamarón pero un amistoso “¡buenos días!” basta para su fuego apagar después de saludar charlar y reírme con compañeros del salón a media mañana estoy muy feliz de estar en la escuela el lunes

© 2011 Francisco X. Alarcón. All rights reserved.

---

Well, Francisco X. Alarcón has just nailed Monday mornings, all the dragon-breath and porcupine hairiness of it... and the forces that chase the dragon feeling away, too. While music may be the universal language, I suspect the feeling this poem captures is shared wherever kids go back to school (or, dare I say it, adults go back to work) on a Monday... and I bet that's within and outside of our universe, for that matter!

If you follow this link, you'll be able to watch a handful of videos in which Francisco X. Alarcón discusses everything from his writing process to being a bilingual, binational, bicultural poet and what that means. You'll hear his poetry, too, and, if you're like me, you'll start off saying "I'll watch one or two" and you'll watch and listen to them all. He's a natural storyteller and fabulous poet (as you can see via his last entry here, too), and I'm thrilled to have him here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday we had ONE LANGUAGE: Listening to Saint-Saens' The Swan by Joan Bransfield Graham. Tomorrow we start with Charles Waters and I Wear Mommy's Dress! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Joan Bransfield Graham - ONE LANGUAGE: Listening to Saint-Saens' "The Swan"

ONE LANGUAGE:
Listening to Saint-Saens’ “The Swan”
by
Joan Bransfield Graham

The cello holds,
curved in its cave,
secrets that the
world would save.

Coaxed to share,
with eager ear—
watch the boundaries
disappear.

While sighing strings,
harp, violin,
strum on something
deep within,

pluck a faint,
remembered chord,
where our fondest
thoughts are stored.

Notes that capture
wind through trees,
the lull of time,
an autumn breeze.

Rhythms echo,
reverberate,
lift us high--
anticipate . . .

time suspended,
lush terrain—
music’s peaks,
piano rain.

Same planet, sky,
moon, and sun . . .
feel the whole world
breathe as one.

© Joan Bransfield Graham. All rights reserved.

---

I love Joan Bransfield Graham's poetic paean to music as a universal language. Like poetry, music can pull us all together... but music doesn't have a language barrier. Since she was inspired by and wrote this poem while listening to Saint-Saens' The Swan, I think we should all listen to it... which we can via the magic of YouTube and Yo Yo Ma... and see if we can't find someone to share the combo of music and poetry with, too.

This isn't the first time Joan's mixed poetry and music. In fact, she has a CD called The Song We Chose to Sing that's full of her poetry and her photographs both set to music (and you can see the trailer right here, in fact!). Frankly, I find her poetry itself musical as she weaves words and makes the reader see so clearly (like she did last time she was here with I am the Poem). And that's just one reason I sing with happiness about having Joan Bransfield Graham here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday ended with Alan Katz and 101 Donations. Tomorrow, Francisco X. Alarcón with On Monday I Feel Like a Dragon/El lunes me siento como un dragón!  For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Alan Katz - 101 Donations

101 Donations
by
Alan Katz

If you have prosperity,
it’s nice to give to charity.
A cent,
a buck,
a ten,
a mil.
Give what you can,
give what you will.

If those who have
help those who’ve not,
then those who’ve not
will have a lot.
And if the ones who had then lack,
the ones who got
can give some back.

From POEMS I WROTE WHEN NO ONE WAS LOOKING (Fall 2012, McElderry Books)

© Alan Katz. All rights reserved.

---

As an author, Alan Katz is probably best known for being silly - something he embraces, as his own website calls him "A Silly Dilly Man" in tribute to his books of "silly dilly" songs - but I think of him as funny, clever, generous-of-spirit, and, yes, silly. And today's poem surely shows those middle facets off for all to see, just in case anyone disagreed with me. :-)

I'm quite fond of his picture book, Stalling (illustrated by Elwood H. Smith and which came out last year), and its focus on a kid who is NOT ready for bed and is a master staller. OK, fine... the book rang far too true to me. But getting over that, I realized how well Alan Katz knows kids and how they think and is able to turn that around to make such appealing books and poetry. Just last time, when he gave us Ch-ch-ch-check, Please, I'm thrilled to have Alan Katz here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Earlier we had Haiku for a Jiving Djembe by Bobbi Katz. Tomorrow, ONE LANGUAGE: Listening to Saint-Saens' "The Swan" by Joan Bransfield Graham! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Bobbi Katz - Haiku for a Jiving Djembe

Haiku for a Jiving Djembe
by
Bobbi Katz

Our class is learning
the Senegal Procession:
djembes, congas, bells!

Fingers rap. Palms slap.
My whole being focuses
catching rhythmic cues.

I play the djembe
Messages leap through my hands.
I am a current.

“Take it from the top”:
the Senegal Procession
again and again.

Long after practice
rhythms still throb inside me.
Patterns re-echo

becoming pulse beats...
pulse beats becoming dream beats…
girl becoming. . . drum.

©2011 Bobbi Katz. All rights reserved.

---

Don't you just feel the rhythms and the energy Bobbi Katz creates in what I believe is the first haiku we've seen in the years of 30 Poets/30 Days (though I admit I'm going by memory on that!). Even if you've never played the djembe, if you're like me, you can sense what it must be like... and can feel the poem long after reading.

Bobbi Katz is another poet who took part in Poetry Tag Time, the ebook project from Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell (still available, by the way!) Check out a blog post from yesterday about her entry, Things to Do If You Are a Snowman, even if you've already nabbed the ebook. I really love the way Bobbi Katz plays with forms and rhythms and words (like in her last poem here, too), and I'm really excited to have her here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday gave us If I... by Brod Bagert. Up next, 101 Donations by Alan Katz! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Brod Bagert - If I...

If I…
by
Brod Bagert

My name is Alyssa Keaton, I’m 11 years old, I’ve been watching the news on television about the big oil spill messing up the Gulf of Mexico, and I decided to write a poem about it.

If I...
 
     If I were a porpoise with a powerful tail,
     I’d slap you human beings in jail.

     If I were a pelican covered with goo
     I’d want to smear that oil on you.

     If I were an oyster… you’d see me cry…
     I had to watch my whole world die.

But I’m a human, and I’m making a fuss,
cause this whole stink got started with us.
Every-place we go! Every-thing we touch!
Do we have to mess things up so much?

So I’m just a kid, but I’m taking a stand
for the good of the sky and the sea and the land,
and from where I stand it’s plain to see,
the future begins today. With me.

And someday I’ll know, when that future is past,
I was one of the first. Don’t you be the last.

© 2011 - a work in progress by Brod Bagert. All rights reserved.

---

Today is Earth Day and also two days past the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy... and here we have Brod Bagert using poetry and perspective not only to talk about the world, but to let his audience know that they have a voice, too. At the same time, the poem has a light touch (like last year's Personification) so you don't feel all, well, all covered in goo.

I like how the poet not only writes from another point of view, but also gives us details about whose view we're getting. It adds another layer to play with and, having had the good fortune to see a few other poems, I know it is something that Brod Bagert is playing with in very interesting ways. If I... is a perfect poem for this particular Poetry Friday (with the weekly roundup of goodies hosted over at the Book Aunt), and it's just one of the reasons I'm so happy to have Brod Bagert here again as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

We ended yesterday with Julie Larios and Far from Home. Tomorrow... Bobbi Katz with Haiku for a Jiving Djembe! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Julie Larios - Far from Home

Far from Home
by
Julie Larios

From my room this morning I could hear
the the cu-cu-ru-ing of a Spanish dove…
this little bird calling me is why I love
a long trip, when I know I’m near
creatures I never thought I’d meet:
a French dog barking, a Welsh cow mooing,
a Czech hen clucking, a Spanish dove cooing –
even a river rippling in a language new to me!
Now I see kids on the bridge, playing –
I wonder what they’re saying?

©2011 Julie Larios. All rights reserved.

---

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love the way Julie Larios uses words. Sometimes she makes me laugh, sometimes she surprises me with cleverness, sometimes she makes me see something from a new angle, and sometimes she does all that and more. For two other examples of "all that and more", check out her poem No Strings Attached here at GottaBook, and What Bee Did from the Cortland Review.

Julie Larios is another poet here who writes for both children and adults, and she also teaches and blogs, too. I know I've learned a ton (and realized how much fun wordplaying can be)  just from reading her posts and poetry, so it's a real pleasure for me to have her here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Earlier we had Ralph Fletcher with Mystery Flower. Up next, Brod Bagert and "If I..." For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Ralph Fletcher - Mystery Flower

Mystery Flower
by
Ralph Fletcher

Originally from Holland,
I’m called the poor man’s rose.

Sunlight makes me open up
but when it rains I close.

I’ll keep your deepest secrets
in a tiny ruby bowl.

These two lips could gossip
but I won't tell a soul.

© Ralph Fletcher. All rights reserved.

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I love a good riddle poem, and here Ralph Fletcher does a lot of my favorite riddle-y things all at once: gives facts, creates images, uses metaphor, and makes a pun to boot. I think they're a really fun form of poem to play around with, alone and with a class, and I think this is a great example of how much you can get across so quickly.

Besides being a fabulous poet, Ralph Fletcher is also well known for his books and presentations on writing. Just as his poems are fun and full of wordplay (much like his last example here), his suggestions for teachers/kids also emphasize that same good stuff. Now that's something I can really go for (and wish all my teachers had gone for!) and just one of the reasons I'm so happy to have Ralph Fletcher here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday ended with Liz Garton Scanlon and Word of Mouth. Next up, Julie Larios with Far from Home! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Liz Garton Scanlon - Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth
by
Liz Garton Scanlon

Teach a new dog
some old tricks –
rolling over,
chasing sticks.

Judge a cover
by its book –
how it reads
should be its look.

Compare the apples
to each other
(but not your father
to your mother).

Eat your cake
but not your words.
Trim the bushes,
catch the birds.

So many rules
could drop you dead
without good shoulders
for your head!

© 2011 Liz Garton Scanlon. All rights reserved.

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Luckily for us, Liz Garton Scanlon not only has a good head on her shoulders, but she puts good words down on paper, too. Here she's playing around with an idiom poem and creating something that, dare I say it, is greater than the sum of its idiomatic parts. I love the turns of phrase and admit that I could read that second stanza endlessly! Good times, indeed.

I happen to love the poetry in the words Liz chooses, no matter what she's writing. After the wonderful success of All the World (which, when she was last here, was in the process of winning a skadillion awards), she's come out with Noodle & Lou, a very different story, all about friendship, but so clearly with that same ability to find the right words and put 'em in the right order. (Over at her blog, by the way, Liz is posting a haiku (or haibun) every day of April - well worth a read). Without putting on my fanboy hat too much, I'll just close by saying how happy I am to have Liz Garton Scanlon here again as part of 30 Poets/30 Days. 

We started the day with Jorge Argueta's Las Dos Piedritas/Two Little Stones. Tomorrow kicks off with Mystery Flower by Ralph Fletcher! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Jorge Argueta - Las Dos Piedritas/Two Little Stones

Las Dos Piedritas/Two Little Stones
by
Jorge Argueta

From a collection entitled Story/Poems of Flavors and Colors

© 2011 Jorge Argueta. All rights reserved.

I have posted this poem as an image file so that the Spanish and English versions look all nice together. If you click on the poems, you'll see a bigger version of them. If you subscribe to the blog and don't see the image, for some reason, come visit the blog and you will!

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Jorge Argueta writes seemingly simple yet utterly evocative, lyrical poetry that makes me see the world anew. The images he creates are so appealing (see last year's poem as one other example) that I always find myself hungry for more.

Perhaps that hunger comes from having read his last book, Arroz con leche, and not having had rice pudding since then (which, I must add, is just WRONG). Still, I think it's more that his poetry just sucks me in no matter the topic (though I do want rice pudding!), and that's just one of the reasons I'm so excited to have Jorge Argueta here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days. 

We ended yesterday with Calef Brown and Backstory - an excerpt.  Next up we have Liz Garton Scanlon with Word of Mouth. For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.

Calef Brown - Backstory - an excerpt

Backstory – an excerpt
by
Calef Brown

My life began in a tree fort
in Shreveport Louisiana
a breezy cabana
with one of those fantastic lawns
the kind with gnomes and plastic swans
plywood signs and fiberglass fawns.

I was a volatile child
easily riled and wildly erratic
full of dramatic "tin drum tantrums"
the loudest kind.
My parents, who didn't seem to mind
were more inclined
to read books and be quiet
so I decided to try it.
This stood me in good stead
during the years ahead
when my least worst ability
turned out to be verse facility.

My family spent every Christmas
with my beloved Grandpa
on the Isthmus of Panama.
We called him "Old Banana Paw"
and “Monkey McGee”
so partial was he
to that ubiquitous fruit.
Clever, handsome
and meticulous to boot
he wore a ridiculous suit
during the Spring Equinox
with a rhinestone ring
and sequined socks.

Much of my time
during the early Aughts
was spent scrubbing pots
and tying square knots
on luxury yachts.
My mind was in a sorry state.
I needed a new scene
and a clean slate.
Being extremely fond
of the proverbial pond
specifically being across it
I said to myself, “Toss it!”
and landed unfunded in the UK.
Available jobs were very low-pay
but I entered the fray
and decided to stay awhile.
What can I say, I’m an Anglophile.

I worked as a whistle blower
for a Scottish thistle grower
keeping weasels and possums
from stealing thistle blossoms.
I also drove the daily Beatle shuttle.
My route was Liverpool to Kidneypuddle.
I delivered limes to Leominster
and news to Coalcastle
but the whole hassle
of paying my dues
and the winter blues
propelled me back stateside.
It was with great pride
that I moved to Atlanta
to raise manta rays
and champion scorpions.
Despite being stung
on the tongue and the nose
I kept my poise
and won five Best in Shows.
This is why, I suppose
I chose the field of Entomology
which, by the way
owes me a huge apology.
I did not get kudo-one
even in pseudo-fun
when I discovered a worm in Annapolis
that found true happiness
in the nearby metropolis of Baltimore.
This is nothing to fault it for
it's a fine town
a good place to wind down
with a crab cake at a bake sale.
I often stop there
when my brakes fail.

© 2011 Calef Brown. All rights reserved.

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If you were at TLA last week and happened to hear Calef Brown, I'm told you heard the world premiere of this poem in spoken form. The above is just an excerpt, but I know I'm itching to hear the rest of his life story in verse. I'm pretty sure every detail is true, too, though I suppose a detail or two has been changed due to his "least worst ability" being verse facility. But who knows? Perhaps, just like his last poem here, every word is true.

Calef Brown has another least worst ability, I think, and that is his facility with illustration. Most recently, he was let loose on the works of Edward Lear (and with poem choices/intro by Daniel Pinkwater!) and created a truly fantastic, must-have book called His Shoes Were Far Too Tight. You gotta check it out, I say, and then you'll see one of the many reasons I'm so excited to have Calef Brown here as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

"I am God" by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand was up last. Tomorrow starts off with Jorge Argueta's Las Dos Piedritas/Two Little Stones! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.