Poetry Friday: April Poetry Project

Posted on April 3, 2026 by rosecappelli

It’s Poetry Friday! Matt has the roundup today where he’s celebrating the one-year birthday of his beautiful anthology, A Universe of Rainbows. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

In celebration of April as National Poetry Month, I’m writing a tanka every day in response to a poem. This morning I read “Darkling I Listen” by Adam Clay from You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limón. While there is much concern in the world today, the birds remind us that each new day also brings joy, if just for a moment.

Birdsong

morning fills with song
cardinals, crows, robins, wrens
rejoice in the day’s splendor
without worry or concern –
only the joy of living
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

I hope you enjoy the gift of this new day! I’ll be enjoying it with my grandchildren who are arriving for the weekend.

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Poetry Friday: Celebrating Twilight

Posted on March 26, 2026 by rosecappelli

It’s Poetry Friday!

I’m celebrating twilight with our host for today, Marcie Flinchum Atkins, in celebration of her new book, When Twilight Comes. I was pleasantly surprised that my preorder arrived early. In this beautiful book, Marcie brings the sights, sounds, plants, and animals of dawn and dusk to life through her lovely lyrical language. I especially enjoyed how she connected the two twilight times in just one spread:

The sun rises high.
Summer’s light stays and stays and stays
until dusk –
the second twilight.
Dusk mutes the colors of day
and welcomes the mysteries of night.

One of my favorite things to do when I’m at the beach is to watch the sunrise, so I am often awake at dawn watching the day slowly unfold. I combed through my many pictures and was inspired by this one:

Time

sun slowly rises
in a purple-morning sky
answers ocean’s call
life’s never-ending cycle
of dawn to dusk, day to night
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

You can catch the roundup on Marcie’s blog here. Please stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

Posted in Book Review, Poems, Poetry Friday | 16 Comments

Poetry Friday: Welcome Spring

Posted on March 19, 2026 by rosecappelli

I’m ready for spring, but it hasn’t arrived. Not yet.
-from ”Walking to Indian River” by Mary Oliver

Photo: One lonely crocus in my front garden

This time of year, thoughts naturally turn to spring. And looking back on my Poetry Friday posts in late March, I almost always write about spring. Here’s a nonet I wrote last year but didn’t share here. It was written in response to a picture for a magazine but wasn’t selected. I don’t have the picture, but I think it can stand alone.

Welcoming Spring

Something in the air tickled bear’s nose
in the deep dark of his den, then
prickled hedgehog’s hollow hairs
and whirled to wake raccoon.
One by one the friends
emerged to dance,
to sing, to
welcome
spring!
Draft, RoseCappelli2025

Hope all of you in the northern hemisphere can welcome spring today! Tanita has the roundup today on her blog where you’ll find lots of poetry goodness.

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Poetry Friday: Small Things

Posted on March 6, 2026 by rosecappelli

Welcome to Poetry Friday!

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amhurst, MA has long been on my bucket list of places to visit. But this week I experienced the wonder of Eric Carle at a special exhibit much closer to home. “Small Living Things: The Magical Art of Eric Carle” is currently on display at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA.

It was wonderful to wander through rooms of child-friendly displays and stand in front of Carle’s classic collages. I let his gentle words and colorful art fill me with wonder and curiosity…just like a kid. And I wasn’t at all surprised when the memories tiptoed in.

Small Things
(a small poem inspired by Eric Carle)

Spider is busy,
firefly lonely,
cricket is longing for love.
They fly crawl and hop
right into your heart
through the wonder
and the magic
of art.

Karen has the roundup today here where she offers a beautiful response to an Arthur Sze poem. Please stop by for lots of poetry goodness and inspiration.

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Poetry Friday: Advice from Chickadee

Posted on February 27, 2026 by rosecappelli

It’s Poetry Friday! Margaret has the roundup today at Reflections on the Teche where she treats us to three beautiful poems. Chickadees have been on her mind as well.

I’ve always been curious about the staying birds in winter. Cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, and others continue to gather at the feeder when the weather turns cold, but how do they stay warm? In my research for a picture book idea, I discovered that many of the birds’ strategies are similar to what we humans do when we want to stay warm. Birds huddle close, fluff their feathers to trap air like we do inside our winter coats, eat more, and hunker down. So, when the prompt this week from my poetry group, the Nevermores, was to write a poem of advice, I chose the chickadee to offer some insight on how to stay warm. Did you know chickadees have very good memories? In the fall they cache thousands of seeds and insects, then remember where each one is!

Stay Warm! Advice from Chickadee

When chilly winter winds blow through,
here’s what you can do:
Don a coat with fluffy down,
zip it to the top!
Trap air inside,
warm it up,
keep it close to you.
Find a friend (or two or three)
and build a blanket fort, or
cuddle on a chair or couch
and share some silly jokes.
Pilfer from your stash of snacks,
hunker down and then…
remember spring will bring the warm
you might be dreaming of.

I also wanted to give a shoutout to those who sent me New Year’s greetings that arrived after I posted a few weeks ago. Thanks Margaret, Diane, Tricia, Buffy, Jone, and Marcie for your lovely cards, poems, and wishes.

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