Poetry Friday: Backyard Wonders

Posted on April 16, 2026 by rosecappelli

It’s Poetry Friday!

I’ve been keeping up with my April Poetry Project of writing a tanka a day. Since I didn’t post last week, I’ll share two today. The first was inspired by the line “What is so utterly invisible as tomorrow?” in a poem from Little Alleluias by Mary Oliver, as well as my beautiful cherry tree currently in full bloom:

Time

Today there are buds
expecting to burst open
into tomorrow –
living all that can be lived
even for such a brief time.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

Most of the time my inspiration comes from poetry, but sometimes I pull from observations or events happening around me. I have a bird cam feeder, and while I enjoy watching the birds that visit, I also like to try to spot evening or night visitors. Sometimes I can make out deer crossing in front of the feeder, other times I use my imagination, like I did for this tanka that was also inspired by “Twenty Minutes in the Backyard” by Alberto Rios in You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limón:

At Night

Something moved across
the landscape of the back yard
in the dark of night –
perhaps searching for shelter
or an end to loneliness.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

Heidi has the roundup today at My Juicy Little Universe. Be sure to stop by for a special treat – a conversation with Heidi, Margaret Simon, and Jone Rush MacCulloch on all things poetry for kids and lots of other poetry goodness.

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Progressive Poem

Posted on April 8, 2026 by rosecappelli

I’m participating in a Progressive Poem with many poet friends from Poetry Friday. Today is my turn to add the last line.

I love that we have traveled to the Land of Poetry, and in just the first seven lines there is evidence of many poetic devices – simile, metaphor, rhyme, and lovely alliteration. In thinking about my addition, I knew I wanted to keep the bird metaphor going for at least one more line, continue the rhyme scheme, and add a bit of alliteration (my secret love!). Here is the poem so far with my line added in bold:

On my first trip to the Land of Poetry,
I saw anthologies of every color, tall as buildings.
A world of words, wonder on wings, waiting just for me!
Birding for words shimmering, flecked in golden gilding.

binoculars ready, I toured boulevards and side streets
exploring vibrant verses, verses so honest and tender,
feathery lyrics, bright flitting avian athletes  
soaring ‘cross pages in rhythmic splendor.

Here’s the lineup in case you want to follow along:

April 1 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference
April 2 Cathy Stenquist at A Little Bit of This and That
April 3 Patricia Franz at Reverie
April 4 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
April 5 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
April 6 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
April 7 Ruth Hersey at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town
April 8 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
April 9 Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche
April 10 Janet Clare Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
April 11 Diane Davis at Starting Again in Poetry
April 12 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
April 13 Linda Mitchell at Another Word Edgewise
April 14 Jone MacCulloch at Jone Rush MacCulloch
April 15 Joyce Uglow at Storied Ink
April 16 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
April 17 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
April 18 Michele Kogan at More Art for All
April 19 Kim Johnson at Common Threads
April 20 Buffy Silverman
April 21 Irene Latham at Live Your Poem
April 22 Karen Edmisten
April 23 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
April 24 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading
April 25 Tanita Davis at Fiction, instead of Lies
April 26 Sharon Roy at Pedaling Poet
April 27 Tracey Kiff-Judson at Tangles and Tails
April 28 TBD
April 29 TBD
April 30 TBD

Can’t wait to see what we see, hear, or do next in the Land of Poetry. Take it away, Margaret.

Posted in Poems | 10 Comments

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.

Posted in Poems, Poetry Friday | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

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.

Posted in Poems, Poetry Friday | Tagged , | 17 Comments