Imagine the Possibilities

It was summer. The wind blew
away from me, and I stayed here thinking
about a certain mountain. Things got green
then forgot, and in their forgetting
remembered everything that was not
grass, or me.
-from “It Was Summer. The Wind Blew” by Matthew Zapruder

It’s Poetry Friday!

This spring my poetry group, the Nevermores, read (or reread) You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limón. Kim recently chose one of the poems from that collection, “It Was Summer. The Wind Blew” by Matthew Zapruder, for our weekly prompt.

The task was to “Write something in a similar style, or write a response, or pick a line to use as your title or strike line.” Although Zapruder’s poem is about events experienced between a father and son, the line “Each day was that same sweet holiday that never ended” jumped out at me, reminding me of carefree summers spent as a child.

School is beginning to wind down here in PA and is already over for the summer in many parts of the country. So today I offer you

As School Dismissed for the Summer
(inspired by “It Was Summer. The Wind Blew” by Matthew Zapruder)

We forgot everything we knew
about saddle shoes
and sitting in rows.

We rode our bikes to the playground
after parting with precious pennies
for jawbreakers and Mary Janes.

We whiled away afternoons
tossing jacks on the front stoop—
the sides of our hands rubbed raw.

We searched basements
for old mayonnaise jars,
perfect for lightning bugs.

The porch glider became a boat,
the backyard a meadow,
the tar roof a beach.

We swapped Archie comics,
borrowed Nancy Drew mysteries,
created stories in tablets stashed under beds.

Each day was that same sweet holiday that never ended
until it was time, once again,
to remember.

Linda has the roundup today at A Word Edgewise where she offers quotes about childhood to welcome summer. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
With you in the world.
from “Your Song”- music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin

Yesterday was my 49th wedding anniversary. An almost-traditional milestone year and certainly something to shout out. Not everyone gets to spend the rest of their life with their best friend, but I got lucky.

I’m an early riser, sneaking out of bed, usually before dawn, to make my way to my office (formerly my son’s bedroom) for some morning writing. I love the quiet of the house, greeting the new day with the birds, getting lost in some poems or a section of the book I’m reading, and maybe even finding inspiration. When Allan gets up, if he senses that I might be there a while longer, he brings me a cup of coffee, my first of the day. It’s a ritual I cherish, this kindness that needs no words. One day last week as I cupped my hands around the warm mug, these lines came to me:

As I Drink My Morning Coffee

my hands cup the mug,

feel the warmth
soothing the ache
in fingers that remember
lacing through,
curling around,
holding yours
through the years…

and still
Draft, 2026Rose Cappelli

Mary Lee has the roundup today at A(nother) Year of Reading where she is preparing for a summer potluck, and we’re invited! Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry fun.

It’s Poetry Friday! Patricia has the roundup today at Reverie where she shares a beautiful golden hinge and some fantastic photos from Yosemite. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

This morning as I strolled through the garden checking on my bird boxes, I noticed that the peonies are about to burst. It always seems to happen so suddenly. One day they are tight knobs with just a hint of color, and the next they day they are bountiful blooms.

Peonies always bring back memories of my mother who loved the flowers but hated the ants that came with them. The smell of peonies always takes me back to my childhood, our row home filled with vases of peonies in the spring, and May processions at church.

Since last Sunday was Mother’s Day, I offer this cascade poem in honor of my mother and her love of peonies. In a cascade poem, each line from stanza one becomes the final line of each stanza afterword.

A Cascade of Peonies

buds, tight and unyielding
burst into blossoms, almost overnight
well-tended by sun and rain

ants and ladybugs
craving sticky sweetness, crawl onto
buds, tight and unyielding

as if by magic
at moon’s command, buds
burst into blossoms, almost overnight

I breathe deeply, filling my heart–
memories of my mother’s peonies
well-tended by sun and rain
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli

Thanks for stopping by.

It’s Poetry Friday and the round up is here! Thanks for stopping by.

My April Poetry Project was to write a daily tanka in response to a poem from my morning reading. I didn’t have much experience with that form so I thought it would be a good exercise. Some days were harder than others, but I’m happy to report that I was successful in writing the tankas. I did, however, let my inspiration come from things other than the poems I was reading. That helped me remember that there is inspiration all around and that poetry can be found everywhere.

Here is one in response to the Artemus II splashdown:

four brave astronauts
traveled higher, farther…then
a perfect splashdown
connecting again to earth
renewed in understanding

____________________________

There were surprises, too. After reading “On Finding a Turtle Shell in Daniel Boone National Forest” by Jeff Worley on George Bilgere’s Poetry Town, I was reminded of my first classroom and the turtle we kept for a brief time. I have no recollection of where he came from, but I have a distinct memory of returning him to nature.

Classroom Pet

He lived in a box
munching on lettuce and leaves.
A curiosity,
but not the life he deserved.
We waved as he ambled off.

_____________________________

At Easter my grandchildren visited. I was thrilled when six-year-old Nina not only took out her journal to write but suggested I get mine so we could write together.

Together

We write together.
Flowers march across the page,
words woven in stars;
sharing dreams and ideas
in thoughts connecting our hearts.

Thanks for visiting today and for the support and encouragement of this community. Together our words have the power to make the world a better place. You can leave your link with Mr. Linky and I’ll be back to respond.

It’s Poetry Friday! The lovely and talented Irene Latham has the roundup today at Live Your Poem. Be sure to stop by for a sneak peek at her new novel Some Starry Night and lots more poetry goodness.

I’m writing daily tankas during April, and this week I found inspiration at the Stuck Bumblebee Poetry Challenge hosted by Joyce Uglow and Cindy Mackey. Each day during the week of April 20 they offer a word to use in a small poem. There is also a writing tip from a guest author. Thursday’s Day 4 tip came from our host, Irene, and the words offered were frozen and future. Joyce and Cindy encourage poetry to celebrate the Earth, so I wrote:

A Tanka for Earth Day

Live in the present
in ways that nurture nature.
Be considerate
in caring for the planet.
Earth’s future depends on it.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli

Housekeeping Note: Patricia and I swapped hosting duties, so next week’s Poetry Friday roundup will be here at Imagine the Possibilities. Patricia will host on May 15 at Reverie.