It’s Poetry Friday!
I have seasons on my mind today for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was honored to get a request from a music teacher in Virginia to set my poem, “Winter Red,” to music for her 5th and 6th grade chorus. Her concert theme is colors across the seasons, and being unable to find an appropriate song for winter, she turned to poetry. An internet search brought up my poem shared here in 2023.
I also resurrected a poem about the seasons that I turned into a picture book. I first wrote it back in 2019 but haven’t worked on it for about two years. That’s when I had the privilege of attending a Highlights workshop with our incredible host for today, Irene Latham, and the wonderful Charles Waters. Irene’s suggestions helped me tremendously, and I continue to see new possibilities.
Lastly, it was my turn to offer a prompt to my poetry group, the Nevermores. I suggested we write 4×4 poems which I first learned about here from Poetry Friday friends Margaret Simon and Denise Krebs. Turns out I wrote a 4×4 poem about transitioning from summer to fall for Poetry Friday in 2021. Can you see all those wonderful connections to Poetry Friday? Thank you all for being such a supportive community and sharing your love of words.
For those of you unfamiliar with 4×4 poetry, the rules are:
4 syllables in each line
4 lines in each stanza
4 stanzas
4 times repeating a refrain line – line 1 in the first stanza, line 2 in the second, and so on.
Warm Days, Cool Nights
warm days, cool nights
flowers wilting
earth is tilting
away from sun
leaves languishing
warm days, cool nights
blushing orange
red and yellow
pesky squirrels
raid the feeders
warm days, cool nights
meant for stashing
seasons changing
time to harvest
plumping pumpkins
warm days, cool nights
Irene has the roundup today at Live Your Poem where she is giving us a peek at The Mistakes That Made Us available this week and a poem about a “little fawn made of twigs and moonspots” (sigh!). Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.
Imagine the Possibilities 
Rose, congratulations on “Winter Red” being set to music…what a happy email to receive, and reason why blogging is such an awesome way to share poetry…you never know who might be reading or what connection you might make! Happy to hear your poem-pb progress too. YAY! Also, I kind of love the 4×4 form. Maybe next week I’ll write one. Thank you. xo
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Rose, Winter Red is a lovely poem full of beautiful descriptions. Congratulations for the surprise. It is wonderful that your poem was set to music. Your opening stanza in the 4×4 poem is exactly what I am experiencing here in VA. Your blog title sets the scene for a delightful reading today.
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Rose! Congratulations on the poem set to music!! What a gift! I hope you’ll be able to share it when it comes out!
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-Rose, I remember your poem “Winter Red,” so beautiful. What an honor to have it set to music. I hope you get a chance to hear the song accompanying your words. Next thing you know, “Warm Days, Cool Nights” might be a chart topper! : )
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Wonderful news about “Winter Red”! Enjoyed your 4×4 — some of the details are starting to happen right outside my window. 🙂
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Really, really lovely news about your poem, “Winter Red” set to music, Rose! Congratulations! And I’d forgotten about that poem form, so noted for a next time! Thanks for that, Rose, and for catching Autumn in all its loveliness!
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Rose, congratulations on your “Winter Red” becoming a song. Won’t that be something to hear the poem sang? And perhaps by students? I hope so. I love your 4×4, and the refrain of “warm days, cool nights”. That is just what we are having here in the desert. It is a great sign of autumn’s presence.
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Thank you, Denise. I’m having trouble commenting on your post. I wanted you to know how deeply saddened I was to hear about dear Phoebe. May you and your family find peace and comfort.
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I also had the same problem when I tried to comment through inlinkz. When I went directly to Denise’s site from a google search I could comment, Rose.
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I have not heard of a 4 x 4 before–looks like a fun form to try. Love how your refrain moves through each stanza and ties the season together. And big congratulations on “Winter Red” being set to music!!
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Thank you, Buffy.
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ooooh, I do love a good four x four. What a wonderful topic. It’s hard for me to believe we are at autumn already! I feel like 2024 just got started. It’s all such a whoosh. At least I’m having a good time. Your repetition is lovely in this poem.
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Love your comment – it’s all such a whoosh – I agree!
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Rose, having a poem set to music is a high honor in my book. Thanks for reminding me of the 4×4 form. The key is getting a line that works on repeat. Yours does. Thanks for sharing.
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Ooh, this form keeps the poem so tight! No filler here! And congratulations on being set to music–woohoo!
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Lovely, Rose! You captured the season.
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