Imagine the Possibilities

It’s Poetry Friday!

All this week I’ve been thinking about a new picture book I want to write. I tend to do a lot of thinking, maybe some research, and almost always gathering of some books or poems I can use as mentor texts before I get started. It’s a process, but hidden in there somewhere is fear. Getting the first words out is the hardest part for me. Then, getting over the hump of deciding that what I’ve written is worth something. Writing takes courage, and especially in the beginning I need a lot of it.

It was a bit of a coincidence this week when I also came across a poem I wrote in 2022. At the time I was reading (or possibly rereading) Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear where she talks about that very thing and poses the question “Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?” In response I wrote:

Birth of a Story

I grabbed an idea as it floated by,
then buried it like pirate’s treasure,
deep inside.

It shimmied into my memories,
nibbled on fear,
wallowed in wonder,
languished in disappointment.

It gathered words
and bits of conversation,
then wormed its way into my heart,
fluttering like butterfly wings.

It would not let me be,
until I gathered the courage to set it free.

Then
word by word,
line by line,
image by image,
it grew into a story.
Draft, 2022RoseCappelli

I started the first very rough draft of that picture book three times before deciding to move it from my notebook to the computer. That’s a big step for me, and signals that maybe I’ll keep going with it. It’s not finished, but I’m ready to bring it forth.

Carol has the roundup today at Beyond Literacy Link where she is sharing lots of heartnotes. Please be sure to stop by, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s Poetry Friday!

I keep a daily log of small poems or noticings I call Snippets. Yesterday I was looking through what I recorded for January and thought I might share a few with you.

1/5/24     I recently finished reading The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. In a podcast interview he used the phrase “the space between.”

In the Space Between Snowflakes
there’s a whisper of a wish
for peace
and hope
and love

1/13/24   This morning when I opened the blind the clouds were drifting quickly by, as if hurrying to get somewhere. But in their wake the blue sky peeked through.

Good Morning
a curtain of clouds
open onto blue sky
morning glory

1/23/24   As I was returning from reading at the preschool this morning, I saw two goats nibbling in the snow by a creek. I imagined they were probably hoping for a spring treat.

Goats in the Snow
nibble on kibble
wishing for more
waiting for spring

I also have some good news to share. My poem “It’s a Beautiful Day” was accepted for publication in the next issue of Little Thoughts Press that will launch on February 28. Little Thoughts Press is available in both print and as a (free/pay what you want) pdf download. You can preorder print copies here: https://square.link/u/bl6XVBfk

Mary Lee has the roundup today at A(nother) Year of Reading where she’s sharing secrets. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness, and thanks for stopping by.

Happy Poetry Friday!

I may have mentioned in a previous post that I’m reading the poetry collection The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal edited by James Crews.

This week I fell in love with “November Praise” by Joshua Michael Stewart. Somehow Stewart covers all of the senses in choosing the smallest details about the month and what it offers:

“The smell of ferns and understory
after rain. The tick, tick of stove,

flame under kettle…”

Since this is the last Poetry Friday in January, and since the prompt for my poetry group, the Nevermores, was to write about January, I chose to borrow the structure and style of “November Praise.”

January Praise
(after “November Praise” by Joshua Michael Stewart)

The slow unfolding of the sun behind the pines.
Toes tucked against fur in slippers

not meant for shopping (but going anyway).
The crisp air that chills cheeks,

remembers the joy of a snow day,
the promise of a warm hearth.

Red punctuating gray as cardinals call
at the feeder.

The sweet surprise of one last candy cane
lingering for hours.

Frost flowers like lost ferns of summer
fading into moonglow.
Draft, RoseCappelli2024

Susan has the roundup today at Chicken Spaghetti. Be sure to stop by for a tribute to piñatas and lots more poetry goodness.

Happy Poetry Friday!

We’re taking care of our niece’s dog for a couple of weeks. Anna is a twelve-year-old Great White Pyrenees. She is a big dog, but very gentle and sweet. It took a few days for all of us to adjust to the other’s rhythms, but I think we succeeded. I was so happy to have a burst of cold weather accompanied by two snowstorms this week – a special gift for our special guest. Anna is a guardian, securing our property each morning with a walk around the fence line. All she asks in return is some attention and a soft place to rest. We are happy to oblige.

I’m reading The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal edited by James Crews. Throughout the book, Crews intersperses “Reflective Pauses” that invite writing and reflection. In one, he suggests focusing on a plant or animal and exploring it with curiosity and wonder. During the past week Anna has offered lots of opportunity for observation.

Anna

she trots into the yard

long fur flowing
feeling all the feels

nose in the air
smelling all the smells

rabbits beware
there’s a new girl in town

in this place, this space
this temporary home

she will claim as hers
forever
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli

White on White

like a polar bear in snow
white on white
searching the surroundings
lingering
just a little longer
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli

Robyn has the roundup today on Life on the Deckled Edge. Please join her for a celebration of tea and lots more poetry fun.

Happy Poetry Friday!

A while back while diving into Welcome to the Wonder House by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard (illustrated by Deborah Freedman), I lingered on Rebecca’s poem in the Room of Praise about rain. I loved her opening line: “Rain is everything to a worm, a puddle, an umbrella.” It made me wonder about the things in my life I could offer praise to. I’m a bit particular about the feel of the pen I use as I write. It has to have just the right line thickness, glide effortlessly, and feel comfortable. I had recently discovered one that fit all of my requirements, so I borrowed Rebecca’s line and crafted a praise poem.

That poem about my pen has been sitting on my desktop for months, waiting for the right time to step into the world of Poetry Friday. This week Margaret posted a great picture in This Photo Wants to be a Poem of a collection of pencils gathered in the pocket of a child’s backpack. They reminded me of soldiers, ready for duty. Pens and pencils – maybe it was time to bring praise to both of these important writers’ tools.

The Pilot G-2

A pen is everything to this writer.

Look at the way it sits just-right
in the crook of my index finger and thumb
the way it glides effortlessly across the page
ink flowing like blood
letters
words
thoughts
connecting heart to hand

A pen is everything to this writer.
Draft, RoseCappelli2024

______________________________________________

Pencils

assembled like soldiers
ready to march
across the page
leaving letters and words
in their wake
Draft, RoseCappelli2024

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Tracey has the roundup today here. Be sure to stop by for a wonderful discussion on the history of Monopoly tokens, a poem in praise of the thimble, and lots more poetry goodness.