Imagine the Possibilities

It’s Poetry Friday!

I wasn’t sure I would post today since I am at a writing retreat at The Highlights Foundation with fellow writers from Inked Voices.

But when my preordered copy of Oskar’s Voyage arrived this week, I knew I had to celebrate, especially because Laura Purdie Salas is our host today. Oskar’s Voyage is a delightful story by Laura and illustrator Kayla Harren about an endearing chipmunk whose love of tomatoes causes him to become a stowaway on a Great Lakes freighter. It is full of fun, facts, and lots of emotion. And what better way to celebrate than with a poetryaction. A poetryaction is a poem written in reaction to a book, and Laura has lots of examples on her website. I borrowed one of Laura’s lines “takes a giant flying leap” for mine.

Adventure

if you’re curious
take a giant flying leap
into adventure

discover new things
in a mysterious land
then fly back home

to dream again
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli

Be sure to check out today’s roundup here where Laura gives us a peek into her process of creating Oskar’s Voyage, as well as lots more poetry goodness.

Welcome to Poetry Friday!

Today I’m celebrating the release of Issue 7 from Little Thoughts Press, Fabulous Facts. I am grateful to have a poem included in this publication and to have the opportunity to share it with all of you.

When my grandson was much smaller, he greeted every day exuberantly. Rain, wind, snow, sun – it didn’t matter. To him, every day was a beautiful day. My poem started out as an idea for a picture book with information about each animal mentioned. I never quite finished it. So, when the opportunity to submit to Little Thoughts Press occurred, I rewrote some of the stanzas and shortened the back matter information to read as a fun fact about each animal. Here is the poem as it appears in Fabulous Facts minus the fun facts which are included as a Did You Know? box in the publication.

It’s a Beautiful Day!
by Rose Cappelli

When days are warm and the sun is high,
When earth lies under a cloudless sky
Let’s run and climb and picnic and play—
It’s a beautiful day!

When clouds turn grey growing fatter and fatter,
When raindrops on houses and hills pitter-patter
Don’t worry just scurry your way down the road—
It’s a beautiful day…for a toad.

When water is vapor that stays in the air,
When everything’s damp from your skin to your hair
While not the best day for dining al fresco—
It’s a beautiful day…for a gecko.

When soil starts to crack and grasses feel dusty,
When rivers and creek beds are crusty and musty
Find a cool pool and go with the flow—
It’s a beautiful day…for a rhino.

When geese are gone and chilly winds blow,
When the sun stays low and sleet turns to snow
When you’re buried in bed like a big brown bear—
It’s a beautiful day…for a snowshoe hare.

When wind turns your cheeks from pink to red
When gusts steal your hat right off your head
When play is now inside since outside is null—
It’s a beautiful day…for a seagull.

Some days are sunny, some breezy, some wet,
Some days are those we just wish to forget.
But no matter the weather you see on display
There is something for which…
It’s a beautiful day!
©2024RoseCappelli

To read more from this publication, you can download a pdf of the entire issue or order a print copy here.

Linda has the roundup today at Teacher Dance where she contemplates choice and change. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness. And thanks for stopping by.

It’s Poetry Friday, and I’m sending you a Valentine!

The prompt for the Nevermores this week was to write an acrostic using a word related to love or Valentine’s Day. Acrostics can be tricky and not as easy as they appear. I chose the word “cherish” and wrote a few, then wrote this one specifically for you – all my Poetry Friday friends.

Cherish

cradle the words from my
heart as I do yours for they
explore the wonders and
richness of life we hold dear
inking our thoughts and
sharing with friends
here in this space
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli

Margaret has the roundup today at Reflections on the Teche where she has just returned from Mardi Gras. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

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.