Poetry Friday: For the Love of Fall

Posted on September 17, 2021 by rosecappelli

I’ve been struggling with ideas lately. Some days the words come easily, some days they’re stuck inside me, hiding. I wanted to write something new for today’s Poetry Friday, but after wrestling with my thoughts for an hour, I couldn’t come up with anything quite satisfying enough. So I read and reread – poems from poets I love, poems I wrote, poems waiting to be shared. I found this list poem about my favorite time of year, made a few revisions, and decided to post it here today. Fall is a wondrous season of transition. I’m hoping it brings a restart for me.

For the Love of Fall

the quilt of red and yellow and orange on the hill
the air, cool and crisp, on my cheeks
the smoky scent of a crackling bonfire
everything pumpkin (and pumpkin everything)
warm afternoons that surrender to cool evenings
a harvest moon—big and round and oh-so-close
the first day it’s cool enough for your favorite sweater
honking geese
Halloween
dog vs. squirrel—
Crunch! Crunch!
Scamper! Scurry!
…Gone!

Denise has today’s round-up at Dare to Care. Head over for more poetry fun!

Posted in Poems, Poetry Friday | 14 Comments

Perfect Picture Book Friday: A Friend Like You

Posted on September 10, 2021 by rosecappelli

Happy Perfect Picture Friday everyone! My friend and colleague, Frank Murphy, has recently written a series of “like you” books: A Boy Like You, A Girl Like You, A Teacher Like You, and his most recent, A Friend Like You. In this book he teams up with diversity and inclusion expert, Charnaie Gordon, and illustrator Kayla Harren to celebrate true friendships—what Frank believes to be some of our most important possessions.

Title: A Friend Like You

Author: Frank Murphy and Charnaie Gordon

Illustrator: Kayla Harren

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, 2021

Audience: Ages 4-8

Themes: friendship, diversity

Opening lines: You’ll meet thousands and thousands and thousands of people in your lifetime. Some you will only meet once. Some you’ll get to know a little. And you’ll get to know some people so well that you’ll call them friends.

Synopsis: This book celebrates the many wonderful ways to be a friend and to find friends. It reminds us that friends are there to laugh with you, build you up, share adventures, and forgive. Friends of all shapes and sizes, old or new, just like us or completely different enrich our lives in special ways. Through the illustrations, we are able to follow two friends who first meet and then have a variety of experiences as their friendship grows.

Why I Like This Book: I love all the possibilities the authors give us to think about friends and how they are an essential part of our lives and how we see the world.  It demonstrates through words and incredible artwork the diversity of friendships and how they can transcend “race, skin color, religion, gender, gender expression, hopes and dreams, age, nationality, abilities, interests, failures, or successes.” The Authors’ Note at the end offers additional thoughts for discussion.

Resources: A suggested letter writing activity is offered as part of the back matter.

For a list of wonderful picture books, please visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Posted in Book Review, Picture Book Friday | 1 Comment

Poetry Friday: What the Milkweed Knows

Posted on August 27, 2021 by rosecappelli
How to Grow Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies | Garden Design
gardendesign.com

A couple of weeks ago Mary Lee Hahn wrote about the August Poetry Peeps challenge – to write in the style of Jane Yolen or Joyce Sidman’s “What the _Knows” poems. I’m always up for a challenge, and I loved the form What the ____Knows, so I decided to join in.

I’ve been obsessed with the milkweed I planted last spring ever since starting to see some monarchs in the yard. I check on the plants daily, research the things I notice, and continue to learn from nature. So it seemed right that my poem be written about the milkweed. My poem is more free form. It’s more like a list poem and doesn’t follow a particular rhyme scheme, but you will hear some rhyming words and assonance.

What the Milkweed Knows

The quiet kiss of a monarch’s egg,
The gentle creep of caterpillar feet.
The buzzing bees,
A swaying breeze,
The silky strands of parachuting seeds.
The glow of the moon
on a clear starry night,
The wonders of nature,
The cycle of life.

Elisabeth has this week’s poetry roundup at Unexpected Intersections. Stop by to enjoy more poetry fun.

Posted in Poetry Friday | 18 Comments

Poetry Friday: Three Haiku

Posted on August 19, 2021 by rosecappelli

Last week I found a red leaf and I knew right away that fall is knocking on the door. There are other signs, too. The monarchs discovered the milkweed I planted in spring and several caterpillars are happily munching. The cone flowers are bidding their final adieu, making way for the autumn sedum. I’ve been watching the bird feeders for unexpected visitors. One late summer afternoon several years ago I was surprised to spot what I think was an indigo bunting. I never saw it again, so I like to think that maybe he just stopped by to refuel. All of these images made their way into three haiku I quickly scribbled at breakfast this morning.

Three Haiku

leaf by leaf by leaf
summer waltzes into fall
green and red and brown

lovely monarchs lay
caterpillars munch munch munch
butterflies emerge

flowers, seeds, and fruit
a welcome mat for travelers
stop and rest a while

Carol has the Poetry Friday round-up at The Apples in My Orchard today. Please stop by for more poetry fun.

Posted in Slices | 16 Comments

Poetry Friday: Just One

Posted on July 30, 2021 by rosecappelli

A few months ago I was gifted a pack of sunflower seeds from a clothing store of the same name (Sunflowers). I thought how wonderful to have a small crop of sunflowers in the garden, so I threw a handful in the soil and hoped for the best. I watered and waited, and was finally rewarded with a small sprout. I watched that small sprout grow and grow and grow into a spectacular plant full of hope and wonder.

Just One
by Rose Cappelli

Just as I was about to give up on the sunflower seeds,
one took root—

a small shoot branched out,
grew up, up, up
strong and straight and thick,
past the window
beyond the roof line.

One day it bowed to the roses, caught its breath,
then straightened and continued on.

The finches and I are waiting
for buds
and blooms
and glorious, wondrous seeds—

from just that one.

Then one day it collapsed from all that wonder. I felt as if I had lost a friend. I cut off as many blooms as I could and am once again watching and waiting. I’ll be sure to share the seeds with the finches.

Becky has this week’s Poetry Friday round up at Sloth Reads.

Posted in Poetry Friday | 12 Comments