Imagine the Possibilities

It’s Poetry Friday!

This month I’ve been using prompts from Georgia Heard from her newsletter Heartbeats. You can find out more here. Georgia encourages readers to write small daily. Here’s my tanka from Thursday’s prompt “what the wind carries.”

Wind whispers through trees
carrying wishes and dreams
in gentle breezes,
like a trapeze performer
hoping to stick a landing.
Draft, RoseCappelli2025

I’ve also been experimenting with punctuation in poetry after participating in Irene Latham’s wonderful webinar on Inked Voices “Harness the Power of Punctuation to Create More Impactful Poetry.” In my poetry group, The Nevermores, Marcie challenged us to write a poem with a form of punctuation we rarely use. I don’t think I’ve ever used a colon in a poem, but now I am seeing it everywhere. I was inspired reading from Barbara Kingslover’s How to Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons).

This poem combines a prompt from Georgia, “where you belong,” with the use of the colon. I’ve worn many hats in my life as a daughter, sister, teacher, wife, mother, writer, friend…and more. I narrowed it down to those who spoke the loudest.

Where Do I Belong?

A long life down many paths:
where do I belong?

In the garden:
memories from peonies—
the bridge from childhood.

Among children:
encouraging wonder,
awakening curious minds.

With books:
a room filled with shelves,
lined with time.


Footprints found in many places:
that’s where I belong…

pen in hand.
Draft, RoseCappelli2025

Ramona has the roundup today at Pleasures from the Page where she shares a very personal “Where I’m From” poem. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.

It’s Poetry Friday!

I’ve been excited to welcome back the bluebirds and to watch them form a family. I don’t know if the male is my original friend, Fred, but I like to think he is. Just this week the five eggs hatched. I had to be quick with my camera as Fred is very protective, but here they are just a few hours old.

Hatchlings

five eggs nesting
miracle of life transforming
hatchlings greet the world
Draft, 2025RoseCappelli

I write a lot of poems about bluebirds. Here’s one from a few years ago inspired by One Dark Bird by Liz Garton Scanlon, a beautiful picture book about a murmuration of starlings.

One Blue Bird

1 blue bird
waves a wing
scans the sky
starts to sing

2 fine friends
build a nest
twigs and grass
woven, pressed

3 smooth shells
next day 4
not done yet
there’s one more

5 warm eggs
nestled deep
peck, peck, CRACK—
cheep, cheep, cheep!
Draft, 2023RoseCappelli

Sarah Grace Tuttle has the roundup today here where she shares her April Poetry Project, What May Not Be Erased: A Chapbook of Protest Poetry. Be prepared to be inspired! And be sure to stop by for lots more poetry goodness.

It’s Poetry Friday and today I’m sharing a couple of the cheritas I’ve been writing during April. Last week I was taking care of my grandkids, but I did manage to write each evening before the exhaustion of the day took over.

The first one is in celebration of Earth Day using the word “ebb.”

Giving Thanks

Wonder wanders at the edge of the sea.

Ebb and flow,
to and fro.

Tide holds treasures buried deep.
Thank you, Earth.
Thank you, Sea.
Draft, RoseCappelli2025

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Last month I attended the Philadelphia Flower Show. One of the displays depicted a whimsical Alice-in-Wonderland-type dinner or tea party. I snapped a picture but didn’t write anything to go with it until “magical” came up as my word prompt.

Magical

The invitation read “Tea at Two.”

I followed the map into the deep woods
where fairies dwell with turtles and squirrels.

Guests gathered around a table
set with lavender and sunflowers
ready for a magical afternoon.
Draft, RoseCappelli2025

Heidi has the round up today at my juicy little universe where she shares news about recent adventures and the next line for the kidlit progressive poem. Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.