Blessing for a Cat Bless this cat who spends her days perfecting the art of taking a nap with little concern for her human’s ways. Bless this cat who spends her days watching the windows for menacing strays before curling up in the warmth of a lap. Bless this cat who spends her days […]
A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky A hummingbird holds and then hies If I could fly, I’d choose to be Sailing through a forest of poet-trees A cast of crabs engraves the sand Delighting a child’s outstretched hand If I could breathe under the sea I am very happy to be […]
A Cinquain for Adelaide Crapsey She wrote of moons, white moths, cold winds and silences, counting down the few syllables she had. This is what happens when you wander–from crocuses, to tulips, to cinquains, to Adelaide Crapsey. As I mentioned yesterday, Adelaide Crapsey invented the cinquain. The […]
Tulips greet the spring sky with a coat of fresh red lipstick and fits of welcoming kisses. I’m still wandering around the garden, as you can see. When I first started composing this poem, it naturally took the form of a cinquain, so I kept going with that. A cinquain is a five […]
Suddenly a crocus Pops out of the ground, Rushing purple and yellow Into a world gone brown. Neighbors passing by can’t help but Grin. I admire Avis Harley’s acrostics. I think they work especially well when the word or phrase being spelled out doesn’t appear in the poem. I tried to make the […]
unwinding the apple in one long strand I have been writing haiku for a few years now, and over that time I’ve become increasingly interested in renku, a linked form composed by multiple writers. As writers often work alone, I find the idea of writing together very appealing. I am also intrigued by the guidelines […]
april fool I short-sheet the bed then forget Like haiku, senryu offer a moment of realization in a single breath. While haiku are about nature, senryu are about human nature. To learn more about haiku and senryu, I recommend listening to Haiku Chronicles, a podcast hosted by Donna Beaver and Alan Pizzarelli. In this episode […]
April Fools’ Day Quiz Is it wise to spend the day gazing into space? Is it wise to while the hours sitting in one place? Is it wise to wonder how a cookie’s like the moon? Is it wise to contemplate the secrets of a spoon? Is it wise to strain your brain searching for […]
first warm day the twitching of the cat’s nose at the screen door gray morning even the daffodils drop their heads I’ve been working on two great poetry projects. Oddly both of them are taking me away from the natural world around me. As spring awakens I’m feeling a growing need […]
Welcome, Poetry Friday Friends, I know it may seem a little odd, but today I greet you not with a poem, but with two quotes I’ve been thinking about. The first is from the photographer Sally Mann’s memoir Hold Still: “Maybe you’ve made something mediocre–there’s plenty of that in any artist’s cabinets–but something mediocre is better […]
Snowfog is the perfect word and this poem is just all-around...December 27, 2020 - 8:50 am by Liz Garton Scanlon
So beautiful, Liz. Love the haiku and the sense of peace...December 26, 2020 - 11:36 am by Michelle Barnes
Beautiful, Liz, in every way.December 26, 2020 - 10:14 am by Laura Purdie Salas
This year I have wished for some blending of the before...December 26, 2020 - 8:37 am by Linda Baie