Poetry Friday–NPM–Meadowlark

Meadowlark, © 2022 Michelle Kogan, pencil sketch

Happy Poetry Friday!

Happy Poetry Month! There are S-o-o-o-o many poetry opportunities to partake in, I wish I could skip sleeping this month and fill up on more of the poetry out there. Here’s a couple of places to wet your poetry palate: Stop in on Jama Rattigan’s blog Jama’s Alphabet Soup where she’s graciously gathered the kidlitosphere and more poetry blog posts all in one spot. Follow the Progressive Poem, originally started by Irene Latham, and hosted now by Margaret Simon. Each day throughout April a poet is adding their own unique line, or borrowed line to a group poem. I’m including the schedule of blog stops below. Tabatha Yeatts has a beautiful new website specifically for her brand new Poetry Anthology: Imperfect II Poems About Perspective: An Anthology for Middle Schoolers. She’s posting daily from the poets and more. It’s gorgeous, my copy just arrived and I’m slowly reading through it, you can take a closer look at it here.

For each Poetry Friday I’m sharing a bird poem and either some art or a sketch for a bird book I’m working on…

MOMENTARY
 JEWEL

Though your
 bright yellow breast
sets you apart,
it’s your round,
scallop-edge feathers
while in flight that fully
capture my gaze.

Your
short tail
 spread with
pronounced
outer-white
sits
atop
like a
bejeweled
lotus flower
opening
above a second
intricate pattern fan.

As
you lift
skyward
Meadowlark,
fortunate eyes
momentarily
marvel
upon
you. 

© 2022
Michelle Kogan

Here’s a poem I wrote yesterday for Margaret Simons prompt from her post This Photo Wants to be a Poem, –wish I could have joined in… The image was from the poofy parts of dandelions. Margaret borrowed a line from a delightful poem by Mary Lee Hahn, and suggested we borrow a line from one of the poets that were responding to the image. I borrowed Rose Cappelli’s first line, thanks Rose, Margaret, and Mary Lee! There’s a bevy of handsome poems at her blog, Reflections on the Teche, hope you can stop in.

REJUVENATING SEEDS…

Scatter like dandelion seeds
goodness from within
kindred kindness
cross all continents
replenishing care
for Ukrainians
devastated by
genocidal
war.

© 2022 Michelle Kogan

Progressive Poem 2022

1 April 1 Irene at Live Your Poem
2 Donna Smith at Mainly Write
3 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
4 Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading
5 Buffy at Buffy Silverman
6 Linda Mitchell  at A Word Edgewise
7 Kim Johnson at Common Threads
8 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
9 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
11 Janet Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
12 Jone at Jone Rush MacCulloch
13 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe
14 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
15 Carol Labuzzetta @ The Apples in my Orchard
16 Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
17 Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken Town
18 Patricia at Reverie
19 Christie at Wondering and Wandering
20 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
21 Kevin at Dog Trax
22 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
23 Leigh Anne at A Day in the Life
24 Marcie Atkins
25 Marilyn Garcia
26 JoAnn Early Macken
27 Janice at Salt City Verse
28 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
29 Karen Eastlund at Karen’s Got a Blog
30 Michelle Kogan Painting, Illustration, & Writing

Janice Scully at her blog, Salt City Verse is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks Janice! She’s sharing a rich book interview with David Elliott on his new poetry picture book, AT THE POND.