Poetry Friday – Diminishing Poem, Art Exhibit, & Poetry Anthology

Happy Poetry Friday!

I tried out a stanza of a diminishing verse poem from the Poetry Sister’s September challenge. Many thanks to you all, Tanita, Laura, Mary Lee, Liz, Sara, Tricia, Kelly, and Andi, be sure to stop by their blogs and read their poem responses! Find more of these poems tagged with #PoetryPals. 

In this form the last word in each line is derived from the last word in the first line minus the first letter in that word, and this continues through each successive lines.
In my poem below my last word in line one is: glow, in line two it turns into low, and in line three into ow.

In fall leaves wear a brilliant glow
trees disrobe and dim leaves low
branches all bare, baby trees whisper–ow!

© 2023 Michelle Kogan, draft

I have art in the forthcoming exhibit:

DON’T “DRAG” ME DOWN: TODAY’S BATTLE FOR LIBERATION

October 5 – November 3, 2023 

Public Reception: Thursday, October 5, 5 – 8 p.m.

Koehnline Museum of Art, Des Plaines campus

1600 E Golf Road, Des Plaines, IL

Above is the invite for the exhibit and below is my pastel drawing included in it.
for more info visit their website.

Bees Use Your Sting! © 2023 Michelle Kogan, pastel drawing.

I’m also happy to be included in this lovely enviro-focused, butterfly–monarch poetry anthology, that just came out this week. I have a gathering of poems included. Another Poetry Friday poet, Marcie Flinchum Atkins is also in the anthology.

Fly an Anthology of Poetry

Published by Hey Hey Books 2023
Edited by Alyssa Myers
Available in print and as an ebook:

Bookshop.org Thriftbooks.com https://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and https://www.kobo.com/

Here’s one of my poems:

PAPILIO POLYXENES–HYBRID
PERCEPTION

“The genus name ‘Papilio’ is the Latin word for butterfly.”
You’re Beautiful

Polyxenes comes “from Polyxena, the daughter of Priamos,
King of Troy (Homer’s Iliad).”

Some say you are a pest–eating farmers’ and gardeners’ fields… Your pest part belongs to your lineage before your metamorphosis. When you were a caterpillar, you nibbled away on carrot tops and its family of dill, parsley, fennel, and Queen Anne’s lace.
But you, dear swallowtail, are no pest,
you are magnificent…
And you bring pollination treasures,
beauty, and moments of reflection.

You offer a gift of flutter and escape,
Alighting lightly on my milkweed and zinnias…
And I will always wonder of your wounded antenna–
How it came to be in your short, short life–approximately 12 days
I discovered you in perfect form except for your antenna.

I’m curious to know why you were named after Polyxena,
the Greek princess who bravely accepted her sacrifice
at age 18 for the lost life of Achilles.
Perhaps your shared beauty connects
you through time…

Carry us away, beautiful black swallowtail butterfly…

© Michelle Kogan

The talented, gracious, and creative blog connoisseur Jama at her blog Jama’s Alphabet Soup is hosting this weeks Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks Jama. She’s serving up some wonderful whoopee pie, tea, and smiling-induced poetry, be sure to stop by!