Happy Poetry Friday!
I’m sharing my One Little Word, (olw) can you guess what it is?
I was on a hunt for a word to help me focus, follow through, and navigate what’s ahead in the world, in the USA, and in my own immediate sphere too.
When I ponder on selecting olw I also thick about the physics of the word, how its shaped and how it sounds, where it comes from and how long its been around…
I like the curves and roundness of it
I like that it is both a noun and a verb
I like that it has metaphorical and spiritual meanings, and
I think it holds a deep well to draw from
I look forward to getting to know this new word.
Ta Da… Introducing…
COMPASS
I tried compass out in three different poem forms.
An elfchen, a new to me hay(na)ku –a six word poem, and a haiku for my drawing above:
Compass
may guide
one’s goals—Reflect
self-knowledge, regroup again
begin…
compass—
observe, reflect
focus, follow-through.
animal friends who
fly and walk use sun-compass
navigation
Here’s the first poem I wrote in 2024, still waiting for a title.
Poems just kinda come into your head whatever you are doing, so I let my compass follow this thought.
I painted my palm
a light rosey-red
as I washed my
makeup brush
on the first of
January…
There’s still a bit
of last year left…
Perhaps
a horizon-like
message on those
rosey-red bristles…
All poems © 2024 Michelle Kogan, drafts
And as Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us, here’s a new Re-purposed Valentine’s Card from my Etsy Shop, Michelle Kogan Fine Art. It also has a multi-color, light-hearted poem on the back.
Wishing all a Happy New Year!
And guidance from whatever compass-navigational tool may lend a hand!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins at her blog of the same name is hosting this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks Marcie! She’s sharing her new word of the year, be sure to stop by!
Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, & Writing 
I love the concrete image of your rosy red palm…and then the place that took your imagination. I look forward to FOLLOWING your journey!
Michelle, I love this so much. I can feel the compass in my hand, can see that little arm bobbing…wishing you compass riches this year. And yay for your Valentines offering! Thank you. xo
Compass is a wonderful word — so many possibilities for the coming year! I love how you captured the sun as a compass in your artwork, stunning!
I like COMPASS – to guide, to explore, to ground. I only just learned how to use one in 2023 (I’m known in my family for getting lost in parking lots). What a joy to consider it as an accompaniment for poetry. I’m looking forward to reading where this takes you in 2024, Michelle.
Ooh, compass is a terrific word–rich for mining. My word is clarity, though I haven’t written about it yet. Thanks for your compass poems. I love the sun-compass!
Oh “rosy-red bristles.” So great! And COMPASS is a great word!
FABulous word, Michelle. I so look forward to seeing where owl takes you this year…owls are marvelous themselves and symbols of many things. ‘There’s still a little bit of last year left,’ is a fantastic line. Well done. I’m excited to read and see 2024 with you.
Compass is a wonderful word for the year! I’m looking forward to seeing where it will guide you. And I love the way you used a variety of poem forms with it. I did that, too, with my OLW (explore) and it helped me see the possibilities and secure it in my heart and mind.
Compass is a good OLW for the times. Crystal ball comes to mind, too, for some reason. A compass can be a leader who leads the way this year. It can be a book or poem or belief. I look forward to seeing where compass takes you.
Michelle, Happy New Year and I hope much happiness passes your way with your new OLW. I find your one word to be unique and a guide that will take you here and there to find a new pathway.
The lines below intrigued me, especially since it has to do with makeup.
There’s still a bit
of last year left
I like the sound of compass. My grandson got a compass. He’s 5 and wanted me to show him how it worked. The wheels were turning in his fresh brain. I wish I could have his curiosity for knowledge. Your poems that fall out of your head are just right. I love the metaphor of the make-up brush.