Friday, March 25, 2016

Can I Get an ECHO ECHO?

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe (still one of my favorite book and blog titles EVER!) for Roundup.

Hard to believe it's the last Friday of March... next week we'll all be full steam ahead into National Poetry Month!

It's been ever so rollercoasterish in my life lately... I'm excited that today starts my kids' spring break. And I'm excited to share my favorite poem with you from ECHO ECHO: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths by Marilyn Singer, illus. by Josee Masse (Dial/Penguin, 2016). But first....

The winner of POET: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate is BRENDA HARSHAM. Yay!

And here's sneak peek at the line-up for this year's Progressive Poem!

2016 KIDLITOSPHERE PROGRESSIVE POEM
April
2 Joy at Joy Acey
3 Doraine at Dori Reads
4 Diane at Random Noodling
8 Janet F. at Live Your Poem
11 Buffy at Buffy's Blog
12 Michelle at Today's Little Ditty
13 Linda at TeacherDance
14 Jone at Deo Writer
16 Violet at Violet Nesdoly
17 Kim at Flukeprints
18 Irene at Live Your Poem
19 Charles at Poetry Time
21 Jan at Bookseedstudio
24 Amy at The Poem Farm
25 Mark at Jackett Writes
26 Renee at No Water River
27 Mary Lee at Poetrepository
29 Sheila at Sheila Renfro
30 Donna at Mainely Write
.................................................

Another sneak peek: Here at Live Your Poem I will celebrating National Poetry Month by continuing ArtSpeak!, the project I started last year in which I respond to images found in the digital collections at the National Gallery of Art. This year's theme "Plant. Grow. Eat" was inspired my latest book release, FRESH DELICIOUS. I'm excited! The trick will be getting these poems written and posted during a month when I have 4 out-of-state trips and a slew of school visits. Whew! I'm tired already! But you know what? Poetry keeps me sane. It is a spiritual practice for me -- a way for me to feel connected with myself and the world. So, yes, it will be hectic, but it will also be beautiful and important. I do hope you will stop by and share the journey with me!

And, now, a poem from ECHO ECHO by Marilyn Singer:

King Midas and His Daughter

Golden
girl,
alas, my
good father
still dares to call me,
who
would never offer a gentle hand.
What kind of man would for years not give a caress?
I must confess
I suffer much.
Today --
so needy
so greedy -
for one magic touch.

-----------------

For one magic touch --
so greedy,
so needy --
today,
I suffer much,
I must confess.
What kind of man would for years not give a caress,
would never offer a gentle hand?
Who
still dares to call me
"good father?"
Alas, my girl!
Golden.

- Marilyn Singer

Isn't that wonderful? I so admire the skill the reverso form requires... it partly seems a matter of punctuation, doesn't it? Very much like a puzzle. Each spread also includes a short summary of the related myth, which should help those of us who aren't all that well-read in mythology!

13 comments:

  1. Wow, I love that poem! Going to put this book on my wish list. And I can't wait for the Progressive Poem!

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  2. "Poetry keeps me sane." That reality I can echo echo! And what a doubly delicious title for the reverso poem. So much going on in your life; I can sense the dynamism through the digital un-divide! God bless you. Safe travels. Am looking forward to your ArtSpeak poems!

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  3. Marilyn is amazing and I'm looking forward to reading Echo Echo. Thanks for the sample poem!

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  4. Thanks for another informative post, Irene! Can't wait to read Marilyn's book, and participate in the Progressive Poem shindig.

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  5. Yay for more ArtSpeak and progressive poem adventures! I love ECHO ECHO too... but more about that next week. ;)

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  6. Love that you're writing to ArtSpeak again, Irene. I know the poems will be lovely. I didn't know about Marilyn Singer's new reverso book. What a delight those poems are, & how challenging. Thanks for this one, fun to hear that she's written to myths, too. Thanks for all!

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  7. Hooray for another year of ArtSpeak, and hooray for Echo, Echo! Ekphrastic poetry is a favorite of mine. Echo, Echo is amazing, as are Marilyn's other reverso books. Thank you for sharing so much poetic goodness with us, Irene!

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  8. I included "In the Hood" from Mirror, Mirror in a poetry study booklet for my 2nd graders and was rewarded by the sparkling eyes of one kid who saw and appreciated the genius of the reverso. He'll love King Midas and His Daughter too!

    Thanks for organizing the Progressive Poem again, Irene--so glad I can participate again!

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  9. Best of luck with your busy month. A golden poem with a delicious echo. Very greek.

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  10. Irene, I was fortunate to hear Marilyn Singer at NCTE15 after meeting her a book signing. The reversos are such a clever form of poetry. Marilyn read from this book and I was fascinated by this art form. Best of luck on your National Poetry Month personal challenge. As for the progressive poem, I am looking forward to the challenge although I must admit that I am a bit nervous about the prospect of trying out a line among the great line-up of writers.

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  11. I'm looking forward to your April postings. Still haven't decided if I'm going to do much of anything besides write for myself. I've tried a couple of reversos. Yes, the punctuation makes quite a difference. They are definitely fun puzzles.

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  12. Thanks for sharing this book! I have read a couple others by Singer and REALLY enjoyed them. I am going to try to find this one.

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  13. Here, here, I say to Carol, about the company we will keep.

    Ready to look inside the Nat. Gallery art with your impressions in poems, Irene. And travel charms to you. The students will chomp up
    FRESH DELICIOUS. You know I am a big fan of it.

    Appreciation for sharing the gifted Marilyn Singer's book & reverso poem. That form is like a ball of yarn unrolling & then rolling back upon itself or maybe a wave, sliding up & then pulling itself back.

    Yes, about dwelling in poems & poetry when when the world wants to whirl by. Happy almost-April.

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