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Friday, August 31, 2018

The Sweetness of Summer Poem Swap

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit haiku master Robyn  at Life on the Deckle Edge for Roundup.

Also, in case you missed it: I posted a verb-y poetry challenge earlier this week!
Last week I loved seeing several Summer Poem Swap posts, and this week I'd like to share some of the sweetness I have received this year!

Huge thanks to Tabatha, The Poem Swap Queen, for giving of herself so generously and so often... the world is a better place with Tabatha in it, that's for sure! I'm so grateful. And oh what beauty arrived in my mailbox:

-- from Michelle, some horse-love! Gorgeous horse-y bookmark and notecard along with this poem:

Assateague Horses
     For Irene

Pipe dream or probability --
Assateague Island wild horses,
conjure up images of whimsy and wonder.

Their shapes first revealed themselves
in a "Boxcar" book filled with magical imagery,
drawing us mysteriously into their nature.

Mesmerized by their natural beauty,
they cast a spell over us as they move freely,
forever reminding us how precious freedom is.

Will you venture their way?
View their small Island of freedom,
as they roam, tenderly captured in a time warp.

Rekindle that long ago memory
of kindred kinship with wild horses --
Rally on Assateaugue horses -- run free forever!

- Michelle Kogan

I loved sharing with Michelle my not-so-long-ago visit to Assateague Island. :)
----
- from Karen, a celebration of summer reading or "Season of plenty" inspired by a page from the "A Year of Tiny Pleasures" calendar... I shared Karen's poem with someone else who was so inspired by it that they haven't returned it yet to me (so I don't have it on hand for this post), but happily I recorded in an email to Karen these words: "laugh, grow, think, love, weep, pause, breathe." YES! May books ever bring us such bounty!

We have recently named
our lake house
"Happy Rabbit Hideaway."
Yes, indeed, we "choose happy!"
- from Carol, and inspiring notebook filled with lake poems, images (including flip-flopped lake-loving me!) and lake thoughts... and an invitation to add my own! I've already started adding to it. :)

Here's just one of the poems:

Flip-flopping into morning light,
You gaze upon a tranquil sight.
Glossy ripples cross the lake,
Urging time to contemplate.
                   SO
While wavy patterns quietly flow,
enjoy summer's peaceful glow.

- Carol Varsalona
opening pages...
 

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature." - Henry David Thoreau



- from Molly, gorgeous notecards and a posey of poems (some of which were inspired by wildflower pics on my blog!) with such delights as "gossamer skirts," "dizziness of daisies," "button-brown eyes," "tendrils of moonlight"...

and this one:

Touch-me-nots

Seeds packed in plump cases
Springlaoded for far-flung flight
One touch... Explosion!


...and, summer's not over yet! Iphigene let me know that she put something in the mail to me, so I have that to look forward to!
Thanks, all!!
And now I shall leave you with a revision of a poem I wrote at the end of some other Poem Swap, for Tabatha. Thanks so much for reading. xo

Summer Poem Swap
- for Tabatha

Poems flip-flop

           dive

arrive
like yellow butterflies –

swoop, turn

           surprise!

- Irene Latham

12 comments:

  1. Irene, what a gorgeous table you set for us today! A delicious, joyous potluck with so many contributors. I love all the summer activity in the poems, with running free, pausing and contemplating, and springloaded flight! Thank goodness for all these poetic surprises. xoxo

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    1. I loved your flip-flip poem on a flip-flop when I first received it (so clever) and the edited version AND the other poem you surprised me with this summer. You spoil me!

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  2. I do love the summer swapping, so filled with "flip-flops" and happy memories. You've shared the bounty of the harvest, Irene. Now you can munch away! I love your name, "Happy Rabbit Hideaway", for the happiest of times! Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. There is almost too much wonderful-ness to take in here today, Irene - but, really, one could never get too much poetry. Thanks for sharing ALL of these treasures - so rich! - and I love that Karen's poem got kidnapped... ;0) Much love to you, Lake Lover and Horsewoman!

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  4. I so enjoyed writing for you and clearly others did as well. It's such fun to see all your poetry swap goodies in one spot. How clever of you to save them all for an end-of-summer bonanza! Then, your poem to Tabatha is the perfect ending.

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  5. Wow! So much love in those swap packages! I love how swapping makes us mindful of each other. You are blessed for sure. I love my flip flop poem from swap too

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  6. What a gorgeous potpourri of poetry goodness, thanks for sharing all these treasures Irene. Love those poems arriving "like yellow butterflies," you captured the swooping swift movement of a butterfly in your poem. Thanks for all, xo.

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  7. Irene, thank you for honoring me among your other poem swaps this summer. What a glorious array of swaps you received to brighten your new lake home, "Happy Rabbit Hideaway". The poem swap allows each of us to customize our thoughts for the receiver. I like the idea of being able to research the receiver's likes and bring a touch of passion to each gift. Can you please let me know if I can insert your poem that you wrote for Tabatha into my summer gallery?

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  8. Thank you for sharing your summer poetry swap bounty, Irene! The generosity of our PF community is never-ending. I adore your poem and it's image of poems as butterflies swooping, turning, surprising.

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  9. What gorgeous swappings, wrapping you in joyful poetry. I love that you've chosen happy and named your summer home Happy Rabbit Hideaway. May you always attract butterflies and joy.

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  10. All of these are just gorgeous and bursting with joy! Thank you for sharing them with all of us!

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