Paddling During a Pandemic (poem)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit LInda at A Word Edgewise for Roundup.

Now that I've entered the ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS "Summer" Museum, I realize I have written A LOT of art poems about summer! And I am quite excited to add more to the collection. 

Funny thing: during the pandemic, I wanted nothing to do with writing about the pandemic. And now that it feels mostly in the rearview mirror, voila! a pandemic poem! Thank you so much for reading.

Paddling During a Pandemic

sun's blade
slices morning

as canoe
cuts river's
current—

peace glides in
with a ripple,

   dip,
            splash!

each stroke
a kaleidoscope
of hope

- Irene Latham

Last Poem of Spring!

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Buffy Silverman for Roundup.

I can't believe we are on the verge of Summer...O Spring, where did you go?

Highlights form the past week:

1) an in-person book signing for D-39! Kids came for a special, intimate ticketed event for the first hour (and invented their own robodogs!), and then the second hour was open to the public. Imagine my delight when dear friends (Ann Marie! Paige! Kai! Katie Jane!), new friends (Olive! Walter!), and Cappuccino (a dog!) showed up! I'm so grateful to Little Professor Books for hosting this event. Independent bookstores are THE BEST!

Check out Macie's D-88 robodog. :)

2) an in-person teaching students how to write nonets at a Literacy Camp in Auburn, Alabama. Thank you, Betty, for inviting me!

3) participating in a zoom panel for a keynote session as part of ASLA conference, along with Randi Pink and Anna Birch.

4) presenting in-person PD with Alabama history teachers. I also got to share with them about the forthcoming (with Charles Waters) AFRICAN TOWN. :)

And tonight I'll be watching some of my favorite kids perform in a play. Life is good!

As for my ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS poem, turns out it's my last Spring poem. Wow! I'll be searching out some Summer art between now and next Poetry Friday. Thank you so much for reading!

Horses Plowing in Spring

dirt moves
easy
beneath blades—

hooves leave
secret messages
in the furrows—

Spring: welcome!

Rain: come often,
but don't stay too
                    long. . .

Farmer: thank you
for giving us work.

Sun: shine on!

- Irene Latham

Margot Says Hello to Spring (poem)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Carol at Carol's Corner for Roundup.

Sometimes when I have only a few minutes, I turn to old favorite poems as mentor texts to jumpstart my writing. Such was the case this week, when yesterday, upon returning from a most lovely week away from home, I needed to write another ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS poem. I used "Summer Stars" by Carl Sandburg as my mentor text and set it to a gorgeous piece by Mary Cassatt. Thank you so much for reading.

Margot Says Hello to Spring

Grow with me,
afternoon of spring blossoms.
So friendly you are,
garden of spring blossoms,
So friendly, a girl in a hat
can swim in blossoms,
wade across oceans
of splashy colors,
So friendly you are,
spring blossoms,
So friendly, waving,
                       waving,
So warm and brave-waving.

- Irene Latham

"May Promenade" poem

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Margaret at Reflections on the Teche for Roundup.

I am out adventuring! I did (of course) make time to write a new ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS poem... though in my poem, it's May instead of June! (Where did May go?!) Thank you so much for reading!

May Promenade

parasols
              pop

kites kiss
clouds

sun shatters
afternoon

as dusty streets
puff
               praise

sudden
downpour

           of boots

- Irene Latham