Because Poetry is Full of Fun & Mystery

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Elisabeth at Unexpected Intersections for Roundup.

This week I've been settling into my Art History class. (Yes: Master Gardening class AND Art History class this fall! Lucky me!) My head might explode with all I'm learning—or more likely, it'll all spill out into new poems and stories. :)

Some fun/ny things, too: Dear Heidi alerted me to a Special Edition of D-39: A Robodog's Journey! Turns out there was a print run error early on that resulted in a handful of hybrid books that are part D-39, part Something Else. 

I kind of love this, although I know it's frustrating as a reader...if this happens to you (with any book), simply let the bookseller know, who will let the publisher know, and they will send you a new copy. :)

Also, I'm working on a birthday party for my mom, who will be 75! It's turned into a Family Weekend Reunion at a rental house, which is great! And also overwhelming (as the daughter who lives closest to the venue and started the whole thing)...

Did you know? CYBILS is looking for judges! It may seem overwhelming, but as someone who served quite a few years and in several categories, I am here to tell you that the rewards of participating as a judge are tremendous! It helps sharpen your critical skills, and hearing other panelists' responses to books you've read is quite an education and meaningful experience. AND you get to see what publishers are currently saying YES to, and that can help inform your own writing projects. Apply here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfE2o-XMSrW_ZQhq8sJPPU8j5_p-D7D9GepiwPYpB5_k-uORw/viewform

This week's ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS poem is a bit of a mystery. Where did it come from? What does it mean? I love when that happens! Thanks so much for reading... and if you'd like, please do share what the poem means to YOU. xo

 

The Harvester Shouts at Vincent

Don't you dare
cast this billowing
wheatfield as ocean.

Yes, yes, when the wind
rises, it may resemble
high tide. But make

no mistake:
there's no boat to carry you—
only these boots.

True, sun is a circling shark.
The blade leaves stubble
sharp enough to slice leather.

If I drown,
it will be no fault of water.
You need not remember me.

- Irene Latham

On the First Morning in a New Country (poem)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Carol at The Apples in My Orchard for Roundup.

My life was interrupted this week when I decided to pull ragweed while wearing flip flops. (I do most everything in flip flops!) I had an awful skin reaction on my feet and ankles, or wherever the ragweed stalks happened to brush my skin. 

I mean, I knew ragweed can be brutal for some on nasal/breathing, but a topical rash?? It's a fire-y itch, I tell you... No more gardening in my flip flops, I promise you that! 

Today's ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS poem is for the travelers among us... I know many like to plunge into exploration, not wasting a moment. These days I find myself preferring to ease in... and so this poem.

On the First Morning
in a New Country

What if I don't want
to explore the city—
what if I'd rather stay
here,

on this balcony?
Must I always do?
Isn't watching, too,
a form of love?

What a waste, I suspect
you'll say. But today
I think I'll stay:
Take off the top hat

settle into a more
comfortable chair.
Today I'd rather be here
than anywhere.

- Irene Latham

The Swing (poem)

 

moth sleeping on the
swim stuff at our dock

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Christie at Wondering and Wandering for Roundup.

It's been a busy week! School has started in these parts, and it's a bit of a shock to see that schoolbus twisting along these country roads. I've been reading A LOT. (Two recent middle grade faves: THE LAST WINDWITCH by Jennifer Adam and CECE RIOS AND THE DESERT OF SOULS by Kaela Rivera.) Whenever I get a chance, I've been watching recordings of the recent SCBWI conference—one of my favorite sessions so far was with Sophie Blackall, whose work is brilliant! I immediately reserved the picture books she referenced in her talk, and I'm kind of in love with LIFE ON MARS by Jon Agee. What a fabulous book.

In other news, I attended my first Master Gardener's class! I've wanted to do this course for years, but it's kind of a big commitment, and when do I have time for gardening? Well, y'all already know this: the time is now. 

I also got out the glue gun for a project this week, and also the upholstery stapler! OH. And I bought a sweet (blue) manual typewriter at a thrift store. I'm waiting on the ribbon to arrive, and then I look forward to playing around. 😊

Today's ArtSpeak: Four Seasons poem turned into something different than I was expecting.

The Swing

I swing,
        sway—

summer dapples
the day.

As birdsong
fades,
voices stay.

My thoughts
are a bouquet
of come closer
and go away.

Someday
I'll make decisions
without delay.

But today
I swing,
         sway.

- Irene Latham

---

Do you, too, ever have a problem with indecision??

Summer Story Poem, A Letter, & Manatees!

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading for Roundup. My friend and fellow author/poet Sylvia Liu is here to celebrate her newly released MANATEE'S BEST FRIEND. Congratulations, Sylvia!

Before we get to that, I invite you to read a letter I wrote to 11-Year-Old Me. (This was really rewarding and surprising experience. I discovered I mostly wanted to be encouraging... and I didn't want to reveal much about the future. I highly recommend each of you write such a letter!)

Yes, I also wrote a new ArtSpeak: FOUR SEASONS poem. I confess to feeling a bit weary of summer art (!)... none of the paintings I selected at the start of the season are particularly calling to me... so I found another one! You'll find the poem at the end of this post.

K. Woodard Photography

And now: Please welcome author Sylvia Liu, who is a kind, generous, and inspiring human! Learn more about her current and forthcoming books at her website. Today's interview focuses on MANATEE'S BEST FRIEND, which released this week!

The Difficult

SL: I wanted to create a unique friendship story, where my main character, Becca Wong Walker, is friend with a manatee, and where a dolphin and the manatees become friends. A challenge was to be accurate scientifically about how manatees and dolphins act, wile making it engaging and fun for readers.

The Delicious

SL: I loved going on a fact-finding research trip to northwest Florida, to see manatees in their natural habitat and to immerse myself in th environment. I also met with middle school students and local environmentalists to learn about manatees and the risks they face. I was lucky enough to snorkel with manatees, which I discovered were much larger than I imagined. [Note from Irene: Sylvia included a wonderful pic of her snorkeling with a manatee, but Blogger was too jealous to let me post it, apparently... could NOT get it in the post without wrecking all the text. Weird. So please use this space to imagine beautiful Sylvia floating just above a giant manatee!]

The Fresh

SL: I learned that manatees are a critical part of the shallow river systems. They act like lawnmowers eating the seagrass beds and encouraging grass to grow. They also stir up nutrients for baby fish to eat. 

--

Thank you, Sylvia! I have yet to meet a manatee IRL, so this book helps meet a need for me. 

And now, here's my latest art poem. Thank you so much for reading!

A Summertime Story

You'll find me in the apple tree

on hazy summer mornings. Up, up,

I climb—hand over knee.

Don't worry if I disappear.

You'll find me in the apple tree,

pockets full of cakes and tea—

and in my hand a book to read

to busy birds and beetles. Want a story?

You'll find me in the apple tree.

- Irene Latham