Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Indulge in ALL the deliciousness over at Jama's Alphabet Soup!
I've got sharks on my mind. And when I found Utagawa Kuniyoshi's gorgeous piece of art, I knew I needed to write a shark poem this week.
But before we get to that... have you had a chance to read ZOOBILATIONS! by Douglas Florian? It's full of animals and puns and art kids will be able to relate to. There's humor, of course, and some lovely surprises, like "The Dove," which is two lines of wonderment. Get the book and tell me you agree. :)
As for my ArtSpeak: ANIMALS poem, you'll notice the formatting looks different on the graphic than in the body of this post. I wanted to shape this poem like a tornado, but there wasn't room for it on the graphic! So...I tried an alternate formatting for the graphic. (Isn't poetry fun??) Thank you so much for reading!
When a shiver of sharks rise from the deep
you forget for a moment
fins tail teeth—
so graceful
so sleek!
They are one
gray tornado
aswirl
in a world
deeper
than blue.
- Irene Latham
In a world deeper than blue... How perfect. (Though I don't know that I have a moment in which to forget fins tail teeth!🦈)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that the collective noun for sharks was a "shiver." Perfect! And I love the shiver of appreciation your poem gives the reader, reminding us to look past our preconceived notions to the beauty of the beast.
ReplyDeleteOh, that shiver of sharks! LOVE "aswirl in a world deeper than blue." Sigh.
ReplyDeleteOh... this makes me so happy. I was just thinking about how gorgeous and interesting sharks are yesterday. "a shiver of sharks" ... delightful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout-out for Florian's new one. I hadn't seen about it! Your shark opening, love it. We can forget in that "swirl in a world deeper than blue". Thanks, Irene!
ReplyDeleteoooooooh! I am making a special altered book for a loved one graduating from HS and they are into sharks! I've had my eye out for shark "stuff" and bits of material I can make shark ephemera with. this poem is so perfect! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful Kuniyoshi's sharks are <3 No wonder you were inspired by their shiver!
ReplyDeleteI love the image of "one gray tornado."
ReplyDeleteIrene, great comparison of a shiver of sharks to s gray tornado
ReplyDeleteaswirl. I really like the design of this graphic. May I share this poem at my Poetryliscious Gallery padlet?
A shiver of sharks! Love the collective noun. They certainly make me shiver and quiver.
ReplyDeleteLove the sound of a "shiver of sharks" perfectly paired with "one gray tornado."
ReplyDeleteNow here's a poem worth sinking your teeth into...fin-tastic, Irene. :)
ReplyDeleteOoooh. A shiver of perfection at that perfect opening. Shiver of sharks indeed!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fabulous pairing of poem and image, Irene. I love "shiver of sharks" and the homage to their power and elegance. "Gray tornado" is perfection! And I could go on and on....Wow!
ReplyDeleteThis poem has great movement, both rhythmically and visually!
ReplyDelete