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Friday, August 4, 2023

Impression of a Sunrise in August (poem)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit marvelous Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading for Roundup.

It's August! After a July that has sweltered like August... we'll see what this month holds!


What August won't be holding is the release of The Moon is a Museum: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface. Due to printing delays, the pub date has been moved (from August 8) to September 19

This is actually really cool, because Moon will be my 19th children's book! 

It feels meant to be, doesn't it?

Meanwhile I've had an exciting week of day trips with some of my favorites: Monday to Fayette, Alabama, with son Eric, who is helping me with some book research; Tuesday to Hanceville, Alabama, with dear friend Pat, to celebrate her birthday; Thursday to Chattanooga with my mom to meet up with my sister-brother-niece-and all the kiddos! Yes, my heart is up there in the sky somewhere. :)

Today's ArtSpeak: LIGHT poem is after the piece of art that started a movement: Claude Monet's "Impression-Sunrise," from which the "Impressionists" got their name. I instantly thought: sunrise...morning...love poem...aubade!...but I decided to call it "Impression" (instead of "Aubade") as a nod to the painting. 

Also, an aubade is traditionally a poem about lovers parting, and I wanted these lovers to somehow still be together. Thanks so much for reading.



Impression


you are sun
and I am sea

warm,
drifting

reaching
across sky and time

we steal into every boat,
we flood each face

- Irene Latham

14 comments:

  1. oooooh! "flood each face," so pretty. I just got a commission request to make a sunrise/sunset journal and this is perfect! That's okay about the delay. Good things are worth waiting for. Hooray for day trips and research. Two of my favs in one activity!

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  2. Your 19th book on the 19th is all kinds of perfection! (Also, way to make lemonade!!).

    Just yesterday, I bookmarked a poem from the Rattle newsletter ("Of You" by Wendy Videlock) which has lines that lean into your poem: "and now you are the windowsill / I rest my elbows on."

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  4. Sorry, I had an error in there and needed to re-post! Congratulations on your nineteenth book, Irene! I love the line "we steal into every boat." So atmospheric!

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  5. Love this pair - sun and sea in cahoots stealing into each boat and face :)

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  6. 19 children's books! Woohoo! Congratulations. I'll look forward to the moon book coming in September then. I love the idea of stealing "into every boat" and that "we flood each face" is striking.

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  7. That ending line--stunning! Also, I love your positive take on the book delay. I hope it doesn't affect any summer plans--only makes room for new ones, perhaps? Lazy ones or fun-filled ones...

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  8. Your 19th book releases on the 19th! Perfect symmetry!

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  9. Gorgeous, my oh-so-prolific friend! Sorry about the printing delays, but yay for a little "19" magic. xo

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  10. Oh I love this use of "steal." Hooray on your 19th book! That's truly amazing!

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  11. 19th on the 19th sounds perfect, Irene. I’m really looking forward to it! “Across sky and time”. 🥰

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  12. You always have the loveliest way with words, Irene. I'll be your sunshine. :)

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  13. Beautiful. Your words are like delicate brushstrokes of color that appear carefree and yet are perfectly placed.

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