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Thursday, April 4, 2024

Community Poetry Projects (because Poetry is for Everyone)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! 

Poetry Friday Roundup is here at Live Your Poem! Please leave your link below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

It occurs to me that our Poetry Friday Roundup is a Community Poetry Project. 

So is our annual KidLit Progressive Poem, which began in 2012 as a way to celebrate National Poetry Month (April) as a community of writers.

The latest line in our Progressive Poem is here today. Yay! Thanks to Margaret for organizing and creating the beautiful graphic...and to the lovely poets who've gotten us off to such a great start! 

I'm honored to add the fifth line, which in keeping with the pattern established by Patricia, Jone, Janice, and Leigh Anne, is actually a couplet. 

I felt like it was time to break up the established pattern and infuse some urgency and immediacy...the best way I know to do that is to get into the speaker of the poem's body, so that the reader feels like they, too, are experiencing this refugee's journey. 

cradled in stars, our planet sleeps,

    clinging to tender dreams of peace

sister moon watches from afar,
    singing lunar lullabies of hope.

almost dawn, I walk with others,
    keeping close, my little brother.

hand in hand, we carry courage
    escaping closer to the border.

My feet are lightning;
My heart is thunder.


Here is the schedule for the rest of the month. I pass the baton to Margaret. I can't wait to read what happens next!


April 1 Patricia Franz at Reverie
April 2 Jone MacCulloch
April 3 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
April 4 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
April 5 Irene at Live Your Poem
April 6 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
April 7 Marcie Atkins
April 8 Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Town
April 9 Karen Eastlund
April 10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
April 11 Buffy Silverman
April 12 Linda Mitchell
April 13 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
April 14 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
April 15 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
April 16 Sarah Grace Tuttle
April 17 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
April 18 Tabatha at Opposite of Indifference
April 19 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
April 20 Tricia Stohr-Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
April 21 Janet, hosted here at Reflections on the Teche
April 22 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading
April 23 Tanita Davis at (fiction, instead of lies)
April 24 Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
April 25 Joanne Emery at Word Dancer
April 26 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe
April 27
April 28 Dave at Leap of Dave
April 29 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
April 30 Michelle Kogan at More Art for All

Today I'm excited to share with all of you pics of my most recent public community poetry project here in Blount County, Alabama...to which so many of you have contributed! So many thanks to those who sent poems. 

At the time of this posting we have poems from 28 poets from all across the US, including AL, CA, CO, CT, MA, MD, MI, NC, PA, TX, UT, VA... + AUSTRALIA and CANADA! THANK YOU, POETS! Here is a photo of the bulletin board. Isn't it adorable??

I also posted this week over at Smack Dab in the Middle, about writers being rooted in poetry, in words, and in the present moment... if you'd like a dose of inspiration from me, Walt Whitman, and Mary Oliver!

And now for this week's ArtSpeak: FOLK ART poem. This is one of those poems that sort of wrote itself...and I followed along. I love when that happens!! The work of art is part of the collection at the American Folk Art Museum (and appears in the post card book given me by Charles Waters). Thanks so much for reading.

Prayer

my heart is not on my sleeve
your heart is not in my hands
my hands do not hold the world
nor do yours

we are small
we are travelers

let us hold each other
my heart your heart
sleeves or no sleeves
hands or no hands

we are pilgrims
in a world made mostly of water
somehow we walk  feast   love
in bodies made mostly of water

together let us flow

- Irene Latham

For your reading pleasure, here are links to a few other "prayer" poems I've written and shared at Live Your Poem. Thanks so much for reading!

A Writer's Prayer

Autumn Prayer

Winter Prayer

Prayer for the Berry Pickers

Prayer of the Black Rocks

Epitaph for Light

Fair Prayer

For the Builders

I Give Thanks for Trussville, Alabama

I Pledge Allegiance to the Lake

Let Us Now Praise Leafy Things

Mending

If you want to make me happy

Vespers

When Moon Sweeps Sky Clean of Clouds

61 comments:

  1. Oh I love those feet of lightning, heart of thunder--can't wait to see where these travelers go. Thanks for hosting and for all the poetic goodness.

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    1. Thanks, Buffy - no telling where these travelers will go... I too can't wait to find out!

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  2. You've given us a lovely community gathering, Irene! I love your bulletin board, from so many places, wow! I imagine many are loving it! And I love your line, a sign of strength for those travelers to journey on. Finally, ah, the Prayer, awesome art & the ending, "together let us flow", connected to the water, meaning 'US'! Thanks for all and for hosting!

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    1. Dear Linda, yes I love the US! Thank you for your contribution to the bulletin board. So sweet! xo

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  3. Irene you amaze me! Love the use of water in your prayer. Your new PP line takes us closer to the characters’ feelings and I can’t wait for the rest to unfold.

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    1. Thanks, Janice! Sometimes I am just overcome with the amazingness of our bodies and how life on this planet is mostly water...miracles abound!

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  4. Wow, you're busy, Irene! Love how the Prog. Poem is coming along - wish I had the time to participate like I used to! I also love that pocket poem project, and your prayer poem is both intimate and universal. Thanks for hosting!

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    1. Thanks, Matt - I hear you...it's hard sometimes to let go of things we enjoy to embrace other things...but we must, we must!

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  5. Oh, your Artspeak poem is just beautiful. Thank you. And thank you for sharing that glorious community art project! And thank you for hosting this week! My heart might not be on my sleeve, but as you see, it's full of gratitude for YOU!

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    1. Thank you, Robyn. Gratitude for YOU right back atcha. xo

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  6. Oh, and I almost forgot - YES to those lightning and thunder lines!

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    1. :) (I had to double check which came first thunder or lightning!)

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  7. I love the action you added to those feet and heart, away we go… Beautiful prayer poem you shared today, I really like these ending 3 lines, "somehow we walk feast love
    in bodies made mostly of water

    together let us flow"
    Congrats on "A Little Book of Animal Haiku" it looks delightful, and for the award for "Museum on the Moon!" You should be getting some bookmarks from me, for your Community Poetry Project, fingers crossed. Thanks for all Irene and for hosting!

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    1. ooh, thank you Michelle! I look forward to receiving these and adding them to the bulletin board. People have been so excited!! xo

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  8. I love how the progressive poem is evolving! Your Poem in Your Pocket display is adorable, Irene! My apologies for not getting a poem to you. Your prayer poems are beautiful. Epitaph for Light is one of my favorites!

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    1. Thank you, Tracey. It's not too late, if you want to send something... appreciate your kind words about Epitaph for Light too. xo

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  9. "mostly of water" is such an interesting phrase in your poem. It's unexpected and yet makes total sense. Thanks for the wealth of goodness here today. I could really go for some prayer poems.

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    1. Thank you, Linda! I was surprise-not surprised to find I'd written so many prayer poems... I want/need them often. xo

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  10. What a beautiful prayer poem. This post is so full of awesomeness! Your Poem in Your Pocket display is fabulous!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Marcie! So happy to chare your poems in some of those pockets!

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  11. "Together let us flow." I love that, Irene. Much needed in these times. Thank you!

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  12. This whole post is such solid pure goodness. Thank you, Irene, for this needed prayer, your gifts to the communities you are part of (that laundry line!), the Progressive Poem...this year and at its birth. Happy Poetry Month, friend. xo, a.

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    1. And to you, dear Amy! That laundry line was so much fun... I wanted tiny pockets for tiny poems. :) xo

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  13. Thank you for being so full of poetry and community, Irene! It helps us all live our poems. I have been feeling sad about the arts and humanities not receiving enough support (as jobs) in our country and it is a balm to come here. Thanks for hosting xo

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    1. This community brings such joy and light, doesn't it? I'm honored and grateful to be a part of it. xo

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  14. Luv seeing all the poem pockets at your community poetry BB & also knowing that will likely become a tradition - I missed it but will pocket the info for next time. Hands hold so much & sometimes drop their load, as recently occured here for me in gardening, but we can always scoop up & carry on. The kindness & resilience in the 2024 Progressive Poem is heartening, as is your FolkArt Speak. After missing a few weeks, I'm back at Bookseedstudio with wisdom from Pond Turtle.
    Appreciations for always nourishing #PoetryFriday & all poets, especially children.

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    1. Always good to see you, Jan! I hadn't thought about the bulletin board becoming a tradition...but YES I HOPE SO! xo

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  15. So much poetry goodness here today! Thanks for hosting us, for a fabulous next "line" in the Progressive poem, for the right prayer at the right time, for naming what we do every week a Community Poetry Project. I'll tweak that slightly to be: An Ongoing Community Poetry Project. One I'm proud to be a part of as we "hold each other" week after week, flowing together on a stream of words and images.

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    1. Yes, Mary Lee. Exactly. Thank you for phrasing it so beautifully...and for your special part in it. xo

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  16. Serendipity and skill--your Prayer and the way it connects to what's happening in the Progressive Poem. Gorgeousness all around, and an expression of my personal religion. Together let us flow.

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    1. I do love your personal religion, Heidi. Thank you! xo

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  17. Beautiful heart prayer poem! LOVE the pocket poem display too. I like thinking of PF as a Community Poetry Project. :) Thanks for hosting today!

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    1. Thank YOU, Jama, for always bringing snacks and beauty to our poetry party. xo

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  18. Lightning and thunder, pockets and prayers--what a wonderful collection of community poetry! Thank you for being here!

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  19. Thanks for hosting, Irene, and for a post full of wonderful. I meant to participate in your fabulous community project, but somehow time slipped away from me. What a great way to share poetry from so many poets! Also, I love your progressive poem contribution and the suggestion to get into the speaker of the poem's body in order to "infuse some urgency and immediacy".

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    1. Molly, that "in the body" thing is one I have to constantly remind myself of, esp. when writing fiction!

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  20. Thank you for hosting and for sharing this bounty of prayer poems. I needed to read them today.
    And your community poetry project is simply fabulous!

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  21. So much richness, irene! Thank you for these treasures. And as others have said, the thunder and lightning of your lines say so much. "Together let us flow" could be a a prayer in and of itself. In fact, those will be my words for today.

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    1. Dear April, I love that those words speak to you. Where will you write them? I might know. xo

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  22. Thanks for the gift of this marvelous post, Irene. I especially love the last line of your Prayer poem:
    together let us flow
    Indeed!

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  23. Irene, thank you for this great post today. So much of interest. I especially like the thunder and lightning of the progressive poem, ready to take off. I love the idea of the world and humanity, mostly water, flowing together. Yes, let it be so.

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    1. Yes! So many currents...but we can all flow together!

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  24. Beautiful! I love the couplet you added, the peek at your poetry bulletin board, and especially the final two stanzas of your "Prayer." Delightful, and a fabulous celebration of poetry for this month. Thank you!

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    1. Thank you, Sarah! Happy National Poetry Month, my friend!

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  25. "Let us hold each other" -- This week this is the prayer I need. Thank you, Irene. And thank you for the turn inward with your couplet. We have moved to urgent.

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    1. Such a brave poet you are, Patricia, and what a great start you gave our poetic journey! xo

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  26. That was lovely, lovely, lovely. We are small. We are travelers...
    Together let us flow.

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  27. Thanks for hosting, Irene! I love what the progressive poem is about this year so far. I miss being a participant, as I love couplets. I remember being an "action" stanza last year! Well done!

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    1. It can be hard to shift things, but yes, action is necessary... maybe next year you can join us again!! xo

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  28. A plethora of community poetry, Irene. Most impressive to see such endeavours coming to fruition. Such worthy matters to celebrate and share.

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    1. Appreciate your contribution, Alan-Down-Under! :)

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  29. What a beautiful, delicious Saturday morning breakfast of poetry and community, Irene. I love all of it, but your prayer poem especially. We are small. Let us hold each other. Yes. This poem feels like something big, Irene. Thank you for always weaving the community together, through group efforts, through lifting others up, through sharing your beautiful heart.

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  30. Aww, thank you, Laura. That last sentence is exactly what YOU do! I'm so grateful to be part of this community. xo

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  31. I miss you and being here every week for Poetry Friday love, goodness and inspiration. Your poem about hearts and hands and love is golden. Your words for the Progressive Poem are to me just what was needed at this point. I agree with what and all that Laura said. I hope to have time to be online reading the poetry goodness of April. It fills my heart and soul and inspires me.

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    1. From Janet Clare F. (I wish I had realized the whole name thing at the beginning of my online journey.....I am still low tech but not impossibly inept!)

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  32. I'm late to the poem, but slowly catching up. I love those metaphors, would save them to share with students if I were still in the classroom! The Poem in Your Pocket display is wonderful. I never thought of adding other things with pockets. I'll be wearing my apron of many pockets to share poems in Jack's first grade classroom next Thursday. I absolutely love your prayer poem and look forward to viewing your other prayer poems. Happy Poetry Month, Irene!

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