When Poems Fall from the Sky by Zaro Weil

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit radiant Ruth at There is no such thing as a godforsaken town for Roundup. 

First: have you heard Matthew Winner's The Children's Podcast Poetry Month series of poems? So many beauties there! Be sure to check it out. I was honored to read my poem "I Followed A Little Cat One Day" from my ArtSpeak: Red year. :)

I'm excited to share with you on this, the final Poetry Friday of National Poetry Month, a visit with French poet and amazing person Zaro Weil!

I first blogged about Zaro in 2020 after I read her lovely CLiPPA award-winning book CHERRY MOON:Little Poems Big Ideas Mindful of Nature. Read poems from the book here.

Now, lucky us, CHERRY MOON is available in the US...and she has a new beautiful book WHEN POEMS FALL FROM THE SKY, published by Welbeck Editions, which is all about climate change and nature and language and hope. You're going to love it!

Not only has Zaro given me permission to share one of my favorite poems with you, she also popped in to respond to a few simple prompts about her experience writing WHEN POEMS FALL FROM THE SKY.

Here's a favorite poem from the collection, which on the page has this lovely arched indented shape that I can't accurately represent here...all the more reason to get thee a copy straightaway!

If You Can Hear Me

By Zaro Weil

If you can hear me

know that I dream

 big things for you 

  skies of pink

   whenever you wish

     snow-dust stories

      whenever you hope

      starry blossoms

     whenever you wake

     but most of all the

   pit-a-pat heartbeat of

  earth still green

 sea still blue

ice still cold

---

Gorgeous, yes? And now please welcome Zaro!

Zaro Weil

IL: DIFFICULT

ZW: How do we address the destruction of the planet with children? 

How do we see the world of nature from the point of view of nature itself when so much is at stake now? 

And when nature is being destroyed every day in every way. 

How do we tell the truth? Gently.

These were the questions that kept rolling wave-like over me again and again as I was writing this book. 

Knowing how important it was to find the hope.

 So children could know there is hope. For it is there. 

In the continual renewal of life...in the sunrise which is is also our story.

IL: DELICIOUS

ZW: Imagine going inside the mind and spirit of a hummingbird. Or a tree? Or a seed? 

How delicious is that! 

And how fulfilling to create different literary forms in the book; little plays, myth, raps, haiku, rhymes and more. 

Because When Poems Fall is an expression -a love letter really- to earth. 

An earth that is informed, nurtured and inspired by both science and poetry. 

And finding the clearest literary and understandable expressions to best illustrate complicated ideas 

was an immeasurably delicious undertaking.

IL: FRESH

ZW: Fresh is always and forever the unexpected. The original. 

Something that can't help but surprise. Even astonish.

For me as an author, it doesn't start with the words I say. 

Or how I choose to say them. It's about the fire-power. 

The energy I must summon to ensure that I am on the scent of a fresh idea. 

On the hunt for the unexpected. 

And for something I hadn't understood, known about 

or thought about ever ever ever before.

---

Fire-power. Yes! Thank you, Zaro, for your words and for your life!

As for my ArtSpeak: Light poem...this week took me to the CITY. I kind of fell in love with this little girl in the yellow dress.... Thank you so much for reading!

City Song

We sing in the city
a funny, sunny chorus
across sidewalks
and traffic jams
down garden paths
and up glassy towers

We sing in the city
a blue-sky kind of tune
mothers, fathers
pups and flowers
everyone singing
about the light
that is you

- Irene Latham

The Museum on the Moon Cover Reveal (and Other Poetic Marvels)

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit kind and clever Karen Edmisten for Roundup.

Lucky me, I got to meet and share time with some amazing poets, including Poetry Friday friends Marcie, Rose, and Patricia at Highlights:

Irene Latham, Marcie Atkins, Patricia Franz, Rose Capelli

So much fun! And so inspiring!! Charles and I were absolutely honored to commune with such wonderful humans who share our passion for poetry and learning. I am still riding the wave. :)

AND I got the go-ahead to share the cover of The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface, coming August 8, 2023 from Bushel and Peck Books, illus. by Myriam Wares. I'm super-pleased to be part of the debut season of the brand-new all-children's-poetry imprint called Moonshower. Read more about the exciting news in this announcement from Publisher's Weekly. Yay for more children's poetry!

Y'all, this book has been so much fun to work on! It includes poems about footprints, a family photograph, the Bible, a flight patch, golf balls, feather, hammer, space equipment, trash...and invisible things, too, like hope and dreams...

I love how much the moon has been in the news lately, what with the announcement of the Artemis II crew...and with the failed SpaceX Starship launch earlier this week, from which I hope much is learned. Meanwhile, I am looking for other moon-space-poetry enthusiasts to help me spread the word about this book. If this title looks like something you'd like to blog/tweet/talk about, would you please contact me? irene (at) irenelatham (dot) com. In addition to a copy of the book, I'm putting on some fun moon-related goodies just for you! 

This week's ArtSpeak: Light poem is one I went 15 rounds with... and landed in one of those bittersweet places we've all been... Thank you so much for reading!

Once

once we laughed together
at the edge of the world
and watched waves crash
watched clouds crawl
without any words at all

now I walk along the cliff
light splinters afternoon
into a thousand shades of blue
and I am walking
at the edge of the world
missing you

- Irene Latham

A Writer's Journey (poem)

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Jone Ruch MacCulloch for Roundup. I contributed several poems to her Classic Found Poem Palooza, from some of my favorite children's classics: Because of Winn Dixie, Charlotte's Web, Hatchet, The Wind in the Willows. As usual, I had a lot of fun creating titles to go with the found text!

Today I am packing my bag for tomorrow's trip to Highlights, where I'm excited to share and learn with poetry peeps! (It will be my first time on an airplane since 2020. I think I'm ready...)

I have loved reading everyone's National Poetry Month offerings! My notebook is simply bursting with prompts and quotes and inspirations...thank you!

Today's ArtSpeak: Light poem surprised me. I kept wanting to tinker with it, to fancy it up. But ultimately I decided to leave the language simple, because the message of the poem is really a basic one: we writers need to get out of our own way and JUST WRITE. (I did end up with a lot of "f" and "r" sounds, which I love!) Thanks so much for reading!

A Writer's Journey


I went in search of words
and found a field of flowers

I went in search of fame
and found no place for love

I went in search of forever
and got lost in silver shadows

Now I search for nothing
and sunbeams shoot from my fingers

- Irene Latham

Progressive Poem is Here!

 

Hello! How's everyone doing this NPM? How are those poetry projects cooking? I know we can all get to feeling a big saggy in the middle...keep going! Future You is going to be SO HAPPY come May 1!

It's my pleasure to add a line to this year's Progressive Poem. So much gratitude to Margaret for keeping this tradition going!

I'm following Dave...and will hand it off to Janice. My line below in purple.

Here's the poem so far:

Suddenly everything fell into place

like raindrops hitting soil and sinking in.

When morning first poked me, I’d wished it away
my mind in the mist, muddled, confused.

Was this a dream, or reality, rousing my response?
The sun surged, urging me to join in its rising

Rising like a crystal ball reflecting on morning dew.
I jumped out of bed, ready to explore the day.

My feet pull me outside and into the garden
Where lilies and bees weave…but wait! What’s that?

A bevy of bunnies jart and dart and play in the clover.
A dog barks and flash, the bunderstorm is over.

I breathe—brave, quiet. Like a seed.

Here's this year's (brave! brilliant!) participating poets:

April 1 Mary Lee Hahn, Another Year of Reading
April 2 Heidi Mordhorst, My Juicy Little Universe
April 3 Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 4 Buffy Silverman
April 5 Rose Cappelli, Imagine the Possibilities
April 6 Donna Smith, Mainely Write
April 7 Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche
April 8 Leigh Anne, A Day in the Life
April 9 Linda Mitchell, A Word Edgewise
April 10 Denise Krebs, Dare to Care
April 11 Emma Roller, Penguins and Poems
April 12 Dave Roller, Leap Of Dave
April 13 Irene Latham Live Your Poem
April 14 Janice Scully, Salt City Verse
April 15 Jone Rush MacCulloch
April 16 Linda Baie TeacherDance
April 17 Carol Varsalona, Beyond Literacy Link
April 18 Marcie Atkins
April 19 Carol Labuzzetta at The Apples in My Orchard 
April 20 Cathy Hutter, Poeturescapes
April 21 Sarah Grace Tuttle at Sarah Grace Tuttle’s Blog,
April 22 Marilyn Garcia
April 23 Catherine at Reading to the Core
April 24 Janet Fagal, hosted by Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 25 Ruth, There is no Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town
April 26 Patricia J. Franz, Reverie
April 27 Theresa Gaughan, Theresa’s Teaching Tidbits
April 28 Karin Fisher-Golton, Still in Awe Blog
April 29 Karen Eastlund, Karen’s Got a Blog
April 30 Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, and Writing

Wild Goats poem

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

Today Paul and I are celebrating 33 years since our first date/32 years since we got married! I was just 19 years old when we met/20 when we got married. I knew nothing...and everything! I still feel like the luckiest girl in the world to share my life with him. 

This week Charles and I presented together at Helen Keller Public Library in Tuscumbia, Alabama. We also visited the Helen Keller Museum and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, and I was able to take Charles on a mini tour of Blount County, where I live. So much fun!

Over at Smack Dab in the Middle, I have some suggestions for writers who are blocked, or in a funk, or otherwise disenchanted with their writing—in other words, how to stay open in your writing life.

And today's ArtSpeak: Light poem features goats! This may be the first animal poem I've written this year...I wasn't expecting my "Light" theme to yield any animals at all. Of course it would be a goat... I mean, is there anything cuter than a baby goat? 

It brings to mind my early childhood living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the goats climbed on everything and were known to sleep atop the cars parked along the street. We loved to play with the goats, too—chasing and petting and feeding. 

Early in mine and Paul's marriage, we had two goats named Beth and Billy. They were entertaining for sure! And annoying at times...and man, that Billy could be so stubborn. "Old goat," indeed!

And here's this week's poem. Thanks so much for reading.

Wild Goats

all morning they eat the light,
try to hold sun inside

as afternoon dies,
they rest resplendent—

sometimes dreaming,
sometimes bleating stars

- Irene Latham

Summer Travels North for a Season (poem with art by Linda Mitchell)

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

So here we are on the eve of National Poetry Month! April is always a busybusy month for poets, isn't it? I know many of you will be embarking upon daily poetry projects for the month—yay! My ArtSpeak project began in 2015 as a National Poetry Month daily project...and has since turned into a weekly every-month-of-the-year project. So. Much. Art! I may have written hundreds of poems inspired by art, but in many ways I still feel like I am just beginning! Always something new to learn, yes?

A few weeks ago Linda Mitchell oh so kindly sent me a picture of a light-inspired collage she created. 

Isn't it gorgeous?! Linda knew I'd love it for my ArtSpeak: Light project! I was planning to save it until summer...but you know how Summer can be...she just kept calling... so much gratitude to Linda!! And to you, dear reader, for sharing this space with me!

Summer Travels North for a Season

she strides
into darkness,
suitcase spilling
sunbeams

her sultry dress
swings warm
and wide

her smiling eyes
shake loose
every tight fist

until all that's left
is light
and more light

- Irene Latham

When All is Lost (poem)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit radiant Rose at Imagine the Possibilities for Roundup.

This weekend I'm attending SCBWI Southern Breeze conference in Atlanta! Charles and I will be presenting a couple of sessions—on How to Write Books with Multiple Narrators and also on Collaboration (& how to keep a friendship through it all!), and I'm traveling with two long-time writing buddies. Yay!

Today's poem arrived after a few days of admiring this art (another from the daily art calendar gifted me by my eldest son!) when I heard myself say, "I feel lost." I was talking about my writing life, and not knowing where to put my energy. And then, just about as soon as I said it, a little twinkle lit up my brain—an idea, a direction, a calling. And so I wrote this poem to capture that moment. Thanks so much for reading!

When All is Lost

crumple your maps,
pocket your compass

allow yourself
to sink
into darkness

whatever river
you're sailing—

whether waves
are whipping
or still—

somewhere, a blink
a twinkle

               this way

- Irene Latham

The Clearing (poem) + a Peek at My Poetry Revision Process

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit lovely Laura at Small Reads for Brighter Days for Roundup.

This week's ArtSpeak: Light is an amalgamation, as most poems are. 

The art itself "The Clearing" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir came from an art-a-day calendar gifted to me by my eldest son for Christmas... and the striking line of the Golden Shovel I crafted comes from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet: "But soft what light through yonder window breaks?"

(I've been on a bit of a Shakespeare kick lately and recently bought for myself a book of Shakespeare quotations. I dip into it from time to time, and it always always finds a way into my writing.) 

The Clearing

You think you can't take another step, but

you do. Brambles soon give way to soft

pine needles lining a nest of sunshine. What

else can you do but guzzle unexpected light,

praise the boots that carried you through?

Impossibly you ignore the pull of yonder—

for a moment you are both sky and window,

a map into the place where despair breaks.

- Irene Latham

---

Okay. Now for that peek at my revision process, as promised in the title of this post.

This poem pleases me. I love that it gave me a reason to use the word "yonder." And "the place where despair breaks" ?? That's fresh and unexpected and I love it.

But I can already see how the Golden Shovel weakens this poem. 

Or rather, I can see how I could strengthen the poem by pulling it away from the Golden Shovel form. 

Example: see that "through" on the 5th line? A stronger line would end with the word "you." But because it's a Golden Shovel, I'm stuck! Also, Golden Shovels are notorious for clunky line breaks. I would break these lines completely differently if not for the form.

In my mind, I have 3 options: 

1. Keep the Golden Shovel, which is what I've done for today, due to time constraints. 

2. Answer the question "through What?" and change the 6th line (and possibly entire rest of poem). That could be interesting...and I could keep the Golden Shovel.

3. Deconstruct completely by pulling it out of the form, and see what happens! Whenever I have time, I'm going to give it a try.

I mention all this because poems that could be strengthened by pulling away from form is something I see A LOT when considering poems for Birmingham Arts Journal. Forms a great and fun, and can lead to some wonderful poems. But sometimes they are best just used as a starting place. 

And that's my unsolicited poetic advise for today. 😊 Thanks so much for reading!

When Light and Water Meet...and Jessica Whipple!

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit blue-bungalow-Heidi at my juicy little universe for Roundup.

First, I must share the new graphic Highlights sent over, so that everyone knows Carole Boston Weatherford will be joining us at our Poetry for Kids session April 16-19! I know several Poetry Friday friends will be there, and we are so, so lucky to learn from her. Join us!

I do have a new ArtSpeak: Light poem for you. But first I'm excited to have a special guest today at Live Your Poem: Jessica Whipple, author of ENOUGH IS...(illus. by Nicole Wong, coming April 18, 2023, from Tilbury House). Preorder your signed copy here! (Readers, I've seen an ARC on Netgalley. It's wonderful!)

Jessica Whipple
(photo by Nick Gould)

Jessica and I became acquainted when she submitted a poem for mine and Charles' anthology IF I COULD CHOOSE A BEST DAY: POEMS OF POSSIBILITY. (Illus. by Olivia Sua, coming from Candlewick 2025.) 

We weren't able to publish Jessica's poem, but she did something I really admire. Upon rejection, she wrote back and asked for feedback. How could she improve the poem?

Now you know that set my poet-heart thumping! A poet going the extra mile, working to improve her craft...so of course I offered feedback, and do you know Jessica went on to publish that poem someplace else?! Yep, that's the kind of writer she is.

And now she's just welcomed her debut picture book into the world. Congratulations, Jessica! Please read on to find out more about Jessica, her life, and this book, as she responds to a few simple prompts. 

Welcome, Jessica!

The difficult?

JW: The concept is a tough one to get down to picture-book size, but that was my goal and hope from the start. I'm grateful to Tilbury House who matched me with Nicole Wong so we could each tackle the vision for the book! Kirkus and some early Goodreads and NetGalley reviewers feel we've successfully simplified the concept, so hooray! Still, the book lives beyond the page in the conversations readers have with kids to get them thinking about how much *is* enough, and what does that look like--because it's different in every situation. We also needed to speak about and depict it in a way that's relevant to kids, which, of course, is what all kidlit authors are wrestling with. 

The delicious?

JW: I'm thrilled with the reception the book has been getting from readers, reviewers, podcasters, and interviewers. It really has been wonderful to hear that Enough Is... is a book many adults, caregivers, and teachers hope to use to introduce contentment to children. 

The fresh?

JW: Throughout the process of writing, querying, pitching, and submitting this manuscript and my others, I've learned the latent power each of us has in just *asking* for things. As long as we're honest, respectful, grateful, and humble, many people want to help along the length of the book publishing timeline... and beyond. You're one of them, Irene! It's all a truly beautiful example of community.

---

Aww, thanks, Jessica. So happy this book is in the world!

And now for my poem. Last week, Karen Edmisten mentioned something in comments about light and water sharing some similar traits. That got me thinking...what happens when Light and Water meet? And then I've got Jessica talking about "enough"...and so my mind did leap!

When Light Meets Water

here, light whispers,
take these clouds

dance with me,
water says,
and sends up
a thousand ripples

they spark and dip,
kissing all hours

more, say the lilies,
their bellies warm,
their petals reaching,
reaching—

-Irene Latham

If You Put Light in a Box (poem)

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Tanita at {fiction, instead of lies} for Roundup.

Y'all, it's MARCH! Yay! This week I was a celebrity in my own county, when Charles and I made the front page of our weekly paper, The Blount Countian. 

Friends, Paul and I love where we live! But having lived here for a mere five years, we are outsiders, and always will be. (Some can trace their lineage in this county for more than 6 generations!) It feels like an important moment for my community to embrace me in this way... so many thanks to Jim Kilgore for writing the article.

Also, I got to get a little crafty with my Master Gardener friends. We were asked to put in a display in the foyer at Oneonta Public Library. We went with a "ready to grow" theme. So much fun!

In online news, you're invited to read my post over at Smack Dab in the Middle about 7 Quotes from THE WAR OF ART that will inspire your warrior-writer...and a question from that book that can be a guiding light. 

 

Today's ArtSpeak: Light poem is one that came in a rush. There's a bit of "nobody puts Baby in a corner" in it. Also, these days, I've been trying not to think so much and just be in my life as it unfolds. 

Wise words I return to often are these: "You're either in your head, or you're in your life." And I want to be in my life!

What if our only purpose really is to be present? To shine? 

Like light.

If You Put Light in a Box

it doesn't beg
or complain

instead creeps
so quietly
through cracks

irrepressibly
streaming
through seams

worries
are swallowed,
fear dissolves

yesterday
is tomorrow
is today

as light carves a path
as light unfolds

- Irene Latham

Thanks so much for reading. 💜

sky a ripe peach (poem)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit beautiful Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference for Roundup.

This week's ArtSpeak: Light poem is inspired by a sunset...and peaches! 

As a genuine Georgia Peach (born in Georgia), and because my granddaddy made sure his grandchildren had the best fresh peaches (Elberta peaches, anyone?), peaches pop up in my poems from time to time.

Aside: did you know it's incredibly hard to farm peaches? Peach trees need near constant attention! So next time you bite into a beautiful, sweet peach, remember those very dedicated farmers. I'll be getting my peaches this year from Indian Creek Peach Farm.

Can you tell I've got gardening on my mind?? 

This week I attended a workshop on Community Gardens, and I also put in my lettuce seed. Yay!

Back to this latest peach-y poem. My favorite peach poem of all time is "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee. It begins:

From blossoms comes

this brown paper bag of peaches

we bought from the boy

at the bend in the road where we turned toward   

signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,

from sweet fellowship in the bins,

comes nectar at the roadside, succulent

peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,

comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

click to read the rest

Such joy! So I knew I wanted to include joy in my poem. Thanks so much for reading.

sky a ripe peach

juicy light dribbles down our chins

warm, sticky joy

- Irene Latham

A Writer's Prayer (poem)

Mama, me & Lynn

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit beautiful Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for Roundup.

February has been full to bursting, as it usually is for me. My sister and I took our mom to Graceland, because it was on her bucket list. We had a great time singing Elvis songs and shopping thrift stores. Oh, and we rode in a pink Cadillac. :)

While in Memphis, Charles and I were notified that AFRICAN TOWN was awarded the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction! Of all the things I write, historical fiction is the genre I return to most often...AND I have always always loved reading historical fiction. I can remember going to the library as a girl and looking specifically for Scott O'Dell-winning books. So it's quite a happy thing, and we're so grateful to the committee for recognizing this story of the Clotilda shipmates' resilience, triumph, and creativity. I'm on a social media break, so special thanks to those who have reached out - it means so much! And just look at that lovely gold seal! Kossola is somewhere smiling...

Today's ArtSpeak: Light poem is inspired by a piece of art that I could just stare at for days. I love this painting by Rembrandt, and how it reminds me of Shel Silverstein's "A Light in the Attic." I played for quite a few pages before I latched on the idea of making a writer's prayer. Maybe you can relate?? Thanks so much for reading!

A Writer's Prayer

O Light, awaken my Imagination

O Courage, deliver these Words from shadow

O Fire, warm me when page goes Cold

O stairway of Hope, lead on!

- Irene Latham

The Trick of the Candlestick (poem)

flame, just starting to grow

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit wonderful Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink for Roundup.

I have been running behind all week, so I am late getting this poem written and posted...AND I am away from my desk (again). 

But it's all good! Earlier this week we got out on the lake, and we also enjoyed the fire pit. Perfect for my "light" year, yes? 

This week's ArtSpeak: LIGHT poem is a miniature, and instead of using a title, I decided to go Emily Dickinson and just jump right into the poem with no title at all. (How do you feel about title-less poems??) Thanks so much for reading!

the trick
of the candlestick

is simple—

you oh so gently 

               blow,
it says hello

you spit,
it quits.

- Irene Latham

Forgiveness poem

Hello and happy Poetry Friday! It's February—my most favorite month! :) Be sure to visit lovely Laura's Blog for Roundup. 

A couple of newsy things:

Irene, Carol, Charles
at Highlights Oct. 2022

1. AFRICAN TOWN is now available in paperback! Yay! Charles and I hope this means more readers find this powerful story of resilience and family.

2. Charles Waters and I will again be teaching (with special guest Carol Hinz!) on campus at Highlights Foundation. Our workshop is called Poetry for Kids: A World of Publishing Possibilities. Join us April 16-19! 

3. You're invited to check out my new post up at Smack Dab in the Middle entitled "On Time, Sacrifice, and Difficult Choices in the Writing Life." Thank you!

Today's ArtSpeak: Light poem features... snow. And forgiveness, which—whether for others or for ourselves—is rarely an easy thing. But sometimes it just...happens. Like snow. xo

Sometimes Forgiveness Comes Like a Spring Snow

all hush,
no hurry

you wake
to glints
and glimmering

the old wounds
swaddled
in downy light

morning
welcoming you
back to yourself

yet again

- Irene Latham

Self-Portrait, Early Morning (poem)

 

Sunset Point
Key Colony Beach, FL

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit dear Jan at bookseedstudio for Roundup. 

Like many in our community, I'm excited for Monday's ALA Youth Media Awards, which of course is always such an inspiring opportunity to celebrate books we've loved and also to add new titles to the never-ending TBR stack! Love love love.

This week's ArtSpeak: Light poem turned into a self-portrait. It's inspired by The Artist's Sister at a Window by Berthe Morisot. 

Most poems, probably, are self-portraits, at least a little bit, because of what the words/thoughts/images reveal about the poet who wrote it. I guess self-portraits are more direct, more intentional about what they are revealing? 

For the past several years I have studied a lot about awareness and the seat of consciousness—lots of meditation and mind-training and surrender. (Michael Singer, anyone?) This poem speaks to some of that. Thanks so much for reading. 

Self-Portrait, Early Morning

no surging
thoughts

no billowing
feelings—

I simply
sit

in the world
of the moment

unfolding
before me—

this window,
this world

that requires
nothing

of me—
not fingers,

mouth,
nor mind—

I am
morning,

I am
light

- Irene Latham

Called by Light (poem)

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Marcie (who is simply amazing!) for Roundup.

After a busy holiday season and working VERY HARD on a big revision of my adult novel, as well as providing virtual school visits and tending to multiple kidlit deadlines...today I am away from my desk, having an adventure with Paul and Rosie.

You could say today I'm living my 2023 OLW, which is "space." I'm open to experiencing many more days like this in the months to come! 

In fact, I'd like to be brave enough to claim one day a week for "doing nothing." No plans, no agenda. Just let the day unfold. No work on current (writing, household, or whatever) projects allowed. Can I give myself this kind of space on a regular basis? Can I offer myself that much kindness, to just "be" instead of always doing? 

As it is with starting pretty much anything, I think I'll begin with a smaller chunk of time (maybe an hour a week?) and grow my courage from there.

In other news, a couple of firsts: 

1. We saw a live local community theater production of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. Community theater is my favorite! These actors bring so much passion to their performances, and the venues are generally small and cozy, and there's always something fun and unexpected. This time it was a "split the pot" raffle ticket sale during intermission. Patrons could buy a raffle ticket for a dollar, and then at the end of the show a winner was drawn. The pot was split between that winner and the theater company. Pretty great, right? (No we didn't win! But I'm totally stealing that idea for other nonprofits I'm involved with!)

2. I made creme brulee at home, from scratch, and it was delicious! It only took me a year. :) Last year for my birthday one of our sons gave me one of those little kitchen torches. I did some research, and I realized that I needed all sorts of other supplies: the little dishes, for one...and also ingredients like vanilla beans and vanilla sugar. I didn't even know vanilla sugar was a thing! Well, now I do, and for Christmas I got everything else I needed. I have now made my creme brulee, and you can bet I will be making it again. I mean, I do have about fifteen vanilla beans left. :)

This week's ArtSpeak: Light poem grew out of last week's poem. 

Remember how I was saying I was enamored of that Rockwell painting title "And the Symbol of Welcome is Light"? Well, that has been in my brain for days now, and I wanted to somehow use the idea, but make it my own (of course!). And this week I did! 

ALSO: You'll notice in this poem I include something that's not actually in the art. "Outside the frame" thinking is one of my favorite ways to approach ekphrastic poetry, and I guess it was especially on my mind, as one of my most recent virtual school visits (hello Villa Madonna poets!) was on the topic of writing poems inspired by art. So there you go! Thanks so much for reading.

called by light

and the scent of tomorrow

bee crawls inside

- Irene Latham