Thursday, November 24, 2011

post-feast poetry fest: black friday

Welcome one and all to what I hope will be a blockbuster day in the poetry market! 
Come early, stay late and shop til you drop without ever leaving home or---this is key--spending a penny.  At the poetry mall, all the flavors & favors, subjects & objects, treasures & pleasures are yours for the mere click of a mouse.   I'll be rounding up the posts periodically all day with the help of Mr. Linky below.

I spent time yesterday trying to explain "Black Friday" to my 9-year-old and why we will be avoiding Target like the plague, also known as The Black Death.  I'd like to reclaim the beauty of black this Friday with a piquant excerpt from Mary O'Neill's deservedly classic Hailstones and Halibut Bones, and a video featuring the whole poem.

What Is Black?

...Think of what starlight
And lamplight would lack
Diamonds and fireflies
If they couldn’t lean against Black.




Interesting musical treatment, don't you think?  For more black beauty, go here for said 9-year-old's take, and here and here for some adult poems on black.  Then be sure to leave your link below, with a word about your post in parentheses after your name. Thanks for shopping stopping in!

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Early Birds

First up today is (as far as I know) a newcomer, Karissa Sorrell, with a lovely "Blessing" by James Wright, posted at The Iris Chronicles.  Nice to meet you, Karissa!

At The Write Sisters, Jet has Robert Frost's "Reluctance," which is a do-not-go-gentle poem I didn't know.  I am so grateful to PF for repeatedly introducing me to new Frost poems--it seems I missed most of them in my education.  Was he considered too traditional by my hippie English teachers?

Myra posts on the cemeteries of New Orleans today with photos and video and lyrics and poem today, all on the theme of passing.  Rich and interesting stuff at Gathering Books.

Over at Paper Tigers, Sally has a review and commentary on the oral tradition of  the Ainu people of northern Japan....lots of links to follow!

Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference is also up early and sharing the excellent "common book of prayer" by Chris Clardy.  Click around this blog to find endless collectibles you didn't know you needed.

At The Poem Farm, Amy has, as always, a post full of juicy details about the new e-book Gift Tag, the snow poem she contributed, and a story about a miracle of a teacher who knows which is more important: a math test or the first snow of the season.

Janet at Across the Page, shares some fabulous photos of neighborhood hawks, along with Ted Hughes's "Hawk Roosting."  How did she know that we spotted (and heard!) some in our neighborhood yesterday?

Coming to us from Haiti, Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken place, has a rumination on brokenness, gratitude and Pablo Neruda's "Ode to Broken Things."

And Tanita concludes a month of Thanksgiving with an essay on "difficult patriotism" and a paragraph that sounds like a poem called "I don't like you."  Journey with her at [fiction, instead of lies].

Mary Lee explores the very small and very large with the help of Robert Creeley at A Year of Reading.  You can also go there to sign up to enjoy the Poetry Friday hosting experience in 2012.  I can recommend it.  : )

Steven at Poetry at Play gives mouthwatering thanks for...penguins!  If you haven't joined Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults, today is your day.

Oh, boy--Maria at A Poem A Day shares Eavan Boland's "A Moment," which is a cousin to Robert Creeley's "One Day."  Lovely.

Linda has an original and personal sestina which honors the passing down of traditions, Thanksgiving and otherwise, from mother to daughter.  You'll find it at TeacherDance.

At Random Noodling, Diane has a hoot of a haiga--or should that be hogga?  At Kurious K's Kwotes, we hear from Fabu, the poet laureate of Madison (Wisconsin, I believe).  And at Kids of the Homefront Army, Diane shares another authentic take on the Black Friday/Black Market thread with a WWII-era voice.

Robyn and G.K. Chesterton are making sure that we are thoroughly grateful today and every day over at Read, Write, Howl.

Over at A Teaching Life, Tara shares "Before the World Intruded" and view into the backseat at (grown-up) sleeping children.  The traditions of Thanksgiving took me to some of these bittersweet thoughts about my children, too.

Sylvia compellingly advertises her latest e-book poetry anthology, Gift Tag, published with Janet Wong, at Poetry for Children.  If you scroll down you can also enjoy her comprehensive report on the poetry doings at NCTE's annual convention in Chicago, a poetry party I was privileged to participate in.  (Is my favorite letter P?)

Carol's Corner features a review of Jane Yolen's new Birds of a Feather and some nice excerpts, plus a reminder that poets and scientists have a lot in common. Go, observers of the world!

Greg at GottaBook didn't eat too much for dinner, oh nooooo.  At least he's got his priorities straight.

I apologize to Charlotte of Charlotte's Library, whose link I missed earlier today.  She's got spoofs of A.A. Milne (sacrilege : ) by a British humorist known as the Beachcomber.  Don't miss it!

And last for today is Adrienne at What Adrienne Thinks About That, with a Stanley Kunitz poem called "The Layers" and a knowledge that she is not done with her changes.  Me, either, Adrienne.  Me either.

Thanks for playing poetry today, everyone!  I've enjoyed sampling everyone's posts and will return to make  proper comments soon.  All the best until next time!


   
   

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23 comments:

  1. Hello, Heidi, Thank you for hosting. No doubt, Poetry Friday is in there bringing some sparkle to the black!

    I've just added a link to Sally's Poetry Friday post on PaperTigers about stories that have been handed down in the Ainu oral tradition through verse/song.

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  2. Hi Heidi!

    Very festive! You put the right spin on the day, I think. I've got the common book of prayer today:

    http://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2011/11/praying.html

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  3. Love the black song and the kids singing.

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  4. Heidi, thank you for hosting and for this new perspective on Black Friday. I love the "old ghost in a tavern." It was great to see you last week, and I'm hoping that you have that new Calef Brown painting hanging in your home today. Happy late Thanksgiving and holiday season!

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  5. I join you in avoiding Target today! Thanks for hosting Poetry Friday.

    I have a poem about hawks and some reflection on the ones in our neighborhood today.

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  6. Only the day after Thanksgiving puts me in a state of gratefulness to be far, far away from home. Good grief, the after-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy. Hate it.

    Thank you for hosting. I'm in with a piece from <a href="http://tanitasdavis.com/wp/?p=3405><i>Leaves of Grass</i></a>, and one last post in my Thanksgiving Advent calendar on returning home after being away.

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  7. Heidi, I love the alternative Black celebration you have created! Hall's poem is powerful. I love these lines-

    I forked the brambly hay down to you
    in nineteen-fifty.
    I delved my hands deep
    in the winter grass of your hair.

    At Musings, http://joyceray.blogspot.com
    I posted a poem by Sara Josepha Hale, the woman who initiated Thanksgiving.

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  8. Thanks for hosting! I have a somewhat unusual offering, in which a mid 20th century British humorist, known as The Beachcomber, spoofs the poetry of A.A. Milne...

    http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/2011/11/beachcomber-spoofs-poems-of-aa-milne.html

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  9. I LOVELOVELOVE the poetic take on Black Friday!!

    I'm in with a poem about time, and it's also TIME to round up the next 6 months worth of PF roundup hosts.

    http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2011/11/poetry-friday-today-call-for-poetry.html

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  10. Today I have an original poem of gratitude, "Rockhoppers," at the Poetry at Play blog:
    http://poetryadvocates.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/thanksgiving-poem-rockhoppers/

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  11. Thank you for posting, Heidi.

    In today's poem, the poet avoids the hustle and bustle of the malls and visits a quiet neighborhood instead.

    http://www.ghpoetryplace.blogspot.com/

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  12. Hi! Thank you for hosting! Although it was yesterday's poem, I love the house prayer-wish I had known it to share at our table. I'll keep for next year! For today, I have written of traditions passed down to daughters. http://teacherdance.blogspot.com/2011/11/passing-down-traditions-daughter-to.html

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  13. Drinking down these poems in an orange raspberry juice smoothie. Thank you. A (Uni) Verse lover from Canada ----

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  14. Thank you for hosting, Heidi. And thank you for sharing these poems - it brought to mind why I love teaching poetry - kids see things and are able to express them in breathtaking ways. My contribution today is a poem about infants, dreams, and the passage of time - all from catching a glimpse of my sleeping teenage kids!
    http://tmsteach.blogspot.com/2011/11/poetry-friday-gazing-at-my-sleeping.html

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  15. Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Heidi, and thanks for hosting! Not going near Target here today, either - Love this colorful Black Friday celebration and your links.

    I have a few words of wisdom from G. K. Chesterton today:
    http://www.robynhoodblack.com/blog.htm?post=825281

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  16. Love the kids singing! BTW I forgot to link to your site on my post, but I just went back and edited and added it. I want my readers to read all this great poetry!! I've been participating in Poetry Friday for a few months - I skip a Friday every now and then, though. I am pretty new, but glad to be a part of this great blog community! Thanks for hosting.

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  17. Hi, Heidi-- thanks for hosting and sharing the fun video based on one of my favorite classics. Clever! I'm blogging about... what else?... GIFT TAG!

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  18. Thanks for hosting today, Heidi! Like you, I'm avoiding malls, stores, etc. like the plague today! Although I am considering trying to go see HUGO somewhere not close to a mall!

    I'm in today with a review of Jane Yolen's BIRDS OF A FEATHER, a wonderful combination of poems and photographs!
    http://carolwscorner.blogspot.com/2011/11/birds-of-feather.html

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  19. Hi, Heidi! Thanks for hosting. I'm up with an original today:

    Too Much Dinner

    Nooooo. It has nothing to do with yesterday's feast. Noooo.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  20. I have Stanley Kunitz today, celebrating survival: http://www.watat.com/?p=2150.

    Thanks for doing the roundup!

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  21. I submitted my link earlier today, but it doesn't seem to have made it onto the list-- http://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/2011/11/beachcomber-spoofs-poems-of-aa-milne.html

    thanks!

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  22. Thanks for reclaiming black, Heidi!

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  23. Thanks for hosting POST-FEAST POETRY FEST!

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Thanks for joining in the wild rumpus!