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Thursday, July 04, 2019

Poetry Friday and Triolets

Welcome! Poetry Friday is here today. It's also the first Friday of the month and that means the Poetry Sisters are sharing poems for a new challenge. This month we were charged with writing triolets with heat as a theme.

A triolet is an 8-line poem that uses only two rhymes throughout. Additionally, the first line is repeated in the fourth and seventh lines, while the second line is repeated in the final line. Because of this, only five different poetic lines are written.  The rhyme scheme for a triolet is ABaAabAB (where capital letters stand for repeated lines).

My poem was inspired by a memory of my grandmother and the realization that I was complaining and just needed to buck up and do my work. While writing it, I was also reminded of a letter my grandmother wrote to my father during the war. (One page is pictured below.)
If you can't read it, the portion at the beginning says:
We are having lots of fun trying to get butter, so far we have had enough, & now Truman says we have to tighten up our belts, so we can feed the other countries, & we are going to have to eat dark bread, so there was a flour scare on & Sat. I went shopping in the Star Market & the people in there it was just like a mad house & no flour.
So, that's a long introduction to my poem, which isn't really about heat, but uses the word.

Grandma Quoted Truman
Grandma quoted Truman in times of trial
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Would tell tales of Depression and war, if you'd just sit a while
Grandma quoted Truman in times of trial
Made my worries seem so juvenile
I think of her words when I feel like bitchin'
Grandma quoted Truman in times of trial
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2019. All rights reserved.

You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. (I won't be adding them again to the round-up below, so be sure to visit them!)
I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today. I'm rounding things up old-school style, so please leave a comment and I'll add you to the post. Happy poetry Friday all!

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Original Poems
At A Journey Through the Pages, Kay shares an original poem entitled Lady Liberty.

Kimberly Hutmacher shares a poem she wrote for a clunker swap (cool idea!). It is entitled Be Changed, Be You.

Molly Hogan shares a "little love song to oatmeal" in her poem entitled Oatmeal.

Linda Baie shares a poem entitled Looking Long. It was inspired by the exhortations of a John Moffitt poem that says "If you would know that thing/You must look at it long."

Michelle Kogan is sharing an acrostic poem for the 4th of July reflecting on American values. She's also sharing "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus.

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is sharing her poem "For A Little While" in the new anthology I Am Someone Else.

Carol Varsalona is reflecting on nature the part it plays in her writing life. She shares some digipoetry and a cherita.

Matt Forrest Esenwine shares a tanka in the form of photo poem. What a lovely window box!

Irene Latham is sharing a number of poems she's written, inspired by LOST WORDS>

Inspired by the word feldgang, Margaret Simon wrote a poem while looking out her kitchen window.

Heidi Mordhorst is cleaning out, going through papers, and sharing some original poems from childhood.

Mary Lee Hahn is showing off her fence beautification project and her poem entitled The Choice is Yours.

Cheriee Weichel is writing about her family history and sharing these inspired poems. Today's poem is entitled Crossing.

Jone MacCulloch is sharing a lovely haiga/haiku.

Poems of Others
Tabatha Yeatts is sharing the poems of Christine Potter and Cambra Koczkur, two poets writing about current events.

Catherine Flynn is honoring her dad and sharing the poem High Flight by John Magee.

Ruth is sharing a lovely collection of thoughts and poems on and by Donald Hall.

Sylvia Vardell is is asking poets to share poems that did not end up in a published collection. One such poem and an interview with Janet Wong are highlighted today.

Little Willow is sharing song lyrics from the Duncan Sheik song She Runs Away.

Poetry Projects and Exchanges
Linda Mitchell is showing off some of the incredible poetry swap goodies she has received.

Talking Poetry and Writing
Michelle Heidenrich Barnes is kicking off a new series of reader highlights. Today she's spotlighting Linda Mitchell, who also set the ditty challenge for the month.

Poetry Books and Other Inspirations
Carol is sharing a review of Kate Messner's middle grade novel, Breakout, where one of the main characters uses mentor poets to write her own poems.

Myra from Gathering Books is sharing thoughts about the collection Standing Female Nude: Poems by Carol Ann Duffy.

Robyn Hood Black shares a link to her artsyletters Summer Letter. There are so many fun things in it. Do stop by for a visit.

32 comments:

  1. That is fabulous, Tricia! I love both your grandmother and your poem! Kitchen and bitchin is brilliant :)

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  2. Your poem is wonderful! I wasn't familiar with the triolet. Thanks for sharing about it, and thank you for hosting this week.
    I shared a poem that I wrote from one of Linda's clunker lines- Be Changed, about a butterfly.
    https://kimberlyhutmacherwrites.blogspot.com/2019/07/poetry-friday-be-changed.html

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  3. There's more than one kind of heat, and your triolet captures that. The letter from your grandmother shows the spirit of that age--I wonder how many of us would do facing such shortages today. My poem today is a view of Lady Liberty: http://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2019/07/04/poetry-friday-lady-liberty/

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  4. I loved peeking into the past with your grandmother's letter. Your triolet is wonderful and your repeating line choices are inspired. I've only written one triolet, and it was quite a challenge. Well done! Thanks so much for hosting this week. My post focuses on oatmeal. https://nixthecomfortzone.com/2019/07/04/oatmeal/

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  5. Happy Fourth, Everybody! Thanks to Tricia for hosting on such a spectacular weekend. I'm sharing some Poetry Swap goodness and enjoying summer SO MUCH! Can't wait to take a peek at all the triolets. I enjoy the group effort & sharing each month.
    https://awordedgewiselindamitchell.blogspot.com/

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  6. What a treasure to have that letter, Tricia — a real slice of family and American history. And it inspired a great triolet, too! I don't know why I find the triolet so difficult, but I've never been able to write one that I actually liked.

    At Today's Little Ditty I'm starting a new series of TLD reader spotlights. My first interview features Linda Mitchell and her DMC challenge for July. https://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2019/07/reader-spotlight-linda-mitchell-dmc.html

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  7. So much said in the few words of that letter, Tricia (& such voice!), and also in your poem. I love triolets. Thanks for sharing and for hosting this week! Happy Fourth. :0)

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  8. Hello hello! Thanks so much for hosting this week, and Happy Fourth of July. Here is my contribution for today's Poetry Friday:
    https://gatheringbooks.org/2019/07/05/poetry-friday-37/

    Your grandmother's letter is moving, love the triolets as well!

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  9. Ohhh, she says "be good!"
    I love that so much.

    It makes me laugh that TRUMAN is the one who coined that phrase... and that Robert Frost coined "the best way out is through." Some no-nonsense counsel from that era.

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  10. Your triolet, not easy, is a wonderful capture of your grandmother's time, Tricia. I do wonder how we all would do in those circumstances. Thanks for sharing part of those memories and for hosting! Today, I'm sharing a poem about careful observation, an experience from my beach vacation. https://www.teacherdance.org/2019/07/poetry-friday-looking-long.html

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  11. What an inspiration that letter from your grandmother is. I've written a few triolets and enjoy the short and sweet compactness they offer. Yours has the sound and rhythm of a wrap song and your lines zip right through.

    I'm sharing an acrostic poem for the 4th of July reflecting on American values. I'm also sharing "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus. Thanks for rounding us up and hosting Tricia! https://moreart4all.wordpress.com/2019/07/04/poetry-friday-4th-of-july/

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  12. Tricia, you make triolet writing seem so easy as you weave your grandmother's letter with a historical context into a beautiful poem. Your slant on heat was ingenious so thank you for a slice of history and a reminder of the time when my mother lived. Today, I am reflecting on nature and how it plays a huge part in my writing life. Summer life on Long Island is opening the doors to new ideas. I digitized some photos to create digipoetry and even attempted my 2nd cherita, hoping that I will get tips on how to enhance that poetic form so I can continue to write poetic narratives on summer life. https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2019/07/summer-joy_5.html

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  13. I think I might have quoted your grandma/Truman the other day, but I was just talking to myself (and I was actually in the kitchen :-)) I have some poetry by others today: https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/ Thanks for hosting!

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  14. I feel like I'm witness to the family conversation back then - nicely done, Tricia! Thanks for sharing, and hosting! Today I'm dusting off a summer tanka I originally shared 5 years ago: https://wp.me/p2DEY3-12h

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  15. Tricia, I LOVE what you did with your grandmother's letter! Wonderful wonderful. I've got original poems inspired by THE LOST WORDS. Thank you for hosting! xo https://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2019/07/poems-inspired-by-lost-words.html

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  16. It's so easy to get bogged down in the minutia of our daily lives and so easy to forget how lucky we are! I have a diary that my grandmother kept during the early years of the Depression. One entry is about being able to bake bread because my grandfather had chopped wood! Can you imagine? So thank you for this reminder to quit "bitchin" and get on with life. Thank you, too, for hosting! Today I'm sharing "High Flight" by John Magee in honor of my father's birthday: https://readingtothecore.wordpress.com/2019/07/05/poetry-friday-happy-birthday-dad/

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  17. Love that poem, Trisha! Your grandmothers words are so fitting and real. I had a struggle with this form. My attempt is here: https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2019/07/heat-triolets.html Thanks for rounding us up!

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  18. I didn't know what to write today but found my way to feldgang which is field writing and drafted a poem about my bird feeder. https://reflectionsontheteche.com/2019/07/05/poetry-friday-visitation/

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  19. I didn't comment on your post. Love your triolet. We need these reminders that we've got it so good. One thing I truly appreciate in these dog days of summer is A/C. What a wonderful modern invention!
    Having letters from your grandmother is such a treasure!

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  20. How fascinating to find you *uoting from your grandmother's letter on a day when I am also sifting through old papers. I'm sharing poems and writings of the child Heidi and considering whether I--and all of us--were born to be planet activists. I'm trying to live with just enough air conditioning!

    https://myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.com/2019/07/born-this-way.html

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  21. You nailed it, and don't you know I snorted just a little to find "bitchin'" in your poem. Perfection.

    I did a little art project this week, and my poem is in response. https://readingyear.blogspot.com/2019/07/poetry-friday-choice-is-yours.html

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  22. https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2019/07/poetry-friday.html

    Here's my post. Some blitherings, some Donald Hall.

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  23. I love how you combine your story, with a figure from history, and then use what seems like a really difficult poetry form, besides. After I post, I'm headed out to do an interview with my new principal. I'm feeling a little grumpy about giving up one more day of vacation for work, and need to take your grandmother's advice.

    I'm in today with a review of BREAKOUT, Kate Messner's middle grade novel. I'm reviewing it today because Elidee, one of the main characters, uses mentor poets like Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Grimes, and Nikki Giovanni to write her own poems. I loved the book and think a lot of other Poetry Friday folks will too! https://carolwscorner.blogspot.com/2019/07/poetry-friday.html

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  24. I'm truly impressed by your triolet. Your grandmother's letter is a great gift. It has reminded me that somewhere tucked away I have letters that I exchanged with one of my grandmother's when I went away to university.
    Today I'm sharing more of my family's history.
    https://dickenslibrary.blogspot.com/2019/07/poetry-friday-july-5-2019.html

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  25. This is such a mandate, a call to create. I love what you did with your grandmother's letter and your own frustration. Thank you for this -- and for hosting!

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  26. Thanks for hosting! My blog post features Janet Wong's grandmother in a poem she wrote-- so I love this connection! https://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2019/07/extra-extra-janet-wong-and-suitcase-of.html

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  27. Happy Friday! Thanks for hosting. I posted lyrics -- https://slayground.livejournal.com/891589.html

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  28. I love how you turn history into poetry. And now your grandmother's voice is in my head, too... Thank you for hosting, and writing triolets with me, and for your poetry friendship of these many years. I treasure all of it.

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  29. I have a quick haiga/haiku: https://wp.me/piUJM-3dH
    Thanks for hosting.

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  30. Love your depression poem and would like to be included somehow in your group. Thank you.

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  31. Thanks for hosting! I love your triolet.

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  32. I love your poem--and you inspired me to try my hand at a triolet--mine is about the coyote I almost saw earlier this week:
    https://www.soulblossomliving.com/things-almost-seen-poem-and-thoughts/poetry/
    And thanks for hosting.

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