Friday, December 30, 2022

Poetry Sisters Write "Box"-Inspired Poems

For our last challenge of 2022, we let the word box inspire our poems. I made a long list of phrases that included the word box and hoped I would find some inspiration there. Two items on that list really stood out for me. One was "tackle box." I have fond memories of poking around in my father's tackle box while we were fishing. The other was a button box, which immediately reminded me of this.

This old candy tin was my grandmother's button "box." It was the one I spent hours playing with when I was young because "children were meant to be seen and not heard." 

I also thought a lot about the shape of a box and wondered if I could write a poem in the shape of a box (or square). I did some searching and found that Lewis Carroll wrote in a poetic form where the number of words per line is equal to the total number of lines in the poem. What's challenging about this square poem is that each of the six lines was meant to be read horizontally OR vertically from top to bottom. Here is the poem Carroll wrote.

I Often Wondered

I often wondered when I cursed,
Often feared where I would be –
Wondered where she’d yield her love
When I yield, so will she.
I would her will be pitied!
Cursed be love! She pitied me…

It's a bit easier to see how this works in the image below.

I decided to give this form a go. I started with 6x6 and found it incredibly difficult to write a poem that made sense across all the lines. Frustrated, I tried a 5x5 and then a 4x4. Ultimately, I landed on a 3x3 and wrote two stanzas. This isn't what Carroll had in mind, but I'm a rule-breaker. I did use the word box in my poem, so I feel as though I met the challenge posed.

I created a grid to aid in writing my poem. It helped align the words and made reading the horizontal and vertical lines much easier.
Here's another way to read the poem. I've highlighted the words in various ways to make the vertical lines stand out. Even though the poem is actually 2 individual square poems linked by a theme, I quite like the way the 6 words across the stanzas work together to create 3 entirely new lines. I did cheat with the singular/plural form of button(s). I'm not sure "buttons box" works, but there you have it. 

Sorting Grandma’s buttons
Grandma’s buttons box
Buttons box bounty

Assorted beautiful buttons
Beautiful buttons speak
Buttons speak history

Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

I am still working on a tackle box poem and hope to share that soon. In the meantime, if you are into nerdy mathematical poetry connections, I came across a conference paper while researching square poems that I am fascinated with. You may be too. It is entitled Graeco-Latin Square Poems.

You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

    I hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Patricia Franz at Reverie. Happy poetry Friday, friends!

    Friday, December 16, 2022

    Poetry Friday - Poetry Swap Joy

    It's been a while since I participated in a poetry swap, so I was determined to get involved this year. Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference has been generously coordinating summer and holiday swaps for years. It's a lovely way to "meet" someone new that you may only know through blogging. This year I was paired with Carmela Martino, author, poet, teacher, and blogger at Teaching Authors.

    I got home late in the evening and found her package waiting for me. Because I have been mired in grading, I decided to wait to open it until my grades were submitted this morning. So, at 9:01 am, after closing the semester, I sat down with a pot of tea (cacao chai from In Pursuit of Tea) and my gift. 

    One of the things I love about these swaps is that the participants write poems for one another. Imagine receiving a poem written just for you! There's something magical about it. When I learned Carmela had been a math major in college, I knew I wanted to write a Pi poem for her. For her part, Carmela took one of the recent Poetry Sisters' challenges to write a dansa and crafted this poem. (Click to enlarge.)

    Isn't it lovely? 

    Carmela also generously sent along the BEST calendar ever!
    I adore both Frost and Dickinson, so this is a real treat. Perhaps just as wonderful is that Carmela has  introduced me to an Etsy shop that produces delightful creations. Just look at the card Carmela's note came in!

    There was also a calendar card in the package.
    That right there is one of my favorite poems. I have it memorized. It hangs on my wall. This is perfection. 

    These items all came from Farmhouse Greetings. The shop is on a break right now, but I know I'll be stopping by frequently to see what they're sharing.

    Thank you, Tabatha for organizing the holiday swap, and an even bigger thank you to Carmela for making this experience so special. 

    I hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Karen Edmisten. Happy poetry Friday friends!

    Friday, November 25, 2022

    Poetry Sisters Write Recipe Poems

    The challenge we undertook this month was to write recipe poems. I had a lot of starts and stops on our Zoom call Sunday. I wasn't really loving any of my poems. (Isn't this how I always begin these posts?) I was prepared to share a draft of at least one poem, but then I received some profoundly sad news and started thinking about the path to healing we all walk in the face of unimaginable loss.

    This poem is my response to this news.


    Recipe for Healing

    marinate in denial
       gradually absorb this terrible news

    broil in anger
       briefly, to avoid bitterness and resentment

    stew in bargaining
       with just a pinch of "if only" and "what ifs"

    simmer in depression
       until the fog of sadness lifts

    steep in acceptance
       acknowledging change and loss

    knead and fold
    shape and prove
    REST and RISE

    Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

    You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

      Would you like to try the next challenge? In December we are letting box inspire us. Your poem can be about a box, in the form of a box, about Boxing day, a boxing match, etc. Let your imagination run wild! We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on December 30th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems!  

      I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town. Happy poetry Friday friends!

      Friday, October 28, 2022

      Poetry Sisters Write Dansas

      The challenge this month was to write in the form of the dansa. We took our cues about the form at Writer's Digest. I had trouble starting this one, so I did a little more digging into the form to see if there might be some other ways to approach it. I found the explanation at Poetry Magnum Opus to be particularly helpful because it showed related forms.

      The dansa is a poem generally written in 3 stanzas with a refrain at the end of each stanza. The first stanza is a quintain, while the rest are quatrains. While there is no set meter, these poems as originally conceived were written in lines of 6 or 7 syllables. The rhyme scheme is AbbaA/bbaA/bbaA, where A is the refrain.

      As you might guess from the name, the dansa was actually a poem set to music meant for joyful dancing. I found the joyful part hard to come by. Every poem I attempted turned to some heavy topic, even if it didn't start there. Nothing worked. I finally gave up on all the ideas I tried out when our group met on Zoom this week and decided to look for a line of poetry to use as my refrain. This actually yielded a lot of good ideas. Ultimately, I turned to Emily for inspiration and used a line from the poem Forever – is composed of Nows – (690)

      Forever is Composed of Nows

      Forever is composed of nows
      Seize the day, be brave and try
      Do some things that terrify
      Sheer a sheep, milk some cows
           Forever is composed of nows

      Take a lesson, learn to fly
      Join a contest eating pie
      Climb a live oak’s beckoning boughs
           Forever is composed of nows

      Sing your child a lullaby
      Find a church and testify
      Dance on tables, raise eyebrows
           Forever is composed of nows

      Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

      You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

        You're invited to our challenge in the month of November! Here's the scoop: we're creating recipe poems! Your choice of form, length, meter, or topic, but each poem will be an assemblage of elements, using recipe text/cooking instructions to create …something. From a recipe for disaster, to your favorite aperitif, you have a month to craft your creation and serve it forth on November 25th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

        I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Jone Rush MacCulloch. Happy poetry Friday friends!

        Friday, September 30, 2022

        Poetry Sisters Write Definitos

        The challenge this month was to write in the form of the definito. Head on over to Heidi Mordhorst's place, my juicy little universe, to learn more about the roots of this form. Essentially, this is a poem that focuses on the meaning of a "less common" word through word play. It is written in free verse and consists of 8-12 lines, with the last word of the poem the word being defined. These poems are aimed at readers ages 8-12, so getting this right was a challenge.

        I spent some time perusing vocabulary lists for 4th- and 5th-grade students. I found a few words I liked, but none that really struck a chord. Then I pulled out the book L is for Lollygag: Quirky Words for a Clever Tongue, written by the Chronicle Books Staff. Within minutes I had a gaggle of words to write about.


        The word that I ultimately settled on was betwixt. During our Zoom meeting Sara suggested I break the word and put the poem in between the word parts. I just couldn't get that out of my mind. I don't usually title my poems, but I thought I might try some variation of this suggestion. Here's what I came up with.

        Be- (insert definition here) -twixt

        not engine or caboose
             but railcar

        not elementary or high school
             but middle

        not once upon a time or happily ever after
             but the action in between

        not Oreo chocolate
             but vanilla cream

        not first base or second
             but playing a game of pickle

        when you're stuck in the middle
             you're BETWIXT

        Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

        You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

          Would you like to try the next challenge? In October we are writing in the form of the Dansa. You can learn more about this form at Writer's Digest. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on October 28th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

          I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference. Happy poetry Friday friends!

          Friday, August 26, 2022

          Poetry Sisters Write Bop Poems

          This month's challenge was to write a Bop poem. This form requires 3 stanzas, each followed by a refrain. The first and third stanzas each have 6 lines, while the second stanza has 8. What's interesting about this form is that presents a problem, explores it, and then resolves it or describes the attempt to solve it. You can learn more about this form at Writer's Digest.

          We decided that we would use the common refrain "Let's kick that can down the road."

          I spent some time brainstorming ideas, and they were all political, and depressing. When I dug a little deeper and more literally, I couldn't stop thinking about summer nights playing Kick the Can. Do you know this game?

          With this game and others in mind, this is the poem I came up with. I'll admit I did alter the refrain a bit.

          Choosing teams was always hard
          no one wanted a little sister tagging along
          but mom insisted 
          they were so much older
          I adored them
          what could they do?

          They kicked that can down the road.

          I didn’t think I was annoying
          though they often swore it was true
          running faster than I ever could
          they tried to lose me or hid
          but I heard their whispered voices
          wondered how I could fit in
          wanted so badly to play their games
          what could they do?

          They kicked that can down the road.

          In the fading light of summer
          they sometimes humored me
          let me join for hide and seek
          but they never searched me out
          eventually, they moved away
          no thought for the sibling left behind

          They kicked that can down the road.

          Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

          You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. Tanita also happens to be our hostess extraordinaire this week.

            Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month we are writing Definito poems. You can learn more about this form at Heidi Mordhorst's place, my juicy little universe. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on September 30th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

            I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Tanita Davis. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

            BTW, Tanita's blog is a bit wonky this weekend. You can check out all the Poetry Friday posts here.

            Friday, July 29, 2022

            Poetry Sisters Write Phrase Acrostics to Maya Angelou

            This month's challenge was to write a phrase acrostic. Is that even a thing? We chose our phrases from the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Whew! Talk about a challenge ... I tried to approach this as a "backwards" golden shovel, with the words at the beginning of each line instead of the end. This was a bad analogy for me, as I couldn't get the golden shovel form out of my mind. I wrote several drafts and tried to write someting that reflected the spirit of Angelou's poem, but couldn't seem to make it work. 

            Instead, I challenged myself to use not one, but two lines in each poem. After some tinkering, I wrote two poems that include two lines from the Angelou poem, with one forming the beginning words of each line, and the other forming the end words of each line. They need work, but I have solid drafts to play with.

            Poem 1
            With an open mind and heart, with just
            the whisper of an idea, she wrote with what felt like
            certainty ... a first draft tinged with hopes
            of literary magic, of a perfect twist of phrase like springing
            tides ... rising, rising, lifting words on high

            Poem 2
            Just another day of asking why
            like that time he wondered if stars are
            moons or could be … he looked at you
            and before you could answer you were beset
            like moths to a flame with more questions … do all planets dance with
            suns and on and on … the incessant chatter and his smile erased the gloom

            Poems ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

            I missed our Zoom this week, so I have no idea what my sisters have written or how far off the mark I might be. I can't wait to read them! You can read their pieces at the links below. 

              Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month we are writing Bop poems. You can learn more about this form at Writer's Digest: The Bop. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on August 26th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

              I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Marcie Clinchum Atkins. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

              Friday, June 24, 2022

              Poetry Sisters Write Byr a Thoddaid

              This month's challenge was to write in the form of Byr a Thoddaid. You can learn more about this form at Writer's Digest. It has a lot going on in terms of rhyme and meter and frankly, looked a bit complicated. Once I got started, it wasn't so bad. The form I used was this suggested option:

              xxxxxxxA
              xxxxxxxA
              xxxxxxxBxc
              xcxxxB

              I was inspired to write to this photo Liz Garton Scanlon took while hiking the West Highland Way.

              Photo by Liz Garton Scanlon, 2022.  

              I couldn't get this sweet image out of my head. Since I have a hard time writing to form without a topic, I decided to focus on these lambs. Here's my poem.

              West Highland Lambs

              Lambing season arrives each spring
              when tender-hearted little things
              roam the Scottish countryside. Rain or shine
              they twine beside the lane

              two undisturbed by those who pass.
              A mother and her bonnie lass
              quietly witness with wonder this pair
              under a sky so fair.

              Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

              Interestingly, after writing this poem I found a different description of this form that I actually like a bit better. Instead of 3 rhymes, it uses only 2. You can read more about this version at Poetry Magnum Opus. Here is the form they suggest:

              xxxxxxxA
              xxxxxxxA
              xxxxxxxA-xb                 
              xxbxxA

              Needless to say, I decided to try again with this form. Here's a second poem written to the photo of the lambs.

              they followed the West Highland Way
              discovering beauty each day
              mother and daughter under gray skies spied
              in a hide in the hay

              two lambs twined together asleep
              this sight made their open hearts weep
              mother and daughter felt bone-deep wonder
              found oneness with wee sheep

              Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

              I'm not sure I followed the rules exactly, as the guideline is "the main rhyme appears somewhere near the end of a longer line and the end word is a secondary rhyme... The last syllable is echoed  somewhere in the first half of the next line as secondary rhyme, alliteration, consonance or assonance." I didn't use the same approach in each stanza. In the first the words rhyme (spied/hide). In the second I've used assonance (wonder, oneness). I'm not sure I like this as much as the first, but there are ideas here I like. I'll need to keep playing with this form.

              You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

                Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month we are writing acrostic phrase poems. Choose any line from the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou and use each word in the phrase to begin a new line of your poem. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on July 29th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

                I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

                Friday, May 27, 2022

                Poetry Sisters Write to the Theme of String/Thread/Rope/Chain

                This month's challenge was to write a poem using the words or theme of string, thread, rope, and/or chain. I thought a lot about kites and sewing, but none of my ideas really hit the mark. Yesterday I spent a few minutes watching an industrious spider and decided that was what I wanted to write about. 

                Spider Triolet

                They swing and dangle in the air
                spiders spinning webs of string
                patterned with unconscious flair
                They swing and dangle in the air
                perfect traps designed to snare
                insects walking or on the wing
                They swing and dangle in the air
                spiders spinning webs of string

                Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

                You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

                  Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month we are writing poems in the form of Byr a Thoddaid. You can learn more about this form at Writer's Digest. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on June 24th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

                  I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

                  Friday, May 06, 2022

                  Poetry Friday - More Primary Source Poems

                  I'm still working my way through family documents and still writing every day, though not strictly in Japanese poetic forms as I did for this year's National Poetry Month project on poems and primary sources.

                  Here are the poems I've written for May 1-6. (Click images to enlarge for a better view of the documents.)

                  I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Jama Rattigan at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

                  Saturday, April 30, 2022

                  NPM 2022 - April 30

                  I can't believe it's the last day of April. Where has the month gone? I feel like I have so many more primary sources to share.

                  Today's poem is written to a photo of my brother and sister with our Semmelmayer cousins. This was taken Christmas day, 1960, five years before I came along. I missed some awfully good times. 

                  This poem is written as a choka. The choka is a Japanese form of unrhymed alternating five and seven syllable lines that ends with an extra seven syllable line. It can be any odd number of lines. You can learn more about this form at Poets Collective.

                  Here is a listing of all the poems I've written this month. I've also shared these poems on my Instagram, which is a good place to go to see them altogether. 

                  April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
                  April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
                  April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
                  April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
                  April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
                  April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
                  April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
                  April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
                  April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
                  April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                  April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
                  April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
                  April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
                  April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                  April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
                  April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
                  April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
                  April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
                  April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
                  April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
                  April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
                  April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945) 
                  April 23 - Senryu to my grandfather's christening photo (1899)
                  April 24 - Senryu to a photo of my father and his parents at the beach (1929)
                  April 25 - Senryu to a letter my father's sister sent him during the way (1945)  
                  April 26 - Senryu to a button envelop (1950) 
                  April 27 - Sedoka to a photo of my grandfather and his twin sister 
                  April 28 - Senryu to my dad's navy photo 
                  April 29 - Dodoitsu to a family photo (1946)

                  Friday, April 29, 2022

                  Poetry Friday - Poetry Sisters Write In the Style of Taylor Mali

                  This month the challenge was to write in the style of Taylor Mali. If you've ever seen the video What Do Teacher's Make, you know who he is. Mali is largely a spoken word poet. When you read his print poems, they are long and recursive. I wasn't sure I'd be able to pull off a poem like this, so I went to his Writing Exercises page and found a poem on the Rhyme Time Lesson that I thought would be good to emulate. The directions were to use his poem as a model, and then write about "thoughts, memories, fears, joys, and mostly OBJECTS that generally fill your head each day." His model poem is really a list poem. I didn't follow his directions exactly, but I'm not too far off. 

                  Insomnia Brain Remembers
                  When I can’t sleep at night and my brain won’t shut down
                  I feel like a tourist in memory town
                  Remembering people, places, and more
                  Reliving the bits that will not be ignored
                       My grandmother Stohr in her yellow housecoat
                       The day I was published for something I wrote
                       My father’s wry wit, my mother’s quick laugh
                       The first time my son fed a captive giraffe
                       The day that my sister packed up and moved out
                       The first job after college that filled me with doubt
                       The yellow VW owned by my brother
                       The last day in June when I lost my mother
                       The mountains, Tibet, and the glorious view
                       Sundays in church on a hard wooden pew
                       The first day of school when I started to teach
                       The jar of treats grandma kept high out of reach
                       The winter the dog was found caught in a trap
                       Charting our trips on an unfolded map
                  Try too hard to rest and it all rushes back
                  But I’ve lived and been loved, so there’s nothing I lack
                       (only sleep!)

                  Poem ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2022. All rights reserved.

                  You can read the pieces written by my Poetry Sisters at the links below. 

                    Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month we are writing poems using the words or theme of string/thread/rope/chain. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on May 27th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems! 

                    In addition to today's Poetry Sister collaboration, I'm close to wrapping up my National Poetry Month where I'm writing poems in Japanese poetic forms to primary sources. Today's poem is written to a family photo. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

                    I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Jone MacCulloch. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

                    Poetry Friday: NPM 2022 - Day 29

                    Today's poem is written to a photo of my grandparents, great grandmother, and great aunt and uncle. The back of the photo is stamped June 17, 1946. 

                    This poem is written as a dodoitsu. I haven't really followed the form too well this time.  While I have followed the pattern (a 4-line poem with a syllable count of 7-7-7-5), I have not focused on "love or work with a comical twist." The post What is a Dodoitsu? contains more information about this Japanese form.

                    I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

                    April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
                    April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
                    April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
                    April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
                    April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
                    April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
                    April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
                    April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
                    April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
                    April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
                    April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
                    April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
                    April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
                    April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
                    April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
                    April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
                    April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
                    April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
                    April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
                    April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945) 
                    April 23 - Senryu to my grandfather's christening photo (1899)
                    April 24 - Senryu to a photo of my father and his parents at the beach (1929)
                    April 25 - Senryu to a letter my father's sister sent him during the way (1945)  
                    April 26 - Senryu to a button envelop (1950) 
                    April 27 - Sedoka to a photo of my grandfather and his twin sister 
                    April 28 - Senryu to my dad's navy photo 

                    In addition to today's National Poetry Month poem, I'm also in with the poetry sisters challenge to write in the style of Taylor Mali. You can find my poem here.

                    I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Jone MacCulloch. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

                    Thursday, April 28, 2022

                    NPM 2022 - Day 28

                    Today's poem is written to my father's navy photo. I didn't often see him write his full name, so it makes we wonder if my grandmother called him Frederick.

                    This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

                    I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

                    April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
                    April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
                    April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
                    April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
                    April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
                    April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
                    April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
                    April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
                    April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
                    April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
                    April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
                    April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
                    April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
                    April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
                    April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
                    April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
                    April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
                    April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
                    April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
                    April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945) 
                    April 23 - Senryu to my grandfather's christening photo (1899)
                    April 24 - Senryu to a photo of my father and his parents at the beach (1929)
                    April 25 - Senryu to a letter my father's sister sent him during the way (1945)  
                    April 26 - Senryu to a button envelop (1950) 
                    April 27 - Sedoka to a photo of my grandfather and his twin sister

                    Wednesday, April 27, 2022

                    NPM 2022 - Day 27

                    Today's poem is written to a photo of my grandfather and his twin sister. Born in 1899, my guess is that this photo was taken when they were 3 or 4. I wish it had a date. My grandfather had 6 siblings, his twin Edna, and 5 other sisters. Twenty years separated Mamie, the oldest born in 1888, from Dorothy, the youngest born in 1908.  

                    This poem is (loosely) written as a sedoka. Sedoka is a form that contains two stanzas, each a Katauta with a syllable pattern of 5-7-7. The first generally asks a question and the second answers. These poems were generally question and answer conversations between lovers with the stanzas being written by different people. You can learn more about the sedoka at Writer's Digest or Shadow Poetry.

                    I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

                    April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
                    April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
                    April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
                    April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
                    April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
                    April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
                    April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
                    April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
                    April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
                    April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
                    April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
                    April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
                    April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
                    April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
                    April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
                    April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
                    April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
                    April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
                    April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
                    April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945) 
                    April 23 - Senryu to my grandfather's christening photo (1899)
                    April 24 - Senryu to a photo of my father and his parents at the beach (1929)
                    April 25 - Senryu to a letter my father's sister sent him during the way (1945)  
                    April 26 - Senryu to a button envelop (1950)

                    Tuesday, April 26, 2022

                    NPM 2022 - Day 26

                    Today's poem is written to an envelope with buttons inside. That is my mother's handwriting on the outside. She would have been 20 when her grandmother died. I have no way of knowing if she made this note at the time of her grandmother's death or some time later. This small remembrance of my mother's grandmother got me thinking about my grandmothers, both of whom are described in this poem.

                    This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

                    I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

                    April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
                    April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
                    April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
                    April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
                    April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
                    April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
                    April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
                    April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
                    April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
                    April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
                    April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
                    April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
                    April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
                    April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
                    April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
                    April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
                    April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
                    April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
                    April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
                    April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945) 
                    April 23 - Senryu to my grandfather's christening photo 
                    April 24 - Senryu to a photo of my father and his parents at the beach (1929)
                    April 25 - Senryu to a letter my father's sister sent him during the way (1945) 

                    Monday, April 25, 2022

                    NPM 2022 - Day 25

                    Today's poem is written to a letter my Aunt Lois sent my father when we was stationed in Hawaii during the war. Her letters are filled with stories about school, what music she's listening to, how she's earning money, what she's saving for, and so much more. Many of them open with her addressing him as something other than Fred. 

                    This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

                    I'm sad that the ink has faded in spots, making parts of the letter hard to read. You can see it below if you want to see it in its entirety.

                    I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

                    April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
                    April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
                    April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
                    April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
                    April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
                    April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
                    April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
                    April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
                    April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
                    April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
                    April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
                    April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
                    April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
                    April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
                    April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
                    April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
                    April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
                    April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
                    April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
                    April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945) 
                    April 23 - Senryu to my grandfather's christening photo 
                    April 24 - Senryu to a photo of my father and his parents at the beach (1929)

                    Sunday, April 24, 2022

                    NPM 2022 - Day 24

                    Today's poem is written to a photo of my father and his parents at Ontario Beach Park in 1929. One of the photos from this day ended up on the cover of the Gas and Electric News, a publication of the Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation. The date was August, 1929. 

                    This poem is written as a pair of senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

                    My grandmother saved the cover of the publication. It somehow ended up in my mother's papers. She wrote who was pictured on the cover in two different places. She also circled my father and grandmother. You can see the front and the back of that cover below. (I love the back because it has a poem!)

                    I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

                    April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
                    April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
                    April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
                    April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
                    April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
                    April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
                    April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
                    April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
                    April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
                    April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
                    April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
                    April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
                    April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
                    April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
                    April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
                    April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
                    April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
                    April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
                    April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
                    April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
                    April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945) 
                    April 23 - Senryu to my grandfather's christening photo