Poetry Friday, Week 50: Ring the Bells, The Round Up is Here Plus Winter Poetry Swap Goodness12/16/2021 
Welcome. I am so happy to be hosting today. I am looking forward to reading all the fabulous posts that our community shares.
Did you write a Cento poem for the Inklings? Did you write to the #PoetryPals prompt about that includes bells? Do you have happy news or the sharing of poems or poets. No matter what, you are welcomed here.
The #PoetryPals challenge this month is writing a poem about bells. It instantly made me think of a couple of bell poem ideas. However, the one that most resonated with me was one from my childhood. It must have been when I was in third or fourth grade. Late at night I heard the jingling of sleigh bells from outside when I was supposed to be asleep. It was most likely Christmas Eve. I grew up in a house that until seventh grade, the tree (one from a SoCal tree lot) was not put up until after my brother and I went to bed on Christmas Eve when Santa brought it and the presents.
I recently wrote what I call the “Double Golden Shovel” for my winter poetry swap person using two of their poetry lines to bookend the lines. I borrowed some words from the poems that spoke to me. This week, I found Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, The Bells to select lines from. Confession: I slightly altered two of the words for a better fit in the lines. From the poem, The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe On Christmas Eve To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells By the side of the pale-faced moon To wake at midnight by the faint jingling and tinkling of bells. The tintinnabulation from the rooftop out-side that tells me of Santa’s arrival. His boots of so much magic-the secret for walking in silence. The musically clanging and twanging of reindeer, careful not to disturb pale-faced Well tucked-in dreamers who slumber in Runic rhyme by the moon. ©Jone Rush MacCulloch
Last Call to Join the New Year Poetry Postcards Event
Won't you join us? We have about 10 at the party so far and there's room for more. Sign up for the 2022 New Year Postcard Exchange. Send five, send ten or send to all.
Did you know there are 15 days until 2021 ends? Woohoo! Let's celebrate the New Year with a New Year Postcard? In Japan, it’s called Nengajo, a Japanese custom of ushering in the new year. How It Works:
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 Elisabeth at Unexpected Intersections is hosting Poetry Friday today. It's going to be a fun party as she and others celebrate Jane Yolen's 400th book, Bear Outside. Poets in the community are writing after the style of Yolen's eight line, rhyming poem, “What the Bear Knows”. Join the party, the topic is What the ____ Knows. Last week I shared my Poetry Swap from Janet ClareFagel . This week, Janet is my guest blogger. And it's an honor to share her Summer Swap treasures from Margaret Simon and myself. Summer Poem Swap |
 How perfect for the grandma of self-named Superhero, Dazzle Girl and her sidekick Superhero brother, Dragonfly. Thank you so much Jone for these treats! |  |
My second super Swap with Margaret Simon arrived and in it was a notebook with covers that Margaret painted in an abstract paint, print, and collage design. I noted sponges, dots from perhaps wide pencils, circles from the bottom of lids or bowls and some feathery strokes in deep green. Atop the initial layers of this work were green crisscross pieces that reminded me of lovely grasses. Its bright yellow, white and greens cheered me and made me want to write in it immediately! The border had these words: “oh happy day “repeating along the edge.
She included a copy of the poem Tonight I am In Love by Dorianne Laux. She said when she read the poem she thought of me as one who supports poetry as literature. From it she created a Golden Shovel poem for me. Here is Dorianne’s poem followed by Margaret’s. How lucky am I.
This poem sings my song for sure And I want to shout, “oh happy day!”
It begins
Tonight, I am in love with poetry,
with the good words that saved me,
with the men and women who
uncapped their pens and laid the ink
on the blank canvas of the page.
I am shameless in my love; their faces
rising on the smoke and dust at the end
of day, their sullen eyes and crusty hearts,
the murky serum now turned to chalk
along the gone cords of their spines.
And it ends:
They could not have known how I would love them,
worlds fallen from their mortal fingers.
When I cannot see to read or walk alone
along the slough, I will hear you, I will
bring the longing in your voices to rest
against my old, tired heart and call you back.
You can find the entire poem here
From Facts About the Moon ©W.W. Norton & Company, 2006. Reprinted with permission.
Here is Margaret’s Golden Shovel poem:
Tonight I Write
a Golden Shovel for Janet
striking line from Dorianne Laux “Tonight I am in love with poetry.”
I stained my arm tonight
with ink spots from fingers I
drew across a blank page. I am
falling into the words in
this poem, in love
with how sounds sing with
harmony and make poetry.
© 2021 Margaret Simon
How much do I love this idea of my fingers full of ink spots from caressing all the poems I love? And indeed how the words and sounds sing with harmony and make poetry. A blessing, this poem and poetry.
Also in the envelope were two magnet photos of my grandgirl aka Dazzle Girl and my grandson aka Dragonfly Superhero. They have taken prime position on my fridge holding up artwork. Again, oh happy day!!! Thank you Margaret.
And thank you Tabatha for organizing this. I am so glad I took this plunge! I loved writing for Margaret and Jone and gathering some poetry I felt each would like. I am still smiling about it all.
This poem sings my song for sure And I want to shout, “oh happy day!”
It begins
Tonight, I am in love with poetry,
with the good words that saved me,
with the men and women who
uncapped their pens and laid the ink
on the blank canvas of the page.
I am shameless in my love; their faces
rising on the smoke and dust at the end
of day, their sullen eyes and crusty hearts,
the murky serum now turned to chalk
along the gone cords of their spines.
And it ends:
They could not have known how I would love them,
worlds fallen from their mortal fingers.
When I cannot see to read or walk alone
along the slough, I will hear you, I will
bring the longing in your voices to rest
against my old, tired heart and call you back.
You can find the entire poem here
From Facts About the Moon ©W.W. Norton & Company, 2006. Reprinted with permission.
Here is Margaret’s Golden Shovel poem:
Tonight I Write
a Golden Shovel for Janet
striking line from Dorianne Laux “Tonight I am in love with poetry.”
I stained my arm tonight
with ink spots from fingers I
drew across a blank page. I am
falling into the words in
this poem, in love
with how sounds sing with
harmony and make poetry.
© 2021 Margaret Simon
How much do I love this idea of my fingers full of ink spots from caressing all the poems I love? And indeed how the words and sounds sing with harmony and make poetry. A blessing, this poem and poetry.
Also in the envelope were two magnet photos of my grandgirl aka Dazzle Girl and my grandson aka Dragonfly Superhero. They have taken prime position on my fridge holding up artwork. Again, oh happy day!!! Thank you Margaret.
And thank you Tabatha for organizing this. I am so glad I took this plunge! I loved writing for Margaret and Jone and gathering some poetry I felt each would like. I am still smiling about it all.
Thanks to Carol at Apples in My Orchard for hosting today. She's talk about important poets.
Next week, Janet will be guest posting about what I sent to her for the Summer Poetry Swap. It's her first time swapping and so glad she did.
Janet wrote a poem inspired by Fran Haley's blog. She participates in a group's prompts and this one is the decima from Spain.
There are 10 lines with 8 syllables per line.
The rhyme scheme is ABBAACCDDC.
While I will try the decimal, today's not the day. Instead another Golden Shovel:
Things to Do At the Tidepools
When at the tidepools, look
under the water’s surface for
Starfish returned from the sky. Turn over the driftwood
washed ashore last night. You might spy
barnacles looking for food. Walk along the sand for sea-glass
scrubbed and polished by the waves that sparkle green.
©jone rush macculloch, 2021
(not quite happy with the last line)
Besides the gorgeous poem that Janet wrote for me, she sent these two things.
A wonderful chapbook that I am savoring and the broadside by Taylor Mali, creator of the Metaphor Dice (which I have used). His poem nails my teaching style.
A wonderful chapbook that I am savoring and the broadside by Taylor Mali, creator of the Metaphor Dice (which I have used). His poem nails my teaching style.
so glad to be here for Poetry Friday. This week Christie at Wondering and Wandering is hosting and she has a community poem, Poetry Is...
After Tabatha set up the Summer Poetry Swap, she offered an opportunity for an extra exchange. I was glad to add Rebecca Herzog to the swap. Her poetry package arrived late last week. It included an erasure poem which was so fun. I love the painted bookmark and the bracelet/anklet made by her daughter.
For a response, I decided to use the words for a Golden Shovel poem and use the final line as a final line as well. I have been working on ancestry puzzles of late so the words spoke to me in that way.
Let’s unravel the mysteries of generations
working feverishly and wordlessly
finding kernels of information to console
those who believed the stories of the past. Love
guided the ancestors’ choices. I am grateful
to carry on the name.
©jone rush macculloch, 2021
Thank you, Rebecca for a wonderful swap that sparked this response.
Let’s unravel the mysteries of generations
working feverishly and wordlessly
finding kernels of information to console
those who believed the stories of the past. Love
guided the ancestors’ choices. I am grateful
to carry on the name.
©jone rush macculloch, 2021
Thank you, Rebecca for a wonderful swap that sparked this response.
Today, Poetry Friday is hosted Downunder at Kat at Kathryn Apel. And she's shares her interesting pets.
This week I received this gorgeous painting and poem from Mary Iphigene.
Do you know her work? She's an incredible artist and poet.
And from the sounds of it life has been particularly challenging in the Philippines.
I love how she used mourning/morning in her poem.
I also love 'crows feet/gathering'.
Thank you for this treasure, Mary.
Do you know her work? She's an incredible artist and poet.
And from the sounds of it life has been particularly challenging in the Philippines.
I love how she used mourning/morning in her poem.
I also love 'crows feet/gathering'.
Thank you for this treasure, Mary.
This is my response to Mary's poem. I used the phrase "Waking Up to Sunlight" for a sort of Golden Shovel (added an extra line).
Waking Up to Sunlight
Dream clouds fade with songbirds waking
me. The dog jumps up
tail wagging, nose nudging me to
rise and greet the morning sunlight.
This is joy.
©jone rush macculloch(2021, draft)
Waking Up to Sunlight
Dream clouds fade with songbirds waking
me. The dog jumps up
tail wagging, nose nudging me to
rise and greet the morning sunlight.
This is joy.
©jone rush macculloch(2021, draft)
Author
All photos and poems in these blog posts are copyrighted to Jone Rush MacCulloch 2006- Present. Please do not copy, reprint or reproduce without written permission from me.
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