Poetry Friday, Week 49: A Cento for Solstice and a Call for the New Year Poetry Postcard Exchange12/10/2021  Cathy at Merely Day by Day is hosting us and thanking the Poetry Friday community. So glad you are in the community, Cathy. Molly Hogan of The Inklings, suggested for the December challenge, that we try the cento poem/patchwork poem. # PoetryPals the December challenge is to write a poem about bells. After reading MaryLee's cento last week and Carol Varsolana's cento this week, I am jumping in with one about winter's arrival. Did you know that the CENTO is an historic poetic form, relying entirely on other poets’ published words? According to Linda Black, Ausonius (c310 – c395) was the Roman originator of the form. For mine, I researched poems about the winter solstice. One Solstice When the short day is brightest, with frost and fire which burns the spark of luminous goodness when I stare at paper or into silences the dark, too, blooms and sings, The world appears very large, very round now extending far as the moon A quiet light, and then not even that. all the singing is in the tops of the trees which shook in the wind of night to drive the dark away One winter I lived north, alone ©jone rush macculloch, 2021 Sources for One Solstice: LITTLE GIDDING BY T.S. ELIOT A WINTER SOLSTICE PRAYER BY EDWARD HAYS SNOW BY NAOMI SHIHAB NYE TO KNOW THE DARK BY WENDELL BERRY WINTER SOLSTICE BY HILDA MORLEY AN OLD MAN’S WINTER NIGHT BY ROBERT FROST WHITE-EYES BY MARY OLIVER THE COLD EARTH SLEPT BELOW BY PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY THE SHORTEST DAY BY SUSAN COOPER THE WORLD BY JENNIFER CHANG 2022 New Year Poetry Postcard Exchange 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 22 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:
 A shout out to this book, HOP TO IT edited by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell has won the Kids' Book Choice Awards. I love this book. Next week, the Poetry Friday Party is here! I'm hosting. Bring your bells and centos and winter solstice greetings!
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Please head over to Michelle at Michelle Kogan to see other poetry posts. Plus Michelle shares her gifts of art. December the long and short of it year passes 2022 New Year Poetry Postcard Exchange
It's time. Sign up for the 2022 New Year Postcard Exchange. Send five, send ten or send to all.
Did you know there are 29 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:
I have a few 2022 Calendars for sale, $15.00 (includes shipping ).
If interested, please fill out this FORM. 
Ruth at there is no such thing as a God-forsaken town is hosting us and old school style this morning. Her Ode to Haiti in Autumn is beautiful and poignant with all that is happening in Haiti right now. I pray for peace in Haiti.
The Poetry Sisters invited us to join their challenge for the month of November! Writing an Ode to Autumn. An ode is a lyrical poem, a way of marking an occasion with a song. Whether you choose an irregular ode with no set pattern or rhyme, or the ten-line, three-to-five stanza famed by Homer himself, we hope you’ll join us in singing in the season of leaf-fall and pie, and sharing on November 26th in a blog post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals.
Well, sometimes I miss little details, like this was to be an ode for autumn, not November. Maybe it's because my grandfather always referred to November as the darkest month. And my father agreed with him as Grandfather Mac died in November and my mother, pregnant with my brother was hospitalized with non-paralytic polio. So maybe I was unconsciously look for a way to lift up and light up November. I begin this month with the lighting of white twinkle lights outside. My flameless candles are set to flicker on at sunset (how cool is it that flameless candles can be programmed?) I've been keeping up with my #gratiku note booking. Last week, I read through my blog to mine words. November Ode Later sunrises Gunpowder grey skies Pink threading the clouds Wind blustering more Leaves and letting go Earlier sunsets Darkness and candles Warming by a fire Family gatherings November; autumn's hug © jone rush macculloch 
It's time. Sign up for the 2022 New Year Postcard Exchange. Send five, send ten or send to all.
Did you know there are 36 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:
Would You Like?
I am very pleased with the 2022 calendar.
For the first time, I'm offering my small poems and photos calendar for sale. It's $15.00 including shipping. If you would like one, send me an email at macrush53 at yahoo (dot) com. I have a limited run for sale.
Thanks to Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink for hosting the round up. Her autumn gallery is stunning as usual.
And it's a busy weekend for many who are attending NCTE!
The winners of GOOD LUCK GOLD AND MORE. Lucky winners have books winging their way to them.
Sign up for the 2022 Poetry Postcard Exchange
I am thinking about the November challenge to write an ode to November. I went through old posts looking for words.
#gratiku, Day 19. word mining old blog post treasures recycle 
It's time. Sign up for the 2022 New Year Postcard Exchange. Send five, send ten or send to all.
Did you know there are 43 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:
I'm so happy to host Poetry Friday this week. A new year, fresh and into the second month already. How does that happen? Poetry Friday is a weekly happening for all who love poetry, Write it. Read it. Pass it on. I found my first Poetry Friday post HERE. It was to announce the CYBILS POETRY winner for 2006. The post ran in February 2007. Thirteen years of Poetry Friday for me. Whether you are new to Poetry Friday or have many posts, welcome, welcome. 
THE 2021 POETRY POSTCARD POETREE
 I thought of this image as I wrote the poem. Tualatin Wildlife Refuge, 2016.
There were a total of eleven participants for the 2021 New Year Poetry Postcard Exchange.
This week I curated words from all the poems creating a FOUND poem. I hope you will consider joining the exchange in 2022. Refusing to Wait for Springtime Minted moon silverdrops, yesterday’s rain, reflecting an invitation for merrymaking on the icy pond. Beneath the surface, unseen creatures busy themselves with an honest day’s work. Chickadees flying free, blue herons perching high in a tree watching the morning joy. © jone rush macculloch (2021 draft) There is much poetry goodness in the world and do we ever need it now. Head over to Sylvia at Poetry for Children. She has the inside scoop of the 2021 titles being born. What a week. I think what lifted my spirits was the arrival of New Year postcards. Linda Mitchell's New Year Poem is based on the Year of the Ox and it happens to be her OLW. That it is a bookmark is a bonus. I love her mixed media art. Janice Scully's tree made me swoon. I love trees. I am ready for some merrymaking and some spring. 2021 Photo and Poem Calendar I have an extra photo and poem desktop calendar. If you would like to win one, please let me know in the comments.
Bliadhna mhath ùr, Scottish Gaelic for Happy New Year. This week, New Year Postcards have begun winging their way across the country. Today I'm sharing one for New York and one from Ohio. I'll be placing these on my Poe-tree.
upon the lake winter's freshness exhale earth's frostbitten bite Evolve! ~Carol Varsalona Photo by Carol Varsalona 
recently minted
shiny coin of here and now ready to be spent ~Mary Lee Hahn Photo by Mary Lee Hahn
Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town has the first 2021 poetry round-up. So thankful for this community. Here's to many poems this year.
Thanks to Carol at Carol’s Corner for hosting our post Thanksgiving Poetry Friday.
A couple of times a month, I participate with a group of women in the "Mud Puddle". We write for an hour on one or two prompts. Last Saturday, I was introduced to Pat Schneider, poet and teacher.
This poem came from watching a short video about her. Come In, Come In by Jone Rush MacCulloch Come in, come in the tea is cozied ready to sip We sit on the porch Come in, come in We eat toasted, buttered biscuits mittened hands around steamy mugs Come in, come in squirrels chitter for the crumbs in trees above Come in, come in We talk of daily records reminding us been here before - Viet Nam Come in, come in allow me to hold your pain, catch your breath ©2020 (draft) Let's Welcome 2021 with a Poetry Postcard
Did you know there are 35 days until 2020 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. Please join the party. It will be fun!
#gratiku day 14
geese take flight between rainstorms time for tea #gratiku day 15 ancestors walk among the clouds remembrance #gratiku day 16 great family mystery his birth records- hen's teeth down the rabbit hole #gratiku day 17 autumn storm tree shelters squirrels umbrella "Umbrella" video from HOP TO IT
Yesterday's haiku reminded me
of the "Umbrella" video for my poem. Sylvia Vardell created on a recent zoom party for HOP IT IT. Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell always create magic with their books. You can order your copy at QEP Books via phone 800-323-6787 and email: qepsupport@qepbooks.com Let's Welcome 2021 with a Poetry Postcard
Did you know there are 42 days until 2020 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:
All poetry goodness can be found at
Teacher Dance. Thanks Linda! 
This week's #gratiku focused on autumn images. I like to photograph images when I walk. I've discovered I like to use the images as inspiration for my notebook pages.
For November 8, 2020
morning frost scarlett leaves linger after rain For November 12, 2020 red sky dawn early riser gift before rain For November 13 grassy blades cradle frost encrusted maple flag crunch! dog is clueless Let's Welcome 2021 with a Poetry Postcard
What I sent last year.
Did you know there are 48 days until 2020 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:
Head over to the very talented Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge for all the Portey Friday goodness in the world.
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AuthorAll 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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