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Irene at Live Your Poem is hosting Poetry Friday on this weekend of NCTE Weekend. Oh to be there! Some day.
It's 43 days until the new year! And that means time to start thinking of sending New Year Post Cards! ![]()
Send five, send ten or send to all. Did you know there are 43 days until 2023 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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![]() Karen at Karen Edmisten* is hosting all the Poetry Friday goodness today. She doesn't want us to overthink and just enjoy all the poetry while offering up some Ella Fitzgerald. Last week, Mary Lee at Another Year of Reading offered her response to Lind Mitchell's Prose and Poetry challenge for the month: Write a prose piece–find a poem in it.Or, write a poem, expand it into a prose piece. Or, find a prose piece, transform it into a poem. Or, find a poem and transpose it into a prose piece. Any interpretation of this prompt is perfect. Mary Lee's reminded me of writing a haibun. I've been writing some of late and rather like the format. I also have been working on poems for a potential chapbook/memoir(?) of my life, especially around my first marriage. Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. My former husband (who died due to Agent Orange complications in 2017) flew helicopter in Vietnam. Thanks to a recent class with Joan Kwon Glass, and a particular poetry prompt, I've been doing a deep research dive on his experience there (which I didn't really spend a lot of time discussing with him and the more I learn, the more I am horrified at what I didn't know or understand). Today's sharing is a VERY rough first draft with the Prose and Poetry challenge. And honestly, I would love feedback as to what is sings or might be confusing. I keep think of what I was doing in 1970 compared to what my former husband was doing in 1970. ![]() In That Time I was reading In That Time: Michael O’Donnell and the Tragic Era of Vietnam by Daniel H. Weiss. O’Donnell was a helicopter pilot between 1969-1971. Roughly the same time period that my former husband served. Also a helicopter pilot. My heart stopped when I read Pleiku, Vietnam and the 170th Assault Helicopter Company. I hadn’t thought about Pleiku or the 170th in over thirty years. My former husband flew there during 1970-1970. Did the two cross paths? It was never something we discussed. Now reading about O’Donnell, it’s peering into a window of what my former husband lived through. Unlike O’Donnell, he returned after his duty was served, Spring, 1970 Men flying helicopters Cambodia and Laos HS senior choosing a college dorm room Simi Valley, CA Men flying helicopters Cambodia and Laos HS senior planning “ditch day” Simi Valley, CA Men flying helicopters Cambodia and Laos HS senior attend prom Simi Valley, CA Men flying helicopters Cambodia and Laos HS senior graduates, parties at Disneyland Some pilots never return, others carry the weight © jone rush macculloch ![]() I'm doing double duty today as I am at the coast (perfect for the SJT theme of renewal). This post will serve for SJT and PF. My mare-stanes (hag stone) at sunset at Rockaway Beach, Oregon. ![]() Fran of Lit Bits and Pieces is hosting Spiritual Journey Thursday this month. She has a moving post about renewal and says, "In choosing the theme of renewal, I note that one definition of the word is resuming an activity after an interruption." When I heard the topic of "renewal", it was an "aha" as I have always viewed renewal as a spring time word. As I study Scots Gaelic, and the Celtic Calendar, we have entered a new year. Autumn is also renewal. The harvest is finished.Now it's the time of fall's decay, the returning to the earth. The cold months are necessary for cleansing the land, for the renewal of the earth. And it's fitting that the Gaelic name for winter is An Geamhrachd, which is the Celtic word for cold. At Faith & Worship, I found a wonderful prayer for this time of renewal: For the promise of harvest contained within a seed we thank you. For the oak tree within an acorn The bread within a grain The apple within a pip The mystery of nature gift wrapped for us to sow we thank you I found an article on A Focus On Nature by Chloé Valerie Harmsworth. She has wonderful illustrations in the article. I used the "A Time of Renewal: Autumn and Winter" for the following found poem. ![]() A Time of Renewal: Autumn and Winter Nature Found Poem From the article by Chloé Valerie Harmsworth change the clocks have moved back the days short the nights deep and long the atmosphere seems to alter so do I mist, chilling creep through the cracks I swaddle an instinct to hibernate saving energy a constellation of warm, breathing bodies, waiting for the dark to pass strengthened this yearning of mine. we can enjoy simple peaceful activities go on life-affirming walks so much to learn the days and weeks descend into deep winter my attention turns to the trees’ naked beauty arms reaching out to the sky noisy, chattering corvids bring energy to the moment the earth’s reawakening shoots burst with spirit this period of rest and contemplation allows me to open like the first snowdrop ready to restart, refreshed and rejuvenated. ©Jone Rush MacCulloch, 2023 draft I am looking forward to hosting December's Spiritual Journey Thursday. as we head toward the shortest day, longest night, I am thinking about the importance of light in the dark of winter.
Our host for Poetry Friday is Buffy Silverman who is celebrating the arrival of her new book! ![]()
Carol at The Apples in My Orchard is celebrating bats and a milestone birthday. And she's still ope for submissions for her nature anthology.
I am sharing a Spooky Spectacular Found Poem even on Padlet. I hope you will share your poems. Here's the link to add yours. |
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. Categories
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November 2023
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April 1 Mary Lee Hahn, Another Year of Reading April 2 Heidi Mordhorst, My Juicy Little Universe April 3 Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference April 4 Buffy Silverman April 5 Rose Cappelli, Imagine the Possibilities April 6 Donna Smith, Mainely Write April 7 Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche April 8 Leigh Anne, A Day in the Life April 9 Linda Mitchell, A Word Edgewise April 10 Denise Krebs, Dare to Care April 11 Emma Roller, Penguins and Poems April 12 Dave Roller, Leap Of Dave April 13 Irene Latham Live You Poem April 14 Janice Scully, Salt City Verse April 15 Jone Rush MacCulloch April 16 Linda Baie, TeacherDance April 17 Carol Varsalona, Beyond Literacy Link April 18 Marcie Atkins April 19 Carol Labuzzetta at The Apples in My Orchard April 20 Cathy Hutter, Poeturescapes April 21 Sarah Grace Tuttle, Sarah Grace Tuttle’s Blog, April 22 Marilyn Garcia April 23 Catherine, Reading to the Core April 24 Janet Fagal, hosted by Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference April 25 Ruth, There is no Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town April 26 Patricia J. Franz, Reverie April 27 Theresa Gaughan, Theresa’s Teaching Tidbits April 28 Karin Fisher-Golton, Still in Awe Blog April 29 Karen Eastlund, Karen’s Got a Blog April 30 Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, and Writing |