Poetry Friday - Sweet Swapping Helps This Sad Day

It's Poetry Friday, this week hosted by Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone. She's sharing a poem idea, to write from a title that intrigues from another poet. It is interesting to read the original poem and then the direction Molly took from just that title. Thanks for hosting, Molly.

    Thursdays are my regular shift at the bookstore, also the day we weed through the week's donations and then shelve or discover doubles, fix boxes of books to pass on to others. While I do other shelving, I'm in charge of the children's/YA sections. In all the times I've done this, we've never had an anthology donated by Lee Bennett Hopkins. I was thrilled to see it, an older one that I don't have.
       Then in a brief lull, I checked my Facebook page and read the news about Lee's passing. I won't forget that this particular book came this day, and won't forget all the books from Lee I do have and cherished sharing with my students. I have only had a brief connection personally with him, but know many whose hearts are broken tonight and I am so sorry for their and his husband Charles' loss. Luckily for us, he left many, many gifts for us, especially for children.

        Remember when I discovered a wonderful poetry book, though disintegrating, and shared a poem by Celia Thaxter, the poet found because I googled the lines via a nudge from Heidi Mordhorst. From it to again sharing more from research and another poem by her to honor Paul B. Janeczko. I have since read An Island Garden; some write that it's Thaxter's most famous work. Well, many of you may not have remembered, but Tabatha Yeatts did and used lines of poetry by Celia Thaxter to write a poem for me. She has seen me share about our family beach trips every summer and sent this poem hug celebrating that for me. I am so grateful to see that Tabatha and Celia have collaborated so wonderfully! 

            Also, the following was created by Tabatha, a poem "prescription". It, too, is a special poem reminding me to "nevermore inure my heart to the recurrence of the springs... the infinite wheeling stars...", and she sent me a few blanks. I will save them for a future time.

        Finally, I loved reading about the 'definitos' the new form that Heidi created, so to thank Tabatha, I gave it a try.

Swap

a friendly trade  

where both agree to give and take –

exchanging baseball cards,

perhaps a Yoda for Chewbacca,

and poems.

An exchange brings equal wealth,

a passing back and forth

with smiles.

Swap

Linda Baie ©

        I'm taking a few weeks off, going to visit my brother and other family members, just taking it easy for a while. I wish everyone who is beginning their school years a fabulous start. Though back-to-work meant summer's end, I always loved that excitement of the first days (weeks?) of school – the beginning of something wonderful!