Poetry Friday - Something New to Celebrate, Something Old, too

      It's Poetry Friday, and Matt Forrest Esenwine is hosting HERE on his blog Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. He has lots of books you'll want to know about on the post today, and some fun poems, too! Thanks for hosting, Matt!

         I was excited when Hannah Brown at Schiffer Publishing sent an email that Charles Ghigna's new book, Bound to Dream, An Immigrant Story, was on its way to me! Thanks, Hannah! No, it isn't one of Charles' beautiful books of poetry, but a heartfelt story of his own great-grandfather, full of the poetry of a life we can all admire. 

          When I received it, an early question was how can I share it for Poetry Friday? Then, last week, a book titled Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers was donated to the used bookstore where I volunteer. Here was my connection, more about immigrating to America. Her Right Foot is also not a book of poetry, but it has a sonnet in it, The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, written in 1883 to raise money for the pedestal on which The Statue of Liberty stands.

        In Charles' story, his great-grandfather Carlo is shown doing farm chores, then reading and dreaming by candlelight. Now we know he loves books! Hmm, is that where Charles gets his love for words? 

        And those books, as he read, "filled his dreams with people in faraway places." When he was old enough, he traveled (alone) to New York. 

        The story shows a young Carlo, knowing only a little English, walking the streets of the city, desperate for work. One lucky day, he found himself looking at the fabulous books shown in a bookbinder's window, amazed. "'So many beautiful books', he whispered to himself." This lucky young Carlo was seen by the shopkeeper, and the rest of the story shows that through his continuing love of books and a kind teacher and employer, Carlo learned the art of bookbinding. In that work, he studied English in the books at night, then up he rose to start another day, loving his work, making books for others who also loved them. 

          In the story, Charles imagines Carlo's thoughts as he worked: "He loved to make them and hold them in his hands, and he loved how he could smell the forest coming through the pages." That is poetry! 

         Anna Forlati envisions Charles' telling of his family's immigrant story with gorgeous illustrations filling the pages with dreamy muted tones that feel like memories. Along with the beauty in what feels like a collaboration meant to be, Anna lives in Northern Italy, not far from where Charles' great-grandfather lived. 

            Added at the back is a brief piece that explains this book-binding art, which will inspire added research into the artistic process. Also, Charles tells that this story was told to him by his father!

          Dave Eggers gives us another kind of poetry in his book that tells the history of our spectacular Statue of Liberty. He tells all the history, in his "tell it like it is" tongue-in-cheek manner, from the very idea of a Frenchman, Laboulaye, who wanted to do something for the United States to celebrate their centennial and who convinced another Frenchman, Bartholdi, to design a sculpture. As you know, it happened, and the long, long story that came to the fantastic end of 214 boxes sailing across the Atlantic, the statue in parts, holds lots of details, including that Lady Liberty's Right Foot shows she is "on the go," ready to welcome all who come to her country for oh, so many reasons! Shawn Harris illustrates this story in wild colors of diversity, a gift to all here and all arriving.  

             This political season and words said in numerous places are full of hateful words about immigrants, filling the media in various ways, in graphics or speeches. Some seem to have forgotten that we are all immigrants or are descendants of them, every one of us who is not Native American. That is our country called America! 

       by Emma Lazarus 1849 - 1887

                              This poem is in the public domain.