Poetry Friday: What is Hope Anthology
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is our Poetry Friday host this week at Poem Farm. Hop on over there for the roundup.
What is Hope Poetry Anthology
I’m excited to have a poem in the new poetry anthology edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. WHAT IS HOPE is an anthology perfect for grades 3 and up.
My poem “Money” was written as a quatrain. Janet made the suggestion that we alter the line breaks. I loved the change and thought it really made it much better. We didn’t change any words–just the line breaks. It was a great exercise in seeing the poem in a new way and how a small change can change the feel of a poem.
Postcards
I’m sending out printed postcards of my poem via snail mail. If you don’t already receive my occasional poetry postcards and would like to, you can sign up here.
Signed Book Plates
I’ll be sending out signed bookplates to place inside WHAT IS HOPE. They can be placed on the “Money” page. If you are interested in a signed book plate, you can sign up here.
Haiku of the Week
morning’s light
sun-lifts ready petals—
it’s bloom day
Haiku & Photo © 2023 Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Photo Taken: July 29, 2023 at Burnside Farms
Haiku Written: August 17, 2023
What I’m Reading
by Ray Anthony Shepard
Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
I met Ray at Highlights several years ago and heard him read RUNAWAY. It gave me chills. The whole room was mesmerized. I knew there would be many wonderful books to come. This one is no exception. It’s six biographies in verse in one. And he has connected all six together.
What I’m Noticing
Monarch caterpillars. I have 11 of these very large caterpillars on ONE plant. Plus lots of eggs. Plus a few younger caterpillars. They are quickly decimating my milkweed plant, but I’m so excited!
47 Comments
Catherine Flynn
Congratulations, Marcie! I love your poem and can relate. At one time, my younger son wanted to be a herpetologist and begged to get a snake. I just couldn’t, so he was happy with an iguana. Hooray for blooming sunflowers and monarch caterpillars!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
LOL I would say no to a pet snake too. 🙂
Mary E Cronin
Marcie, I love your thoughts on line breaks. It’s amazing how that can really alter a poem. I also shared about WHAT IS HOPE? today, and I love your idea about the postcards!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yay! I loved your poem as well!
Rose Cappelli
Love your sunflower photo and haiku, Marcie. Great photo, too, of your monarch caterpillars. I have lots of milkweed waiting in my garden but haven’t spotted a caterpillar yet. But I have HOPE, just like the kids saving thwir money for a snake!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I hope you get some caterpillars. I had so many caterpillars that I need to plant much more milkweed for next year.
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
The monarch life cycle is really one of the most hopeful things of all! Your whole post is full of beauty and hope and reminds me to hold onto and linger in these last summer days. Congratulations on your poem in this new anthology. I love how the mom and the children are each hoping for different things! I giggled… xo, a.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Amy! Well put. I am still clinging to what’s left of the lingering summer.
Karen Edmisten
Congrats on the anthology and I enjoyed the peek into structure changes. It’s amazing what line breaks can do!
And oh, those very hungry caterpillars! 😀
Irene Latham
Gosh those monarch caterpillars are plump and happy! I am loving “sun-lifts” and that enough/stuffed rhyme is fantastic! xo
Linda Baie
Your ‘hope’ poem is so funny, Marcie, hope for the mom, of course. And I like “bloom day” which feels like it belongs to those caterpillars, too. Have a great weekend!
Carol Varsalona
Marcie, congratulations on the inclusion of your poem, Money, in Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong’s book, What Is Hope? I love the different slant on hope. It is something a child would enjoy. The line break tip was a wonderful suggestion. The rest of your poem is beaming with sunshine and poetry love. The sunflower photo and poem along with the caterpillar one are beautiful creations. Enjoy nature this week!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Carol! Kids are always hoping for pets, right?
Tracey Kiff-Judson
Congratulations, Marcie! I love your poem. You took such a creative turn from the picture. Fantastic!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Tracey!
Jane @ Raincity Librarian
Oh dear… I really do hope my son doesn’t want a snake one day! I remember longing for a mouse, and my mom just couldn’t bear its little tail, so she settled on a hamster instead. 😉
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
LOL! We had pet white mice for a bit. I can’t believe my mom agreed to it!
PATRICIA J FRANZ
The dreamy yellow haiku this week… big, happy sigh! I’m watching our late summer bees feverishly finish their work. But I COVET your milkweed squatters!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
So many milkweed squatters!!! What a huge surprise! Now I’m doing a twice-daily caterpillar/chrysalis watch.
Janet Wong
Marcie: Your poems always have such impeccable rhythm and rhyme, tremendous child appeal—and a knack for nailing the punch line!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Jane! I’ve learned so much from you!
Mary Lee
Janet is an amazing editor/coach. Her “small change” for your poem (pun intended?) did indeed make it better!
Wishing I could send you some of my untouched milkweed!! Good luck to the critters!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh! I’d love some more milkweed! And Janet is an amazing editor/coach.
Denise R Krebs
Marcie, how interesting your posts always are! Congratulations on this poem having a home in the Hope book. I love the sweet counting and hopeful look on the faces of the children in the photo. Your poem goes along with the image perfectly.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Denise!
Cindy Greene
Marcie, Love your poem! And it’s so true about the powerful change line breaks can make. I am fascinated by your catepillars…
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Cindy! I’m fascinated by my caterpillars too! I took 8 of them to school for our 2nd graders. And the rest I’m checking on 2x a day!
Lou Piccolo
Marcie, your poem made me laugh. My boys are adults now but this made me think of them when they were younger. Also, I think the line breaks are great. They air the poem and, although I never say your poem as a quatrain, I can’t imagine it any other way than it is now.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I love thinking about “airing the poem.” The line breaks definitely do that.
Linda Mitchell
What a great post! Congrats on ‘Money.’ I love it. And, I’ve said the same thing to my kids–not in poem form. But, no reptiles in this house unless they are stuffies! I love your sunflower haiku. I just finished a sunflower journal that I’m sort of in love with. Your haiku would make a great addition to it. How is school? Are you busy? busy?
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I’m obsessed with sunflowers. I love them so much I’ve tried 3x to grow them this summer. The birds and deer have been menaces. But third time was the charm, I think. I now have buds. School is going okay so far. My schedule is very different this year. Looking forward to seeing how it goes.
Molly Hogan
My class was delighted with their first set of postcards and I can’t wait to share this newest one with them. I know they’re going to love it! There’s much to celebrate in your post: publication, blooms and monarchs, oh, my!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes! I will send you a postcard with this new poem very soon!
Margaret Simon
I love how your poem is directed at kids and inspires them to be entrepenuers. Your photo of that almost open sunflower is amazing and paired with your haiku, “It’s a bloom day!” brings me such hope and comfort.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much, Margaret!
Carol Labuzzetta
Marcie, Your post is filled with goodness! Congratulations on the inclusion of your Money poem in the new Pomelo book, What is Hope? Sylvia and Janet do such a great job with those books. Your haiku is welcome at this time of year when things are drying down and of course, being a monarch conservationist, I love that you have so many monarch larvae on your milkweed! Thanks for sharing the “goodness.”
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes, these monarchs are all about HOPE, right?
Janice Scully
Marcie, I love the idea of “bloom day” in your haiku. And your caterpillar photo is amazing. So good you are nurturing the next generation with your tasty milkweed. Congratulations on your poem! Janet and Sylvia’s books are so well done.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I love their books too! Thrilled to have a poem in this one!
Michelle Kogan
Love your poem and video for MONEY, congrats on the publication, the music is fun too! Happy “bloom day” what a gorgeous image, and wow 11 Caterpillars, like Mary Lee I also have many available milkweed plants in my backyard. Rich post thanks Marcie!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Michelle. I’m definitely planting more milkweed!!!!
Michelle Kogan
Love your poem and video for MONEY, fun music too! Wow 11 caterpillars how fortunater you are, like Mary Lee I have many available Milkweed plants in my gardent too! Thanks for the “bloom day” haiku, great post Marcie!
Heidi Mordhorst
Congrats on your inclusion in this new anthology, Marcie! I’m not usually a fan of Cute in kids’ poetry, but when it’s done well, as here, even I can get behind it. (I cannot, however, get behind or beside or in front of slithery snakes; I’m with Mom.) Thanks for the tip about A LONG TIME COMING, and happy Bloom Day!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh I’m glad it passed the test. I’m on team mom here too. 🙂
Susan Thomsen
Congratulations on the publication, Marcie. I like the snake poem so much! It reminds me of my son when he was much younger. He did have a “pet” snake, direct from the front yard, whom he eventually let go.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I love it! A pet snake from the yard. 🙂 You are a braver mom than me!
Rochelle Y Melander
Congrats! Glad to join you in this new anthology! And I am so jealous of the caterpillars! We have oodles of milkweed and no cats!