This week Poetry Friday is collected at Teacher Dance!
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Hello & welcome to half-past winter time for some, spring for others.
On a walkabout just beyond my door this week, I didn’t pick any flower, as I like to do,
but left what I saw. And I collected a list poem (sort of . . .)
c.2019allrightsreserved pink buds of blue berries
c.2019allrightsreserved
pink chandelier of wild azalea
c.2019allrightsreserved blooms of lipstick plant
c.2019allrightsreserved
heirloom rose plant adopted from Goodwood Gardens
c.2019allrightsreserved
lemon fruit/ lemon buds
Bud time
Winter Beach
Winter Garden
Winter Haven
Winter Park
Winter Springs
Winter Flower, Florida
exists
only
on the
map
of my
heart
© all rights reserved JanGodownAnnino
The blooms are fresh-snapped from the last week of February in our North Florida garden yard. It is not uncommon to enjoy a sprinkle of snow, or to create icicles in winter here, with a bit of dripping water. So we appreciate February buds and blooms as much as any snow country flower fan. Our spot on earth, Little Yellow Cottage in the made-up Winter Flower, Florida, would be only half as lovely without a chance meeting I lucked into with garden guru Sharon Lovejoy. I hope her nourishing books are known by your library or bookstore. We correspond now & again; she is always a generous sharer of goodwill & joy (as befits her name.) And forever she is a marvelous author to read & read, again. Laura Jepsen’s Lichgate Cottage, is where we met.
c.2019 Sharon Lovejoy
Please read on for a link to next week’s book giveaway, & so important – last week’s book winners, announced just below! I have won, too – your comments you left. And special thanks for so many words from the wild shared, such as flub, throttlebottom, porridge, murliks.
Smiles are due these winners of last week’s giveaway, courtesy of publisher Boyds Mills Press –
Christie, Dawn, Ramona & winner of the two books, Linda M., soon you will be holding
WHAT IF?… THEN WE… by Rebecca Kai Dotlich & Fred Koehler.
Linda M. also from me, the companion, ONE DAY, THE END, by the same creative team.
Enter again
There is still time to win a Boyds Mills Press book. Join me next Wednesday March 6, over at the friendly Group Blog, when I introduce and giveaway the fresh-minted BOOM! BELLOW! BLEAT Animal Poems in Two Voices from poet Georgia Heard & illustrator Aaron DeWitt.
Fan time
In a treasure hunt, I came across a boxed heirloom under my roof, and wrote a poem for it.
c.2019allrightsreserved
“Fan Souvenir”
Fan souvenir
flutter flip flap
avian wingspans inspired
fan fashion
© all rights reserved JanGodownAnnino
If you are ready for real blooms & warm breezes, soon enough, you in higher spots of the north hemisphere will skip through April. Down under the drape of Spanish moss in North Florida, April will find me in full fan mode (not with this under-glass antique!) to keep my cool. You can hang on until then, you can, you can . . .
To visit others adding to this week’s Poetry Friday, please remember to see Linda B at Teacher Dance.
c.2019 “Bunny picks a winner”
Bookseedstudio 
I’ve been seeing Georgia Heard’s ‘Boom! Bellow! Bleat!’ on instagram. Hoping to one day see it IRL. 🙂 I’m wondering if your lipstick plant is our pineapple sage? Looks very much the same! The fan is a treasure! As is the map of your heart.
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Will have to investigate the pineapple sage-lipstick connection -luv a bio-mystery, Kat!
And thank you for hosting Poetry Friday this past week & many appreciations for these wonderful kind words.
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What a gorgeous collection of flowers from your garden, and in February–and I love where those flowers exist in your poem, “on the map of my heart.” Beautiful fan too. I just saw Georgia Heard’s animal book on twitter it looks Fantastic! Thanks Jan.
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You are one to note flowers with joy & care, Michelle – you draw them so mindfully & beautifully. Many appreciations for your kind words.
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I’m back, Jan. Beside enjoying your writing today, I noticed tha antiques in the photos. I have loved antiquing so much that my AOL pen name /username is Lady 1890. I have collected many beautiful treasures from the past so I appreciate your fan and the accompanying poem.
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Hi dear Carol! I should have guessed you are a Keeper of Past Treasures – glad we
share yet another connection. Do yours become your writing prompts?
I first remember doing this when I taught seniors memoir writing for several years in Ormond Beach.
(The first prompt was a little flowered cotton dress I had worn as a wee one.)
Then the I renewed the idea as I listened to Florida author – now my dear pal – Adrian Fogelin, give a presentation where
she pulled time-worn objects out of a trunk, to help show teachers a way to encourage student writing.
Let me know if you put something similar on one of your posts some time?
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Must be delightful to pick your own lemons! Thanks for sharing the map of your heart, the clever fan poem, and the sweet bunny 🙂
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Hello dear Tabatha.
Thank you for your so-kind words.
And, you are right, a joy, especially because it has been years to get to where the buds stay on, the bugs don’t attack too much (we are gardening without chemicals) & the mold & leaf rot don’t wreck things. After bags are gifted, we squeeze & freeze the rest, to drop cubes into hot tea or . . .
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Yay! I’m a winner! And, what a lovely winter thought–that there is a place that still harbors light and warmth and those beautiful heirloom roses. You’re a treasure, dear Jan. I love how you share these special places with us. I’m tucked up under a blanket on a snow day but feel the Florida love.
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Your snow appreciation this week over at your blog, A Word Edgewise, is a warm tribute to the sparkly, chilly fluff. I can tell you are enjoying the extra time. So glad somebunny picked you!
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Oh, those blooms fill in the “map of my heart”, too, Jan. Lovely. And that fan of a ‘wingspan’ memory, lovely. Fun to hear about those giveaways! And, FYI, I posted your link!
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So many many appreciations, Linda!
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