Poetry Friday is here :)

Appreciations for your visit! Until Feb. 5, Poetry Friday is based here. (more details below.) Please know I’ve been singing:

Down the wavy path

in the budding park

along the Miccosukee sidewalk

my jaunty footsteps hum

to

Here Comes the Sun

Amanda Gorman’s books
A song poem spoken-word book of Biden-Harris phenomenal inaugural poet, 
22-year-old Amanda Gorman, of Los Angeles, is due out late summer/early fall.
CHANGE SINGS, An American Anthem is illustrated by the children’s 
Pres. O’Bama book (of THEE I SING) artist Loren Long, of Ohio.
Ms. Gorman’s older ages book, of inaugural poem and more of her poetry is
THE HILL WE CLIMB and Other Poems. I expect to love all these, as
one of uncountable millions of 40 million watching, who teared up during her 
soaring performance at the U.S. Capitol on January 20th.

Bookshop is the independent bookstore community, online. It offers CHANGE SINGS + THE HILL WE CLIMB and OTHER POEMS.

Learn more about Amanda Gorman

ESSENCE online :::: Dr. Jill Biden-connection https://www.essence.com/articles/meet-amanda-gorman-the-youngest-inaugural-poet-in-u-s-history/ OZYMedia :::: 2017 Youth Genius winner https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/how-a-young-poet-is-nurturing-empathy-with-virtual-reality/77355/ COVEN :::: on not being “the black history voice” in class, 2036 presidency, her mother’s teaching in Watts. SESI magazine :::: #BlackGirlMagic, her One Pen One Page non-profit foundation.

” I remember all those people (particularly women) who have been rendered silent by illiteracy, and how lucky I am that I get to use this pen. I remember that, to me, nothing is funner than a little word play, and I return to that little kid who is excited to put pen to paper.” Poet Amanda Gorman in COVEN online magazine interview

Prediction: President Amanda Gorman

In year 2036

she will bring her nourishing fix

third woman President.

A shock. Not a precedent.

Thrilled she was prescient

when Biden-Harris won

in 2021,  their

democracy restoration begun.

©JG Annino, 2021 :::::

One Little Word

It’s a thing, to pick One Little Word at each new year as mojo for writing practice. My 2021One Little Word is Sing. In serendipity Sing called me before I knew about Amanda Gorman’s presenting at the inaugural or about her sure-to-be uplifting CHANGE SINGS picture book.

American Library Association Last year I sang of many books here at Bookseedstudio, with special glow for CAT MAN of ALEPPO, A PLACE AT THE TABLE and EIGHT KNIGHTS of HANUKKAH. This week these 3 great books’ various groovy honors were sung by the ALA. Congratulations to all involved in these stellar projects & special Love to those creators who I’m lucky to call Friend.\

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 Comments Bop and hum around the links listed below, in comments. (Later, I’ll bring them up here in this text.) You’ll find a sweet shelf of Poetry Friday blogger posts. If you have a poetry blog the URL details can be added ~~ keep going, below, find the word “Comments” in tiny type ~~ there!  Even just a “hey, howdy!” can introduce you to Poetry Friday. A blog is never needed to participate, just goodwill about sharing poetry, especially poems for young readers.

February comes singing next week! Find it hosted by dear poetry pal Jone. https://www.jonerushmacculloch.com/blog

  [This weekend I learn more of poet/author Zora Neal Hurston with historians here in Florida. On breaks I intend to bring your links here, pulled from where you left them in comments.]

 I appreciate your poem study very much. ~~ Jan

Some week of 1.29.2021 Poetry Friday goodness, from all around~~

Michelle Kogan Art shares artwork & her fresh poetry ponderings about hero, heroes & conversos.

Linda at A Word Edgewise shares poetry lines of others in a New Year Cento. The lines all came from New Year postcards but form one poem with Linda’s magic.  https://awordedgewiselindamitchell.blogspot.com/

At Alphabet Soup, I’m all about snow, with a poem by Richard Greene and a recipe for Snowball Cookies. https://jamarattigan.com/2021/01/29/snow-doubt-about-it-we-love-snow/(my link goes live Friday at 6 a.m.

This week I’m learning from a legend. It’s amazing how much we learn from reading the words of other poets Alan J. Wright Poetry Pizzazz

https://alanjwrightpoetrypizzazz.blogspot.com/2021/01/poets-must-read-learning-from-legends.html

Robyn’s report: I have a New Year poem postcard gift to share, and it fits perfectly with your theme! Also, info on an online haiku workshop I’m leading in February that just got finalized this week.
http://www.robynhoodblack.com/blog/posts/38085

Teaching Authors guiding light Carmela talks the idea of “Indistractable,” and shares a found poem on a strategy for doing so.
https://www.teachingauthors.com/2021/01/becoming-indistractable-and-a-found-poem.html

Kay is thoughtful with a collection of poems by Madeleine L’Engle in Cry Like a Bell and a golden shovel poem using a line from one of her poems. https://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2021/01/28/poetry-friday-a-cry-like-a-bell-review/

Poetry Sisters poet Andromeda pens an original poem as part of the Poetry Sisters’ challenge for January: https://awrungsponge.blogspot.com/2021/01/Timetraveler.html 

Little Willow brings us lines from the poem 1938 by J. Patrick Lewis on her blog, Bildungsroman:
https://slayground.livejournal.com/915488.html

Find Tabatha at https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/ featuring an auntie, some empathy, and letting meaning find YOU.

Laura shares a poem called “Forever Four” and asks for some help with names at https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/four-forever-poetry-friday/

Carol V. offers a post filled with creativity sparks and connections from this week at https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2021/01/creativity-sparks-and-connections.html. Poetry postcards and my Sanctuary of Thought slide share are the highlights of my post.

Tricia is in with a poem inspired by words from Merriam Webster’s Time Traveler site. https://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2021/01/its-new-year-with-my-poetry-sisters.html

Linda B.shares more lovely postcards, my hugs in the mail! And I have a ‘song’ for you! https://www.teacherdance.org/2021/01/poetryfriday-poems-and-songs.html

Matt Today, I’m continuing to celebrate my first board book – and my only one written in prose – and also sharing another of my late mother’s poems in memoriam: https://wp.me/p2DEY3-2DU

Janice is inspired with nesting poems, suggested by Irene. http://janicescully.com

Catherine I’m sharing a butterfly cinquain I wrote for our workshop with Georgia, “Resilience.” https://readingtothecore.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/poetry-friday-resilience/

Carol of The Apples in my Orchardis at https://theapplesinmyorchard.com/2021/01/29/poetry-friday-the-return/ 

Sara time-travels with poetry sisters today, writing poems with words from our birth years. Come join us!  http://saralewisholmes.blogspot.com/2021/01/poetry-friday-dictionary-time-travel.html

Tim ponders a reflection on letting go, or not, as the case might be. https://timgels.com/2021/01/28/marcescence/

Margaret retells a story of time with a new poet, student Kaia, who is taking off and realizing she can write. It’s amazing and fun to watch. https://reflectionsontheteche.com/2021/01/29/poetry-friday-doing-the-work-of-a-poet/

 Heidi has revisited her poetry shelf, looking for connections and inspirations. Today I’m reading Lucille Clifton and Janet Wong. Let the women sing! 

https://myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.com/2021/01/stps-slps-2-lucille-clifton-janet-wong.html

Find Ruth at https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2021/01/poetry-friday-shepherds-purse.html

Yvona has reviewed many poetry books on the My Reads section of http://www.yvonafst.com – check them out! 

Bridget hopes to tap into the ‘sparks of creativity’ of the PF folks with a call out for submissions for a poetry anthology!
http://www.weewordsforweeones.com/2021/01/looking-for-creative-outlet.html
Kat sings the praises of Janet Turner  – young illustrator for her recent picture book.  Visit

https://katswhiskers.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/introducing-janet-turner

Molly H. is inspired by two photos, including one from Poetry Friday’s Margaret,  to gift us with two short poems, from her time with beautiful images. 
https://nixthecomfortzone.com/2021/01/29/pf-two-short-poems/

Susan weaves some wonderfulness:  a song/poem performed by future president Amanda Gorman and MILCK. Also a Tolstoy thought about candlelight and heart light & much more. 
https://www.soulblossomliving.com/by-heart-light-and-candlelight-inspiration-for-tough-times/

Jone offers a poem from an important revision class: https://www.jonerushmacculloch.com/blog/poetry-friday-a-poem-from-georgia-heards-class And let’s all sing: Next week Poetry Friday is collected by Jone!

 

 

 

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Holocaust Remembrance 1/2021

 

Needed More Than Ever Is this a crucial year?  Yes. More than ever it’s necessary to remember the mass murders carried out in multiple European countries in World War 2, only to satisfy Adolf Hitler’s maniacal desire to annihilate children & families who were Jewish.

Symbols of hate, including Hitler’s swastika & a mocking T-shirt that bore the message “Camp Auschwitz” were as sickening to see as was the violence in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

I’m pleased to share that this month young writers in my big state (Florida) began thinking of what they will submit to the WHITE ROSE program by early March, 2021. This event engages students in grades 9-12 – traditional or home school settings – to express thoughts about the bold, brave & lesser-known German high school and college students who became Nazi-resistors. They worked against their narcissistic leader & his campaign of genocide that led to The Holocaust. WHITE ROSE was one crucial resistance campaign.

If you know of an educator or student or other learning community such as synagogue where the  essay project information is unknown (perhaps to start the essay effort in another area?) please pass idea of the project along. I’m delighted to know this is the inaugural year of the prize, which feels in keeping with the synergy of peace-teaching & kindness-spreading I felt Jan. 20 watching from home, the inaugural of Joseph Biden & Kamala Harris & that evening’s uplifting activities & events.

 

Appreciations to both the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center and to the Holocaust Education Resource Council for the information.

Why is this a Holocaust Remembrance time? It was on January 27, 1945, that Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and death camp, was liberated by the Red Army. Another annual Holocaust Remembrance time is in April, a month WHITE ROSE students were executed in Germany for trying to create Peace.

More resources

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum https://www.ushmm.org

Kip Wilson, author of WHITE ROSE, an outstanding & award-winning Young Adult verse novel. The book’s poems follow German student Sophia Magdalena Scholl to her sacrifice, once she begins to understand the murders of children & others her country commits, following Hitler.  http://www.kipwilsonwrites.com

“Innocent children

killed

by this regime.

 

Yet what can anyone

                 do

to stop it?”

 c.KipWilson, WHITE ROSE lines from the poem, “Truth in Rumors”

 

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Martin Luther King Weekend, 2021

ZORA, SHIRLEY & ARETHA

Good wishes to you this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend. More needed insight will be my goal in this weekend’s re-reading of CASTE, by Isabelle Wilkerson, my book group’s conversation this month. I also expect to re-read MARTIN’s BIG WORDS from Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier, which I often shared as a volunteer in K-2nd grade. I’m fortunate that 3 books from my unread new book stack are also part of this MLK Holiday.

They are Victoria Bond’s ZORA & Me, The Summoner, spun from child days of Zora Neale Hurston. Katheryn Russell-Brown’s SHE WAS THE FIRST traveling in 1972 to “Follow the Chisholm Trail” lifetime of U.S. Presidential Candidate, U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, illustrated by Eric Velasquez and also, Katheryn Russell-Brown’s A VOICE NAMED ARETHA, celebrating the rhythm and blues icon whose hits can be sung from memory by me, my friends & likely you, too. This is illustrated by Laura Freeman.

Here are just brief riffs, from pre-reading skims. ZORA & ME, The Summoner. Together, the families of Carrie, who is Zora’s school days bestie in Florida, & Zora, elude white mobs descending upon Eatonville. The pair investigate skin-prickly stories of zombies & grave robbing, leavened by their keen interest in science.  Zora confronts bullies, including her rough and rude but town-respected, preacher Father, who in turn receives her brave spunk:

“You got it all wrong, Daddy.” Zora says. Often after that, there will be a slap.

Carrie says, “A faithfulness to mystery, to strange unknowable symmetries vibrated Zora.” 

This is part 3 of the richly researched ZORA & ME older middle grade novel series, ages 10-14.

SHE WAS THE FIRST, The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm. It is great to learn that U.S. Rep. Chisholm’s child days embraced Barbados in a deep way. I like this found poem from the book:

Shirley Anita

had a gift

people listened

and followed 

“the Chisholm Trail.”

c. Katheryn Russel-Brown

A VOICE NAMED ARETHA. Verses this musical genius wrote include a cheer from 1972:

In this whole world, you know

There are millions of boys and girls

Who are young, gifted and Black

With their souls intact, and that’s a fact!

c. Aretha Franklin Young Gifted and Black

[in lyrics I added a cap. for Black.]

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This poetry post is part of the informal & nourishing Poetry Friday community. The first week of the new year Ruth hosted Poetry Friday, and Sylvia collected us in Week 2 for a wonderful list of poetry books to be published for young readers in 2021. Right now we travel to the bayou with Margaret for the Pres. O’Bama inaugural poem picture book by Richard Blanco and Dav Pilkey you won’t want to miss. After the historic inaugurations of Pres. Biden & V-P Harris, we meet up with Laura. On the last Friday of this new month of the new year 2021, we return here to Bookseedstudio.

Hopes holding & prayers outgoing, the U.S. reaches the other side of Jan. 20th, 2021 in peace.

“Blessed are the peacemakers.”  

 

The U.S. Capitol 1/2021 & Higher Ground

It’s time to get up! /It’s time to get up! It’s time to get up!/ It is morning! ~ Revelry

Shortly after the first day of this New Year I picked out from my tempting tower of To-Reads, a book that immersed me in a fascinating part of a topic of my heart, World War Two. MARE’S WAR is an unusual novel of the 6888th Battalion of Black enlisted servicewomen, overseas. These volunteers offered all the hours of their days and nights to follow their orders in the unified effort to quash the narcissistic inflammatory demagogue leader Adolf Hitler & his vast campaign of murder of people he hated based on their religion or birth.

To read the story of Marey Lee Boylen, nicknamed Mare, born of poverty in Bay Slough Alabama, and her allegiance to the United States of America, to be paying through her invented 1940s based-on-history life in the same time of last week’s destructive, death-producing mob action in my own nation’s Capitol, is answer to a prayer. I appreciate that gifted author Tanita S. Davis researched her grandmother’s military history, which sparked an idea for the film-worthy character Mare of the ETO (European Theatre of Operations.) This book earned accolades including a Coretta Scott King honor, ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and Junior Library Guild Selection.

Here is real-life clip from the Black Women’s volunteer work unit, at the author’s website.

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Teachers keep on teachin’
Preachers keep on preachin’
World keep on turnin’
Cause it won’t be too long
Oh no

Lovers keep on lovin’
Believers keep on believin’
Sleepers just stop sleepin’
Cause it won’t be too long
Oh no

C. STEVIE WONDER, lines from the poem song “Higher Ground”

I’m also grateful in this same time for cultural enrichment & writing ideas I had already subscribed to in mid-December, from Gary Thomas with MoSt Poetry. His notes ~ ranging from introspective riffs to uplifts ~ helped me through each day. I gratefully took one respite suggested ~ with Stevie Wonder performing his classic “Higher Ground.” Listening to that modern classic soothed my soul more than once since Jan. 6. And you know how I learned about Gary Thomas? By reading around at the nourishing website/blog of Tanita S. Davis, the author of the just-mentioned, MARE’S WAR. Serendipity.

Wishes for your best way forward during this fraught time, with faith that our new President & administration, the addition of two progressives in the U.S. Senate (from my next-door neighbor state, Georgia) will be served & joined by moderate Republicans to tend to the health, housing, food, jobs, safety & education needs of those who are suffering. I read in the Wall Street Journal “Law Enforcement Braces for More Violence” that Jan. 17 & Jan. 20, specifically, (others days possible) may be rough times at our state capitols & the U.S. Capitol. Again. These dates are targeted for massive actions by angry right-wing travelers who may be armed. Remember how in 2016 when Democrats lost a Presidential election, they joined/supported social service non-profits in higher numbers than before & knitted pink hats they wore in peaceful, singing, marches? [thanks to my AZ cousin for sharing that memory running around social media.]

Were I in charge I would have Mr. Biden & Ms. Harris celebrate after the C-19 jabs are widely given & because we are numb from the injuries & the loss of life Jan. 6, 2021 & just general shock of mayhem by our own people in the U.S. Capitol riot. Why would I want a motorcade & outdoor ceremony at the Capitol in January 2021? A tightly controlled space, via video to the World, gets my vote. Our next Commander-in-Chief is already leading in a sorely needed Presidential fashion. Ms. Harris is already leading in Vice-Presidential fashion. Please stay safe and I hope you find the words & resources you need to speak to students, your conservative BeLoveds or yourself, as I have, from veteran educator Mary Lee Hahn.

Mr. Stevie Wonder & HIGHER GROUND

The full lyrics are here

Peaceful wishes for you at this fraught time. This poetry post is part of the informal & nourishing Poetry Friday community. The first week of the new year Ruth hosted Poetry Friday , with Sylvia collecting us in Week Two with a wonderful list of poetry books to be published for young readers in 2021. This Friday 1/15 we travel with Margaret & then 2 days after the historic inauguration, we meet up with Laura. On the last Friday of this new month of the new year 2021, we return here to Bookseedstudio.

FRESH FISH art & poetry

A watery & welcome distraction arrived Jan. 7th’s nite, in email. Allow me to share this cover of a new art & poetry collection I’m pleased to be associated with.

Cover Artists: Jerri Penney, Sally Maxwell, Michele Dowdel, Gabriele DiTota, Diana Bennet

If you love visiting a salt coast, or have a friend who is enchanted by a sea urchin, squid, starfish, seahorse and others of the sandy depths, please consider buying this gift book, a non-profit project of the international Studio Art Quilt Association. 

The accomplished artists featured in FRESH FISH enjoy layering their works in hand or machine stitching or a combo. Some textile artists begin a creation with blank fabric or even papers, and then add dye, paint, embellishment, printmaking technique, drawing, photo transfer, embroidery, beading or buttons, among the many features of fine art quilting. Some pieces are collages or assemblages. I’m thrilled my poem in this juried art collection, “Fish Fandangle” is paired with the talented visual artist Maggie Vanderweit. 

While poets write about an individual work of art in what we call ekphrastic poetry, inspired after spending time with a sculpture, painting or other work of visual art, we weren’t writing poetry in that method. The process here followed a serendipitous difference to create an undersea world of joy. Literary & visual artists arrived separately at their contributions ~ working from the same sea theme ~ an unexpected process I found organic, scary & a bit magical. I hope you do, also. The 90-page book features 97 works of visual art & 39 selected poems. Although I haven’t yet held the book in my hands, my understanding is that it’s a book for both adults and school students who are enraptured by encountering all sorts of life in the sea. (Mermaid alert!) And, it’s especially for readers whose eyes love to linger over textile arts.

Until Feb. 1, FRESH FISH can be purchased & shipped postage-paid via the Studio Art Quilt Association, through this link. After, it can be found at a different price on Amazon. I’m eager to put up another post on this book at a later date, when I expect to share colleagues’ poetry from it, with a line or two of mine. But of course, I hope you will be holding the poems in your own hands.

:::: Peaceful wishes for you at this fraught time. This poetry post is part of the informal & nourishing Poetry Friday community. The first week of the new year Ruth hosted Poetry Friday & now Sylvia handles collecting us this current week with a wonderful list of poetry books to be published for young readers in 2021. The following two Fridays, we travel with Margaret & then with Laura. On the last Friday of this new month of the new year 2021, we return here to Bookseedstudio.

to buy, to read: Everywhere Blue

In June 2021, the story of Strum and his sister Madrigal, an oboe player, debuts from verse novelist Joanne R. Fritz, who I am entirely biased about. But, you should pay attention anyway, despite my tilt in favor of this book. For more details than I can reveal, please visit MG BOOK VILLAGE’s recent interview with Joanne. Madrigal is known as Maddie & I feel we will all love how she is revealed in verse. I must tell you that Joanne is enamored of the magic that unfolds during Highlights Foundation workshops. Hoping EVERYWHERE BLUE becomes part of your favored reading. ARTIST of the epic cover is Elena Megalos.

 

Winter Solstice 2020

C. DAVPILKEY, illuminating Richard Blanco’s poem, ONE TODAY.

On night walks a sense of comforting smallness seeps into my soul. The Northern Hemisphere’s Dec. 21, 2020 extra longest-night shift of a super Saturn and meteor show, is a phenom noted by Florida’s Bishop Planetarium and Scientific American.

Headlines call for head’s up

See it seep out in south direction following crimped daylight of quickest sunset

Overhead, find deep field with no fence, a cyclorama banner 

Constellation-watcher or wayward wanderer can each behold quiet radiance.

 

Saturn, meet Jupiter, meet Saturn.

 

Find steady Polaris, North Star, Star of Judea, prick sky fabric

as key spree of Winter Solstice 2020.

poem “Headlines call for head’s up” © JGAnnino

It’s a calm world that visits in Richard Blanco’s love-to-all poem titled ONE TODAY, as interpreted in stunning sky-present scenes by children’s author/illustrator Dav Pilkey. This poet and artist created a beautiful book for any season but this week it feels especially like a hug, if you want it:

Lenita Joe

Luminous Library Lady Lenita Joe

Children’s authors in our area loved to learn how to lead kids to be lifelong learners through books, from Mrs. Lenita Joe, luminous Teaching Librarian Emeritus. We spoke on the phone during this pandemic time while her body reacted to a challenging condition not Covid-19 related, and I treasured those gift moments. At the top of this year, before the pandemic, when she needed a major medical trip, she & her husband sent my husband & me in their place to meet the Librarian of Congress. How typically generous of her & how chuffed we were! Please keep reading on for a way, regarding books, to honor this literature heroine.

I met Mrs. Joe during her Leon Reading Council volunteer work, when she hosted the wildly creative sister-authors of COOK-A-DOODLE-DO (Stevens and Crummel) at her school, Sealey E.S. Lenita’s parade of book events in the library-turned media center, such as annual Young Authors’ Day, were earned-invitations for aspiring student writers. Book Week, celebrations of the books of Dr. Seuss, kid fun on famous author birthdays, puppet events & other literacy parties were legendary. My husband & I have heartfelt empathy for her devoted Family, including U.S. Army Col. (retired) Ron Joe, steady uplifter of young Black Men, and for her many Beloved communities, including Sealey, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and 100 Black Men, among others. Book boosters are extending generosity to Sealey E.S. (memo: Lenita Joe Media Center) check/money order to Principal Demetria Clemons, 2815 Allen Road, Tallahassee Fl 32312. All the days of my life I will feel close to Mrs. Joe, grateful for the gift of her friendship, keeping faith with her lessons & remembering her joyful path, which ended on Earth surrounded by her Family at home, Dec. 13, 2020.  [my pizza party foto from a Book Week & my husband’s foto from the wider world.]

A Book Week Report is here.

c.allrightsreservedJGAnnino

 

Pine tree blessing

Night notes

In a Florida nighttime

Temperature plummets

 

In a tree’s lifetime 

Elder pine releases hold.

 

In a moment’s sleeptime

Aboral limb crash down.

 

In cosy blanket of down time 

Dreams continue to cocoon.

c. Jan Godown Annino, all rights reserved

 

 

In sudden reaction to chill air (28 predicted, 30 F realized) our neighbor’s  graciously tall pine tree, in the middle of the night, dropped limbs upon us. They were long but not lumberjack wide and yet still pierced our usually  reliable reverse-air heat/cool unit – otherwise known as an air conditioner.  People here don’t have furnaces. Or baseboard heat or radiators. Or whatever else systems those in Iced Lands employ in homes and businesses.

Following one 30 F night, fabulous Harper-Revell repair folks assured us we could safely dial up heat. Fabulous Mr. Gilmore responded fast to check on the branch that settled on the roof. (In a previous year one pierced it.)

Glory be, we were lucky.

Thanksgiving Week 2020

Thanksgiving Week Peace! Previously I offered, “A Native American Thought of It,” links that are especially important in November, including a Nov. 30, 2020 event link, with The Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Now I want to share how we stepped only slightly off trail recently to peer – with no touch- at a natural creation of North Florida woodlands. It’s a gift of #forestwalks #forestbathing & #fungi. And in time for Thanksgiving2020.

Thanksgiving woods

Brown ribbons ripple.

Announcing dead wood corsages. Radiating necklace rings.

Saying: Stop, see what unfolds here.

Saying: Nature’s way is life, from death.

What of the ancients, who put words to this?

Who was the one who first saw feathers in fungus?

Who pronounced a (polypore*) phenomena to be ~~

turkey tail?

c.JanGodownAnnino2020

[polypore = the way this mushroom forms – fast explainer of complex process]

For more basics on this beauty: already known to most everyone but me.

And for artistry inspired by this step-stopping act of decomposition, I’m pleased to link to a beautiful turkey tail poem by Alexandria C. Eisenberg, who is new to me. So glad I found her pages & poems. And at this time of year. At her site, see “Love Poem for a Mushroom” in Tiny Seed Literary Journal.

I wish you all the steps you can take to give yourself a soothing week. I hold giving-thanks time gratitude in my heart for so much, including for magic woods, for continuing walks in them, for my family, friends & for Poetry Friday & Co.

“Turkey Tail Fans,” by JanGodownAnnino,2020, allrightsreserved.

Last week I wrote about another holiday soon upon us ~~ Hanukkah.