Friday, April 5, 2013

You Are Awesome, Says the Dog--HAPPY POETRY FRIDAY and HAPPY POETRY MONTH!

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Howdy Campers!
Happy Poetry Friday!
Hop over to Robyn Hood Black's blog,
Life on the Deckle Edge
for all the Poetry Friday doings!

Thanks for hosting today, Robyn!
and...
National Poetry Month is finally here!

Please bookmark Jama Rattigan's blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup
which lists kidlit blog events celebrating National Poetry Month

and run, don't walk, to Renee La Tulippe blog's
The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School Poet-a-Palooza,
featuring short videos of poets and their poems.  A work of art!

And speaking of celebrating, today I'm pleased to celebrate Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's debut poetry collection, Forest Has A Song (Clarion), irresistibly illustrated by Robbin Gourley. (Many of you know Amy's blog, The Poem Farm.)
In honor of Amy's debut and Poetry Friday and Poetry Month, I offer you one stunning poem from this beautiful duet of a book.  Can you guess why it's one of my favorites?

April Waking
by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Ferny frondy fiddleheads
unfurl curls from dirty beds.
Stretching stems they sweetly sing
greenest greetings sent to Spring.

Copyright © 2013 Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. All rights reserved.
From Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.
Art copyright © 2013 Robbin Gourley
For more on this book, race over to Jama's post where she has outdone herself with fabulous costumes in which to venture into the forest, and knock-your-socks-off stunning food to welcome Forest Has a Song into the world. 

In years past, I've posted an original poem each day of National Poetry Month.  But this year I faced a conundrum.  Lately when poetry anthologists solicit poems, they ask for poems that have never been published, not even on the internet.  Not even on a blog.  ACK!

So: which poems do we post on our blogs--understanding that it's possible we may not be able to sell them? And why would we want to post second-string poems for all to read?

My solution?  Every day in April I am posting rough drafts of canine-themed poems at RuffDrafts.com

Many of the poems feature Eli, who regular readers have met before.
Eli looks forward to seeing you at RuffDrafts.com

~ Happy Poetry Friday and Happy National Poetry Month one and all!~

P.S. to my son: Happy Birthday! 
You are Awesome, says Eli (and I agree).

posted by April Halprin Wayland with a little bit of mischief

8 comments:

Carmela Martino said...

Love the photo, April. And the poem on RuffDrafts. You're so clever. :-)

Robyn Hood Black said...

Happy Poetry Month, April! Great post - Glad you have a canine assistant to help with your project.

Thanks for sharing Amy's poem - I'm savoring FOREST HAS A SONG.

April Halprin Wayland said...

Savoring is exactly the right word for how I am reading Amy's book, Robyn.

And you really are doing a splendid job as a Poetry Friday host. Truly!

jama said...

Love "Ruff Drafts"!

Thanks for the link love, April. Eli tells me he is your favorite subject to write about. He also said you will write better poems if you give him extra treats.

Happy Poetry Month!

*wags tail*

Linda B said...

I like the way you're doing "ruff drafts" April, & of course love Amy's new book. Great to feature it!

Anonymous said...

Poetry Friday is such a happy place to hang out, not to mention inspiring. I hopped over to the Ruffdrafts site and enjoyed some of your Eli poems. As I write this comment, my dog Charlie is snoring on my lap. I think he needs a bath but there is something comforting in his musty scent. He's been playing in the new spring grass. (Sorry, I digress.) Thanks for the links and the poem from Amy. I am so happy for her and can't wait to get a copy of "Forest." My anthology just arrived so I'll run as you suggest to see the videos at Renee's site. Like I said, a happy place to be.

April Halprin Wayland said...

Thanks for stopping by, Gang!

Amy LV said...

Thank you so much, April, for sharing my book here today! I love that there's a poem in there just for you. :) Your rough idea is a great one - these are tricky times to figure out, and it's so good we have each other in here. Your Eli is adorable! xo, a.