13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A SNOWFLAKE

Since I'm going to be moving over the holidays and who knows what will happen with my internet connection, I thought I'd start early with sending good holiday wishes.

  Since I wasn't sure how things would go with the move, I didn't participate in Tabatha Yeatts' Holiday Poetry Exchange this year.  With all the stress of moving, I didn't know how creative I'd be feeling.  And being able to "artistically" present my poem would be impossible since all my art supplies are sitting in packed boxes. But there was a moment when I was packing and I came across a poem that  Irene Latham wrote for me during our summer poetry exchange titled 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE MOON.  Yes, I wanted to try this.  Of course her poem and mine are both based on Wallace Stevens' poem 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A BLACKBIRD.

And, I'm discovering that when my world is crazy the best way I know to calm myself and feel settled is to write a poem.

Here is my poem:

13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A SNOWFLAKE

six-sided symmetry
crystal chiller
mitten sparkler
tongue tingler
snowball starter
snow angel swish
eyelash wish
dream of no school
Inuit house
skiers delight
one frozen tear
individual as a fingerprint
start of an avalanche

   So here is your challenge for today.  Take a holiday icon (a wreath, a candle, a jingle bell, snowglobe, menorah, hot chocolate, etc.) and try writing your own 13 WAYS...poem.  Have fun writing.

   It is the happiest time of year for those who hold the joys of the season in their heart.


Happy Poetry Friday Roundup.  The party this week is over at  A Teaching Life blog.  You'll be able to find more poetry fun here.  Thank you,  Tara Smith for hosting us this week.

Winter Night

Quiet night
stars shine intensely,
crystal air
snowflakes fall
as silence drops around us
filling all our lives.


  Today's poem is a shadorma, a Spanish six line poem.  This is a syllabic form with 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllables in the lines.  You can check to see if I've done this correctly by counting the syllables in each line.

Line 1 = 3 syllables
Line 2 = 5 syllables
Line 3 = 3 syllables
Line 4 = 3 syllables
Line 5 = 7 syllables
Line 6 = 5 syllables

    If you are one of those people who hates rhyme, or just can't do it, try some of the syllabic forms to get yourself started.  Your challenge for today is to try writing your own syllabic poem.

    I saw a sweatshirt this weekend that said, "Have you noticed LISTEN and SILENT are made from the same letters?"

    Have a fun day writing poetry.  Stay warm.