Happy Poetry Friday! I'm back in the round up this week with a poem inspired by a pic of one of my favorite flowers, the Four o' clock. Thanks for stopping by the ridge to read it, and for more poetry goodies, head over to Jone's space HERE!

One of my favorite things to do is to walk about the ridge, admiring all of nature's gifts. There are always poems hiding about in the images around me. Just the other day, I was walking about when my nose caught the scent of the most glorious smell. I followed that smell, and it led me straight to a bed of freshly bloomed Four o' clocks. I knew I had to capture this splendid image while I had the chance. You see, Four o' clocks open at four and remain open throughout the night and into the morning. They only bloom once before they wilt and fall off the plant. So of course, I had to snap a pic and write a poem to honor these short blooming beauties!

I studied my photo of the Four o' clocks and zoomed in on every tiny detail I noticed. I asked myself, What do I notice? and What does this image "say" to me? Next, I tried to describe it using my five senses and my reactions to the image. Then, I wrote everything out in my notebook. Finally, I reread my entry with my poet's eye and found this poem blooming there!  

Snap a picture of something you like, wonder about, or notice. If you don't have access to a camera, snap a mental image in your mind. Study your picture and zoom into every detail of the image. What do you notice? What does the image "say" to you? Talk it out with a friend. Describe it from the inside out. Then, write it out in your notebook. You can bet, there's a poem hiding in each pic you take!

Welcome Poetry Friday readers! Thanks for stopping by the ridge this week. For more poetry offerings, visit Renee HERE for the full round-up!

Friends, this week I decided to have a little fun with the full moon above! Did you know that the March full moon is often called the "worm moon?" That's right! It was first dubbed the worm moon by farmers in the 1930's, who believed that the first full moon in March meant that spring would begin. I certainly hope that's true! Since the earthworm is a symbol of spring, the name stuck.

We are in for a treat this month as the first full moon will be a worm moon, followed by another "blue moon" at the end of the month! Since I love my friend, moon, I decided to create a song of poetry to welcome the Blue Worm Moon to the ridge this weekend. The tune of "Did you ever see a lassie?" kept popping in my head. I took that tune, and away I went! Poem songs are great fun!

Songs are poems, too! Let's have some fun trying out poems to the tune of our favorite songs. Jot down some lyrics and lines in your notebook. Your poem song can be silly, glad, or even sad. Whatever tune and mood you choose, your words are sure to sing a song for all to hear!

Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for joining me this week. Donna is hosting our first round-up for February at her space mainelywrite.blogspot.com/.

This time of year, I love to walk into the woods and hear the joyful noise of winter birds. Their chatter and songs in unison, are music to my ears! I especially enjoy the whistling notes and repeated syllables of the Robins. If you listen closely, it almost sounds like, "cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up!" I wondered if I could write a poem in metrical verse that created a rhythmic pattern that sounded very much like the repetitive tunes of the Robins. It was certainly worth a shot, and I had a lot of fun trying it out! The result is the poem I am sharing today, written in tetrameter couplets (for the most part I think)! I love that poems offer us so much grace to try new things.    

One of the wonderful things about poetry is the freedom and space it invites us to explore with. I like to study and learn about the different technical elements of poetry. Learning the craft of writing poems is an important task, but sometimes it's easy to get bogged down in the technicalities. That's when I remember the words of Mary Oliver, "Poems must, of course, be written in emotional freedom." So whenever you feel yourself getting wrapped up in formalities, take back your freedom, and write from your heart.   

Welcome, Poetry Friday friends! For more invitations to read and write poetry, visit Lisa at Steps and Staircases. She's hosting the round-up party today.
​
The snow we got here on the ridge last night certainly offered an enchanting yet unexpected invitation to write. In my part of Texas, a snowfall is a rare and blissful experience. It was a delightful invitation to change this poem's original repetitive refrain from "The cold is coming" to "The snow is coming."

Sometimes, invitations to write can surprise us by showing up in the most unlikely places or at times when we least expect it. Where do you find unexpected invitations to write? Take some time to make a list in your notebook. Pull it out some snowy day (if only in your imagination) and let its gentle invitation guide you to all kinds of unexpected writing possibilities.  

Poetry Friday is a dream this week! Be sure to visit Brenda at her fairyland space, Friendly Fairy Tales.

Dear friends, this week I have been thinking about how important it is to return to the people, places, and things we love. I do this a lot, especially when I start realizing how much I have missed. One evening, I was walking out in my yard by the old elm tree, and I suddenly noticed how much had changed. While I was off living in my own world, the natural world I love was changing and living its life as well. As I stood there gazing up at the branches, I was sad that I had passed by so many times without stopping. I missed the birds. I missed the trees. I missed the spiders and the crickets. So I imagined that they could hear me and that we could talk to each other. This poem is that conversation. I talked to my dear friends, and they answered, like a soft echo of the breeze through the trees.

Too Long
 
I miss the elm.
I miss the spider.
 
Too long, too long                  
                       you have passed us by.
 
I miss the wren.
I miss the cricket.
 
Too long, too long
                       you have passed us by.
 
Too long, too long
I have passed you by,
dear earthly friends.
 
© Kiesha Shepard
​

Try reading this poem with a friend. Partner A reads the narrator's statements. Partner B reads the nature's response echo in italics. Then switch. Try adding stanzas and response lines to my poem if you like, or better yet, have fun experimenting with your own call and response type poems.! 

Welcome, welcome! It's a glorious day for Poetry Friday! If you are looking for more poetry after your visit, head over to Tabatha's space The Opposite of Indifference for more poetry tidbits. 

This week, I have really been thinking about the things that I am most grateful for in life. I call these things my blessings. Sometimes, I like to list those blessings and turn my lens of attention to them. I always find nuggets of joy that inspire poetry!

Think about some of the things that you are most grateful for. Make a list of your "thankfuls" or blessings in your life. Consider each one, paying careful attention to the significance of each. Try jotting some thoughts and ideas in your notebook. Which ones are drawing your lens of attention today?  

Oh, happy day! I am so glad it's Poetry Friday! Don't miss all the fun of the round-up at Karen Edmisten's site HERE. Thanks for hosting, Karen!
​
​A few days ago while I was thumbing through my notebook, I came across an entry about a time my boys were having so much fun playing in the woods near my house. I remember how they laughed as they climbed trees and played with sticks. The memory of this moment made me smile, but it also made me think about how little time we seem to have these days for playing outside together. We can get so busy that some things we used to do because we wanted to, get pushed aside for all the things we think we have to do. Just think of all the fun we miss! It's so important to carve out some time throughout the day to do the things we love.

​I am definitely going to spend more time laughing and playing with my family. I wrote this poem to remind myself of my commitment to honor play each day. I wrote it for you, too. I wish for you the gift of laughter and play. I added some repetition to make it sound more like a chant or a song inviting you to play with me. So run, explore, be silly! Make time for YOU!      

Writers, the time we spend doing the things that really matter to us with the people that matter the most is so valuable. It energizes us in a way that nourishes our writing lives. I invite you to let loose and kick up your heels today! Do something you love to do and then write about it. Read your piece of writing again and again. Keep it somewhere safe. Pull it out often and reread it. Let it remind you to never forget to play!