It's so great to be back with the Poetry Friday community this week! I welcome your words here at the ridge today. For more of the round-up, Liz is hosting today at her space, HERE. 

A few weeks back, when I was home sick, I stumbled across a film documentary of the legendary poet Robert Frost. I was so inspired and intrigued by his words, that I quickly pulled for my notebook to document the experience in some way. 

It all began with this poem he recited. The word "retreat" tugs at heart each time I read this poem. In his commentary, Frost spoke of his purposeful decision to use the word retreat, despite the fact that it rhymes with defeat. There is no shame in retreat. We don't escape, we retreat for reasons that are ours alone. In doing so, we regain our strength and fortify ourselves to reach those places we've not been. Following Frost's poem is my own poem, which was inspired by this remarkable man and poet. And to my incredible friends, who give me strength in my retreat. They let me know, I'm not alone.

In winter in the woods alone
Against the trees I go.
I mark a maple for my own
And lay the maple low.

At four o'clock I shoulder ax
And in the afterglow
I link a line of shadowy tracks
Across the tinted snow.

​I see for Nature no defeat
In one tree's overthrow
Or for myself in my retreat
For yet another blow.

-Robert Frost

​I would like to end with some of my favorite lines and speeches that Frost shared within the film. Perhaps some of the most cherished words I hung on, were his words on poetry.

"It starts with a mood. It's a curious state that takes over you...Every poem solved something for me in my life. Every poem is a momentary stay against the confusion of the world. Then so is making a basket or making a horseshoe. Giving anything form, gives you a confidence in the universe, that it has form. All you want to do is get a sense of form, makes you healthy and well, makes you feel like there is some sort of form to your business, your occupation."
-Robert Frost

I am often in awe of inspirational poets like Robert Frost, and I find that I have this same admiration for my dearest friends. I am grateful for courageous friends who challenge me every step of the way. I couldn't agree more with the words of Mr. Robert Frost, "The gamble of life takes bravery." I'm so glad to be able to boldly venture forward with my friends as we make our mark on this world.

Think about the notion of retreating and finding form. Where do you retreat for strength? What sense of form do you seek? Who or what inspires you to retreat in search of this form? Write down your thoughts for safe keeping!

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.   

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome to the ridge. Thanks for visiting, and for more of the round-up, stop over at Carol's space HERE.

This week I am sharing a poem about friendship. I think friendships are such a gift to our hearts and our words. It brings me joy to have friends who inspire me and help me grow. My friends are so important to me that I chose friendship as my #oneword for 2018. Friends invite us to think and dream. Friendships give us the promise of new hope and the courage to stretch ourselves. This poem is written for all of you, my friends! 

Writers lean on friends for support and inspiration all the time. Our friends can help us find our voice when it has grown quiet. Think of a friend who gives your voice wings to let your words fly. What are some of the ways your friends support you and inspire you? Make a list in your notebook. Try leaning on the ideas from your list to write a friendship poem of your own. Be sure to share it with a special friend if you do! 

Happy Poetry Friday, dear friends! It has been bitterly cold here on the ridge, and I am anxious to read all the poetry offerings this week that are sure to warm my heart! You can find the warmth of poetry this week at Kay's space, A Journey Through the Pages.

January winds have come sweeping over the ridge so swiftly and so suddenly. I find myself in a busy tizzy these days. A new year provides the opportunity to re-root and rearrange. But perhaps my favorite thing about January, is the chance to re-enter my writing life. Though the newness of the year may bring unknowns and uncertainties, I know how to sit idly with pen in hand and write. Knowing this simple truth, gives me comfort. Writing can help me grow patient and attentive to all that lies ahead in the new year. Writing is a teacher. I listen. I trust. I know just how.  

Learning to be patient and accepting what comes can be a difficult task at times. Yet, when we let go and trust, our senses become keener. The blessing of words may come softly and freely. Each writer finds a way to turn idle thoughts into meaning and song. Practice sitting idly with pen and notebook in hand. See what voices emerge, what dreams may come.

Happy New Year Poetry Friday friends! Thanks for visiting the first post of the year here on the ridge. Catherine is hosting the first poetry round-up of 2018 at her space, Reading to the Core. Be sure to ring in the new year by stopping by!

On New Year's day, there was a super-blue-wolf-full moon! I hope you had a chance to see it rising in the night sky. Not to worry though if you missed it because there will be another super-blue-wolf moon on January 31st. I read that it will also be a super-blue-blood lunar eclipse moon. Wow! We are certainly experiencing some spectacular astronomical events this year already. 

I always find writing inspiration from my favorite magnet topics like the stars and the moon! In this image, I put two photos of the full moon side by side to give the effect of the eyes of the wolf moon on the rise. The poem this image inspired turned out to be a little sadder than many of the poems I write, but I think poems must be written as we feel them. I was also trying to play with line breaks in a way that allowed the poem to be read as one voice or two voices. The two italicized lines can either be read as the first voice or the moon's echo in response. Try reading it with a friend in this way. I'm not sure if there is a technical poetry term for this strategy, but it was fun to fiddle with anyway! And if you prefer to read something not quite so full of sadness, I have included a haiku in honor of the wolf moon as well. Happy moon watching in 2018!    

A poet can express a wide range of emotions throughout a single poem or focus intently on one. A writer can invite the reader to feel whatever they choose, and sometimes the writer hopes to elicit a certain response from the reader. Think about poems or other pieces of literature that you have read with expressive emotions. In what way or ways did the writer invite you to feel or decide something on your own? Maybe it was the word choice or the use of line breaks to create "rooms" throughout the poem. Take note of this and try it out in your own writing., staying true to the feeling in your words. 

Happy last few days of the year Poetry Friday friends! It has been a year filled with unexpected twists and turns. I wish you all a marvelous new year filled with much laughter and writing! Don't miss stopping over at Heidi's space My Juicy Little Universe, for the last round-up of the year.

For me, this year has been filled with lingering happiness and unexpected sadness. As I look back on a year gone by, I remember all the opportunities and changes that were brought into my life. I think about what was gained and what was lost. I let go and let it pass. I say goodbye to all that must fall away, and hello to a year brimming with new hope on the rise. May the dawning of this new year bring you blessings of health and good cheer! 

New Year’s Tidings
The smell from the kitchen of fresh baked bread and black-eyed peas to ring in the new
year, a celebration of the old one as it passes, never to bring back the hours, those soon
to be forgotten. January winds will blow; now come the days by the fireplace glow and
days with the promise of snow. So tonight, tuck the memories away. Say goodbye to the
old year passing. Raise a glass and make a toast to all your dreams and hopes. Listen as
the chimes ring out: Here’s to a new year without any doubt and all the good things it
brings about.
© Kiesha Shepard

And because I follow the moon in all its glorious phases, I had to share this photo of a Wolf Moon over the ridge. A January full moon is known as a Wolf Moon for obvious reasons. Stand outside on some cold January night, and you can hear the wolves howling at the moon. This year, we're in for a real treat as we will see not one, but two full moons in January. When you have two full moons in one month, it's called a Blue Moon. That means the full moon on January 1st and January 31st will be both a Wolf Moon and a Blue Moon. You can bet I'll be writing a super-duper blue wolf moon poem in honor of this momentous occasion!

Spend some time thinking about the events in the past year. Reread some of your notebook entries across the span of the year. What do you notice? Write whatever thoughts come to my mind. Allow your thoughts to meander through the past and drift into the future. Many realizations can come to us when we write in this way. May you find the answers to many of your dreams and aspirations in your writing this year!

Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for stopping by the ridge this holiday weekend. For more of the poetry festivities, visit Buffy's space HERE. I wish all of you a joyful holiday!
​
This week, I am sharing a poem of resolution. When we make a resolution, we make a firm decision to do something or not to do something. In my experience, it is much easier for me to make a resolution than it is to keep it. I tend to be wishy-washy when it comes to making definitive decisions sometimes. I find myself resolving to do things that may be too far off in the distance to settle on so intently. Instead, I resolve to do better at setting my sights on doing and caring for things that are already in my current reality. Our sweet pony reminded me of this, each time I failed to acknowledge him when he stuck out his nose for me to give him a touch or a tickle. He made me realize, I must do better. Time must stand still for all the good in my life; all that is waiting to be seen.

Have you ever made a resolution? If so, take some time to write them down in your notebook or write down a new one. Writing poems of resolution can help you stay focused and committed to what's important to you. 

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.  

Happy Poetry Friday, friends! I appreciate your visit, and for more poetry, stop by Mary Lee's space HERE.

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving holiday! I am so grateful for the time spent with family, nature, and my trusty notebook. I took some time throughout the holiday to walk-about my yard, listening to the sounds of Thanksgiving. After I had gathered some descriptions and noticings in my notebook, I reread them out loud. My words reminded me of a poem I had read sometime before. Does that ever happen to you? You can be reading something you wrote and suddenly you realize it sounds so familiar, like maybe you had heard it before or even written something sort of like it in the past. I love when this happens! It's a wonderful reminder to a writer that topics and words are never used up. We can always lean on earlier entries and pieces we have written. 

The poem I am sharing today is a spin-off of a previous poem I had written titled, Sounds of Christmas, which itself was modeled after Walt Whitman's poem, Sounds of the Winter. You can find his poem HERE.

So remember writers, read widely and write often. Those words will become a part of your memory and will inspire many more pieces to come.

Think about all the different pieces of literature and texts that you have read. What are the ones that stick with you? Make a list of those titles in your notebook. Now take it a step further. Write down the words, phrases or lines that you can remember by heart. Reread your writing out loud when you're done. How will you let these familiar words spark new ideas for writing? Happy writing!

Happy Poetry Friday! Autumn has fallen over the ridge. My poem this week is inspired by an autumn path I stumbled across here on the ridge. I hope you enjoy it and that you'll stop by Jane's spot www.raincitylibrarian.ca/ for more poetry offerings!

I am all for taking the road less traveled, and I'm never disappointed. One early fall evening, I came upon this sunlit path. It made me stop right in my tracks. The image of the path with draping goldenrod and the friendly forest trees, evoked a calming sensation within my writer's soul. I was instantly inspired to write a poem based on this visual image. I hope to share this poem with one of our Poetry Friday friends, Carol Varsalona. She has graciously invited poets to contribute a digital poem offering to her Autumn Ablaze Gallery. Be sure to check out many more image poems there! 

Try taking a path you have never followed before. Your path might be real or imagined. Whatever notion comes to mind, follow it. May its images and words inspire you to write.

Welcome to the ridge! Join the November Poetry Friday kick-off with Linda at her space, ​TeacherDance.

Did you know that this weekend there will be a hunter's moon? A Hunter's Moon or "blood moon" is the name given to a full moon when it falls in the month of October, except for every four years (which is this year) when it appears in November instead. It was dubbed the Hunter's Moon by the Native American's who would track and kill prey during the light of the full autumn moon. Besides being the subject of folklore and legends, it is an occurrence of significance for astronomers and moon enthusiasts like me! 

So what makes the Hunter's moon different from a typical full moon? Well, this moon rises 30 minutes later each successive night which makes the sunset and moonrise really close together. This leads to longer periods of light during this harvest time of year. See for yourself! Step outside tonight and throughout the weekend to gaze at the incredible Hunter's Moon. 

Writing about topics we care about never loses its luster. These are those magnet topics that we are "over the moon" about. As we begin a new month, take some time to sift back through your writer's notebook. Are there entries or pieces of writing that could could be sorted into a particular collection? Read through your writing pieces. Does your collection feel complete? What other types of entries  could you add to your collection? Perhaps you'll discover a collection of essays based on a particular theme or maybe a poem anthology about the moon, like me!

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, friends! Thank you for joining me here on the ridge this week. for more Poetry Friday fun, visit Leigh Ann at her space A Day in the Life.

​I have been relying on my magnet topics for writing starters lately. Trains are certainly a magnet topic for me that I write about often in my notebook. I can always find new ways to write about them.

There's just something about a train lumbering down a track, far off in the distance, that makes me pause in my busy track of life. It seems I move full speed ahead these days, and yet somehow, a familiar sound will blow the horn in my head. It's the horn that says, "Stop, slow down, let out the steam." I need to hear that, and when I do, I feel safe. So safe that I am eager to step up on the platform and board the train, wherever it may be going. The destination becomes very unimportant. What matters is that the train's familiar sound was enough to slow me down and pick me back up. 

Often a familiar sound can slow us down and make us think about why it's so easy to recognize. It could be a memory from our childhood or something we hear everyday at school, work, or at home. What are the sounds that you are most familiar with. Make a list in your notebook. Think about how these sounds make you feel or what they remind you of. Writing about a sound we connect with can lead us down all kinds of writing tracks. 

Poetry Friday is back again! Thanks for joining in the round-up this week. For more Poetry nuggets, visit Irene at her space Live Your Poem. 

In October, I can always depend on many joyous moments and autumn offerings to inspire gobs and gobs of writing. Unfortunately, I can't always depend on my busy schedule to allow me to write them down. I have tried many things to keep my writing life at the forefront of this busy season, like keeping pens and notebooks everywhere or setting a reminder on my phone. However, none of these strategies have worked as well for me as my new favorite writing tool, Google Keep. If you aren't familiar with this app, I have included a button below the screenshot for more information. In a nutshell, it's an efficient and simple way to capture your words throughout the day. You can make lists, snap images, voice record, and write! There is even an option to create tags and to set background colors. This really helps categorize your notes and topics. 

This digital note taking tool can be very helpful for any writer on the go. I love to share new devices, especially when they help writers continue writing throughout the hustle and bustle of each new season.

What are your favorite tools for writing? Think about how they help you stay on track with your writing goals. How do they make it easier for you to write either at home or on the go? 

Hooray for Poetry Friday! I hope everyone has a chance to take a peek at the harvest moon this evening. I am looking forward to all the autumn poem offerings this month! You'll definitely find some at Violet's space HERE, along with many other poetry pieces. Thanks for visiting! 

Have you ever stopped to take notice of how your toaster makes toast or wondered about how the coffee maker makes coffee?

The behavior of our modern amenities, these "makers of modern convenience," can be quite captivating to a writer. An inanimate object can initiate a conversation with us in a way. As writers, we can take a common comfort that we might take for granted at times, and allow it to tell its story across our page. These objects do the work for us. It's really quite fascinating to witness the work first  mechanically and then to imagine it in a humanistic way. It is something worth noticing and even writing about. So here's to "the makers" of this world. May their story somehow find its way to your page. 

Who are what are the makers of this world (both real and unreal) that deserve your appreciation or bring you pleasure? Spend some time noticing and observing these makers. Make note of their physical characteristics. Now give them a human-like quality. Try to get them talking. What would they say? What makes them tick? 

Welcome Poetry Friday friends! Thanks so much for visiting the ridge this week. Whispers from the Ridge is now on Facebook, too! Be sure to follow me there if you like. If you're looking for more poetry, visit Laura's welcoming space, Writing the World for Kids.

I have been trying a few new things in my work as a teacher and literacy specialist this year. I must admit, it's been challenging. Each day, I felt like taking a step back. It would have been easy to do for sure. I found myself focusing on all the things that were not going as I had planned. What I had envisioned in my mind, wasn't there in my work. The fact that I couldn't see the next step to get me closer to my goal, really discouraged me. Then I remembered a phrase that has been bubbling up lately, start with the end in mind. Of course! I realized it was because I could see the end in mind that I was able to keep going without giving up in the first place. That's when I started to name all the gems that were already shining hope into the future of my work. I began to ask "What's there?"

This poem is centered around this question. Just as I was focusing on the patterns and structures that were already in motion with what I was trying to accomplish, this poem does the same. See if you can find the patterns in the form and devices in my poem as you read it.   

What if we all looked for what is there rather than what is not? Sometimes, whether we intend to or not, we tend to focus on what is not going as we wanted or as we hoped. Instead of mining for what is there, we end up digging ourselves into a hole of doubt that can often seem too deep to climb out of. Whenever this deficit thinking starts creeping into your life and eventually finds its way into your writing, try asking yourself, "What is there?" Take an appreciative lens by noticing and naming your strengths. When we look for what is there, we launch ourselves out of the hole and into a sea of endless possibilities. 

Happy International Peace Day and beyond! Our dear friend Amy is hosting the round-up this week at her poem patch, The Poem Farm.

The theme of this year's International Day of Peace is Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All. So what does "peace" really mean?

Webster's dictionary defines the word peace as:
1. a state of tranquility or quiet
2. freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
3. harmony in personal relations
4. a state or period of mutual concord between governments 

While these words describe the common definition of one of our favorite five letter words in poetry, I'm certain we could each give our own unique definition of what peace means to us. In fact, let's give it a try right now. Think about the word peace and what it means to you. How would you define peace in your life, work, and in your world? 

No matter how you describe it, a day of peace is a day shared with all humanity. And that's always something to celebrate.

I believe that peace is ours if we choose to nurture and share it. There is a home for peace in the hearts of all of us. Where can you create a space for peace to call home? How will you spread peace today? #PeaceDay #jointogether

Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks for joining me for a visit this week. Matt is hosting this week at his space Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. Join him for the rest of the round-up offerings!

Everyday a new set of current events and topics to ponder present themselves as focal points in our daily lives. While I believe it is very important for us to stay up to date with the happenings and possibilities that we may face in the future, I think it is equally important to stay centered in the now. 

However, staying grounded in the now, does not always come so easy. In my own experience, I have noticed too often that the thoughts and sometimes worries about the future distract me. And somehow, before I've even realized it, I have given my full attention to something in the future that might not ever happen. As a result, I end up feeling as though I may have missed something extremely valuable and meaningful in my current reality. This tends to be a struggle for me both as a writer and as a person who cares deeply about the natural world as well as the small intricacies of ordinary life.
Whenever I sense this tension, this struggle, I do what I always do. I write. This kind of fast and furious writing in my notebook, allows me to document my thinking about the future, so that I can continue living in the now. By both acknowledging my questions and fears, I can create a space in time that gives me the freedom to plant myself in the moment to write the immediate thoughts of my mind. Writing provides an invitation and the the room to welcome balance in our lives.   

Writers have different ways to balance their past, present, and future thoughts.  For example, many writers choose to blog about ideas and issues that they are immediately responsive to. Other writers may choose to log their daily thoughts in a journal or notebook. Some writers do both! How do you choose to document your current and future thoughts for safe keeping? Where do you find balance in your writing life?

Happy Friday friends! Join the Poetry Friday crew at Kat's space HERE.

Today, I am thinking beyond the ridge down to Houston and the gulf coast of Texas where so many lives have been rocked by a storm called Harvey. As you may have heard, many people have been displaced from their homes due to the destructive and devastating Hurricane Harvey. You can see this storm's wrath and read about its destructive path throughout the news. When things like this happen, I realize how important our connection to each other is. 

We all feel the swamps. We may all face the storms. Together, we can find our way home. Right now across the state of Texas and throughout the USA, so many people have joined together to provide comfort and help to those in need. It's truly amazing and inspiring to witness the generosity and kindness happening all around us. If you would like to help, there are many ways to do so. One great place to start is the American Red Cross. Our friends in Houston and South Texas could use all our thoughts and well wishes.

The impact of this storm called Harvey has made me reach for Mary Oliver's poem, "Crossing the Swamp". In this poem, Oliver speaks to the struggles and bogs of human life that we often encounter. Yet she speaks of hope, too. Throughout the entire poem there is a sense of determination and strength to re-root. These words are perfectly etched in a way that only Mary Oliver could craft. I do hope you have a chance to read it.

Today, I offer my own poetic response to Mary Oliver's inspiring poem that spoke to me after a storm called Harvey.

How will you brave each storm that may come your way? When you feel stuck in a swamp or flooded by a river, what guides you? I invite you to take a moment and write. Write until your words flow like a river. May they toss upon the page and land, re-rooting themselves home. 

Welcome Poetry Friday readers! Thanks for visiting today, and be sure to visit our host Jone at her space Check It Out.

As many of my colleagues and students begin a new school year next week, I offer a question to ponder.

How do you know what to do with a blank page if it's always written for you?

To know triumph is to know defeat. Our struggle is real, and it binds us together-makes us human.

So, I invite you to take a risk this year. Take a leap. Face the page. Whatever your page may be, meet it head on. Your journey has just begun. It will be long, and it will challenge you every step of the way. but it will be well worth the wait. Remember, go slow to go fast!

And, I hope you bring others with you along the way. Share your story. Fill the page. And listen. For goodness sake, listen. Turn the page, and write, one page after another until it happens. You realize you're not done, you've only just begun.

So you'll begin again. The pages will be written by you, not for you. You will decide what comes next. You'll use the strategies you chose along the way, and you'll face each blank page, knowing you have the words to fill it.

How will you face your next blank page? Whatever your answer may be, it's golden! The risks we take and the strategies that we learn along the way are golden nuggets to share with our colleagues and students. Here's to the blank pages in life!

Happy Poetry Friday! Our friend Margaret is hosting today at her space Reflections on the Teche. Don't miss out on the poetry fun!

This week, I am back at the ridge with my friend, the moon. Yes, that's right, the moon again. I never grow tired of giving the moon  praise for my writing inspiration. The moon is one of those magnetic topics for me. I feel drawn to write about it whenever I might feel a little empty. Thanks to the moon, my writing can always fill itself full. 

Writers have different ways of filling their writing life with an abundance of words. What strategies do you have for bringing fullness to your writing?

Welcome! I'm so glad you are here visiting today. After your stop here at the ridge, be sure to sail over to Donna's space Mainely Write, where she is hosting the round-up for us. 

I'm glad to be back with my Poetry Friday friends this week. I have been away hosting my other dear friends and members of the CSISD Writing Project. This is the third year that our school district has offered The Heart of Texas Writing Project professional development for the teaching of writing.  This summer institute is truly a transformative experience for the participants. As teacher consultants, we are honored to be in a room full of teacher writers so dedicated to providing authentic writing instruction for their students. In celebration of our week together as writers, I am sharing a few pictures that capture our work and a piece inspired by these writers with wings. 

Discovering and exploring your identity as a writer is often a great place to begin your writing life. Spend some time getting to know yourself by writing inside your notebook. Write widely and often. Read and reread. Give yourself some grace. Focus on what is there rather than what is not. It is through a lens of appreciation that we must learn to view our own writing. It is through this lens that we may begin to expect and welcome the sound of our own words pitter-pattering upon the page. It is through this lens that we mine the words of others, those writers at heart.

Welcome to Whispers from the Ridge! I'm so glad you are joining me on this Poetry Friday. For all the poetry offerings this week, stop by Katie's space The Logonauts.

Today, I am honoring the memory of a dear friend of mine who passed away earlier this week. She was such an incredible motivator and mentor to so many. Many lives were inspired by her passion for her family and the work she loved. She will be sorely missed.

Yet, her dedication to children and her love of literacy will live on. Her belief in providing an authentic space for real readers and writers to create will continue to positively impact the lives of children in classrooms across our school district. 

When she wasn't putting her heart and soul into her leadership work as our district ELA curriculum coordinator, she was often hanging out at her special beach spot with her family.​ She loved the beach. It was where she would spend hours laying in a simple hammock with a notebook and a good book.

This poem is in loving memory of her and the place she dearly loved.

Writing can have the power to heal at times. Often times when we are having a rush of emotions, we can feel overwhelmed with all the words and feelings we want to express. Getting them written on paper can help pin them down. Once on the paper, we can begin to sort them out and make sense of them. Whenever you are full of a blur of emotions, try writing them down. Put the pen to the page, and let yourself go. Spilling thoughts and feelings onto the page during any emotional state can be good for the writer's soul.  

Happy Poetry Friday to all! It's a short and sweet haiku this week inspired by the summer scent on the ridge. For more poetry goodies, head to Tabatha's at the Opposite of Indifference.

Keeping up with our writing lives isn't always easy. The summer months can be especially busy with traveling and spending time with friends and family. Finding time to write can be a challenge, but it can be done! Whenever I find myself on the go and in danger of neglecting my writing, I remind myself of how important my writing is to my daily life. It provides a natural energy boost that keeps me going from one daily event to the next. Like my PF friend Jone MacCulloch says, "It's important to keep a writing practice."
I couldn't agree more. So wherever your day takes you, be sure to schedule in a little writing practice!

Happy Poetry Friday and July full moon week! On the ridge this week I am sharing a poem in honor of my friend, the moon. For more Poetry Friday friends and offerings, visit Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink.

There's just something about a full moon that really helps ignite my writing ideas. It's fun to watch the moon grow and rise. My writing seems to grow more full and heavy with emotions the more time I spend under the moonlight. Perhaps that's why the moon is one of my favorite magnet topics. I can always find inspiration from its glow. In this way, I consider the moon as one of my "topic friends."

As a writer, I think it's so important to have topic friends to count on as well as people in your life that you consider writing friends. These might be members of a writing group, colleagues, or even members of your family. 

If you would like to see the full moon this week, be sure to look to the sky on Sunday July 9th. My dear friend, moon, will  be there waiting to light the way to many new words and writing ideas for you!  

Make a list of your "topic friends" and other writing friends. Think about one of your topics and spend a little time collecting ideas around this friend. Sometimes having a conversation with your topic and listening to your topic speak to you is helpful, too! After you have collected around your "topic friend", choose a writing friend from your other list as someone you can talk to about your writing. Writing with friends can be a rewarding and joyful experience!