post-feast poetry fest: black friday

Welcome one and all to what I hope will be a blockbuster day in the poetry market! 
Come early, stay late and shop til you drop without ever leaving home or---this is key--spending a penny.  At the poetry mall, all the flavors & favors, subjects & objects, treasures & pleasures are yours for the mere click of a mouse.   I'll be rounding up the posts periodically all day with the help of Mr. Linky below.

I spent time yesterday trying to explain "Black Friday" to my 9-year-old and why we will be avoiding Target like the plague, also known as The Black Death.  I'd like to reclaim the beauty of black this Friday with a piquant excerpt from Mary O'Neill's deservedly classic Hailstones and Halibut Bones, and a video featuring the whole poem.

What Is Black?

...Think of what starlight
And lamplight would lack
Diamonds and fireflies
If they couldn’t lean against Black.

Interesting musical treatment, don't you think?  For more black beauty, go here for said 9-year-old's take, and here and here for some adult poems on black.  Then be sure to leave your link below, with a word about your post in parentheses after your name. Thanks for shopping stopping in!

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Early Birds

First up today is (as far as I know) a newcomer, Karissa Sorrell, with a lovely "Blessing" by James Wright, posted at The Iris Chronicles.  Nice to meet you, Karissa!

At The Write Sisters, Jet has Robert Frost's "Reluctance," which is a do-not-go-gentle poem I didn't know.  I am so grateful to PF for repeatedly introducing me to new Frost poems--it seems I missed most of them in my education.  Was he considered too traditional by my hippie English teachers?

Myra posts on the cemeteries of New Orleans today with photos and video and lyrics and poem today, all on the theme of passing.  Rich and interesting stuff at Gathering Books.

Over at Paper Tigers, Sally has a review and commentary on the oral tradition of  the Ainu people of northern Japan....lots of links to follow!

Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference is also up early and sharing the excellent "common book of prayer" by Chris Clardy.  Click around this blog to find endless collectibles you didn't know you needed.

At The Poem Farm, Amy has, as always, a post full of juicy details about the new e-book Gift Tag, the snow poem she contributed, and a story about a miracle of a teacher who knows which is more important: a math test or the first snow of the season.

Janet at Across the Page, shares some fabulous photos of neighborhood hawks, along with Ted Hughes's "Hawk Roosting."  How did she know that we spotted (and heard!) some in our neighborhood yesterday?

Coming to us from Haiti, Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken place, has a rumination on brokenness, gratitude and Pablo Neruda's "Ode to Broken Things."

And Tanita concludes a month of Thanksgiving with an essay on "difficult patriotism" and a paragraph that sounds like a poem called "I don't like you."  Journey with her at [fiction, instead of lies].

Mary Lee explores the very small and very large with the help of Robert Creeley at A Year of Reading.  You can also go there to sign up to enjoy the Poetry Friday hosting experience in 2012.  I can recommend it.  : )

Steven at Poetry at Play gives mouthwatering thanks for...penguins!  If you haven't joined Poetry Advocates for Children and Young Adults, today is your day.

Oh, boy--Maria at A Poem A Day shares Eavan Boland's "A Moment," which is a cousin to Robert Creeley's "One Day."  Lovely.

Linda has an original and personal sestina which honors the passing down of traditions, Thanksgiving and otherwise, from mother to daughter.  You'll find it at TeacherDance.

At Random Noodling, Diane has a hoot of a haiga--or should that be hogga?  At Kurious K's Kwotes, we hear from Fabu, the poet laureate of Madison (Wisconsin, I believe).  And at Kids of the Homefront Army, Diane shares another authentic take on the Black Friday/Black Market thread with a WWII-era voice.

Robyn and G.K. Chesterton are making sure that we are thoroughly grateful today and every day over at Read, Write, Howl.

Over at A Teaching Life, Tara shares "Before the World Intruded" and view into the backseat at (grown-up) sleeping children.  The traditions of Thanksgiving took me to some of these bittersweet thoughts about my children, too.

Sylvia compellingly advertises her latest e-book poetry anthology, Gift Tag, published with Janet Wong, at Poetry for Children.  If you scroll down you can also enjoy her comprehensive report on the poetry doings at NCTE's annual convention in Chicago, a poetry party I was privileged to participate in.  (Is my favorite letter P?)

Carol's Corner features a review of Jane Yolen's new Birds of a Feather and some nice excerpts, plus a reminder that poets and scientists have a lot in common. Go, observers of the world!

Greg at GottaBook didn't eat too much for dinner, oh nooooo.  At least he's got his priorities straight.

I apologize to Charlotte of Charlotte's Library, whose link I missed earlier today.  She's got spoofs of A.A. Milne (sacrilege : ) by a British humorist known as the Beachcomber.  Don't miss it!

And last for today is Adrienne at What Adrienne Thinks About That, with a Stanley Kunitz poem called "The Layers" and a knowledge that she is not done with her changes.  Me, either, Adrienne.  Me either.

Thanks for playing poetry today, everyone!  I've enjoyed sampling everyone's posts and will return to make  proper comments soon.  All the best until next time!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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