Poems Between Friends

I’m popping in with a Poetry Swap package all the way from Southern California. I only took part in one Poetry Swap this season. And it was a right choice. Because when I wasn’t writing Poetry Swaps, I was writing picture books. Two rhyming manuscripts that have winged their way to publishers, and I’m feeling chuffed… and hopeful. Submissions – but not yet acceptances. (Not setting myself up for disappointment!) But I’m glad I hadn’t committed to more swaps, or I probably wouldn’t have had that little snippet of (unexpected) time and inspiration to write with such joy.

But by the same token, I was so glad that I *did* have a poetry swap! Because there is nothing quite like crafting a poem for a friend. A friend who gets poetry! It is a true gift that Tabatha gives us year after year, and I cannot convey how much I love it! (AND Tabatha is hosting the Poetry Friday link-up today. How perfect!🙃)

I always have such joy in the creating, that I completely forget that someone is doing the same for me! But look at this joy-burst Denise sent me! I can just SEE the fun she had in the making!

I especially love that cow!

I really loved the way Denise closed her accompanying letter. ‘Blessings to you this Winter day!’ Yep – it’s winter here. Thank you for noticing, Denise. Your package was received with delight!

You can see my poem for Denise on her blog. (It’s a wee-bit prickly.)

Thank-you to all the Poetry Friday peeps who found me on my new Substack space last week. I’ll be there again next Friday. The plan is to post to my Substack on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Friday of the month. The 1st Friday of the month will be deliberately pitched to Poetry Friday. But sometimes other newsletters will too (since the space is where I’ll be talking picture books, poetry and verse novels) – so I’ll link in as it fits. 🙂 I’m still getting to know that space – but I’m not stressing it! Slow and steady is my pace.

Have a great week!

Poetry Swap Gifts to Give

Yay for Tabatha Yeatts and Poetry Swaps. With the email option this year, I took part in all five poetry swaps and it has been joy, joy, joy! I do just love the excuse to be creative for a fun purpose – especially when life is busy, as it has been, and any creativity is a chance to breathe and uncoil stress! So thank-you again Tabatha. I appreciate your swaps every time I am involved!

Today I am sharing my collection of gifting.

Between the first and second swap, I took part in an evening online birdie watercolour course with lovely Jess Racklyeft, an Australian illustrator, not because I have any talent; purely as a pep up for me during this trying year. It has pepped me up more than I could have imagined – and it became a fun theme to incorporate watercolour into my poetry swaps.

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(The bee-eater was surprisingly difficult to capture! The bird in flight was my second attempt, but seemed to fall a bit flat, so then there was a third… Lucky Jone scored 2&3 – twice!😹)

Of course, the double-bonus of the Poetry Swap is that you don’t just give, you receive, too. (That is always a delightful surprise, since I’m usually so caught up in the creating/giving!) Thank-you to the wonderful poetry friends who have brightened my days with their words throughout the past months. You can see them in my previous posts.

And because Christie missed out on a watercolour… and as a thank-you to Tabatha and all my gifters, here is a little piece of our farm in one more watercolour poem. The (unnamed) calf that posed for the pic is currently skipping around our house paddock, slurping mother’s milk, but the poem is inspired by memories of my bottle-fed babies, Cocoa and Amber and Dozer. Especially Amber, my beefy-red baby, with the prettiest eyes.

I’m about to head across to catch up with Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone , who has all the links to my lovely PoetryFriday peeps’ posts. See you on the Round-up!

Poetry Swap – from Jone & Ruth

Hi all. Fridays fly around pretty quickly these days! I’ve missed a couple – again!! I hope you’re all keeping safe and sweet; giving and receiving kindness.

Talking about kindness… Today I’m sharing some treasures I received as a part of Tabatha’s Poetry Swap. It’s so generous of Tabatha Yeatts to organise these for us – and a joy to receive them! Continue reading →

Crafty Linda’s Poetry Swap!

Poetry Swap is a delight all over again!

It went like this… This year I have been scrambling to make the PoetryFriday posts – but fortunately, I looped in for the PoetrySwap sign-in. Getting Linda Mitchell’s name was a double-delight… because not only is she one of the most encouraging people you are ever likely to meet – in getting her address to send her parcel, I realised that she is very near an area I will be visiting in November, as part of a UBAM (Usborne Books and More) visit. (Which is just another thing that I’m delighted/excited about!! Talking poetry. And ‘Bully on the Bus’ – and taking the bus ON THE ROAD in America!!😍) So not only did I find my PoetrySwap buddy, but I also was able to start some secret-squirrel chatter about meeting this lovely lady in real life!

I started scouring Linda’s website for poetry inspiration … and discovered vibrant, cheery collages scattered throughout. They were gorgeous! And I had missed them – being out of the PoetryFriday loop. I couldn’t see what had prompted them. (Believe me, I looked!!) But I loved them – thought to try and work a collage into the background of my poem for Linda.

I set to work, mining words and phrases from Linda’s blog, from which to craft my poem.

My poem eventually done, I then started playing with collage for the background, but alas, I don’t have the knack like Linda does, and I wasn’t happy with my efforts. I sorted out my first poem with a photographic background, then decided to write a new poem, making pictures with my words, instead. Nothing like Linda’s collages, but visual… (Turns out I wrote a lot of poems for Linda.😂)

My first PoetrySwap parcel arrived when I was away for a week of poetry workshops with the Ipswich Council – as a part of the Ipswich Poetry Feast. My husband told me it was from Linda Mitchell which made me smile – that we were gifting to each other. The serendipitous synchronicity of God’s perfect timing!

When I arrived home and opened the gift, I was delighted. It was a work of art. It felt like precious treasure – and each page I turned (they crunchy-crinkle) revealed new delights. And then I saw them…

The boats. From Linda’s blog. Her recycled art. That I had loved. My gift!

I don’t think it’s possible anyone could have appreciated Linda’s gift more! It is pure delight.

These vibrant thongs, which I’d spied (and loved!) on Linda’s blog! (You may call them flip-flops?)

There was poetry… of course!

Thank-you Linda, for crafting a gift that will give bounteous joy.

L💕VE!

If you like poetry – or just being surprised by joy – then pop across to Tabatha’s blog and get yourself on the mailing list so you can join in future swaps. You will be delighted!

To see more of Linda’s work, skip across to her blog, and you’ll find recycled artwork featured in my journal.

To join me in the PoetryFriday blog-hop, click across to Buffy’s Blog – where I am sure you will find critters… and creative peeps!

Have an awesome week!

So Much Goodness!

One of the nicest things about the Poetry Swap, organised by Tabatha Yeatts, is that you’re so focused on thinking of someone else (the recipient of your poetry gift) that you completely forget that someone, somewhere, is thinking about you. Until one day… a package arrives in the mail.

That was me on Thursday, when a box arrived for me – from Rebecca Herzog. That was a name I recognised! I opened the parcel as we were driving to Bundaberg… and what a treat it was!

Rebecca wrote three poems – each one inspired by a dice game she had created, and included, as my gift. There are 5,832 possible combinations using the cards – which Rebecca informs me, is a poem a day for almost 16 years. What fun!

Road tripping with the Poetry Dice Game.

Novel Teas – I love this!

Not one, but three, very different poems. Blessed!

The first poem I saw was the Eucalyptus acrostic. I think there may be Eucalypts in America? (I googled – and see that yes, they were introduced into California, during the Gold Rush.) For sure we are surrounded by them on our grazing property! But I have to confess, my personal favourite is that little cardinal. These we do not have in Australia – but I adore that wee cherita!

As a gift, it was all kinds of perfect, and I say a heartfelt thank-you to Rebecca, for sending so much joy over the ocean. I will think of you often as I sip tea and play poetry dice. If I can write poems as delightful as yours, I will be thrilled.

You can read more poetry goodness on Buffy’s Blog, where you’ll find the Poetry Friday round-up this week.

Also this week, I updated my Bully on the Bus book trailer, to fit the American market. It has a permanent home on my blog under the ‘Books’ > ‘Bully on the Bus‘ tab, but for today, you can watch it below. 😀

With Christmas so fast approaching, I leave you with some pics taken at Bethlehem Live, which is on for one final night in Bundaberg. Such a beautiful way to get into the Christmas spirit and mix and mingle with members of our community. I love it!

Wishing you all a blessed and safe Christmas.

Thank-you, Mr Postman

My mailman has been unusually busy of late, which has been quite lovely. And I’ve been a bit slow in posting them – to the blog… So, here goes;

1) Imperfect – poems about mistakes an anthology for middle schoolers, edited by Tabatha Yeatts. (Available online here.) I’m chuffed to have my poem, ‘Scared of Cows’ included in this, alongside so many lovely Poetry Friday pals. Yes, as most everybody knows, the farm-girl-married-a-grazier is still scared of cows! (The poem is about my mistake – that led to this enduring fear…)

2) Author copies of the American edition of ‘Bully on the Bus‘ arrived. You may spot the difference quicker than I did…

Spot the difference!

3) ‘Big Blue Whale’ was included in the English for Primary workbook, for Year 7 students, published by Gyldendal Undervisning. It’s been paired with poems by James Carter and Kenn Nesbitt, to inspire kids to write their own shape poem.

4) A lovely poetry swap from Amy LV. Along with her poem, a wish for ‘Today’, Amy, the Queen of Notebooks, sent 4 gorgeous notebooks. If this is what American notebooks look and feel like, I’m not surprised you all love them!! The paper quality! #swoons I have been meaning to give this notebooking a serious try – and now, thanks to sweet Amy, I have no excuses! Funnily enough, when reading Amy’s poem I was thinking there was little chance of pinecones in my day… and admittedly I wasn’t walking, BUT – on a drive two days later, I spotted a fat pinecone in the middle of the road! Made me smile. Thank-you, Amy, for your dreamy poem and gift – and Tabatha, for organising this fabulous joy-spreading swap. 🙂

Thank-you Mr Postman! I can’t imagine there will be anything anywhere near this exciting for quite some time, now.

And in a nice little touch of synchronicity, this week PoetryFriday is hosted by Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone. I wonder if her postal-person has delivered a little poetry swap package from me! Thank-you for hosting us, Molly!

Poetry Swap – Tabatha Shapes Up

I love what Tabatha Yeatts has done with the Seasonal Poetry Swap – but this year I’m doubly thankful to her, because not only did she organise the swap, but she drew my name… So sent her poem to me. And not just any poem… a shape poem, inspired by my whale concrete poem. And there again, I was doubly blessed, because my gift came not just from Tabatha, but her talented daughter, Elena, who turned the words into a work of art.

Like it? I LOVE it!

QUESTIONS FOR KOKO
by Tabatha Yeatts

Fireworks child,
A fine-gorilla-person is who?
Me, Koko (I speak to you!)

Do you want something to eat?
Food, food (Give me your treat!)

What did you name your kitty?
All Ball (His tail is bitty)

Is there a sign for you?
Queen, queen (You know it’s true!)

What is that photo you have?
Sad-cry (I miss my cat)

Where do we go when we die?
A comfortable hole (Kiss me goodbye.)

Of course, I had to go and read more about Koko. What a beautiful (also, sad) story! And there are cats! (Which you know… because the poem does say that. 🙂 )

Thank-you so much for your thoughtful gifting, Tabatha and Elena! It is very much appreciated.

I’m wondering who else has poetry parcels to share during the round-up this week… Looking forward to checking out all the Poetry Friday links at Reading to the Core, thanks, Catherine!

Poetry Swap

Ever since the first Poetry Swap gifts posted on the Poetry Friday rounds, I have been delighted by the joy they bring, not just to the sender and receiver, but to the poetry community at large. So – this season, when Tabatha Yeatts asked who was in, I was keen to join in the giving. And what pleasure it has been! Thank-you Tabatha, for coming up with such a wonderful idea – and keeping the ball rolling time and again. When I received Irene Latham’s name, to send a parcel of goodies to, I was thrilled, and had so much fun putting her package together, with a little dob of mud and a splash of ice and penguins. I didn’t even give a thought to who/what might be coming my way… until one day, hubby arrived with a box from the letterbox… for me! How exciting!!

Lovely Linda Baie was my very generous giver – and I so appreciate the thought she put into co-ordinating her purrfect parcel of poetry.