Skip to main content

The Inspiring Poetry Gifts of Others

 At this time of the year I increase the level of rummaging I do through my extensive library of old writer's notebooks. Summer days afford me this special time. Given that I have 4 decades worth of notebooks, there is much to explore and rediscover. 

The imminent release of my latest book, 'Notebook Notions,' reminds me rummaging is a topic I address in the book. It is an action highly reccomended for discovering new possiblities in old words.

It was in this wonderfully satisfying process of rediscovery that I chanced upon some poetry gold gifted to the world by fellow participants of Poetry Friday. I have others I can call upon another time. 

 These poems had nestled safely into the pages of various notebooks as sources of admiration and inspiration. I bring them into the light and say thank you for these wordly gifts.

Wishing everyone a New Year full of hope, optimism and fullfilment. Be well and keep the words flowing...






It is the first Poetry Friday of 2026 and our host is Catherine Flynn @Reading To The Core. Catherine writes a poem dedicated to the month of January and the activities it inspires.

Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous2 January 2026 at 22:59

    oh, a good rummaging around the old papers is a treat! I’m jealous of your time, of course. But, I’m always jealous of you in January. Enjoy your time looking over words. I hope they sprout and grow and we see a bounty of your writing soon. The book cover is gorgeous! Congrats again. I need to go on Amazon and see if I can get a copy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 09:35

      Rummaging is indeed a treat. I have always found it so very satisfying. Thank you for these kind remarks. I too really like the book cover. it possesses such freshness and promise. The hardcover version is scheduled for early next month. i shall try not to gloat about our January weather.

      Delete
  2. Rose Cappelli2 January 2026 at 23:24

    What a lovely tribute to fellow Poetry Friday participants, Alan. I enjoyed revisiting these beauties. Congratulations on the new book, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 09:35

      Thanks, rose. Much appreciated. It was fun to share these delights

      Delete
  3. Irene Latham3 January 2026 at 00:01

    Congratulations on your book Alan! I LOVE revisiting these Poetry Friday poems...treasures, all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 09:37

      Thanks, Irene. Glad you enjoyed glancing over over these poems.

      Delete
  4. Linda B3 January 2026 at 00:21

    I am honored to see my poems here, Alan, and remember the others, loving the way our poems shared stay in the little corners of our minds. I have so many notebooks because our school had every student, even the beginners who were just starting reading & writing, keep journals. I return to them, too. Congratulations on your upcoming book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 09:38

      It was my pleasure to revisit them, Linda. Keep delving into your accumulated treasures.

      Delete
  5. Catherine Flynn3 January 2026 at 01:09

    Thank you for sharing these treasures, Alan. And thank you for the reminder to go back and sift through my notebooks. Who knows what treasures are buried in there? Congratulations on your new book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 09:40

      My pleasure, Catherine. May your rummaging reveal treasures to launch new and inspiriing words.

      Delete
  6. Cathy Stenquist3 January 2026 at 05:48

    Congrats on the new book. Having recetmly joined Poetry Friday, I had not seen many of the poems shared. I like the idea of keeping the ones tha touch our heart close by. Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 09:42

      Thanks Cathy, I have always used my notebooks to nestle the inspiring words of others alongside my own. It just feels right to me to have this considered mingling of thoughts and ideas.

      Delete
  7. Mona Voelkel3 January 2026 at 07:02

    Thank you for all these lovely poems and poetic inspiration!!! Excited for your new book! Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 09:44

      My absolute pleasure, Mona. Thank you for your comment regarding my new book. Happy New Year to you too!

      Delete
  8. Jone3 January 2026 at 12:33

    I can't wait to read your new book. And thank you for sharing these poetry pieces of gold

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 14:36

      I am eagerly waiting for it to reach me, hopefully within the next week, Jone. Those poems are definitely treasures and deserve a reprise.

      Delete
  9. Karen Edmisten 3 January 2026 at 14:24

    Oooh, what joys and treasures! Thanks for re-sharing these, Alan, and I'm looking forward to your book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 January 2026 at 14:38

      My pleasure, Karen. I'm gald you are looking forward to my book. I too am eagerly awaiting its landing...

      Delete
  10. Marcie Flinchum Atkins3 January 2026 at 23:51

    Your new book sounds awesome! Congratulations! And I love seeing these collections of PF poems.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 January 2026 at 10:06

      Thank you for your kind response, Marcie. Glad you enjoyed the selected poems.

      Delete
  11. Carol Labuzzetta4 January 2026 at 04:44

    What a nice idea, Alan. Thank you for sharing these gems you rediscovered in your rummaging. I recently started to do this - rummage through my past writing folders. It is a satisfying task. Congratualtions on your new book, too. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 January 2026 at 10:08

      A quiet celebration of creative words, Carol. The reward for rummaging. Thank you for your kind remarks regarding my new book. Wishing you a happy and rewarding New Year.

      Delete
  12. Michelle Kogan4 January 2026 at 17:55

    💙 love this cornucopia of poems that you shared Alan, and very happy to be part of it too! I like the bits of color that appear on the tops and bottoms it reminds me of the art that Sonia Delaunay collaborated on with poet Blaise Cendrar, and his poem, La prose du Transsibérien et de la petite Jehanne de France. Here's a link to it: https://www.themorgan.org/collection/blaise-cendrars/transsiberien Many congrats on your forthcoming book, I look forward to reading it too, and thanks for this rich and inspiring post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright6 January 2026 at 10:29

      Thank you for your kind response, Michelle and for the link for me to discover more inspiration. I have always highlighted the poetry that gets added to my notebooks. They deserve the artististic additions. a lot of cut and paste goes on. Scissors and glue are worthy writing tools.

      Delete
  13. Mary Lee5 January 2026 at 06:32

    What a fun blast from the past! I need to do some rummaging of my own!
    Congrats on your book -- may it find all the right readers when it is set free into the world!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright6 January 2026 at 10:30

      Thanks Mary Lee. And thank you for your kind remarks regarding my soon to land book. Enjoy the rummaging...

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poetry Inspired by Images and Objects

There are many ways pictures and photographs can be conscripted to support the writing of poetry. Allow me to share a few ideas with you: Old photographs are a great source of inspiration. Cynthia Rylant explored this idea with great success in her book 'Something Permanent' where she employed the Depression era photographs of Walker Evans to add a new voice to the starkness to the lives of people experienced under extreme circumstances. I have used this strategy to spark many individual poems. In ' I Bet There's No Broccoli On The Moon,' I used a photo I had taken in 2004 while living in New York to inspire a poem. The poem was based on a story related by a friend who grew up in New York.  I regularly combined poetry and pictures in my writer's notebook, drawing on inspiration from the photograph and my personal memories. We can also utilize existing cartoons and illustrations to create ekphrastic poems. I frequently use the illustrations of Jim Pavlidis to co...
30 comments
Read more

Peter Dixon -Teabag Poem

Today I'm highlighting the poetry of Peter Dixon. Peter Dixon was not just a poet. He was a performer, educationalist and artist.   He grew up in London during WW2, and as a boy his schooling was far from successful. He struggled with spelling and the understanding of word, form and grammar, so he tended to write secretly at home, drawing and writing of things largely ignored by schools.   Despite this difficult phase of his life, Peter eventually became a school teacher and then a senior lecturer in education. It often mystified him as to how all of this came to pass. As a teacher, he strived to be unbiased and did not neglect the children who experienced learning challenges.   Peter Dixon became a full time children’s writer and educational consultant. His first book was published in 1978. Whilst living in Winchester, Hampshire, with his family, he   contributed to over 100 poetry anthologies and had seven collections of his own work published including Grow Your O...
18 comments
Read more

Poetry Friday 'Storm On The Island' Seamus Heaney

Given the fact that we recently celebrated St Patrick's Day, it seems appropriate that I take this opportunity to continue the Irish focus and recognize one of Ireland's leading literary figures... Seamus Heaney was born in County Derry in Northern Ireland in 1939 and died in 2013. He became a multi award winning poet. His first collection of poems, 'Death of a Naturalist' appeared in 1966 and helped to establish Heaney as one of the major poets of the 20th century. From that first anthology, I have chosen 'Storm On The Island.' This poem tells us about the stoic resistance of people and structures to an incoming storm. The island is not named. Poetic scholars believe this is a poem that can be taken literally, as a monologue on the life and attitude of island people facing a storm, or it can be understood as a  metaphor of political struggle on the island of Ireland. Heaney knew both worlds.  The poems of this first collection are grounded in the soil...
12 comments
Read more