This week I am responding to a prompt in a news article asking - Are you feeling swamped right now?  That was all I needed to set my writing mind into furious action. Sometimes a simple question can set the mind alight. I'll let you, dear reader determine how I feel...  I would classify the resultant poem -A Rant poem, and a long one at that. I have written Rant poems previously. They provide a wonderful outlet for strong emotions and unsettling feelings. Anyway, sit yourself down, strap in -here is my Rant poem.  The News of the Day- Chronicles of Chaos   The news And the views on the news Are let loose In torrents Cascading into the conscious mind The digital tsunami comes flooding Endlessly dumping headlines With updates layered thickly Delivered by device and design Sensory overload and mind-boggling exhaustion Have another helping of despair and dross And while you're here, juggle this- and this And have a dash of this as well. ...

 The mere mention of Yorkshire Fog Grass in a random conversation elicited a memory of distant childhood recently. Such are the merurial sparks of poetic inspiration. It behoves us to be constantly alert to the stirrings of poetry magic. For more than a week, a poem percolated in my mind before it was sufficiently formed to emerge in my notebook. It has been further revised to reach this moment.  Hope this nostalgic recollection resonates and sparks memories of your own wild imaginings and experiences. Were you a cloud watcher too? The Cloud Watchers The Yorkshire Fog grass grew wildly on the vacant lot next to my grandfather’s cottage Grass, bleached by the summer sun And now the colour of wheat.   Dense grass, so long, Small children could hide in it with ease And watch people passing by -and so, we did.   Robert, Margaret and me Lying on our backs Staring at the sky Watching a slew of clouds Slide across the heavens.   All the while, those nebula were shape-s...

When the reading of poetry is mindfully modeled, young learners are more inclined to read poetry for their own purposes. Here are some tips to assist you to present poetry reading successfully:   • Read the poem aloud to yourself first. Consider the meaning, language, rhythm and other features of the poem that you will highlight in your reading.   • Convey the meaning of the poem with your voice.   • Allow the students to hear the poem first before they see it. Read it a second time, but this time let them see the words.   • Avoid long elaborate introductions. Give them the title and the name of the poet.   • Let the tone of your voice convey the mood.   • Let the language convey the rhythm.   • Each word of the poem is important. Savor each one.   • Use your voice as a tool- whisper where appropriate, Shout if necessary, stretch words for effect!   • Invite short discussion rather than long analysis. Don’t dissect each line, don’t be a lint ...

 It is Friday and I am feeling frivolous. Word play on steroids for me.  I am dropping in to drop this playful poem.  I am writing as the mood of the morning suggests. Yesterday was a day of serious contemplation, but today is about having a little light amusement with words.  Poetry allows us that freedom, that latitude- so I'm taking it, right here. right now. Drop what you're doing and read this...   Drop Everything It drops down Drops in Drops by I am in the drop zone A water droplet Followed by a slight drop of rain Merely a drop in the ocean A drop in the bucket But then the penny drops My jaw drops Everything drops into place I can hear a pin drop Today is drop dead gorgeous So, drop the dead donkey! Don't drop off a cliff Drop off a gift Goody-goody gum drops. Alan  j Wright It is Poetry Friday and out host on this occasion is Karen Edmisten who is focusing on the poetry of Arthur Sze. She has welded words from a couple...

  My earliest memory of writing poetry was when I was in Grade 4. I wrote a poem about springtime. That day we all wrote poems about springtime because that was the expectation back then. That was writing as we knew it back. Teachers handed out the topic and the genre and we the young and inexperienced writers, dutifully responded. I recall my classmates liking my written efforts and suggesting I share my poem with our teacher, Mr Manzie. So, I took their advice and Mr Manzie liked my poem too. He invited me to share it with the class. When I read the poem aloud to the class their reaction was to clap in appreciation. This was a totally new experience. All these years later, I cannot recall the actual words of that ancient poem. They have long vanished. However, I have never forgotten the feelings that washed over me knowing other people enjoyed my written composition, my humble poem. The reaction to my poem ignited a spark energizing me to continue writing poetry, to persist...