poetry friday (breakfast edition) is here!

~ jama

I think, to a poet, the human community is like the community of birds to a bird, singing to each other. Love is one of the reasons we are singing to one another, love of language itself, love of sound, love of singing itself, and love of the other birds. (Sharon Olds)

dum dee dum

Good Morning, Good Morning!

Breakfast is Served.

Welcome to Poetry Friday at Alphabet Soup!

Please help yourself to some freshly brewed Kona coffee and a warm blueberry scone. Since you’ll be dashing from blog to blog today to savor all the poetic goodness being served up in the blogosphere, you’ll need a magic footed coffee cup.

Honestly, what would writers do without their favorite high octane java and choice of sweet? It’s no small coincidence that so many bestsellers are written in coffee shops. Sip, chew, type. Ponder, swallow, savor. A bite of inspiration for the taking.

To the Coffee Shop
by Andrea Potos

Praise to the early risers who unlock
the doors at 4 a.m., create
lemon blueberry crumble,
orange raisin scones dunked
headfirst in sugar,
oatmeal cookies stuffed
with cranberries and pecans.
Praise to the splash and sizzle
on the grill, smells rising
from childhood’s deep cache,
when you entered the kitchen rubbing your eyes
and your father kissed you
over the top of his Times,
and your big sister looked ridiculous
with her milk mustache.
Your mother turned to greet you
as if you alone were the sun
while eggs burbled in her pan —
praise to the succulent yellow yolks
that were not yet broken.

~ from Yaya’s Cloth (Iris Press, 2007). Used with author’s permission, copyright © Andrea Potos. All rights reserved.

Andrea: I am a devotee of coffee shops, and that’s often where I go to write every morning. (I love sweets, and I love all things baked!) As a child, my favorite breakfast was eggs sunny-side up and toast; there was always something cozy and consoling about such a meal, no matter what else was swirling around me.

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As you can see, Andrea is my kind of poet! I thank her for allowing me to share her delicious poem with you today. Love “childhood’s deep cache.” *swoon*

Mr. Linky is hot!

Now, please leave your links with Mr. Linky, who’s already had three scones and five cups of coffee (please resist any temptation to actually eat Mr. Linky for breakfast as we need him to help with the Roundup). Don’t forget to enter your name with the title of the poem you’re sharing or book you’re reviewing in parentheses.

So glad you’re joining us — help yourself to another scone before you take off. Don’t worry, your magic coffee cup will follow you wherever you go and refill itself.

***

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Today’s Poetry Friday Roundup Menu

1. Tara (Natasha Trethewey)

2. Charles Ghigna (“Each Shadow Has Its Sunshine”/”Sunset”)

3. Laura Shovan (Shakespeare Under the Stars)

4. NC Teacher Stuff (Poem Runs)

5. Gathering Books (Ted Hughes’ “Wodwo”)

6. Diane Mayr (Poems about poems)

7. Kurious Kitty (Switching On the Moon)

8. KK’s Kwotes (Roger McGough)

9. The Write Sisters (Poems about fishermen)

10. Joyce Ray (The Good Braider)

11. Fanny Harville (Railroad Rhythms)

12. Violet (The Tarts — and what really happened)

13. Amy LV at the Poem Farm (“Sky Tickle”)

14. Linda Baie (Gratitude)

15. Tabatha (Doug Florian: “Summer Hummer”)

16. Renee at No Water River (“The Bitter Snits”)

17. Liz Steinglass (Summer Day)

18. Mary Lee (“Directions”)

19. Laura Salas (What’s Looking at You, Kid)

20. Laura Salas (15 Words or Less)

21. Jone at Check it Out (William Butler Yeats)

22. Debbie Diller (“Up-Hill”)

23. BookTalking (One Two That’s My Shoe!)

24. Dori Reads (A Faun and other simple beauty)

25. Steven Withrow (“A Conch Shell”)

26. Ruth (“A Hot Day” by Tessimond)

27. Sally at Paper Tigers (Earth Magic)

28. david e. at Fomagrams (raygone, the transit of venus)

29. Jeannine Atkins (Natasha Trethewey)

30. Karen Edmisten (Jane Kenyon)

31. Little Willow (“Farther in Summer Than the Birds”)

32. Elaine at Wild Rose Reader (“Rooster”)

33. Florian Cafe (“Honey”)

34. Julie Larios at The Drift Record (Dylan Thomas)

35. Janet Squires (River of Words)

36. Donna at Mainely Write (summer haiku)

37. Sylvia Vardell (2012 White Ravens Poetry List)

38. readertotz (Elmo and Adam Sandler)

39. Rena Traxel (50th Anniversary poem)

***

doodle ee doo

What’s this? Mr. Cornelius wants you to have a Triple Chocolate Rockie. If you stick around, he’ll let you drink from his cup.

 

♥ Happy Poetry Friday and Congratulations to Natasha Trethewey, our new Poet Laureate! ♥

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Copyright © 2012 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

41 thoughts on “poetry friday (breakfast edition) is here!”

  1. Oh, yum! Breakfast is a few hours away, Jama, but now I am suddenly impatient for it. I love this line:
    “Your mother turned to greet you
    as if you alone were the sun”
    So much comfort and love in that gesture.

    Like

    1. Hi Tara, I feel the same way too as these lines would continue to resonate with me throughout the day:
      “Your mother turned to greet you
      as if you alone were the sun
      while eggs burbled in her pan –
      praise to the succulent yellow yolks
      that were not yet broken.”
      Beautiful, isn’t it?
      Thanks Jama for a poetry-filled breakfast. It’s 1040 am in my part of the world now, so it’s perfect.
      Thanks for hosting too!

      Like

  2. Happy Poetry Friday, Jama! I love the quote AND the poem – they fill me up with goodness. I’m travelling this weekend (writers retreat!) so will catch up with a post next week, but I’m pointing folks in your direction if they drop by for coffee today. Oh, and Tara stole my favorite line up there… ;0)

    Like

  3. Breakfast is my favorite meal, Jama, so I love your choice of poems! I’m going to click on Mr. Linky, but my P.F. posts won’t be up until after midnight. Have a great weekend!

    Like

  6. Jama, your food photos are always so scrumptious looking. I always want to eat when I read your blog! I love the poem. These lines speak of care and love and nurture. They can also foreshadow the breaking apart of relationships.

    “praise to the succulent yellow yolks
    that were not yet broken.”

    I’m reviewing Terry Farish’s verse novel The Good Braider today. Thanks for hosting. Sorry I clicked Mr. Linky twice.

    Like

  9. This is a delicious post! I love the quote, that mug with feet, and this ode to early rising bakers. Tomorrow (today!) is my children’s last day of school, and I now am wondering, “What shall I bake? What shall I bake?” Maybe chocolate chip scones. Thank you, once more, for the culinary inspiration!

    Today at The Poem Farm I have a wee concrete poem…and a reminder to check Wednesday’s post which holds some magical kindergarten poetry!

    Thank you for hosting!

    a.

    Like

  10. Just lovely! You should give the wanna-be’s on Food Network Star lessons in how to fold in, stir, and spice up their efforts with enticing food descriptions. I posted a foodie poem just for you–about tarts (the edible kind, of course).

    Like

  11. Jama, it’s so late here, and now I’m hungry. Shouldn’t eat this late, right? Thank you for hosting, for the beautiful poem It got me at the kiss over the top of the Times. I am grateful for our community (love your quote).

    Like

  12. Love “To the Coffee Shop”!

    Also, photo of Cornelius is great. I know how he feels.

    Like

  13. Hi, Jama, thanks for hosting! Those last five lines of Andrea’s poem just kind of tore my heart out – beautiful!

    And what I wouldn’t give for some scones and clotted cream to go with my tea! I need to learn how to make both those things right away. 🙂

    Is it just me — I only see 5 poetry links in the post, even though there are a whole bunch on the Mr. Linky…

    Like

  14. Thanks for hosting, Jama! My poem is about traveling, and I need to finish my last-minute packing and get to the airport! I’ll come back for a belated breakfast (and tour of the roundup) tomorrow!

    Like

  15. Pingback: Poetry Friday: What’s Looking at You, Kid? (by J. Patrick Lewis) | laurasalas

  16. Thank you for hosting, Jama! I am not a coffee drinker, but I have a cold right now and have downed about 35 (seriously) mugs of tea in the past 36 hours. Baked goods, though…now you’re talking:>)

    Lovely poem, too. Who wouldn’t want to be looked at “as if you alone were the sun”?

    Like

  18. Good morning, Jama. The last lines of Andrea’s poem:

    Your mother turned to greet you
    as if you alone were the sun
    while eggs burbled in her pan –
    praise to the succulent yellow yolks
    that were not yet broken.

    — so true of the simple, deep love we feel when we are valued as children, but I also love the subtle suggestion of the final line.

    Thank you for hosting today!

    Like

  23. Pingback: #poetry friday: raygone, the transit of venus « fomagrams

  24. i think the hardest thing about moving across the country was giving up my collection of favorite writing cafes and not finding suitable replacements for them. its funny, i can look at old manuscripts and still clearly see where i was sitting when i worked on those particular pieces.

    i wish i’d read this praise poem and landed here *before* breakfast this morning, i might have been inspired (i.e. obsessed) with finding a new writing spot.

    but there’s always the weekend…

    Like

  25. Pingback: Natasha Trethewey Named Poet Laureate « Views from a Window Seat

  26. Jama, thanks for hosting, starting off with that wonderful quote from Sharon Olds. Not to mention blueberry scones. It looks like it’s going to be a busy weekend of reading.

    Like

  27. Jama, I absolutely adore that poem! Thank you for making my morning. I’m in this week with Jane Kenyon.

    Thanks for hosting!

    Like

  31. Thanks for hosting.

    My selection is: “River of words : young poets and artists on the nature of things” edited by Pamela Michael and introduced by Robert Hass.

    Like

  32. There, I fixed my Mr. Linky link! And I meant to say how much I love the splash and sizzle of the Potos poem you shared, Jama.

    Like

  33. Loved the poem…can’t stand to look at eggs sunny side up, though. Almost as bad as looking at a picture of a spider! Make mine scrambled, please!
    And I too, think I messed up Linky-Loo there. I didn’t put the name of my website or poem…”Summer” at Mainely Write….but it still works when you click on ‘Donna’.

    Like

  34. What a delicious post, Jama! Thanks for posting, hosting, and sharing today. I’m looking global today and rounding up 18 poetry books from around the world that appear on the 2012 White Ravens list.

    Like

  35. That poem made me hungry. I love the “splash and sizzle” makes me think of bacon. Thanks for hosting. This week I shared a poem that I wrote for my grandparent’s 50th anniversary.

    Like

  36. I’ve read all the Poetry Friday posts and it’s still Friday! It must be summer! Thanks again for hosting – your posts are always an inspiration.

    Like

  37. “Your mother turned to greet you/as if you alone were the sun.” Love this line. I could see it all playing out so clearly! Thanks for hosting on this sunny side up Friday.

    Like

  38. Pingback: 2012 Poetry Friday Archive « Jama's Alphabet Soup

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