poetry friday (breakfast edition) is here!

June 7, 2012September 20, 2017 ~ jama ~ 41 Comments

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)

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.

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*

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)

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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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Poetry Friday Roundup Schedule (January-June 2012)

January 4, 2012 ~ jama ~ 3 Comments

Join us for Poetry Friday!

Share anything poetry related — original or favorite poems by others, poetry book reviews, musings, teaching ideas, videos, even song lyrics! Read Susan Thomsen’s article at the Poetry Foundation to learn more. Leave your link with the designated host each week.

January

6 JoAnn at Teaching Authors

13 Tara at A Teaching Life

20 Elaine at Wild Rose Reader

27 Jim at Hey, Jim Hill!

February

3 Karissa at The Iris Chronicles

10 Laura at Writing the World for Kids

17 Myra at Gathering Books

24 Jone at Check it Out

March

2 Dori at Dori Reads

9 Myra at Gathering Books

16 Gregory K. at GottaBook

23 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading

30 Heidi at my juicy little universe

April

6 Robyn at Read, Write Howl

13 Anastasia at Booktalking

20 Diane at Random Noodling

27 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference

May

4 Elaine at Wild Rose Reader

11 Irene at Live. Love. Explore!

18 Katya at Write. Sketch. Repeat.

25 Linda at TeacherDance

June

1 Carol at Carol’s Corner

8 Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup

15 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading

22 Amy at The Poem Farm

29 Marjorie at Paper Tigers

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friday feast: food, glorious food

December 23, 2011December 23, 2011 ~ jama ~ 17 Comments

“It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas.” ~ Charles Dickens

“Food, Glorious Food” is my personal anthem. I sense Lionel Bart was thinking of me when he composed it. Okay, probably not, but one can always dream. ☺

When I lived in London, I got to see “Oliver” in the West End.

Those were the days when you could get great tickets to a musical for only $15.00! I love love loved it when those ragamuffins sang, “Hot sausage and mustard!” I don’t know what it is about those four words. Till today, whenever I hear them, I want to hug myself. Just so very British. Definitely a good thing.

I’ll always remember the time we went on a class field trip to the Dickens House Museum on Doughty Street (his only surviving town residence, where he wrote Oliver Twist). I was teaching 9th and 10th graders, and a student teacher from Kentucky was working with me. We’d collected admission fees from the students ahead of time, but when we got to the museum, we almost didn’t get in — Miss J. thought I had brought the money, and I thought she had!

What to do? Hit up one of the students, of course. Peter (who reminded me of Augustus Gloop) had quite a bit of cash on him. Perhaps he’d robbed a bank on the way to school. After a little cajoling, he lent us enough for about 30 tickets. So, in a fortunate “twist” of events, two adults picked a kid’s pocket.

But back to my theme song. Sing along and sing it loud, with f-e-e-l-i-n-g!! I can’t wait to hear my favorite four words again!

Whether you have cold jelly and custard, pease pudding and saveloys, peaches and cream, a great big steak, or the glorious hot sausage and mustard, I wish you an uncommonly delicious holiday!

saveloy and chips — Just in case you were wondering, saveloys are bright red sausages, usually served with chips.

The dynamic Doraine Bennett has this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup at Dori Reads.

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friday feast: tea and bread pudding for jane

December 16, 2011December 16, 2011 ~ jama ~ 18 Comments

“At 9 o’clock she made breakfast — that was her part of the household work — The tea and sugar stores were under her charge.” ~ Caroline Austen (My Aunt Jane Austen: A Memoir)

It’s December 16th! A most noteworthy date to be sure.

In 1773, an impassioned group of colonists held a certain Tea Party in Boston Harbor, and just two years later, on this very same December day, Jane Austen was born at Steventon Rectory.

Why not celebrate Jane’s birthday with a fine cup of tea and a treat? The Alphabet Soup kitchen helpers are serving English Breakfast Tea by the English Teddy Bear Company. Please help yourself to a steamy cup while reading Jane’s poem.

The Jane Austen Centre calls this 11-stanza verse, “sprightly.” Indeed, it reveals her keen wit and charming powers of persuasion. It was written a few years before she moved to Chawton House with her mother, sister Cassandra and dear friend Martha Lloyd, who later married Jane’s brother Frank. Seems Jane was trying to find a way to have Martha come and visit her.

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friday feast: putting the kettle on

November 4, 2011September 21, 2017 ~ jama ~ 23 Comments

“Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.” ~ Chaim Potok

Over a fine cup of Darjeeling the other day, I thought about how often I heard the phrase, “I’ll put the kettle on,” when I lived in England. A surprise visit, a day’s disappointment,

*“Still Life with Apples and Tea Kettle by Ethel Vrana*

trouble brewing, an invitation to chat — tea always made everything better. One had to wait patiently for the water to boil, and if you were lucky, part of your reward was that friendly whistle with a sudden burst of steam.

I miss this bit of antiquity, since these days many prefer to use their microwaves or electric kettles for almost instant hot water. Gone are those few extra minutes of anticipation, of slowing down, that cosmic link to hearths of yore. And those old kettles, especially the copper ones, had so much personality!

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