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Poetry Friday: Honoring. #DearOneLBH and a Guest Blogger: Janet Clare Fagal


Thank you, thank you, thank you to Amy at The Poem Farm for hosting this wonderful celebration about our Dear One, Lee Bennett Hopkins.

Today at this blog, I am turning it over to Janet Clare Fagal for her poem tribute to Lee Bennett Hopkins.

DISCLAIMER: I am out of town, Ms IPad is NOT cooperating, thus this is a bit of formatting wonkiness. I had to screen shot Janet’s beautiful tribute poem and reflection so that you might be able to read it. Apologies.

Thank you to Jone for allowing me to post my poem for Lee on her blog today. I am eternally grateful for Lee’s invitation that led to my poem, “A Mermaid’s Tale” being included in his latest anthology, I AM SOMEONE ELSE, Poems About Pretending. It was a joy working with him. He was an exacting editor, but he encouraged and taught and enjoyed helping beginners like me. I treasure his friendship and his belief in me, as do so many others! Such a Pied Piper of Poetry ! How we will all miss him.

Invitations, Poems and Lee:

a poem of thanksgiving

By Janet Clare Fagal

Good poems.
Good rhymes
Good edits
Good lines
Good writing
Good drafts
Good words
Good laughs
Good poets
Good starts
Good people
Good hearts
Good writers
Good rhymes
Good poems
Great times

© all rights reserved

Janet reading to her granddaughter with quite the facial expression on Janet that Lee liked.

Thank you, Janet, for sharing you poem and connection with Lee with our Poetry Friday community.

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21 thoughts on “Poetry Friday: Honoring. #DearOneLBH and a Guest Blogger: Janet Clare Fagal”

    • Thank you dear Amy. I know how much Lee meant to you and you have lived up to his belief in you and will continue, he knew your talent and passion and work ethic. I never wanted a tattoo before, but maybe I will put a teeny tiny heart somewhere for him. But maybe only a temporary one. I love yours and that you did it, he would love it.

    • Thank you, Buffy. It was all true. I loved your blog and think I might need to comment on yours and many others. It was a hard but lovely day of reading, though I got choked up often. It is nice to be among poets and poetry-lovers, knowing its power for good.

  3. How wonderful for Jone to host you, Janet. Your poem is just perfect for showing off poetry & Lee’s love of reading. Jone, thank you for this idea. It has been a wonder of a day reading everyone’s posts.

    • Yes, Linda, I am SO lucky that Jone took care of me for this. I need to blog but I need a tutor. Thank you for your comment about my poem. I wish Lee could read it, but having all of these beautiful posts for Lee, well, they help. He meant so much to so many.

  4. Jone and Janet, thanks for another wonderfully rhythmic poem dedicated to Lee. I love your photo of your little one, Janet, reading with you. While reading your poem, I can imagine you writing your poem for Lee’s anthology going through the steps of good writing with him.

    • Thank you, Carol. It is quite the story our journey through Mermaid. He was so patient, helpful and kind, yet exacting. It was not arduous and I feared that. A lot!!! I was shocked by the invitation but there is more to the story. I wrote about it in my comment to Matt yesterday on his blog. If you can , you might check it out. I am still thinking about sending you a poem for the summer collection. Here on vacation writing is a big part of my mornings, it is lovely in Maine. A hint of Long Island days, but a different vibe and way more lobster. If you like lobster can there be too much of it? Hoping to be at NCTE. Have a room reservation. My proposal was not accepted this time, but that is ok, less pressure. I can try to hang out at Wordsong-Kane maybe!!! I have to say that despite my bias, the book I AM SOMEONE ELSE is fabulous!!! Hope you can check it out. And a BIG thank you to Jone for hosting me.

    • Thank you, Ruth. I tried for something else with a different line, but this came and I was stretched on time as we packed for our time in Maine, so could not complete the other one. Are you heading to Baltimore in Nov. maybe? Your poem was something, I loved it as I wrote.

  6. Janet, this is such a great poem to honor (once more) one and only LEE. And the picture is a precious testimony of how even that young child can understand and feel poetry that is read to her/him with love and passion as you do.

    • Thank you dear friend! Lee gave so much to the world and to our precious children. My goal is to collect all of his books. I have to make the list and keep working on it. I am glad you liked my poem. It is what it was like to write for and with him. I will so miss him and I am one of so so many whom he embraced.

    • Thank you and trying to figure out who you are. I know I should know. Hope you will see this. I love when she wants to read with me and do poetry!!

  8. Thanks for the wonderful idea to celebrate Lee in this way, Jone! And thanks for hosting Janet. Janet, your poem echos the mentor poem beautifully! I especially love “Good drafts/…good laughs” and “Good starts/…good hearts.” For me, that’s Lee in a nutshell.

    • Thank you, Michelle. I wrote from the heart for sure here. Lee was such a wonderful friend to so many and to me personally. I still pinch myself that he reached out to me so many times and in so many ways. I miss him and his spirit but rejoice in knowing him.

  9. Jone, thank you for making this week’s roundup happen, and for giving Janet a place for her words (when are you going to start your own blog, Janet?!?!?! 🙂 . Perfect poem, Janet! I’m so glad you had the opportunity to be launched by Lee!

    • Thank you, Mary Lee. I know. I need to hie me to a bloggery. And soon. On the list. Honored to hear “perfect” from you whom I admire for so many things.

  10. Thank you, Jone, for getting today’s celebration/remembrance started and for hosting Janet. Janet, I love your tribute poem to Lee. It sums up and reflects back so much.

  11. From everything I have been reading about Lee over the last couple of days it seems like this one not only follows the format of one of his poems, it is him.

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