Poetry Friday: RIP, Mary Oliver

Thank you to Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect for hosting Poetry Friday this week.

I don’t know about you, but my heart was saddened to hear the news of Mary Oliver’s passing today.

One of my treasured gifts last June was FELICITY by Mary Oliver. A recorded interview about the book can be founded HERE.

Besides the natural world that she has explored so often, in FELICITY Oliver explores the mysteries of the heart.

There are so many lines to consider in this book:

“I have refused to live
locked in the orderly house of
reasons and proofs.” (The World I Live In)

“All the important ideas must include the trees,
the mountains, and the rivers.

To understand many things you must reach out
of your condition.” (Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way)

“Do you bow your head when you pray or do you look
up at the blue space?

…Rumi said, “There is no proof of the soul.
But isn’t the return of spring and how it
springs up in our hearts a pretty good hint?” (Whistling Swans)

And finally this:

Humility

Poems arrive ready to begin.
Poets are only the transportation.

Thank you, Mary Oliver, for transporting poems to the world all these years. You will be missed. Your voice will remain.

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Poetry Friday: CYBILS Nominations Open

Thanks for visiting. Thanks to Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect for stepping in and hosting today.

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It's Day Ten of the annual CYBILS nominating window for fabulous Children’s and YA books published from October 16, 2013-October 15, 2014. There are so many books and so little time as indicated by the nominations in all categories.

I noticed today that some poetry books have yet to be nominated. If you need an idea of what to nominate in poetry, here are some suggestions:

Cleary, Brian. Ode to a Commode: Concrete Poems. Ill. by Andy Rowland.

Gittins, Chrissie. Stars in Jars: New and Collected Poems.

Swaim, Jessica. Classic Poetry for Dogs: Why Do I Chase Thee. Ill. by Chet Phillips.

Nominations are open until Wednesday, October 15, 2014.

Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.

Poetry Friday: Ask Me: 100 Essential Poems

On this last day of January, here’s a selection from a new book, Ask Me: 100 Essential Poems by William Stafford, edited by Kim Stafford. Kim was asked by Graywolf Press to select one hundred essential poems for his father’s one hundredth birthday.

This image is from The Friends of William Stafford website. What a fabulous way to introduce a new generation of readers to William Stafford.

Poetry Friday is held at The Miss Rumphius Effect. Thanks, Trisha.

Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.