March Madness

Spring has arrived! 

The calendar says so, 
           the azalea bushes concur, 
                         and then there's this:

"What is this lunacy that has so thoroughly distracted you from writing this blog post?"  Ah, yes... well, I suppose you have a point.

Now in its third year, the March Madness Poetry Tournament was designed by Ed Decaria to bring the excitement of the NCAA March Madness tournament to the world of kids’ poetry. 64 poets from around the world participate in the event; together, these poets write 126 new kids’ poems in just 21 days.

For me, it's my second year as an enthusiast, my first as a participant.  I lapped up the wonderful poetry that came out of this deliciously insane event last year, and even though I wasn't an authlete, I still got my butt kicked.  Well, sort of.  When I think back on it, March Madness was the kick in the pants I needed to start Today's Little Ditty.  And here we are, nearly one year later, happy as a mad hatter to look back on how far we've come.

Here is my #MMPoetry first round poem, currently up for vote (until Friday night, 10:40pm EST):

IN CONCLUSION …

Kids of the jury, believe me,
if you had a sister like mine,
you, too, might be bucking authority—
her conduct was way out of line.
She kidnapped my Captain America
and threw him in Barbie’s pink jail!
So it seemed like a sensible sequitur
to place the ad: “SISTER FOR SALE.”

© 2014 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes.  All rights reserved.

I'm up against a worthy competitor, but win or lose, it's all good.  I'm proud of myself for coming this far!

I'm also excited about my secret plans for continuing to grow and develop Today's Little Ditty into an even more active and vibrant community.  Look for an announcement next month, but in the meantime, let's enjoy the sweet anticipation for a few more weeks, shall we?

Oh, and by the way, did you know I'm only 10 likes away from 100 on my Facebook writer's page?  Today's Little Ditty sure would appreciate a birthday present like that.  And hey, look!  There's a link on the right side of this web page... just sayin'.  <wink>

For those, like me, who like Poetry Friday, you'll find today's roundup at The Drift Record.  Thanks Julie!