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| "Echo" by Louise Leclerc |
Could it be?
Another National Poetry Month come and gone in the blink of a Florida springtime.
At least the echoes linger on... on... on...
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| "Echo" by picccus |
At the beginning of the month, Marilyn Singer challenged us to write poems inspired by the word "echo." The result was a resounding success! Echoes of nature mingled with echoes of humanity to create a melodious collection of poetic refrains.
Although it was not required, several of you also challenged yourselves to write a reverso, the poetic form used in Marilyn's latest collection of poetry based on Greek myths: ECHO ECHO. Kudos to those who were brave enough to try such a difficult form! While not all of the attempts were "true" reversos—telling a story from two different points of view—the repetition lent itself beautifully to the echo theme.
Many thanks to ALL of you who let your voice be heard this month, and of course to Marilyn for providing us with the prompt and inspiration.
All poems are copyright 2016 (unless otherwise noted) and published with permission of the authors, who control all rights.
ECHOES
by Brenda Davis Harsham
Anyone who falters to a stop,
mid breath, and
lets her words breathe,
then echo,
then die,
is a poet.
Splash your words,
on a page,
flowery or stark,
happy or dark,
make your mark.
Let them tell
their own tale
during this Month
of Poetic Madness.
I hope this April
brings you breathless
to May,
unwilling to stop,
the die cast,
the step taken,
hesitation forgotten,
your voice found,
naked
and admired.
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
by Jessica Bigi
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| Illustration by Jessica Bigi |
We were born near blue oceans—
Green sea turtles emerging from eggs
Flipper digging brown-white sands
Following footsteps of other turtles
Into blue rolling waters
Oceans of squids and krill
Blue whales emerging into light
From deep purple depth into light
Oceans of seaweed and seahorses
We were born in lakes
Shimmering lakes—
Lakes of bluegills and pink waterlilies
Buzzing purple-green wing water nymphs
We were born near lakes
Lakes of water spiders and minnows
Blue herons standing in
Lakes of seagulls and bass
We were born in rivers
Rivers of tadpoles and salamanders
Rainbow troughs
Rivers of ducks and crayfish
We were born on the land
Deer running through fields
Drinking from rivers
We were born in the forest
Firs, oak and ash
We breathe life into the air
oak and ash
We were born in the sky
Blue-blue sky
Eagle soaring
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| Photo by Molly Hogan |
by Molly Hogan
With dainty, slippered stamens,
dipped in electric blue,
Scilla dances
in the cool spring breeze,
each petal a marvel
as it bursts into bloom.
One single flower
enhancing
a watercolor world.
A watercolor world
enhancing
one single flower
as it bursts into bloom,
each petal a marvel.
In the cool spring breeze,
Scilla dances,
dipped in electric blue,
with dainty, slippered stamens.
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| Screenshot from the film Microcosmos by Jacque Perrin. |
by Margaret Simon
Creepy crawly caterpillar
munch munch
munching milkweed
at tremendous speed.
Life changes
slowly
creeping, crawling
leaf to leaf.
Sunlight glimmers
on fuzzy bristles.
I zig-zag stitch
a silkthread path
leaf to leaf.
Leaf to leaf
a silkthread path
I zig-zag stitch
on fuzzy bristles.
Sunlight glimmers
leaf to leaf.
Creeping crawling
slowly.
Life changes
at tremendous speed.
Munching milkweed
Munch, munch
creepy, crawly caterpillar
WATER OF THE EARTH
by Lani (4th grade)
Water whirls
Against the waterfront
Beneath the sun, beneath the moon
Throughout our spiral galaxy
Water Rotates, Water Rises
Under gold sun, Under white moon
Under gold sun, Under white moon
Water rotates, Water rises
Throughout our spiral galaxy
Beneath the sun, Beneath the moon
Against the waterfront
Water whirls
Water whirls
Against the waterfront
Beneath the sun, beneath the moon
Throughout our spiral galaxy
Water Rotates, Water Rises
Under gold sun, Under white moon
Under gold sun, Under white moon
Water rotates, Water rises
Throughout our spiral galaxy
Beneath the sun, Beneath the moon
Against the waterfront
Water whirls
I flit I fly
I flit I fly
beating wings
beating wings
in the moonlight.
in the moonlight.
I beep I listen
You beep I hear
echoes bounce
warning sounds
in the moonlight.
in the moonlight.
I dive I chase
I dive I flee
hungry still
safe for now
in the moonlight.
in the moonlight.
ECHOLOCATION
by Maria Gianferrari
Your eyes can see,
your ears can hear,
your nose can smell,
things that you touch,
your hands can tell.
Bats ears are eyes,
they see with sound.
Bouncing echoes,
off walls and ground.
And dolphins too,
use sound to know.
They ripple waves,
follow the flow.
Cave swiftlets dart,
where there’s no light.
They nest on walls,
steer through the night.
And when you’re next
out in the night,
listen for sounds
to use for sight!
ECHOES FULL OF KNOWING
by Violet Nesdoly
I look a lot like little mouse
little mouse with wings.
At dark leave attic of your house
to hunt for creepy things.
I swoop and swirl, dive and glide
but hardly use my sight,
prefer in dim moon-shade to hide
while scrounging food at night.
I have the rare ability
to somehow find my way
with sound waves and agility,
don’t need the light of day.
Sing little notes so high and fast
you humans cannot hear them.
Know when mosquitoes, moths fly past,
with my sharp teeth I spear them.
My little songs come back to me
in echoes full of knowing.
My ears and brain like eyes, you see
that tell me where I’m going.
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| – cbhanek |
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| – cbhanek |
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| – cbhanek |
ANIMAL ECHOES
by Donna JT Smith
I whistle two notes -
I hear in a tree
‘Feee-beee’
Sung to me.
I mimic ‘whoo-whooo’
At night to the owl
That fowl
Returns howl.
I sing to the dog
All frenzied and stout
Lifts her snout
Yaps doubt.
I say ‘hey, there, cat!’
He me-yowls a slur -
His purr -
“Pat my fur.”
Returning a nuzzle
In whinnies or neighs
Are ways
Horse replays.
I speak, they reply
I hear their echoes
Each knows
How it goes.
MY WORDS ECHO
by Carol Varsalona
Speaker:
Responder:
ECHOES FROM MY PAST
by Kristi Dee Veitenheimer
Echoes from my past
Youth...a distant memory
of times long ago
I remember how it felt
embarking on life's journey
Echoes from my past
Reminding me I’ve come far
survived...even thrived
Growing in wisdom and faith
reflecting on life's meaning
empty tunnel
calling long
hollow hello
our own song
echoes strong but
somehow wrong
– Heidi Mordhorst
LIFE'S ECHO
by Robyn Campbell
Life's echo
of things removed
and yet to come
imitation
reverberation
repetition
reflection
My life
a mirror image
year after
year
ringing
in my
ear
mistakes
bungles
slip of tongue
chaos
Will I learn
probably not
Life's echo
rumbles on
LAUGHTER ACROSS THE YEARS
by Catherine Flynn
Laughter from two little boys
echoes across the years:
On your first set of wheels
you pedal down the garden path,
feet pumping
hands gripping
heart soaring
A glint of mischief in your eyes
An impish grin across your face
your heart soaring
hands gripping
feet pumping
as you pedal down the garden path
on your first set of wheels
your laughter echoing across the years.
MY ECHO
by Leane Gill
Echo makes a sweet reply,
to the happy tune I sing.
Loneliness passes.
My echo brings a friend.
My echo brings a friend.
Loneliness passes.
To the happy tune I sing,
echo makes a sweet reply.
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| – Elizabeth Steinglass |
ECHOES
by Angelique Pacheco
The drum beats
The sound repeats
Becomes incomplete
Before it retreats
CITY ECHOES
by Kathleen Mazurowski
Rumble, Screech
Elevated trains
Echo through
Landscape of
Tall buildings
Hiding the sun.
ECHO MOUNTAIN
by Sydney O'Neill
HEY MOUNTAIN FELLER, ARE YOU HERE?
HERE, Here, herrrre
CAN'T SEE YOU—ARE YOU FAR OR NEAR?
NEAR, Near, nearrrr
YOU HUNGRY? I HAVE CRACKERS AND CHEESE.
CHEESE, Cheese, cheeeeese
OKAY, BUT FIRST YOU HAVE TO SAY PLEASE.
PLEASE, Please, pleasssse
WELL, COME ON OUT. I WON’T BITE, YOU KNOW.
KNOW, Know, noooo
I’LL LEAVE IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE SO SLOW.
GO, Go, goooo
COO-EE
by Kate O'Neil (2003)
Where is everyone?
Is anyone near?
Where have they gone?
Can anyone hear?....
No sound at all
but the thud of fear.
Coo-ee
There’s no-one here.
No-one but me.
I look and I look
but all I can see
is world-without-end
of the eucalypt tree.
Coo-ee
I shout and I call
and all around
the air fills up
with the frantic sound.
I could die out here
and never be found.
Coo-ee
Was that an echo?
or was it real?
I stop and listen,
perfectly still…
and yes – it’s an answer
from up on the hill.
Coo-ee
Closer and closer
comes the call,
then “There you are!”
You scared us all.
Thank goodness you’re saved
by the coo-ee call.”
IN THE MOUNTAINS
by Jone Rush MacCulloch
with a line from "Narcissus and Echo" by Marilyn Singer
In the mountains
I lift my head and yell
to the sky,
Leave me,
Foolish pursuer.
I listen for the echo.
I listen for the echo.
Foolish pursuer,
Leave me
to the sky.
I lift my head and yell
in the mountains.
ECHOES
by Mindy Gars Dolandis
E very time I try to forget
C losing the heartbreak door
H aunting conversations repeat
O pening wounds from before
E ver present reverberations
S tubbornly stuck in my core
ECHO
by Janie Lazo
My words repeat again and again.
My lonely call resounds across the hills.
My voice begs - hear me- hear me- hear me.
I feel the breeze carry my words.
It matters not to whom I call.
It hinders not if none shall hear the beauty of my voice
my cry will ride the curves of hillsides far.
An echo of life- waiting to be heard.
An echo of life waiting to be heard,
my cry will ride the curves of hillsides far.
It hinders not if none shall hear the beauty of my voice.
It matters not to whom I call,
I feel the breeze carry my words.
My voice begs- hear me- hear me- hear me.
My lonely call resounds across the hills.
My words repeat again and again.
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| – Diane Mayr |
Inspired to write one of your own?
Better hurry! You have until tomorrow, April 30th, to send your echo poem to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com, or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right.
Alternatively, you may enter the giveaway by commenting below. Comments must be received no later than Tuesday, May 3rd. If you contribute a poem and comment below, you will receive two entries in total.
The winner will be determined by Random.org and announced next Friday, May 6th, when we reveal our new Spotlight ON interview and ditty challenge. Good luck!
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