Tanka, TOASTS, and Total Madness

"Spring" by Sera Photography

Well, helloooo!  

It seems Spring has decided she's going to arrive after all.


In honor of that fact, I decided to write a tanka about winter. (Huh?) Florida style. It's my contribution for Margarita Engle's Ditty of the Month Club challenge, as well as Carol Varsalona's upcoming Winter Whisperings gallery.

(Now that it's not so frigid anymore, I hope you'll be less likely to pelt me with rotten oranges after reading it!)

I featured four other tanka this week by Margaret Simon, NoNieqa Ramos, Charles Waters, and Linda Baie. Margarita and I are both delighted with what we've seen so far, and there are plenty more on tap!

Speaking of "on tap"... look what else has arrived!

I just received my contributor copies for this lovely little book, where I'm honored to share page space with Charles Ghigna and many others.

For nearly 20 years, June Cotner has been the go-to for blessings, housewarmings, new babies, graces and all of life's rites of passage.  Here, she joins forces with poet and author Nancy Tupper Ling to find the right words for every event.  Toasts: The Perfect Words to Celebrate Every Occasion is the essential reference for any milestone where one needs to raise a glass.

Organized by category, this book contains famous sayings as well as lesser-known, original toasts for nearly every occasion under the sun. Inspiring and reflective, humorous and uplifting, you're bound to find just the right combination of words and tone to suit your needs. The book also contains a brief "Guide to Toasting" which includes key elements, presentation tips, and a few notes on etiquette to help those who lack confidence.

I have two selections in this book. Some of you may already be familiar with one of them, since I shared it for Mother's Day in 2013.  Today, with Charles' permission (Thank you, Charles!), I'd like to share something of his instead... something we NEED to hear:

A TOAST TO SPRING

Bumblebees buzz,

Mockingbirds sing;

Hummingbirds hum–

Welcome Spring!

–Charles Ghigna

HEAR, HEAR!

Now, I know many of you are poets yourselves, and rarely at a loss for words. But I bet you might know someone who would benefit from this book!  That's why I've decided to offer a random giveaway of one of my copies.

If you're interested in entering to win, please let me know in the comments to this post, or reply to one of my messages about the giveaway on Facebook. 

The winner will be announced next week.

Finally, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who voted for my poem in Round 1 of the March Madness children's poetry tournament. Here it is, for those of you who may have missed it:

          GOAT GARDENERS

          If your lawn is an unruly sight,
          what you need is a KID’s appetite.
          Call I-M-A-GOAT and ask for a quote.
          We freelance – just pennies per bite.

          Forget all that poisonous spray!
          Leave US to your weedy buffet.
          Goats never pollute and we’re awfully cute,
          so act now and CALL US TODAY!

          © 2015 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

It's so exciting to be moving on to Round 2, but before I do, I'm glad I have the opportunity to publicly acknowledge my talented Round 1 opponent, Marcus Ewert, and his beautiful, "impromptu" tribute to Spring.  Keep your eyes peeled for his new rhyming picture book, MUMMY CAT, out this July. I know I will – it looks adorable!

Back in 2013, March Madness was the event that first introduced me to the children's poetry community and the catalyst for me to start Today's Little Ditty.  I was taken with so many of the vibrant children's poems in that year's competition, not the least of which were Marcus'. I honestly believe that it was knowing who I was up against this year that helped me to rise to the occasion and write a poem that I probably would not have otherwise written. Thank you, Marcus! And of course to Mr. Madness, himself – Ed DeCaria.

Next round, I'll be up against the fabulous Kathryn D. Harrison who blew me away with her first round poem, "MISSING:".  I'm as excited as anyone to find out what she has to offer in Round 2!  I hope you will continue to show your support for this fun competition. Every vote you cast is a vote for children's poetry. You can follow along with the competition at Think Kid Think.

Okay. I'm done blabbing now.


Please join Laura Shovan at Author Amok for today's Poetry Friday roundup and also a preview of her "dressed up" National Poetry Month project. 

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!