Saturday 21 January 2012

Month of Poetry

Last year I joined Kathryn Apel's site for a whole month of writing one poem each day for the month of January.  And this year I joined again.

I need to write many poems for my next collection- this is just the impetus I need.  To date I have written every day- although not every day has resulted in a workable poem but most days have unearthed treasure, and some days two poems have emerged.

I've gone back to some of my writing journals over the years, to see if I can rework that initial spark that set pen to paper; looked over my considerable supply of articles and ideas about writing poetry and the magic of disciplined writing has emerged.

Sometimes it amazes me that over the years, a thread of an idea keeps surfacing in different guises until I conquer it in a poem that satisfies me.

I haven't shared any poems on the blog because my publisher this time wants the poems to be all unpublished- so here's to a new writing spree-I'm approaching the 40 poem mark need to read 60...

I'm hoping my hard work will result in my third collection with Walker.  More poems for my grandchildren to read!

And a huge thanks to Kat!!

Sunday 15 January 2012

Old classics

I have sorted through some never- to-be-thrown- away- classics from my shelves- and lately re-reading the Green Knowe series.  My copies were hunted down from op shops, book sales many years ago and I have the whole series- wonderful.

I love the fact that the author L.M Boston only  began to be published when she turned 60- hope for the older writers amongst us.

Why is this such a classic?  For me it's the timelessness of the themes- granted some language may be dated but the forage between history and present time is fresh, the themes covered are pertinent and the writing seamless.






What classics do you read and re-read?

Friday 6 January 2012

New Year

Happy New Year!

I love Christmas but often there is barely enough time to think and reflect, because there is a grand daughter's end of year concert:

Lots of presents to buy, or make and wrap for all those six grand children  (and children):






Cards to write and send, a year's worth of news to catch up on:




A big garden to keep going:


 And new poems to write...Happy New Year 2012