Digital betwixting
sprinkled further fairy dust
upon me…
It’s been a Margaret Wise Brown-kinda week. No, I have not been re-reading GOODNIGHT, MOON.  I kept bumping into her digital footprint.
If you follow Maria Popova’s weekly philosophical musings (The Marginalian), she often dips into Brown’s poetry or her personal life. I will sheepishly admit I was unfamiliar with both, until this past week’s post.
I got lost down the proverbial rabbit hole when I went to Amazon in search of Brown’s poems.
Digital betwixting sprinkled further fairy dust upon me as I flipped through Instagram late one evening. Georgia Heard’s Instagram post offered a poetry prompt using the first lines of Brown’s poem, “Things to Remember.”  I never did find the poem (I copied it from the Insta post); but I did write a poem.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
by Margaret Wise Brown
Remember this
And never forget:
The first spring snowdrop.
All green and wet and
unexpected.
A white flower blowing out
of the dark
Never forget it.
Remember this
And never forget it:
That the bees flew about you
And the flowers bloomed
In the hot drowsy fields that
smelled of summer
And smelled of noon
Never forget it.
And remember this:
The lightning bug
you caught in your hand.
And there was the light in the palm of your hand. And
You held it.
Remember this
Another delightful new poetry-friend is Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink. Carol and I became poetry swap partners this summer, courtesy of Summer Poetry Swap 2022.
This past week, Carol ventured beyond her comfort zone and will undoubtedly remember her first kayak experience! You can read about that – AFTER perusing the Poetry Friday round up contributions that she will host. Enjoy!
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
Love your poem, Patricia!!! Beautiful images. I’ll have to keep an eye out for chickadees in our back yard. And thanks for sharing Brown’s poem too (new to me).
Thank you, Jama. Our chickadees are working overtime at this point in the season! Enjoy!
Now I imagine many writing their ‘remember this’ poems & how delightful it would be to read what each put on the pages! I love yours, Patricia, capturing the magic of a late afternoon into the evening. Yes, those chickadees are busy here, too. I don’t see the stars, too much city light, but I’m looking forward to the full harvest moon in these next 24 hours.
I’ll be watching too, Linda. 🙂
Oh, WOW! This poem is new to me and I’ve read it over and over again just now. How beautiful…on my way to that rabbit hole. Any poem that has stars in it like that has my heart. I’ve copied it for my notebook. Thank you!
Saturdays are for rabbit holes 🙂
Oh I need to write my own “Remember This” poem. I loved the low arc of the autumnal sun.
I think I could write one every day and it would be different.
I love your shooting star grand finale ending, and wonderful image too. I remember seeing a piece of “THINGS TO REMEMBER” on Georgia Heard’s post and appreciate seeing it all in one place, thanks Patricia!
I love her posts!
Maria Popova and proverbial rabbit hole…yes and yes. How fun that Margaret Wise Brown kept finding you. I love her poem, and I love yours just as much. Fabulous snapshots of the seasons for her and of one day for you.
Makes me wonder if she was writing about the seasons or her secret love…
Margaret Wise Brown has been on my mind of late. I heard about a bio of her (IN THE GREAT GREEN ROOM: THE BRILLIANT AND BOLD LIFE OF MARGARET WISE BROWN by Amy Gary) and got it from the library but didn’t get to it before it was due back. You reminded me to check it out on Kindle Unlimited. Thank you! 🙂 I love this poem (it’s new to me) and love the poem you created from its inspiration. What a prompt: “Remember this and never forget …” Oh, the possibilities!
AFter reading Popova’s blurb, I wonder what angle the PB bio might take. I may have to go look into that too.
Love your poem! Margaret went to Hollins (where I did my graduate work). She’s a big celeb there in the children’s lit dept.
I’m fascinated by her PB celebrity and the quiet other life she apparently led.
Patricia, this is beautiful! I especially love the second verse about the low arc of the autumn sun. I read your poem and Margaret Wise Brown’s over and over. The images in both are just spectacular.
Thank you, Rose. Get ready for next week’s prompt!
Lovely.
Thank you, Cathy.
Beautiful “conversation” you had with Margaret Wise Brown and Maria Popova. Thank you for sharing it with us. I especially like the green coaxing the pink, and the fact that you rise satisfied.
Thank you, Tabatha. I learned to harvest heirloom tomatoes before blush and now I can watch that coaxing on my kitchen counter. 🙂
Love your poem Patricia:). I love Fall – as I sit in my cool house this Sunday morning I almost get a glimpse of what is ahead!
Thank you, Frances. 🙂
You’re a sweetheart for stopping in!
We are getting tons of smoke in the basin, sadly.
Patricia, I read your post on PF but fell asleep before commenting. It seems to be a pattern lately. At any rate, the poem you introduced us to is impressive. I love the prompt and your poem was so beautifully written. I must try to write one as a reflective piece. Yes, I am happy that we are new friends. I did try the app you shared and must continue to play with it.
Thank you, Carol! I love the photo filter app… something about the dreamy feel it adds.