It’s #PoetryFriday!
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This week’s round up is hosted by Matt Forrest Esenwine who is celebrating the launch of his gorgeous new picture book THE THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT STARGAZING. Go visit here and then order this gem here!
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A couple of weeks ago, the Nevermores were prompted to write shape poems.
Pick an object or a feeling or even an action and use spacing and line breaks to create a visual representation of it.
I am no artist, so first I had to overcome my anxiety about how to draw. Then I remembered I live in the 21st century and someone had the foresight to create Canva (it never occurred to me that I could trace a shape and fill in the blank space).
I made a list of possible objects – a leaf, a pinecone, the mountains that make up my horizon.
But after a few days of mulling over my options, I did what I do quite a bit when I’m procrastinating: I cleaned out my closet.
There on the floor, I found inspiration.
A Hanger’s Heart (with apologies to Emma Lazarus)
Give me your blouses, your tired trousers,
Your cast-off clothing yearning to be chosen,
The wretched wrinkled from your piled floor.
Surrender these, the discarded dresses, tempest-tost to me.
Dignity restored inside the closet door.
image and poem ©2023, Patricia J. Franz
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One element I love about the Nevermores is the inspiration to check out what *the real poets* do.
As a result, I stumbled on Bob Raczka’s WET CEMENT: A Mix of Concrete Poems and have had such fun unpacking the creativity contained in this volume of “word paintings.”
Each title is a picture created by the letters, and each poem is a picture with words.
Raczka includes a hanger poem, too. Since this book was published in 2016, technically his came first. But –God’sHonestTruth: I did not see his before writing my own.
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. 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. 
Am laffing!
Your poem inspires me to limn a classic poem AND twinkle nose toward closet for shaping it up.
Much fun, Patricia.
Appreciaitons,
jan/Bookseedstudio
methinks the closet laffs!
Patricia, I love what you did with this hanger! I’m guessing Raczka did not conjure up the Statue of Liberty for his hanger poem. Well done! The clock poem from the Concrete Poems book is precious too.
Raczka is an inspiration!
What a clever idea, Patricia! Your poem gave me a happy chuckle! I love the way that you used Canva to hug the text to your hanger outline. I will have to give that technique a try.
Super fun cheat!
Great use of language, Patricia – it reads so well with or without the shape!
Thanks, Matt!
Best hanger I ever saw. I love concrete poems — quite a fun challenge. And you were so clever to parody Emma Lazarus. 😀
Well, the form really fit the content in this case
Love this and am continually amazed at your expertise with Canva. I don’t know Raczka’s book – will have to check it out.
Canva makes us all look like pros!
Very clever Patricia. I lobe your ‘wretched wrinkles’ and want to try canva for a shape poem now.
Definitely a fun form!
I love shape poetry! It is a joy to write – and fun to read, too! I love your coathanger. Such relatable wordplay! And same could be said for that clock. 🙂
Wish I could take credit for the clock! But definitely am inspired to look for more possibilities.
You’re a shape shifter, Patricia! Your poem made me laugh. I love Raczka’s book and shape poems…maybe there is one in my future? 🙂
We need an anthology!
Fabulous! And, inspirational. I agree with Bridget…you are a shape shifter extraordinaire! Well done. I love the heart of a hanger. So true and giggles too.
If closets could talk…!
Very very amusing!!! I love your hanger poem, and I had to think… is she talking about my room? Oh yes, you caught some truth here! Thanks for these offerings, I will have to try one.
Do it!
I so love that you used Canva to make your poem! So clever. I love WET CEMENT. Such a great book! Betsy Franco also has several concrete poetry books. I also love Joan Bransfield Graham’s FLICKER FLASH. I just saw this week an announcement for a new collection of poems coming out.
I’m determined to not believe the myth of “poetry is hard to sell!”
What a great combination of ideas, Patricia!
Thanks, Anastasia.
Oh, I have been trying to listen to “Give me . . . your tired trousers”! You are an inspiration, Patricia, to write in a new way & to CLEAN OUT. I adore all things from Bob Raczka, have that book & now I need to dig it out to look again. Thanks for the Canva idea, too. It is a great site!
I love Canva, too – it’s a fun way to play with my poetry once I’ve written something.
What a charming poem! Check out TECHNICALLY, IT’S NOT MY FAULT, by John Grandits. One of my faves of concrete poems. (Love Raczka’s work too!)
Thanks for the rec, Laura. I’ll look for it!
Your poem is so clever! I love it. I have a copy of WET CEMENT on my bookshelf!
I may have to purchase WET CEMENT! I borrowed it via LIBBY, but it’s so fun, I think I’d like to have a copy.
Love your poem, Patricia, especially:
Dignity restored inside the closet door.
I always struggle with shape poems–I never knew you could use Canva that way. I’ll have to try it now.
And I just put a library hold on WET CEMENT.
Thank you, Carmela. Canva has added a new dimension to my poetry.
Patricia, Your poem is a delight and sparks my thoughts on my closet. While the temps starting dipping, I needed to shift around items. My closet is strewn with clothes that needed laundering, clothes to go to charity, and just piles of clothes needing hanging. Thanks for the humorous poem. As I read, I thought of Emma Lazarus’ poem and laughed along while reading.