It’s PoetryFriday!
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This week’s round up is hosted by Linda at TeacherDance.
If you click on the link, you’ll be transported to her blog, where you will find poetic musings to sing you into your weekend!
This is a belated shout-out to all my Chinese New Year postcard penpals!
I wanted to craft a CENTO with one special line from each piece. But I left for the mountains before all of them arrived. Thus, the delay. We returned last week and I was able to piece together photos of the art (just look at this lovely collage!). And – using a line from each postcard, here is a heartfelt poem to a new year.
New Year Cento
sun holds blue sky’s hands (Gail)
leafless bushes become (Marcie)
Inclusive hope (Denise)
as quiet and inevitable (Janice)
this refuge from day’s worries (Linda M)
I painted them purple (Robyn)
offering energy and opportunities (Carol V)
Reading sea-foam like tea leaves, I (Jone)
stow words and memories that heal (Tabatha)
forget the hurry (Linda B)
as you navigate (Michelle K)
and light the way (Molly H)
Thank you, everyone, for your gift of words!
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. 
Patricia, thank you for creating the beautiful cento with our words! And what a beautiful collage of postcards. I love the lines you chose, and your great arrangement is heartfelt, positive and hopeful.
In your cento. I love how “sun holds blue sky’s hands” starts your poem off with light and how “and light the way” ends your poem with a different light. These next lines work so well together the leafless bushes becoming quiet hope and unavoidable as a refuge from worry. “I painted them purple offering energy and opportunities” are great together. “Reading seafoam like teas leaves, I stow words and memories that heal” flow so beautifully together it’s like those lines were originally made for each other along with all the long e sounds creating a sound that reminds me of wind chimes. Then, I love how the last three lines are perfect together “forget the hurry as you navigate and light the way.” Love how navigate works with those lines. Thank you, Patricia, for your powerful and poignant cento and for your inspiration.
(Thank you for your “Benevolent One” postcard which is glorious. I love every line of your postcard poem. I especially resonate with your lines, Replenish the lakes your rippled tears, toss the seas … And bless us wide horizons, the health and strength to cross them. Thank you for this inspiration and joy.)
PS The other day I adopted two five-month-old kittens that are purr babies lighting up our home. I know Tigress is our guardian angel watching over us, and happy for us.
PSS I hope you had snow when you were in the mountains in CA and not all the rain that CA has been receiving.
A lovely tribute, Patricia! Your organization is beautiful and flowing.
Beautiful sentiment and craftily created, Patricia. I didn’t receive them all, but most. It’s been a wonderful journey receiving and then reading what everyone has done with theirs to share. It’s our bounty! Have a great weekend!
Wow, Patricia, this is so gorgeous. I love that new poem you created. I have yet to share my postcards. I wonder if it would be okay with you if I tried this with my postcards too? I’m taking those last three lines with me today. “forget the hurry / as you navigate / and light the way” So inspiring.
The art of the Cento poem is the successful weaving of luminous lines. You have achieved this with your poem. I like that it was done with postcards. I have done this with a clutch of old letters my mother had kept. I like the challenge these various collections present. I sense you do as well. Patricia.
Your cento turned out so well! I find them incredibly difficult to write. Nice work!
Hooray! I’ve been making centos out of the new year postcards for years and this year the project got away from me. But, voila! Here it is from your thoughtful arrangement. It’s beautiful. And, I love the celebration of all the poets that you visited via your mailbox. Chef’s kiss!
How awesome! What a great way to take a deep dive into all the words.