My latest poem published!
Chickadee Ridge (for Nancy)
To feed chickadees
on Chickadee Ridge, to find delight –
in spring snow that surrenders
to the weight of boots, in a sky so blue
it breaks your heart, on a ridge
hiding cheerful chirps in fir and pine –
requires first, a journey;
from sour beer, sushi, and playlists
through a wilderness
where walkers, wheelchairs and Whys?
keep you company at 3 a.m.
To feed chickadees on Chickadee Ridge,
you must forsake the Valley of Lost Things,
potted poinsettia laying limp against the sugar pine
and the prayers we leave behind
–and climb to the East shore.
To feed chickadees on Chickadee Ridge
requires outstretched arms that ache
and await tender feet and thrum of feather –
the tiny life that reconnects you to the world.
Always, new life comes
as budded blossoms in spring,
if begrudgingly
©2025 Patricia J. Franz
The Science
This poem grew out of a grief journey with my younger sister, who lost her husband to glioblastoma. Psychologists affirm grief is a natural response to loss. Neuroscientists studying how the brain, mind, and body react when a loved one dies describe how the brain encodes a bond when we fall in love with someone – a partner, a child. To lose them breaks the bond and translates to losing a part of ourselves. Something is missing. Many of us are resilient and find our way back to a meaningful, albeit altered life. But for others, the struggle is immense. Grief therapy incorporates developing new skills to deal with emotions and find courage in the face of extraordinary change. I didn’t know any of this then. I only hoped that our visit to Chickadee Ridge might offer a spark that could bring her back to life.
Note: The Valley of Lost Things was first described in L. Frank Baum’s Dot and Tot of Maryland.
The Poet
Patricia J. Franz (she/her) is a poet and author of children’s picture books. She writes with a love for the natural world about our connections to place and to one another. Her children’s poems appear in several Pomelo Books anthologies. Her poem, ‘something small has died’, debuted last year in The Write Launch Winter 2024: Climate Crisis. She and her husband, their Bernese Mountain dog, and her sourdough starter split time between the Arizona Sonora desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
TWO NEW POEMS in POMELO BOOKS’
LATEST ANTHOLOGY!
“DOGS” © 2024 Patricia J. Franz
A poem of opposites
and
“TARANTULA” © 2024 Patricia J. Franz
A mask poem
CLARA’S
KOOKY COMPENDIUM
of
THIMBLETHOUGHTS
and
WONDERFUZZ
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
drawings by Frank Ramspott
150+ poems that will get your kids giggling and guffawing while they learn about language arts, science, math, research skills, writing techniques, and more. A fun-filled, journal-style book featuring dandy doodles and drawings, fun facts, and quirky questions.
Perfect gift for Grade 2 and up – students and teachers!
I have a new poem published!
something small has died
A response poem to Lacy M. Johnson’s “How to Mourn a Glacier.”
The New Yorker, 10/20/19.
This poem first appeared in The Write Launch Winter 2024: Climate Crisis
I am honored to have poems published in the following anthologies:
“Hungry Bear Limerick” © 2024 by Patricia J. Franz
and
“Spring Visitor” © 2024 by Patricia J. Franz
PICTURE PERFECT POETRY: An Anthology of Ekphrastic Nature Poetry for Students
Original poems inspired by and paired with photos taken by 25 poets on three continents. Find haiku, tanka, fib, golden shovel, kenning, limerick, nonet, triolet, mesostic, alliteration, reverso, shape poems, and free verse. The photography is stunning and the words will touch your heart.
Perfect gift for middle school students, teachers, parents, librarians –and poetry lovers!
“Wonder” © by Patricia J. Franz
A daily dose of hope for children. WHAT IS HOPE is available from Pomelo Books NOW!
40 ekphrastic poems spotlighting the diversity, depth, and breadth of where to find hope.
Perfect gift for Grade 2 and up – students, teachers, parents, librarians!
“Big Box of Books” © 2023 by Patricia J. Franz
and
“Covenant” © 2023 by Patricia J. Franz
I was honored to have two poems chosen for inclusion in
The Well’s 2023 MINDFUL POETRY MOMENTS anthology.
“Earmuffs” Poem © 2022 by Patricia J. Franz
The fourth and final anthology in the THINGS WE series, THINGS WE WEAR is available from Pomelo Books NOW!
Another alphabet – inspired anthology showcasing diversity in all that we wear!
Perfect gift for a Pre-K to 2nd grade teacher!
A Hot Off the Press Selection
“Imagine” Poem © 2022 by Patricia J. Franz
A Pomelo Books anthology, WHAT IS A FRIEND? is 41 fun poems showing us that friends come in many forms.
To learn to be a good friend, kids need models of friendship!
Perfect gift for a Grade 3-and-up teacher!
THINGS WE FEEL
An Alphabet Book of Emotions
“Jealous” Poem © 2022 by Patricia J. Franz
Included in Pomelo Books’ latest THINGS WE FEEL – an alphabet book of emotions!
Filled with fun, read-aloud poems for any young child!
Perfect gift for a Pre-K-primary teacher!
Mindful Poetry Moments
2022 Mindful Moments Poetry Anthology
“Drought Baby” Poem © 2022 by Patricia J. Franz