Welcome to our final Poetry Friday roundup for 2022!
What is Poetry Friday, you ask?
I do love Susan Thomsen’s description:
“…an online literary happy hour…”
Renee LaTulippe also explains it.
For me, Poetry Friday has been a JOY!
Before rushing whole hog into 2023 and the plethora of calls for resolutions and one-word intentions, I want to take this moment to give thanks for 2022.
I’m that annoying friend, colleague, family member who is a stickler for finding the good, no matter the situation. Don’t get me wrong. I will walk with you in your grief, your disappointment, your loss. But eventually I will place the question in your lap – in my own! – and ask “What is good?”
Actually, before that, I will insist on physical activity. And then, when the body surrenders, like a tired child, I will turn to gratitude and recall what is good.
Find the good in any and every situation. End the day naming three simple things you can be grateful for. A sunset. Hot coffee. A cuddle with your dog or cat. A good phone call. Music.
As I write this, I have just hiked my doggie in the snow with visiting family. They depart tomorrow after spending the last 10 days together.
And I’m feeling particularly grateful for this Poetry Friday community – truly a highlight of my 2022. Thank you, all, for your words, your presence, your sharing.
I am crossing my fingers that I have done Mr. Linky properly and that when you click the link below, you will magically find yourself able to add your Poetry Friday link! Even though it says “Oh no…!” click the link! Thank you for your patience!
I look forward to visiting all of your posts this weekend!
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. 
What a warm welcome to the last Poetry Friday of this year. I appreciate some reflection time. And, I’m also grateful for this community. You remind me to be grateful for the technology that I’m often impatient with. Tonight I’ll be thankful for it.
Yes! Finding the good — even in the technology stuff! Happy New Year, Linda!
Appreciations for this blessing filled post Patricia, beaming with hope and goodness! I love the connectedness of blessings in your poem, and your beautiful image too. Thanks for hosting us as the year ends–wishing you all the best for the New Year!
Blessings to you, too, Michelle!
Thank you for closing out 2022 for us Patricia. I have to admit, the last several months have been tough. The last stanza of your poem rings true for me!
This Friday, I’m hosting picture book author Katey Howes for a 5 Questions post. Her 2022 book A Poem Grows Inside You draws an analogy between developing a poem and nurturing a seed. https://laurashovan.com/a-poem-grows-inside-you/
Here’s to finding hope – especially in those hard moments, Laura.
I love A POEM GROWS INSIDE YOU! It was a Christmas gift for my daughter-in-law this year.
Great interview! Happy New Year, Laura!
That is such a nice poem with which to end the year! It makes me look forward to 2023 and the good things to come. Thanks, Patricia.
Yes! Here’s to finding the good! Happy New Year, Susan!
Patricia, thank you for this beautiful farewell to 2022 and for the encouragement to pursue gratitude. ❤️ I have certainly been known to annoy my kids by playing Pollyanna’s “Glad Game.” I, too, will feel all the feelings, walk in the mess, and endure the hardships, but I will also look for something to be grateful for. Your post feels like a warm hug! Happy Poetry Friday and happy new year! I’m grateful you’re part of this community. (And the linky-thingy worked beautifully!) 😀
Thank you, Karen. And I’m looking forward to “seeing” you on the Spiritual Thursdays next year too!
Lovely poem, Patricia. “May hope be a friend/to greet our tomorrows.” I always feel hopeful at New Years, which is why I like the holiday so much. Thanks for hosting!
I always feel hopeful when connected to this poetry community! Happy New Year, Janice.
Patricia, thanks for hosting and thank you for the hopeful poem. “May hope be your friend/to greet our tomorrows.” The best thing about New Years is the new beginning. Happy New Year!
I adore this poem. I agree that this community is such a blessing. Thank you so much for hosting. My post goes live at 12:01 am, so I’ll be by later to add my link. Happy new year to you!
Thank you, Tricia! Happy New Year!
What a beautiful message, Patricia! Thank you for hosting and for sharing your poetic goodness with me. Looking forward to more poetry in 2023!
Here’s to stretching our poetry muscles! Happy New Year, Rose.
Thank you for hosting today, Patricia! I appreciate the optimism in your poem and your post. I also look forward to the new year’s new poetry!
Happy New Year, JoAnn!
What a wonderful way to end 2022, Patricia. Your poem flows so well! And…I’m that same annoying kind of person–ha! What’s good here? What can we learn? What small joy can we take from this hard thing? I, too, jot my 3 grateful things each night. Donuts are on the list more often than they should be, but this Poetry Friday community makes the list regularly, too :>) Thank you for hosting!
Giggling over donuts! Truly a favorite treat of mine, too! Happy New Year, Laura!
Thank you for hosting us, and for the lovely blessings you’ve bestowed upon us in your poem! I especially love the families, “…given or collected.” 🙂 Happy New Year!
Those collected families are true blessings!
Oh, this is so beautiful that it reminded me to light my candle. Thank you, Patricia, and happy new year…
Having just finished Lolo’s Light, I love the vision of lighting a candle and recalling the good. Thank you for both of these images, Liz.
I hope my comment came through, Patricia. I’ll check back. Thanks for the “blessing” of your poem for us, and for hosting!
It did come thru, Linda! Happy New Year!
Patricia, your poem is a blessing. Thank you! So glad you are part of this community. Somewhere online I read that years can be question years or answer years. My 2022 was definitely one of questions, and I am grateful to be living in a kind of mysterious wonderland at the moment, and yes, hoping answers will emerge as life unfolds in 2023. Wishing you all the best!
Love this idea of questions and answer years… One of my friends speaks of “Are you asking the right question?” — So still more to ponder in 2023! Happy New Year, Irene.
So many blessings! I love that poem. Thanks for helping us close out 2022!
See you in the Nevermores, Marcie!
Patricia,thanks for hosting our “online literary happy hour…” as Susan labeled Poetry Friday. Your blog post is worthy of an end-of-year greeting with that lovely blessing poem. I am grateful that we met at PF this year. I count you as a friend! Happy New Year!
What a treasure to have connected, Carol. I look forward to more in 2023!
This is beautiful, my friend! Have a great Friday!
You are a sweetie to stop in CK. Thank you for all your support and encouragement this past year – but especially for our friendship.
Patricia, it’s been a delight to get to know you–you’re part of the blessing! Thanks for adding your presence here and for the group gift of your poem.
Gosh, thank YOU, Heidi. Your hope for the earth is such an encouragement to me. Happy New Year!
Patricia, Thank you for hosting our last Poetry Friday of the year! I agree with Heidi that YOU, indeed, are part of the blessings. Your poem is beautiful. Thank you for your supportive words and comments throughout the year!
What a joy you have been, Carol. Looking forward to our New Year’s Poetry Swap!
Thanks, Patricia! I think you are a talented poet and look forward to seeing more of your work! Good luck with the sonnet studies!
Thank you for such kind words, Carol!
Well, I am not sure what just happened! I replied but not it is gone! I wanted to tell you that I think you are a talented poet and look forward to seeing more of your work! (If you got this twice, I apologize!)
Not sure what you see once you click submit on a reply but I see them both. 🙂
All I can think is that I’m there was some kind of delay. I definitely did not see the first comment – it seemed to disappear. Thanks for letting me know, I’ll be more careful this week snd see what happens.
Hi, Patricia – can you respond with whether you want you poetry postcard sent to CA (on your return address label) or to AZ (on the list Jone gave us) for the exchange. Thanks.~ Carol
A lovely sendoff for the old year, and a lovely welcome to the new one knocking on the door. Looking forward to seeing more of you in the New Year! Cheers!
Aww…thank you, Jilanne, for stopping by today! Hope you got some skiing in yesterday (before this rain arrived). See you soon!
What a lovely collection of blessings! Although I had to laugh out loud at “bless technology.” We’re usually cursing it, but thank you for the reminder that when it works, it works and we’re all so glad. I’m happy to meet your sunny-side-up personality today. We need more of you in this world.
As a new, first-time grandparent, I am especially grateful for the technology that will keep me connected to this new little human. Blessing and curse (technology), for sure! Happy Year ahead!
Thanks for hosting. What a beautiful poem. Don’t ever make the mistake to think that encouragement or optimism is annoying.
Thank you for your kind words, Dave. Happy New Year!
Your poem of blessing is the perfect way to round out the year. Thank you for sharing it. Thank you for the reminder to take time to note the blessings around me. And thank you for hosting. Looking forward to visiting more in the coming year!
It’s such a joy-filled community of people, isn’t it? Happy New Year!
I’m having to give myself grace because I don’t have a post to link up. I have filled my days with family. It’s all good, but doesn’t leave much energy for poetry. Thanks for your thanks. I look forward to getting to know you better in 2023. You are a gift to our PF community. Bless You!
Peace and blessings, Margaret!
Thank you for hosting us, Patricia! This is the first year I kept a gratitude journal the whole year, and it is a habit I don’t want to break. I gave myself a task of finding eight good things at the end of the day. The last time I tried, I made it to October before I didn’t want to keep going because times were hard (one of my kids is chronically ill). I was always hopeful and that was food for my spirit, although sometimes hope can lead to disappointment over and over. The Poetry Friday community has always been very supportive.
Happy 2023! Thanks again!
Tabatha, it’s amazing you kept it into October – that’s fantastic! Hope is … hope is challenging. I can’t say I agree that “hope can lead to disappointment over and over”… I keep this thought nearby ALL THE TIME:
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something is worth doing no matter how it turns out.” — Václav Havel
Happy New Year!
I like that Havel quote! I was thinking of my daughter, who was disappointed over and over by medical treatments that did not work. She would get excited and then … In Dec 2020, she was wondering if she had run out of medical treatments to try, feeling hope-less. We had to have hope that something (unknown) would turn up, would work out. What happened for her was that we got an obscure medicine AND insurance decided to pay for something that they don’t pay for for everybody. Other people do wind up at the end of the line unfortunately. One of her friends tried everything, but it wasn’t enough and she ended up not surviving. Anyway, I will save that Havel quote — thanks!