“Sometimes
the job of a poet
is to register what happened
off the page…
see the everyday magic, miracle…
Love is never in a hurry.” –Manuel Iris, April 27, 2022Â
In April 2022, I was one of who-knows-how-many poetry lovers that celebrated National Poetry Month. I was delighted to participate in a four-week focus called Mindful Poetry Moments, a collaboration between The Well and The On Being Project. Each week, special guest poets led us through a contemplative reading and reflection on their work and then we were given time to respond with our own poems.
Manuel Iris inspired me with his recitation of “Miracle,” a selection from his latest book THE PARTING PRESENT. You can read a few of the poems included in this lovely book here. Unfortunately, “Miracle” is not posted on his website.
But Mr. Iris spoke eloquently of small-m miracles that surround us and he invited us to weave them into a memory.
“Drought Baby” was my response. I am very excited that it was chosen for inclusion in this year’s MINDFUL POETRY MOMENTS anthology. I am also proud that a poem by my sister, Kathy Pon, is included.
It is also not lost on me that as I type this post, my first-born (the child that inspired my poem memory) is in the birthing room with his wife, who is laboring to bring their first-born into the world. I’m going to become a gramma today!
Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone hosts our Poetry Friday round up. She has a couple of thoughts about baseball this week. She claims she’s not a fan, but her poetry makes me wonder! Â
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. 
Congratulations on many things, a published poem and becoming a grandmother! Lovely poem, Patricia, with all that water that is so evocative of birth. Thank you for sharing it! And also introducing me to Manuel Iris.
Thank you, Janice. I’m a fan of Manuel Iris as a result of this and I love that his work is original Spanish and bilingual publications. Enjoy!
Patricia, this is stunning. So many beautiful sensory details, and it’s a fabulous mashup of natural and surreal. Congratulations to you on everything!
Thank you, Laura! Isn’t it incredible how life and art align?
“Small-m miracles” — what a beautiful idea. Your poem reminds me of the life-details we remember around pregnancy and birth. The weather, events in the news from that year. I love the idea of breathing in the space between the heat.
Thank you, Laura – though I can’t take credit for “small-m miracles” –came from Mr. Iris. I do look for them quite often though – part of daily practice of gratitude.
Congratulations, Patricia! A beautiful poem and a new grandchild! You have every right to be proud! I can identify with that pregnant feeling, you described it so well. Thanks for the link and quote from Manuel Iris … I like to find new inspiration. Best to you, and thanks again.
I hope you will find inspiration in Mr. Iris and the search for “small-m miracles”!
Oh, Patricia, what a beautiful poem. Congratulations on having it published in the anthology. Lovely! And now this little drought baby is having his own baby. So lovely. That description in your poem about the sky opening up is amazing.
The sky opening up comes from my lived time in Arizona during monsoons. Especially with the droughts we are facing now, there is a great sense of “miracle” when water pours from the heavens!
Living as I do in a country prone to frequent drought and flood – the driest island continent on earth, I am very strongly connected to your poem, Patricia. Congratulations. Your poem is a worthy choice, and you are right to feel proud of your words. The circle of life has very much come around to greet you at this time.
Thank you, Alan. Yes, the increasing frequency and duration of droughts makes me especially grateful for our southwestern US monsoons.
Oh, such a surfeit of joy! Your poem, its publication, and above all, your journey into grandmothering! I love the language and imagery of your poem–It’s a poem that invites and rewards rereading. Just gorgeous! Thanks for the nudge to consider small-m miracles and weave them together with memory. Happy Birthday to the newest member of your family!
Thank you, Molly. Yes, a surfeit of joy and memories-in-the-making now!
Patricia,
Congratulations on your new grandbaby! As a grandmother myself, I have to tell you it’s the best thing in the world! I love the sensory images in your poem. Congrats on its inclusion in an anthology.
I must apologize that I have not gotten your summer poem swap completed and mailed. It’s been a busy time and now school is starting.
And thanks for sending me a poem. My email will be listed here with the comment, so if you have a digital copy that I can share on my blog, please send it to me. Thanks.
Emailed you the digital copy this evening. Enjoy!
So many congratulations! Your poem is indeed worthy of anthologizing. It tells a story that draws the reader in with beautiful language.
Thank you, Mary Lee! I appreciate your note.
Wow, Patricia! A published gramma! So much excitement, and how lovely these two births coincide for you, your son, your sister, your family! I love the stanza that starts with the sky sounding, especially–drought broken.
Thank you, Heidi! All blessings, yes!
*goosebumps* Your post brings all the feels, Patricia. Congratulations! 🙂
aww…thank you Bridget!
Patricia, congrats on the publication of the poem!
“you danced
and turned around”
Lovely.
The miracles of both the baby and the rain … happy sighs. 🙂
Thank you, Karen!
Patricia, there is so much to compliment in this post: your new publication, the birth of a grandchild, and the sensory images in your poem. You chose a great title for your poem also. I send congratulations to your sister also.
Aww, thank you for looking at that post!