Author: v. anastasi

I am a lover of words - the way they sing together in neat or sprawling lines upon the page, conducted by the great wordsmiths of all time. The way a sudden turn of phrase or surprising combination of sounds resonates with the deep within me, causing pause: moments of reflection and appreciation that transcend the superficial babblings and paltry visions of the infantile. Here at the deepening ground, it is my intent to make time and space for the reflection, appreciation, and creative imaginings that sustain the human soul.

#Poetry – A Poem a Day (Especially for Good Friday): Wendell Berry #GoodFriday #Pain

15 Apr 2022

If you’ve followed my blog for the past two years, you will be familiar with Wendell Berry. His Mad Farmer poems have brought such life to my soul (these two years especially). So it’s somewhat surprising that I haven’t posted one of his poems until today during National Poetry Month. However, as I flipped through … More #Poetry – A Poem a Day (Especially for Good Friday): Wendell Berry #GoodFriday #Pain

Palm Sunday: A Sonnet #Poetry #NPM22

10 Apr 2022

Originally posted on Malcolm Guite:
image courtesy of Lancia Smith We come now, on Palm Sunday, to the beginning of Holy Week: a strange Palm Sunday, a strange Holy Week, in which we cannot make the outward and visible journeys and gestures, exchanges and gatherings that have always bodied forth the inner meaning of this…

A Poem a Day: Blackout Poetry #Poetry #NPM22

9 Apr 2022

About a year ago, I shared a sample of blackout poetry: essentially a found poem drawn from an already published text. In my case, I have been crafting my poems from a discarded book I picked up at our school library. I have titled that collection Odd Things, as each poem appears on the odd … More A Poem a Day: Blackout Poetry #Poetry #NPM22

Photo of the Day Poems: A Collision of Cultures #Poetry #NPM22

6 Apr 2022

Tonight I share the fusion of photography and poetry, of India, Japan, England, and America: a Japanese tanka dedicated to William Carlos Williams (the pediatrician) and William Wordsworth (the romantic) inspired by a photograph by Divyakant Solanki. I am sure both Williamses would see in this everyday image the profound in the common. It comes … More Photo of the Day Poems: A Collision of Cultures #Poetry #NPM22

#Poetry – A Poem a Day: Gerard Manley Hopkins #NPM22

5 Apr 2022

Oh, the joy of Gerard Manley Hopkins! I wish I could capture the beauty of nature in the rich imagery and luscious syntax of this master. As much as I love “Pied Beauty” and “God’s Grandeur,” this poem resonates the loudest with me. In a time when so many people compare themselves to the false … More #Poetry – A Poem a Day: Gerard Manley Hopkins #NPM22

The Ballad of Hank: Inspired by Federico García Lorca #Songs #NPM22

4 Apr 2022

As a freshman in college, I found the poetry of Federico García Lorca inspiring (be sure to follow the hyperlink to read some of García Lorca’s work). I remember trying to imitate the style of the famed Spanish poet, without any real success. However, one of the poems found its way onto the album I … More The Ballad of Hank: Inspired by Federico García Lorca #Songs #NPM22

Photo of the Day Poems: Breaking Bread #Teaching #Poetry #NPM22

3 Apr 2022

Sunday night. The eve before Monday morning always leaves me wanting more weekend. And yet room 209 awaits and tomorrow the bell will ring at 8:04 a.m. and I will continue unpacking e. e. cummings’ poem “in Just-” with my AP English Literature students. Rather than post the cummings poem, I figured I would return … More Photo of the Day Poems: Breaking Bread #Teaching #Poetry #NPM22

#Poetry – A Poem a Day: Maya Angelou #NPM22

2 Apr 2022

I grew up eating TV dinners and food out of boxes and cans. I knew more about junk food than “slow” food. But that all changed when I married my wife. I actually lost weight and learned that you could put more on a sub than just iceberg lettuce. Salads came alive with so many … More #Poetry – A Poem a Day: Maya Angelou #NPM22

#Poetry – A Poem a Day: Billy Collins #NPM22

1 Apr 2022

Happy National Poetry Month! As we launch into this month-long celebration of poetry, there’s no better place to start than Billy Collins’s “Introduction to Poetry.” I don’t believe there’s another poet I enjoy listening to as much as I love hearing Billy Collins read his poetry. “Litany” was one of the first times I encountered … More #Poetry – A Poem a Day: Billy Collins #NPM22

Finding Endurance: More than Just Shackleton’s Ship #Poetry #Endurance

27 Mar 2022

The discovery of the Endurance earlier this month is a prophetic message for us all. Even as the vessel itself was prophetically named Endurance because of what Shackleton’s legendary expedition would entail, so we too are on a journey that requires endurance, skill, and courage. In meditating on a few articles I read on The … More Finding Endurance: More than Just Shackleton’s Ship #Poetry #Endurance

reflections in word and song