Fall and Mary Oliver today. From a wonderful collection of poetry titled Why I Wake Early. Admittedly, waking early isn’t in my vocabulary, save for the demand my job puts upon me as a high school English teacher. But for sights such as these, I would race the sun out of bed, “[t]o love what … More Mary Oliver Mondays: Snow Geese #Poetry #Geese #Birds #Busyness #Fall #MaryOliver
A week away from the normal routines of life is refreshing, even if it comes with other, pressing responsibilities. We have just returned from New Jersey where my son and daughter competed in a regional speech tournament. While there, I spent most of my time either judging rounds (ten, to be exact) or watching my … More Blackout Poetry for a Quiet Morning #Poetry #Morning #Solitude #NPM22
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
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
Spring is in the air! Here in Western Pennsylvania today, the temperature reached 71 degrees. We opened the windows and savored the fresh air and song of the birds. It reminded me of a welcomed distraction from earlier this week when I sat down to breakfast: a finch singing from my neighbor’s porch. And though … More #Devotions: Another Sampling from Mary Oliver
Tonight’s collection of photo poems comes from the week of January 31st through February 8th of 2019. I’ve affectionately titled this collection Birds, Bikes, and Bots, though the photographs themselves didn’t appear in that order on The Guardian website. Besides just enjoying the sound of that alliterative title, I also believe the way it transitions … More Photo of the Day Poems – #Birds #Bikes #Bots
the deepening ground 