Author: janice.scully

BELATED HAPPY NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK! April 23-29.

Welcome to Poetry Friday, this week hosted by Linda Baie at Teacherdance HERE . Stop by and see what she has for us today. Thank you, Linda!

I enjoyed National Poetry Month so much that I missed National Library week from April 23-29. I love that libraries have always been safe places.

Like many others, I credit my love of books and even much of my happiness when I was young, to both the sense of peace and excitement I found in stories from the library, fiction and non-fiction.

The library I went to when I was a child

I wrote a poem this week thinking of the childhood friend who I knew when I was about seven. I have no idea where she is now, and she has no idea, I’m sure, how grateful I am to her. 

MY BOOK FRIEND

Jackie, my friend who lived next door.
taught me well what books were for.

She had no sisters, or brothers, too,
but lots of games, more than a few.

On Saturday we sat and read
the stack of books piled on her bed.

“Come to the library,” she said one day
and once I did, I longed to stay.

So many friends I found in books,
with different lives, different looks.

Cover to cover, we thought to see
who we could grow up to be.

©Janice Scully 2023 (DRAFT)

This week I got two new books in the mail, MONSTERVILLE by Laura Shovan, Illustrated. by Michael Rothenberg,

and FATHER GOOSE: Treasury of poetry, by Charles Ghigna, Illustrated. by Sara Brezzi.

Can’t wait to read them.

I have some reading to do. I’m waiting for this book by my friend, Ellen Ramsey, illustrated by MacKenzie Haley:

It will arrive in July. I hope they all will be available in libraries. Have a great weekend, Everyone. Thank you Linda for hosting Poetry Friday.

Haiku, Day #30 National Poetry Month

This is my last haiku for this month. I’ve learned there are are a limitless number of ideas in the world, ideas you don’t see if you don’t really look. This lovely egret, in a photo by Kat Borland who lives in San Antonio, took my breath away, standing so proudly.

Picture by Kat Borland

Perched high on a fence,
silently scanning back yards-- 
sleek feathered hunter.

© Janice Scully 2023

Haiku Day 28, National Poetry Month

Welcome to Poetry Friday hosted by Ruth at her blog There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Town. Thank you, Ruth for hosting!

April, otherwise know as National Poetry Month is winding down and I’m sharing my day 28 haiku. It was inspired by a tree I saw showing off its new leaves in a breeze. The video is too short, but the breeze shows how light and playful these new bright green leaves are. Look around. Leaves of all shapes and sizes are dancing in the wind. 

Round or like a fan?
Arrow-head, heart or spoon shaped?
Psst--leaves are calling.


© Janice Scully 2023

Check out the latest line of the Progressive Poem Here, with Karin fisher- Golton.

Have a great Weekend filled with poetry.

Haiku, Day 27 National Poetry Month

I’m nearing the end of April and will miss writing a haiku a day. Perhaps I will continue with a poem of some form every day, try to avoid the myriad of distractions.

Here’s a haiku inspired by my favorite green that used to be enjoyed by the ancient Greeks and Romans. I like it simmered with sautéed garlic and onions in olive oil, beans and a little chicken broth. It’s one of my favorite and easy things to cook. 

Escarole lives on--
ancient salad greens survived
the collapse of Rome.

©Janice Scully 2023

Haiku: Day 25 of National Poetry Month

In Scientific American Magazine, (May 2023 issue), I read that space exploration is focusing on a few of the many moons of Jupiter, such as Europa, because water was spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope. Water, of course, may mean life.

It seems, to explore moon oceans, a moon walk might not be enough. And to get there, it will take eight years for the six-ton JUICE ( which stands for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) to get there. 

Water plumes spotted--
Jupiter's icy moons slosh.
Time for a moon dive.

© Janice Scully 2023

Haiku Day 23 National Poetry Month

Perdia a cabeca, by João Vaz de Carvalho

I broke the rules writing this haiku, inspired by a painting by artist João Vaz de Carvalho, entitled “Perdia a cabeca.” This man simply bent over and his head fell off!

I saw this in a museum in Portugal. There is no reference to a season, but losing ones head can happen in any season. We see it happen all the time now. 

See it everywhere--
just how easy it is
to lose one's head!

Janice Scully 2023