THIS BLOG IS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL. PLEASE ENJOY WHAT IS HERE, AND DO LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU WISH. NORTH CAROLINA'S NEW POET LAUREATE IS CATHY SMITH BOWERS. SHE WILL SOON HAVE HER OWN WEBSITE THROUGH THE NORTH CAROLINA ARTS COUNCIL SITE. I WILL BE SHIFTING MY ATTENTION TO HERE, WHERE I AM, (SEE SIDEBAR)USING IT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO WRITERS WHOSE WORK DESERVES ATTENTION. I INVITE YOU TO VISIT ME THERE.

For a video of the installation ceremony, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xAk6fOzaNE.

HERE, WHERE I AM HAS BEEN NAMED ONE OF THE 30 BEST POETRY BLOGS.

How a Poem Happens: http://www.howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/

Go to http://www.yourdailypoem.com/, managed with finesse by Jayne Jaudon Ferrer, who says, "Our intent is to make visitors to Your Daily Poem aware of the joy and diversity of poetry."

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Thanksgiving Feast: ArtParK: THINGS WITH WINGS, first course


(Becky Long, Photo credits)
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LADYBUG

Wings and spots
My favorite insect
Some are the same
Some are different
Eats gnats
Ladybugs
Make me smile

by Haley Beamon
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My friend Jane Wood, over in Wilson, has been at it again. You may remember my summer's post on her project, but if not please take at look at it: http://ncpoetlaureate.blogspot.com/2008/08/celebrating-artpark-in-wilson-county.html.

This time the students have written poems on the theme of "Things With Wings" and created an exhibition in the Wilson County Art Council's ArtPark Space. These poems and their exhibition were completed in September, but between my journey to Hungary in October and several travels for readings afterward, I decided to wait until I had the time I needed to enjoy working with these poems and images. The time now is just right-- making them my Thanksgiving feature, so that I can give thanks to Jane and the Wilson County Arts Council, not to mention the student poets and their teachers, for the remarkable job they are doing for the arts in North Carolina. A special thanks to photographer Becky Long for the photographs in this and the following post.



Jane began her emails to me about this current theme with an extraordinary poem by an extraordinary young student. She also explains the selection process for ArtPark.

"The student, Lindeman Edgar (even her name is unique!) is my Student Advisor for this school year. I select a student on the basis of their interest in poetry. They do the selecting of the poems that appear in my ArtPark column in The Courier and also choose the poems to be used in the ArtPark displays. I think my students like the idea of one of their peers doing the picking and choosing rather than me or their teachers.These student advisors are usually 5th or 6th graders. Since I present to 4th graders that eliminates them having to judge their classmates' work."

Here is the poem. Please click on it to make it larger, if you are having trouble reading it.



I will intersperse the visuals from the exhibition with poems written by fourth graders at St. Therese School. I wish they could meet the 5th graders at Sugar Loaf Elementary in Taylorsville. What a Thanksgiving poetry fest we could have then!



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ANGELS

Angels flying in the sun
Halos sparkling like stars
Beautiful wings glowing in the moonlight…

by Preston Rhyne
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(by Matthew Joyner)

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FIREFLIES

Wings light up like a flashlight,
beautiful as butterflies…

by Catherine Potter

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THE MIGHTY GRYPHON

The power
Of the fierce gryphon
With its mighty roar
With great wings it soars
Its sharp claws are a powerful sword

by Sam Quinn
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THINGS WITH WINGS

Pegasus flying through Greece
Butterflies escaping cocoons
Angels swimming through the air
Planes flying high in the sky
Turkeys flying for shelter
Dragons flying…

by Michael Glennon

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