Tuesday, May 29, 2007

TIME FOR A POETRY FEST



I was thinking yesterday whilst relaxing during our late Spring Public Holiday about poetry and its place in our lives. The poems we loved as children, the poems that had 'special messages' for us during our teen years, and whose subjects took upon the face of our current 'beloved' and finally the adult years the poems that have inspired us, spurred us on in the face of disaster and those so beautiful they make us weep. Then an idea struck me, yes slap bang in the middle of my forehead. a beautiful. inspirational but simple idea. This is it!

During the summer months I am going to open a blog, similar to Daisy Lupins Story Telling Circle, for those that remember that at Halloween. This time it is to be devoted to poetry and I am going to run it for three months. June will be Poetry we loved as Children, July will be Teenage Dreams and August will be Now we are Mature. I would ask you all to either post your favourite childhood poem on your blog or email me with it, you can add an illustration if you like, but don't panic, I will transfer the poems onto Daisy Lupin's Poetry Fest, I will also source illustrations for your poems if you want. I will put these on my new poetry blog which will be linked to my Cats in the Kitchen Flora in the Garden Blog.

http://daisylupinpoetryfest.blogspot.com/

I loved poetry as a child, mainly it has to be said due to my Father, who had been to a school where vast chunks of poetry had to be learnt by heart every week. He could spout vast amounts of rip roaring High Victorian and Edwardian poetry, and did so to me. I loved these poems. Unfortunately, in later life I turned my back on a lot of poetry, as I had a very difficult teenage and early twenties relationship with my Father and he became associated with poetry. In my later years, I have now overcome this stumbling block and delight in poetry once again.

You don't have to stop at one poem, come back with as many as you want. One proviso, so we are not constantly repeating poems, if a poem is popular, the person who posts or emails it first will have it credited as their favourite, you can still comment on it though, plus there are surely lots of different poems for us all. I'll start the ball rolling, this should be so interesting to see what poems people pick, and who knows we may find some new favourites ourselves. So for the whole of JUNE it is POETRY WE LOVED AS CHILDREN. I'm making a sidebar badge for it, so come along and join in and enjoy.


C. Hassam

Well, that's the long weekend over, a mixed bag of weather, but at least I got out into my garden for one whole long day and was happy with what I achieved. My poppies are amazing this year and I must get them photographed, unfortunately, we have had quite heavy winds at times and some of the poor poppies are unfurling to be blown away without a chance to bloom properly. My petunias are growing really lushly, deep velverty blooms. I have one sparse looking bed where my shrubs and lilac bushes are but I have planted lots of little clumps or what will become ground cover, so by the end of the Summer all the soil should, I hope, be covered. As soon as the ground is dry enough, my other half, the Wiz, will lay this year's bark chippings around the stepping stones and in the sitting area. I then just have to put all my ceramic blue pots in their permanent summer positions.

Vogeler


I gave in on Friday and put all my ornaments out. So the White Rabbit is anxiously looking at his watch under the lilac bush, my Hare is moon gazing, my Green Man has been in situ all year round, so he can protect the garden. my glass orb looks beautiful popping up above the salvias and penstemons. The final flourish will be siting my oblelisk and placing my golden hare in position. I put in four solar powered lights on Friday, and went to look at them on Friday evening, they cast lovely pools of soft yellow light in the darkness. I will have to get some photographs organised.

C. Hassam

The time I couldn't spend in the garden at the weekend gave me time to finish off some craft commitments, and I put them in the post today. I feel footloose and fancy free on the craft front, and a great weight seems to have been lifted from my shoulders. I am starting to brim over with ideas again, now I have only one swap ongoing. It's much better for creativity this way.

Caught up on some good music television over the weekend too. David Bowie's last concert as Ziggy Stardust back in the 70's. How some of those costumes he wore, like the romper suit type thing, make me cringe now. The sound started off ropey but as the concert kicked in it got better and better. Also a very long programme about LA music called from the Byrds to the Eagles, which was fascinating, especially the filmed bits of Laurel Canyon. I also started on a new book Labyrinthe by Kate Mosse, this one goes between the present day and the Cathars in Medieval France, I think the Grail comes into it as well. It's a big fat juicy book!



18 comments:

Miss Robyn said...

do you take all your ornaments inside during winter?
hmm must get my thinking cap on - I was never a poetry gal at school - but I do remember a few....

gma said...

Fantastic idea...Love poetry so much. Daisy this will be great!!!I can illustrate my favorite poems...yeah!!!Labyrinth huh? Will look for that one....love your taste in literature.

Julie said...

My daughter recommended "Labryinth" to me and I really liked it.

I am totally loving your poetry summer idea and will be making a contribution or two.

I am also going to write a post about expecting to have a luscious, juicy summer (crediting you of course). Now that I am working again I may have to trim my plans a bit, but only a bit.

KaiBlue said...

I love poetry to, I love David Bowie. I think he is one of the best actors, I loved him in Labyrinth.. :)
My poems arn't really people orientated.. I always had to be in love of totally miserable to write any..lol..

PEace n light, Kai

Sheila said...

Poetry was always a favourite, and it would be fun to resurrect some long forgotten verses.
Your garden must be looking good, I hope we will see photos of it soon..?
xx

Beth said...

Wow Dear Daisy,,your gardens are sounding quite amazing. We must see pics of it soon. Don't you just love this time of year? Its my fave! I always put my ornaments away in the winter too. I Love the Poetry idea, and now I must find some of my faves as a child. I remember a few that I Loved.
I wish I had seen those concerts this week-end, were they on Public TV? They usually have some good ones on our Public station, usually during fund raising.
Have a great day, Daisy!
xooxoxo

Ragged Roses said...

I think the poetry fest is a great idea - I'll have to rack my brains! the snails are still visiting us, in fact the lawn was covered with them this morning!
Kim

couragetocreatewriteandlove said...

Love this idea! Thank you!

Bimbimbie said...

lovely idea Daisy, have included my favs on my posting for today - please feel free to illustrate if you include them

Rowan said...

I've never been a great poetry fan, there are just odd ones that I like. I'll post one on my blog later this morning though and leave the illustration in your capable hands:)
Love the paintings by Childe Hassam. I came across him originally in a book by Celia Thaxter about her garden called An Island Garden. Appledore is just off the New Hampshire coast where my friends live and one day I'm going to go out and see it.

Lynda (Granny K) said...

Hello Daisy, I've put one of my favourites on my blog today, but it might be more of a 'teenage' poem than childhood. It is one which still 'says it all' for me!
Please incorporate it if you would like to.

BooksPlease said...

This is a great idea, Daisy. I haven't commented before on your blog, but this has brought back happy childhood memories and prompted me to post three of my favourite poems from my childhood on my blog. Thanks for this.

Julie said...

Daisy,

I posted a poem in my blog for the Poetry Fest. It's titled "Poetry Summer", June 1. I didn't know how you wanted to be notified about the poems, as surely you cannot read every blog!!!

tlchang said...

Fun idea! Will have to see about posting some poems in your honor.

I always love the paintings you post, and especially love the Vogeler one this time around. It's one I haven't seen before.

Oh - and DO post pictures of your garden ornaments when you get a chance.

Kim Campbell said...

Found your site through miss*r. Beautiful!

Pam Aries said...

Hi Daisy! I am trying to catch up AGAIN! ...Just want to let you know I am behind on mailing out the crows...(Redfaced) Please forgive me!

Janet said...

Alas! I am not a big fan of poetry! GASP!!

Kim Campbell said...

I have been racking my brain on this. I have a poetry book from when I was a child and I cannot for the life of me remember the author! It's packed in a box somewhere......