Thursday, December 25, 2014

Poetry Friday Roundup

 
I am delighted to be the hostess for today's Poetry Friday!  It happens to be my birthday.  Since it's a milestone day, I decided to write about my One Little Word from this past year and a half.  I kept it longer than most people do, so now it's time to let it go.  It's been the perfect word, though, so I'm having a bit of a hard time choosing another at this year's end.  My word was JOURNEY.  You can read about why I chose it here.  Here is a video that explains a little more:
 


 
I'm not sure what my new OLW will be for 2015, but before I choose one, I want to say goodbye to JOURNEY in a poem.
 
Journeys
 
If I could use a red marker
to draw portals into new worlds,
I would visit sparkly castles,
rocket through starry constellations,
soar over craggy mountaintops,
and plunge into the depths of the sea.
 
I would see kings and queens,
comets and ringed planets,
smoking volcanoes,
and prehistoric ocean creatures.
 
However, I am somewhat limited
to the journeys of this life.
Without the red marker,
I am marked by time,
by boundaries,
by age.
 
But are my journeys less exciting?
I think not.
 
I watch my students read, write, discover,
and change the world.
I watch my children start
journeys of their own,
and my parents journey
into new stages of life.
 
I spend time with my husband,
nurture friendships,
read, write, travel, work,
laugh, pray, walk, and dream.
I plan the next journey,
remember and make sense of the ones
that came before,
Live in the moment.
 
When one journey ends,
a new one begins,
and I am grateful for that.
 
                - Holly Mueller
 
 
 
 

29 comments:

  1. Holly, I love the journey you took and the poem you wrote to express your travels. Can't wait to see where your OLW will take you in 2015.

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    1. Ramona, I loved my JOURNEYS this year, and since I wrote this post I think I've decided on my next OLW. I can't wait to share it soon! Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Holly, first of all Happy Birthday. Journey is such a great word for you and now I know why you call your new blog venture, Spiritual Journey Thursday. I am proud to be a member of this group and hope that my words find a home in others' hearts. Your poem was a tribute to your journey.

    Today's Poetry Friday offering is the holiday gift I gave to twittersphere communities and connected colleagues on Christmas 2014: The Finding Fall Gallery. (It is my hope that it goes global and gains recognition for all of the writers, including you.)
    Thank you for your support along the way.

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    1. Thank you, Carol! I need to go right now to look closely at the Finding Fall Gallery. I love that you make those compilations! :-)

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  3. Happy birthday, Holly, and thanks for hosting. Lovely poem, especially:

    Without the red marker,
    I am marked by time,
    by boundaries,
    by age.

    I'm also choosing my word of the year. I am 90% sure I'm going with EMBRACE, but I'm still pondering. :>)

    I added my link, but I'll say here that I'm in with a poetryaction to Nancy Carlson's Sometimes You Barf, a sweet (seriously) picture book about those unfortunate times. Since I ate way too much yesterday, I'm feeling a deep connection with the book:>)

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    1. EMBRACE is a lovely OLW! I'm laughing at your connection - oh dear! I'm pretty sure we're all feeling somewhat like that. Ha!

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  4. Hi Holly - thank you for hosting! I don't have a post to add to the linkup today, but I did want to say hello. :) I love that you felt inspired to commemorate your OLW with a poem. For the past several years I have created a quilt square for my OLW -- "mystery" was my word for 2014. Someday I will make a quilt with all those words, and it will be spectacular! Wishing you love and poetry as your journey continues!

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    1. Oh my goodness, I wish I was a quilter! What a WONDERFUL project!

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  5. Thanks for hosting, and for sharing the poem - I know many of us can relate! Today I'm sharing links to Carol's Finding Fall Gallery, of which I'm a part, and my review earlier this week of the book, 'Song for Papa Crow.'

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  6. Holly,
    Thanks for hosting on your Birthday! Wow! Have a wonderful day. I'm sure you have lots to say about having a bday the day after Christmas. Boxing Day. Will you be opening more boxes?

    Love the word Journey and your poem that speaks to so many of us here in the kidlitosphere. I have been brainstorming my word for 2015. I'm close to a decision. The word is important. Somehow it seems to guide you through the year. My 2014 word was open. I hate to close the door on it, but I must move on and find the just right word.

    Thanks again and Happy Birthday!

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    1. I did open more boxes on my birthday! ;-) I make sure my family knows not to combine gifts. Ha. OPEN was such a good OLW. It IS hard to say goodbye to a OLW, but I'm already excited about my 2015 word, and I know your new one will be wonderful, too! And thank you!

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  7. Happy Birthday, Holly. I don't have a post today, but wanted to tell you how much I like your OLW poem. I love the idea of the red marker drawing new worlds for you. I've not found a word yet for the coming year, but loved last year's word & find it hard to let go. Enjoy today!

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    1. Thank you, Linda! I borrowed the idea of the red marker from Aaron Becker's JOURNEY! :-)

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  8. Happy Birthday! Thanks for sharing your poem and these words, " But are my journeys less exciting?/I think not." May your journeys continue.

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  9. Beautiful imagery with your poem thank you for hosting and happy birthday!

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  10. Happy Birthday and happy JOURNEY year! My OLW came to me as I wrote my Poetry Friday post. I probably should have deliberated more, made lists, took my time...but I just grabbed it and I'll go with it! Thanks for hosting us!

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    1. My new one came later that day, after I published this blog post. I think it's good to grab it up and go! :-)

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  11. Ah, the journey is neverending, isn't it? Happy birthday, and thanks so much for hosting. Left my link above -- a lovely poem by Thomas Merton for these 12 days of Christmas.

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  12. Happy birthday, Holly! Thank you for hosting.
    Happy holidays, everyone!
    I posted a piece of Where it Hurts by Caitlyn Siehl at my blog, Bildungsroman, this morning.

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  13. Happy birthday! I love the concept of the "red marker / to draw portals into new worlds" and the gratitude expressed in the ending. Today's Poetry Friday posts are inspiring me to think of my own One Little Word!

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  14. Quiet roundup! You'll have to take a summer date next time!!

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    1. Yes, it was, Mary Lee, but that's ok. Busy time of year! It was still fun! :-)

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