Writer Wednesdays: Dani Harris

Hi, I'm Dani. I am a Twitter friend of Kristin's and quite honored for her to have invited me to participate in her guest post series by writers. To be honest, I'm stunned because I just started my blog in February 2010 and only began writing in January 2010. I write haiku, senryu, verse....not the rhyming type of poetry.

My journey into writing actually began on Twitter when I accidentally started following writers and poets. If you are not familiar with the Twitterverse, it is quite amazing. It is the perfect medium for short verse with it's limit of 140 characters, and the poetry "community" is very active with several group haiku challenges every day. The general definition of haiku is a verse of three parts made up of 5 syllables/7 syllables/ 5 syllables. There actually are more requirements, but this is the basis most used on Twitter. A word is selected and anyone who would likes can tweet a haiku containing that word, and individuals will randomly tweet haiku, too. I fell in love with the art form and eventually got enough courage to tweet my own words.

Quite to my surprise and delight, the writing and poetry communities both embraced me, which led to starting my own blog haiku love songs. It's also quite unexpected because I've never done any type of writing before and I'm 58 years old. {{cringe}} A young 58-year-old grandmother. I have no formal education, or really even any basic knowledge, of writing. What I do know is that the words are here now and I must write.

I was quite intimidated to attempt this post and was discussing it with another poet/Twitter friend. He said I write from my heart, and I do. The verse may not have anything to do with my real life, but every word contains a piece of me. Sometimes it can leave me feeling quite raw and exposed emotionally. Most of what I write is triggered by a song, or a bird or something I'm doing, like unbraiding my hair....usually there is an urgency to get to the computer or a pencil and paper because the words start flowing. {And I have a really bad memory, being so old and all.}

Once in a while when I read the finished verse, it doesn't feel right so I put it away and go back to it later. Occasionally, I sit down to write without anything in mind because I need something to post to my blog. But 95% of the time, the words flow... through me, not from me....and I just leave them alone.

So, am I a writer? I write. Why do I write? Because the words are forcing their way out. Am I any good? That is something beyond my ability to judge, but I'm having a lot of fun doing it.

Thanks again to Kristin for so generously inviting me here. The final moral of my writing story is that it's never too late to start.

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You can enjoy Dani's poetry by following her blog: haiku love songs And you can also follow her on Twitter: @ddh77 .

Thank you Dani for a very inspirational post and perfect timing since it is National Poetry Month. Thanks also to all of you who have stopped by today.

Kristin : )

If you would like more info about this series follow this link Writer Wednesdays: The Intro .

National Poetry Month: Robert Frost + The Outsiders

I'm honored to be part of Savvy Verse & Wit Blog Tour to celebrate National Poetry Month. Thanks to all of you who stopped in today. Some of you have been here before (thank you for your continued support) For others just landing here for the first time... welcome :)

Poetry is what first grabbed my creative attention as a child and has led me on my path to becoming a writer. One poem that really took hold was by Robert Frost.

I, and every other preteen in my world, was completely obsessed with The Outsiders when it came out in 1983. I had one friend that would rush home to rewatch it everyday after school. I was not that obsessed, but would occasionally tag along when lured by snacks. We actually talked out a life plan of moving to Tulsa, OK and becoming taxi drivers (she had really good snacks LOL). It's funny what a kid thinks is an exciting career. Quotes from the movie became our vocabulary for an embarrassing amount of time. "Stay Gold Pony Boy," is possibly the most remembered line. It was the last words spoken by Johnny before dying, but that fact alone did not sear that phrase into my mind. For me it was what he was referring to that has stayed with me ever since. Johnny had shared a poem with Pony Boy as they watched the sunrise while hiding from the police. The poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

It's one of Frost's shorter poems, but to me, one of the most powerful in message. Enjoy the beauty in life, it is short lived. This poem, seamlessly folded into a pop culture movie lead me to read more of Frost's poems and then other poets, and so forth. It grabbed hold of my young heart and pushed me down the path that I am still trying to find my footing on today.

I still love Robert Frost and play around with prose when the mood hits, although more for me that for anyone else. Writing has been a passion and past time for me since, but has just recently became a career possibility. In November of 2008 I had my first novel published, The Truth Lies in the Dark. I am working on many writing projects now and hope to see some of them made public soon.

To celebrate National Poetry Month I will be posting a different Robert Frost poem every week in April and of course, I'll be hopping over to many of the blog tour stops to read more poetry stories and celebrations.

Thanks,

Kristin : )

Blog Tour: The Tighty Whitey Spider

The Tighty Whitey Spider is perfect to review for National Poetry Month. It's a book of silly animal poems written by Kenn Nesbitt and illustrated by Ethan Long.

First of all, the main little critter is sporting nothing but his tighty whitey underwear. This alone had my kids giggling. Then there is a dog that doesn't bark, a cat that can fly, sky diving elephants, and flying pigs! That's just some of the silliness Nesbitt has packed into this 97 page book and CD.

Kenn Nesbitt is celebrating his newest release along with National Poetry Month by doing a blog tour. As an added gift he is offering everyone a look at his first book, My Hippo Has the Hiccups. So follow the link and check it out. The offer ends on April 30th.

In addition to his hilarious books, Nesbitt is also the founder of one of the most popular kid's poetry websites, Poetry for Kids.

I'd love to hear what you and the children in your life think of Kenn Nesbitt and his silly poems.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kristin : )

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate I'm posting a different Robert Frost (one of my favorite poet) poem each week. I am also taking part in a celebration blog tour set up by Savvy, Verse & Wit . Make sure to stop back on April 15th for my post about how Robert Frost and The Outsiders influenced and led me to the writing path I am on now.

Today's poem by Robert Frost is perfect for the Spring

A Prayer in Spring

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

This Robert Frost poem was copied from a book I purchased for my kids, in hopes of igniting their inner creative whims. Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

What's your favorite poet or poem?

Kristin : )