with heart

illustrated by Boyana Petkova

 

Poem for 2 voices
second grader: How do you write a poem?

Raven Howell: I catch the inspiration
And then follow the technical path of writing it down

second grader: (blank stare)
But how do you write a poem?

Raven Howell: (When I answer from my heart)
Thoughts have wings. When I’m writing a poem, it’s as if I come down for a landing with paper, pen , and computer.

second grader: (nodding)
Okay!

 

How do you write a poem?
Raven Howell (posted on Facebook)

January 29 · 2019

 

During Q&A, a second grader asks me how I write poems. I get a blank stare as I explain a fairly typical ‘catching the inspiration’ and then the technical path of writing it down. She asks again. “But how do you write a poem?” When I answer from my heart, “Thoughts have wings. When I’m writing a poem, it’s as if I come down for a landing with paper, pen, computer” she nods and says, “Okay!” 😉

Focus

Ruffles My Feathers

Yesterday my iPhone Calendar announced “Id have an early morning!”
Suddenly, I have a relationship with my Calendar app.
I did, indeed have an 8AM appointment at my Albany Apple Store for a personal lesson in Garage Band.
Eager to face the ice storm, I awoke at 4:30AM, had breakfast, over-dressed, discerned the safety of traveling,
got all my electronics ready to go, completed my daily errands, and set off…duped by the weather report
and my invasive iPhone Assistant.

Last week, my bank manager told me I had a relationship with their computer
which ascertained that I was to be penalized $37.50 for a $10.50 check
written against funds which were in one of my other accounts. It could list all my balances but was unable to take
the $10.50 from any of them. Instead an elaborate ritual was enacted which resulted in said bank of taking a total of $300
from my funds. Humans regrettably informed me that the computer had a formula which exacted the $300 penalty; they could not forgive any errors
even though “I had a relationship with the (bank, people, computer) PICK ONE.

Seems I need to change focus in my relationships.
Focus on the digits which now have a face.
It bites.
It’s salivating.
It’s judging.
Ouch!!!!!!!

Pattern #29 Down Under

Mac Doctor
Down Under
Photo by Jeanne

Down Under

Mac Doc’s surgery
On Mac Book Pro: new system
IV plugs to life!

Behold the man who fits below:
double monitor
Bose speakers
3 back-up disks
battery back-up
laptop
wireless printer, keyboard, mouse
USB, fire-wire, thunder wire
extreme airport, router,cd’s …..

No attachment is too lowly for him!
Every cable matters!

Poet Laureate

If you want to read the 10 rules for Poets, please enjoy :
http://poetryatplay.org/2013/02/03/essay-my-own-ten-rules-for-writing-childrens-poetry-by-j-patrick-lewis/

Laureate
Not a bit;
But a byte
Snappy tight!

Jeanne Poland