mother

two photos of Quenby born in 1975

 

The light changes from dramatic to subdued

from bold to tints of color

neither looks like the Windsor & Newton watercolor pinks I used

on the watercolor paper

for time has left its footprint

space has come closer

and human perception matured.

My daughter has left her footprints, come closer, and matured.

Now she mothers grand-cats,

dramatic, colorful, with pink tongues, footprints, closer, and maturing.

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!” 😉