She highlights poetry books coming in 2021.
The Sunday Night Swaggers have entered this new year with a challenge from Heidi Mordhorst. We’ve all read and admired the new poetry collection from Irene Latham, This Poem is a Nest. I reviewed her book on this post.
Irene created the term nestling, which is similar to a found poem. She started with her own poem and found new poems within it. I decided to start with a poem I wrote for Heidi for the Winter Poem Swap.
Essence of Heidi
There you are rolling Play-doh balls,
placing them onto a fake birthday cake,
lighting each candle
deep breath in, then screen-blow–
a ritual of celebration, exclamation
of You Matter!
There you are creating a caterpillar’s undoing,
how it digests itself
to become something miraculous,
shouting the great wonder–
a ritual of changing, shedding the old,
in silence.
There you are writing words,
passion-pulsed onto the page
to inspire a child or grown-up–
a ritual of reading aloud, praise
for turn-the-page, frosted ice
melting into a poem.
–Margaret Simon, 2020 Winter poem swap
Here are my nestlings…
| Happy Birthday! Play-Doh cake in celebration of You! | Writing Teacher Words inspire-up praise. | Picture Book Lighting a miraculous child, then turn-the-page |
| Autumn Undoing– become shedding silence | Peek-a-Boo There, There, there you are. | Irene’s Nest Ritual of passion pulsed the page into poem |
Read more nestlings from my friends.
Molly Hogan: Nix the Comfort Zone
Linda Mitchell: A Word Edgewise
Catherine Flynn: Reading to the Core
Heidi Mordhorst: My Juicy Little Universe
Reflections on the Teche 
Oh, these are wonderful, Margeret. The Peek-a-Boo nestling is utterly charming and I love the lines “pulsed the page/into poem.” Well done!
These are all just lovely. I was going to pick a favorite, but I keep changing my mind. They all convey so much in just a few words.
These are all such fun, Margaret! I agree with Molly about “Peek-a-Boo.” Your grandchildren are shining through your poetry!
Oh, these are clever. I especially love that you have brought one back to Irene’s nest. ‘Lighting a miraculous child’ is beautiful. But I adore ‘Peek-a-boo’!🙈😍
Clever, lovely fun!
Margaret, I see that you are having fun with your #oneword2021. Your nestlings are delightful. I especially like Picture Book. It has so many layers to it. Ritual of passion written about Irene is a wonderful dedication to her talent.
Margaret, wow, such a beautiful gift poem you wrote for Heidi! I love how you started the poem with “there you are” and then the repetition of it at the beginning of each stanza, plus the imagery makes the poem read like a picture book. That last stanza especially the image “frosted ice melting into poem” is going to stay in my mind.
All your nestlings are great. Picture Book, especially resonates with me because your arrangement of words remind me of the joy reading to children brings to them and yourself. I miss that. Thank you.
I have Irene’s book and it is moving up to first place for me to read next. I was savoring it.
This challenge is special, Margaret. I just read Molly’s & know reading from everyone is going to be a delight. I love each one of yours, but especially ‘Picture Book’ –
Lighting
a miraculous
child, then
turn-the-page – That’s it, that image!
Margaret what a lovely tribute to Heidi – both the poem-swap poem and that you then chose it for your nestlings. I love them all, but especially the word choice about teachers:
Words
inspire-up
thank you.
Wowza! (and thanks once again for writing me a personal poem.) I should go back and look at my own nestlings again, since yours I like most are the sparest and simplest: “Autumn” and “Peek-a-Boo.” Well-played!
Such fun, Margaret! Thanks for sharing.
I love the whole nestling concept (thank you, Irene) and your examples, in particular! Thanks for sharing– and for joining the Poetry Friday fun!
Picture book is a rock star poem for Heidi and others who work with kids. And, you make this challenge look easy! Wonderful nestlings. Thank you.
What a great nest you wrote for Heidi. And your nestlings are such fun. I especially like these lines:
>>
Ritual of passion
pulsed the page
into poem
<<
💕
These are so great! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Such a celebration of this child in your nest poem. I particularly like the peak-a-boo nestling with it’s repetition.
The Play-Doh cake made me smile, Margaret! Happy New Year!
These are all fabulous, but the Autumn one–mercy. Gorgeous.
Lovely collection of nestlings Margaret! I like the interconnection of these and of reading Writing Teacher” and “Picture Book” together, thanks!
Having tried this myself, I know how hard it is! You knocked it out of the ballpark! The key is a strong nest, and you had that for sure!
[…] week the Sunday Night Swaggers posted Nestling poems, like Irene Latham in This Poem is a Nest. I couldn’t stop there. I had to share the […]