Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Ayuh to Z Challenge - S


 My theme: Book Titles A to Z written by Maine authors,
and a poem for that title each day for the month of April.
I've focused mainly on children's books, with a few others sprinkled in.  Thus most poems are of more interest to children and the young at heart!
The poem is not about the book, but is written with the title as inspiration!

Welcome to S!

S is for 
The Sea Chest
by Toni Buzzeo
The Sea Chest

Upstairs in the attic
From my cousins I hid
They didn’t visit often,
but when they did
we’d play hide and seek
in our house in the field.
As in darkness I huddled,
the shadows concealed,
I heard their voices,
as they looked about,
but no one came;
Too scary no doubt
in the dark to look here.
I reached for the string
hand groping above
pulling down to bring
the dust-measured years
and eyes squinting tight
as wood floor and beams
appeared in the night.
There in the middle
apart from the rest
was some kind of box -
a wooden sea chest?
 It had locks of brass,
wide straps of leather,
ship painted on top,
worn from the weather
Across the front
I felt, more than saw
our name in letters
carved big, bold, and raw
deep as a heart
in the cedar wood-
What a story to tell
If only it could.
And I wondered then
how it came to be
here in the attic
and not on the sea.
©Donna JT Smith, 2014


Toni Buzzeo is a school library media specialist in Portland, Maine.  Please take just a few minutes, to read this interview that talks about the writing of the story "The Sea Chest".
The Sea Chest is the story about a little girl's sheltered life on an island, living in a lighthouse; and the sea chest, with precious contents, that gets washed ashore one stormy night.
Here's a video of the building of Toni's Writing Cottage.  My husband and I had been talking about a Writing Cottage for me!  I'm going to show him this - just in case I need more ammunition for the need.  But I don't think I need to.  We already have a plan for it.  I'm excited.  My spot here at the kitchen table is not good when he is home.  He needs the kitchen for eating and taking breaks... often in the middle of one of my thoughts.  Wouldn't it be great to have a Writing Cottage? 



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Sea Smoke
by Miriam Nesset
Sea Smoke

sea smoke haloed firs
misty seascape hovering
cloaking rocky shores
©Donna JT Smith, 2014

Miriam Nesset lives in Maine. She is originally from Wisconsin.  In 2009, she moved to Maine to continue her writing.  She has been writing since the age of eighteen, having published one of her Haiku poems, and self-publishing three books of Haiku poetry.  She has also written Georgie Blake and the Bushie Sisters, Murder in Between, Kat the Cat and Sea Smoke.

Sea Smoke is an historical novel taking place in the 1730's New England Woodland Rebellion.  It is a mystical love story and mystery about being shipwrecked on a remote, sea smoke surrounded island off the coast of Maine.
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Brought to you by the letter S!

Stupendous!

You go, S!
No, literally,
you go...time for T!

16 comments:

  1. Nice Post Donna! I think I should search for Haiku poems and read them !

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    Replies
    1. I've written some haiku. I always like to stick with the traditional pattern of 5-7-5 and try to stick with the traditional theme of nature. But sometimes the theme breaks tradition!

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  2. Everyone needs a writing space. I am on retreat at my friend's cottage and loving the peacefulness, hoping for the muse to come. Your poem has very nice rhythm and takes me on a childhood adventure.

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    Replies
    1. Uninterrupted, quiet - a perfect time for letting things flow from brain and out fingertips. Hope your time is full of wonderful writing moments! Thanks for taking time out to comment! I do appreciate it.

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  3. Combining a book and memories... you can't go wrong! Enjoyed your poem! Especially like the phrase "dust measured years".

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    Replies
    1. I think of dust as measuring time...the deeper and less disturbed it is, the longer it has been since anyone has been there. (of course, in my own home, it is kind of the same, except we've just ignored it and walked right on past!)

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  4. Both of these stories seem lovely. I adore stories about the sea. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Chrys! I love "everything sea". It's scary and beautiful at the same time.

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  5. I really like that poem. Really. It might be my favorite of yours.
    I know I've said that before, but I think this one is better.

    And the cover of that first book seems familiar...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Andrew!
      I love the cover pictures on both The Sea Chest and Sea Smoke.

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  6. One can only imagine what treasures that chest holds. Wouldn't 't it be neat to get a group of people together and have each one write about the treasures in their sea chest?

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  7. Well, again, I like both poems, the story of the sea chest & hide 'n seek, but really love the line "cloaking rocky shores". A writing cottage-so exciting to think about! The videos are terrific too. Wonderful post for S! So many wonderful Maine writers!

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    Replies
    1. The playing hide and seek with cousins was a memory. 4 of us and 6 of them and a big old house...but no sea chest like that up there...though my parents did have a number of sea chests in our home throughout our childhood. They were antique dealers, so we had frequently-changing furnishings, sea chests included!

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  8. I'm so jealous that you're going to get a writing. Although, I would probably spend too much time making it quant instead of writing. LOL

    ~Patricia Lynne~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, YA Author

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    Replies
    1. I know what you mean! I also hope I don't decide to stash household overflow there! We'll see. First I have to get it!

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