I’d like to first thank the folks who’ve seen me or messaged me about the latest poetry anthology I’m fortunate to be part of (a major project from former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt)…I spent a little time this past Tuesday talking about it, and I can’t wait to see it!
Today, I wanted to share a poem I wrote over the summer about one of the flowers we have growing here at our house, a clematis. I never realized until I started researching it, but there are TONS of different varieties of this flower, which happens to be part of the buttercup family.
There are also a bunch of different names for this flower, depending on whereabouts you live in the country…and that’s where my poem took root. (Pun intended!)
This poem is also part of Carol Varsalona’s Summerscapes Gallery, which is now posted on her blog. Over 65 contributors provided photos, poetry, or other text to celebrate the season that has just passed by, and I encourage you to stop by and check it out!
I also encourage you to visit Violet Nesdoly’s home on the web! Violet not only has a wrap-up of the big poetic shindig known as the WWU Poetry Camp (I’m so bummed I couldn’t go!), but she also has today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup!
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Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme 
I love clematis! There’s a house not too far away that grows some kind of monster clematis–the flowers are about as big as a luncheon plate! I didn’t know clematis were related to the buttercup. Who woulda thunk it?
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The leaves can get pretty big…ours were probably 5 or 6 inches across, but I know folks who have flowers that are much bigger. That’s why I love some of the research I have to do for some of my poetry – I had no idea they were buttercups, either! And 300 varieties!
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Beautiful match of photo and poem, Matt. Congrats on being part of Minutes till Bedtime – I am, too, and can’t wait to see it.
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Thanks! And congrats on the book – looks like we both have something to look forward to!
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I’m excited that you are getting your poems into anthologies, Matt, and that picture book, too. That is so great. I didn’t know about these different names and that there were so many varieties. “Traveler’s joy, leather flower” rhyming with bower-perfect.
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Thanks, Linda! All it took was a,little research, and the poem nearly wrote itself!
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Great poem, Matt, and congrats on the anthology publication.
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Thank you, Brenda!
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Were you invited to contribute or was there a call? I never see calls for kids poetry.
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For this particular anthology, it was a closed submission process, meaning that individuals were contacted and asked if we were interested in participating. However, every now and then, I’ll Google children’s poetry anthology submissions, and that has yielded at least a couple of open submission opportunities for me, so it’s definitely something I’d recommend.
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Thanks, Matt. You’re good at networking, as well as poetry.
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Matt, you poem on the lovely clematis flower is not only a vivid photo on the Summerscapes Gallery (thank you for the shoutout and contribution), but a wonderful bit of research on the traveling flower that I love. I have one in my meditation garden and I waited all summer for it to bloom. It is traveling across and over a trellis so now I see why it is called traveler’s joy. It is always great to read backstories behind the poem itself. Congratulations on your publications that are coming. I remember when you had the house woes so this change of tide is refreshing.
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Thank you so much, Carol! Interesting that you say you’ve waited all summer…ours bloomed in early summer. And thank you also for your Gallery – because I wouldn’t have written the poem if you hadn’t asked me to contribute!
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I know so little about the clematis — charming poem!
Congrats on being in Kenn’s anthology and for having your poem in Highlights Magazine!! 🙂
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Thank you, Jama!
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Wow, congrats on getting your poetry into the great big world in so many different forms and formats, how exciting!!
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Thanks, Jane. I try to be as diverse as possible, to allow myself as much opportunity as possible…and so far, the plan seems to be working!
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Matt, what a clever poem using Clematis’s various names and sneaking in that information about flower family as well. As you know, I’m partial to clematis flowers (young and old).
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Thank you, Violet. As I mentioned to Linda above, the poem pretty much wrote itself, once I discovered all its various names!
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Your poem and this pretty flower are well-matched, Matt. And what a sweet forest poem in OMTB!
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Thank you, Michelle! I’m looking forward to seeing your contribution…and everyone else’s, too, of course!
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Congratulations on your recent publications and thanks for sharing your lovely clematis poem. This is a flower I’ve never been able to grow successfully (those cool roots!) but always stops me in my tracks when I see it. I really enjoy how your poem included some of its backstory 🙂
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Thanks, Molly. We bought a couple of young clematis at a local greenhouse and they’ve been going like gangbusters without any effort…so I’m, sorry I can’t impart any secret wisdom!
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Very nice play with the names–are all of those really names for clematis varieties in different places? Don’t you just love language?! I also read your update post–so happy for all your success. Things really have changed in those 6 years since you got serious, and you’re right about how social media is supporting all kinds of new developments in publishing.
P.S. The “tough” girl in front is my Daisy. ; )
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Thanks for stopping by, Heidi! And yes, those are all common names for clemtatis, depending on where one lives in the country – although the adjective ‘wooly-petalled’ is my creation.
By the way, be sure to tell Daisy that she’ll lose her gangsta rep if she trips – so get those laces tied! 😉
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Nonfiction poetry at its best!!
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Thank you, Mary Lee!
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