Poetry Friday: “Why on Earth”

As the guys from Monty Python used to say, “and now for something completely different.”

I’ve been doing a lot of random writing these days – from poems to picture books and back and forth – and I recently wrote a poem I had no idea what to do with.

So to the blog, it goes!

It’s a bit fantastical in its premise, which is that of a giant mound swelling up in the middle of a road for no particular reason. I can’t say I recall how the idea came to me, but I began imagining what it might be like to witness such an event and this is what fell out of my head.

.

Why on Earth

would the earth

rise up in a hill
in the middle of the day
in the middle of the road,
cars slipping
sideways, backwards, into
others unfortunate enough
to be driving at this very moment
as young mothers grasp at prams
rolling off the sidewalk onto
expanding grass, and one poor fellow
who decided today
was the day
he would bicycle to school
tries in vain to remain
balanced
rolling into a crowd of upside-down
onlookers, caps off, glasses
crushed beneath grass-stained derrières,
anxious and perplexed
about today’s extraordinary event
of earth
rising up
in a hill
in the middle of the road
in the middle of the day.

.
– © 2023 Matt F. Esenwine, all rights reserved

For today’s Poetry Friday roundup, head over to My Juicy Little Universe, where Heidi Mordhorst is celebrating the “Odes of March” with some of her favorite spring-themed poems – as well as two originals you simply HAVE to read!

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I’m booking author visits for the 2023 winter/spring semester!

I love chatting with elementary and middle school classes about writing: why poetry is fun to read and write, the importance of revision, and how one’s imagination and creativity can lead to a fantastic career! My presentations are tailored to fit the needs of the classes and students’ ages. One day I might be sharing details of how a picture book like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) was created; the next, I’ll be discussing dinosaur breath or origami sea turtles!

Student presentations include:

• The Making of a Picture Book
• How a Child Saved a Book
• “Once Upon Another Time”
• The Most Imporant Thing about Writing Poetry
• “I Am Today”
• “A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human”

Adult presentations include:

• The Making of a Picture Book
• The Most Important Thing about Writing Poetry
• Free Yourself with Free Verse
• Tight Language, Loose Narratives: Crafting a Non-Traditional Picture Book

Learn more at MattForrest.com!

If you or someone you know might be interested in having me visit your school, library, or other organization, please email me
at matt(at)mattforrest(dot)com!

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Ordering personalized signed copies online? Oh, yes, you can!

You can purchase personally-signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Astra Young Readers, 2017), Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly EVERY book or anthology I’ve been part of!

Click here to view all my books and to order!

Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send a comment to the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH requesting my signature and to whom I should make it out. (alternatively, you can log onto my website and do the same thing) They’ll contact me, I’ll stop by and sign it, and then they’ll ship it! (Plus, you’ll be supporting your local bookseller – and won’t that make you feel good?)

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Thank you to everyone for your support!

FLASHLIGHT NIGHT:

• NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
• KIRKUS Starred review!
• Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Books!
• “Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
• Finalist, 2019 New Hampshire Literary Awards
• Positive reviews from Horn Book, School Library Connection, School Library Connection, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and Shelf-Awareness!

DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR:

• “Rollicking rhyme!” – Booklist
  • “A wild romp!” – Parenting NH Magazine
  • “Cute…intriguing…4 out of 5 stars”     – Tulsa Book Review
  • “Rhythmic…funny and informative”     – Unleashing Readers

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