Poetry Friday: A “moongazing” haiku

Oh, you have no idea how much excitement I’ve been trying to contain.

You see, my next picture book, The Thing to Remember about Stargazing (Tilbury House, 2023) is scheduled to be published this October, and TOMORROW, Sat., May 27, is the day of the official COVER REVEAL!

I hope you’ll check it out at The Backstory, a feature of author Andrew Hackett’s blog. Italian artist/illustrator Sonia Possentini provides some amazingly beautifu artwork, and I can’t wait to share the book with the world when it arrives Oct. 3. So be sure to head over to The Backstory tomorrow – because this book actually has not one, but TWO backstories!

Considering the subject of the book, I’ve naturally had stargazing on my mind lately, and a few nights ago our local middle school hosted an astronomy night. Several telescopes were set up so that students and parents could get close-up views of the moon, Venus, and stars like Arcturus and others.

Early in the evening, around 8-8:30pm, my son decided to try to get a photo so he held my iPhone up to the eyepiece of a large telescope focused on the moon. Just at the right moment, he snapped – and captured this. So of course, I had to write a haiku to go with it!

^{(Click to enlarge)}

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sea-blue face
poses for her close up;
dusk’s crooked grin

– © 2023 Matt F. Esenwine, all rights reserved

While I’m celebrating the cover reveal of my next book, Patricia Franz is celebrating her 40th wedding anniversary with a cento she created using a Doobie Brothers setlist! You can find that along with today’s complete Poetry Friday roundup at her blog, Reverie.

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I’m still booking author visits for the 2023 Spring Semester (and Fall 2023, too)!

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”
• “Everybody Counts: Counting to 10 in Twelve Languages”

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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AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE:
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EVERYBODY COUNTS!
(The Little Fig, LLC, 2023)

Order a PERSONALLY-SIGNED copy of this or or ANY of my books
from my local independent bookstore!

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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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Did you like this post? Find something interesting elsewhere in this blog? I really won’t mind at all if you feel compelled to share it with your friends and followers!

To keep abreast of all my posts, please consider subscribing via the links up there on the right!  (I usually only post once or twice a week – usually Tues. and Fri. – so you won’t be inundated with emails every day) . Also feel free to visit my voiceover website HERE, and you can also follow me via Twitter , Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and SoundCloud!