My post will be short today. We leave on our trip to Europe on Monday. I have the “down to the wire” things left to do.
Firstly, I want to thank all of you who commented on my post last week. I tried to get to everyone else’s post but didn’t make it. This also left me out of time to return comments to those who left me a post – I will catch up this weekend (I hope).
There are a couple of things I did want to mention, however.
Thanks to those who mentioned that I treated my trying situation with grace last week. I had some personal growth and it felt good to not let my emotions get the best of me. My advertisement was printed in the WFOP newsletter as written.
I also want to thank Lou Piccolo again. She showed me so much support and kindness last week. Please, if you have not signed up for her newsletter, do so! See the links at the bottom of my post. If you have done this, thank you from both me and Lou!
And lastly, some of you kindly commented on my photographs last week. The ghost plant or Indian pipe is not a mushroom but rather a chlorophyll-less plant, hence no green. I just wanted to make sure there was no confusion over that. It is often mistaken for a mushroom but is not one. There’s a link for that at the end of today’s post as well.
This week we had the chance to see the Northern Lights. My poem is based on that desire.
Indian Pipe Plant Information from the US Forest Service
Ekphrastic Nature Poetry Anthology for Children 10+ – guidelines and submissions
If you have submitted, thank you! I am working my way through letting submitters know about the status of their poems. The next steps will involve you signing the first rights for your poem and photo use. I will get to send these out in mid-October. Thanks for your patience.
If you haven’t submitted, and still want to do so – you have plenty of time. Submissions close November 1st. It’s shaping up to be a great anthology! Don’t miss your chance to have a poem included! Thank you!
Today is Poetry Friday! Our host is Carol at Beyond Literacy Link. Carol’s posts are always uplifting so be sure to stop by and see what goodness she has in store for us today! Thanks for hosting, Carol!
The Apples in My Orchard 
Hope you have a terrific trip, Carol!
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Thank you, Tabatha!
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Carol, the notion of desire is a broad concept and your Northern Lights poem speaks to this so clearly. The night is beguiling, so I can understand how you feel. The use of rhyme kept the poem moving forward. I enjoyed how you did that. Your shorter, second poem also captured the essence of its accompanying image- ‘darkness hugs the shore.’
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Thanks, Alan, for stopping by and for your comments! Much appreciated!
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Such peaceful images and poems, Carol! I have never seen the northern lights despite many attempts. I like how your poem focuses on sharing the moment and experience of searching and how you link dancing lights to dancing with your husband. So beautiful!
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Thanks, Tracey! I appreciate your kind words!
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The Northern Lights are on my bucket list. Can you see them from where you live? I would have to travel. I’d like to go to Iceland, but my mother-in-law says, “You can see them in Michigan!” But wouldn’t Iceland be more adventurous. Have a wonderful trip!
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Thanks Margaret, I hope you are feeling well. Yes, we can see the Northern Lights from our Northern Wisconsin location – if we don’t have too much cloud cover. I’d love to go to Iceland someday – it would definitely be more adventurous than Michigan! LOL. Thanks!
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I hope one day to see the Northern Lights, Carol. But I love the turn your poem took – as a chance to dance in the dark with your husband (swoon!). Enjoy your time away!
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Thanks so much! I really didn’t work that hard on that particular poem – it just kind of evolved – the best kind of poetry, don’t you think?!
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Such a romantic poem, waiting for the northern lights! I’m glad your book is shaping up. Good luck. It must be hard to choose.
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Thanks, Janice!
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Carol, I think I have enough photos now to start writing poems to submit for anthology. I hope your travels to Europe will be adventurous and lots of fun. Your Northern Lights poem opens not only with a love for nature but a love for your husband. Dance in the dark in Europe and let your eyes find magic in the sky. Would you consider adding your second image poem to the Destination: Summer’s End Padlet? I would love that.
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I’m sorry I did not get around to putting my poem on your Summer’s End Padlet…As you know, there needs to be more hours in the day! Thanks!
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Enjoy your trip! I saw some gorgeous photos of the northern lights from Shenandoah National Park this week. Gorgeous!
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Thank you! I imagine the Northern Lights would be impressive there with the mountains as a dark backdrop!
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Well, sorry that I missed commenting earlier. My weekend just disappeared, Carol. I love that you saw those northern lights & wrote about them. I saw pics everywhere from those who were able to see, & of course the announcement about them. Your lake picture & poem is an amazing capture, “darkness hugging the shore” – beautiful! Wishing you a marvelous trip! (I imagine you’re already gone!)
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Thanks, Linda! We had a fabulous trip!
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Carol, have fun in Europe! I hope it is a wonderful trip, full of lifelong memories. My daughter tried to see the northern lights in Minneapolis. They said they would be visible, but it was too cloudy. Too bad they weren’t so visible in Wisconsin, either, sadly.
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Thanks, Denise. I have seen the Northern Lights before but my husband hasn’t. I would love to see them together. We live in the boonies, so hopefully one of these times we’ll be able to catch them right in our own yard!
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