A Good Morning for Giddo by Dahlia Constantine and Irene Latham

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference for Roundup.

I invite you to check out your Tuesday 2-Minute Writing Tip 23 "3 More Mindset Shifts for Writers." You can find it and all the episodes in the series at my YouTube channel. More episodes coming!

Also: have you heard this call for funny poems? If you haven't yet met Eric Peterson, let me assure you that he's a good guy with a big heart and a love of children's poetry! Here's the flyer for his Open Call, and you can find out more at his website sillysociety.org.

Now for some book news! In addition to For the Win: Poems Celebrating Phenomenal Athletes, the third curated-by-Latham/Waters poetry anthology, I have another picture book collaboration coming this spring: A Good Morning for Giddo, written by Dahlia Hamza Constantine and Irene Latham, illustrations by Basma Hosam, coming from Nancy Paulsen Books/ Penguin Random House on April 7, 2026.

("Giddo" is how many Egyptian families refer to a grandfather.) The first review has dropped, from Kirkus, and it's a lovely one:

"Constantine and Latham weave a tale that teaches the values of compassion and the importance of slowing down to enjoy the simple pleasures, while simultaneously offering an exploration of the ancient Egyptian arts of calligraphy, abalone inlay, and tentmaking. A special highlight is the theme of language as a cultural touchstone, where even a greeting like “Good morning with roses and jasmine” is a small act of kindness and care. Hosam’s bold and colorful illustrations capture the hustle and bustle of Old Cairo market’s narrow, winding streets. A joyous celebration of Egyptian art and culture and special family bonds."

Dahlia Constantine & Irene Latham

Dahlia and I met when we both served on the NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children committee. We bonded over books and so many other things...and then we wrote a book together. Pre-order links are live! More on this adventure very soon.

Today's ArtSpeak: WOMEN features (again!) Mary Cassatt! I wrote after her last week, and I found a second piece that wouldn't let me go. And it's fitting, as Somaya, the little girl in A Good Morning for Giddo, loves to stitch! BUT not every girl loves stitching as much as Somaya...so I wrote another version for the anti-sewing kid... :) Thanks so much for reading. 

The Crochet Lesson

Mama says
stitching
helps
when you
are wanting,
wishing

but all
I am wanting,
wishing
right now
is an end
to this
ridiculous
finger-twist
stitching.

- Irene Latham

The Crochet Lesson

Mama says
stitching
helps
when you
are wanting,
wishing

but what
could I possibly
be wanting,
wishing
when Mama
is sitting
with me—just 

me!
simply listening
and stitching?

- Irene Latham

The Dream Builder's Blueprint by Alice Faye Duncan

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Jan at bookseedstudio for Roundup.

I'm excited to welcome picture book author and poet Alice Faye Duncan to the blog today to talk about her new book The Dream Builder's Blueprint: Dr. King's Message to Young People, illus. by E.B. Lewis (Penguin Random House), which is perfect for Martin Luther King Day (and anytime!).

Before we get to that, quick reminder: You're invited to check out your Tuesday 2-Minute Writing Tip 22 "3 Mindset Shifts for Writers." You can find it (and the first 21 episodes) at my YouTube channel. More episodes coming!

Alice Faye Duncan

Okay. As is the tradition here at Live Your Poem, I've invited Alice Faye to respond to 4 simple prompts as they relate to her new book The Dream Builder's Blueprint, which is basically blackout/erasure poetry after one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speeches, presented in picture book format. Cool, yes?

I, of course, have much love for found poetry. In addition to my collection This Poem is a Nest, which features 161 "nestlings" found within one long poem, I have several other "found" poetry projects I look forward to sharing about in the near future! So I was thrilled and delighted to hear about this new book. Yay for publishers supporting this kind of wordplay, and for poets like Alice Faye being willing to play.

Without further ado, here's Alice Faye!

FRESH

wee Alice Faye

AFD:  Thank you for this invitation to speak about poetry. I have loved the power of words ever since 1st grade, the year I learned to read in Mrs. Bettye Johnson's classroom. Thirty years ago, I used that love to write my first picture book, WILLIE JEROME (Macmillan). From then until now, my goal has been to wield words differently from each  previous book. With THE DREAM BUILDER'S BLUEPRINT, I wanted to explore Dr. King's visit to Philadelphia during 1967. At that time, it was a season of social unrest like now. Dr. King spoke with 900 students at Barratt Junior High. He encouraged them with a blueprint for progress. He said, "KEEP MOVING." How could I share King's timely message in a captivating way? BINGO! I made a  new creation. I transformed Dr. King's 1,700 words into an erasure poem composed of 270 words. My poem is now an inspiring affirmation for children in 2026. It is a lyrical "commencement" chorus and speech for graduates who are 5 years old to 100. My literary agent said to me, "This is a fresh idea."

DIFFICULT 

AFD: Finding my voice and rhythm within Dr. King's thunderous message was a challenge.  I made more than 50 photocopies of the speech. This allowed me to erase text, reconnect words, and erase again, until at last, I "unearthed" an impactful poem to inspire children today. First, I used white typing tape to erase my text, but it proved finicky and inconsistent. I also tried using a white acrylic pen. It splattered like paint and was not effective. After many trials, I discovered that typing fluid with a sponge brush were perfect for erasing text. I exhausted seven bottles in the process. To avoid damaging floors, desks, and chairs, protect these areas with newsprint or drop cloth before you draft your erasure poem. The whole process can be chaotic and messy. This brings me  to the primary message in THE DREAM BUILDER'S BLUEPRINT.  In everything that we pursue, Dr. King said, "PLAN." He also said to practice excellence, celebrate yourself, and when times turn tough, don't stop. KEEP GOING.

DELICIOUS 

AFD: There came a time in the writing process when I needed to bring clarity to my text. I had photocopied Dr. King's speech on poster-sized paper.  It was late in the evening. All the words blurred my vision as I had poured over the speech for several hours that day. I needed one poetic line that was dynamic, definitive, and determined. I needed one poetic line that could unite all children under the banner of their differences, and lead them to sing the same song for democracy and freedom for all. I searched for what my college professor called a "penultimate line."  Then somewhere between midnight and twilight, I found it. Dr. King said, "Let nobody stop us." BINGO! These four words gave my erasure poem a resounding ring for freedom. It was not the "next to last verse" in my new creation. But, this line made the poem complete, giving it a shining note, reflective of the resistance required to preserve gratitude, compassion, and liberation in all places.  

ANYTHING ELSE  

AFD: Children will be what they see. Children imitate what adults do. Our opinions turn into the blueprints for their lives. So, make it a point to be Light. In your speech, writing, and daily life, be a symbol of goodwill. Show me a mean-spirited child and I will show you their mean-spirited parent. Some homes house hurtful and uncaring big people. To negate this harm, children need literary models of kindness, dignity, and self-respect. Sometimes, it takes just one good book to soothe the pain that a child has survived. Be mindful of this as you live in the world with others. Be mindful of this as you write. Lastly, my
second new book for 2026 is BLUES BOY -- THE B.B. KING STORY. Born in Mississippi and made famous across America and around the world, B.B. King used his guitar like a poet. His blues music was a balm of grace and good times for every listener. During these troubling times, children need Dr. King's blueprint for progress, and they need B.B. King's music for inspiration and joy. For these purposes, please share these books with young learners in your care. Thank you! More information is available at www.alicefayeduncan.com. 

---

So many thanks to Alice Faye for stopping by! Don't miss the book. You're going to love it.

Today's ArtSpeak: WOMEN features a favorite artist of mine: Mary Cassatt! One of the few women Impressionists, Mary was known for her mother and child scenes, and her frequent model was her sister Lydia.

Aside: there's a new book on my TBR list, called The Cassatt Sisters by Lisa Groen. Can't wait! Meanwhile, I have written after Mary Cassatt's work many times. Here's a quick (incomplete) sampling:

Yellow Dress

The Letter

Call Me Zinnia

Beach Time

On the Water

For Lydia

Today's poem features Lydia reading the newspaper, and it's written in my fall-back form, the triolet. Correction: a variation of a triolet. I just can't bring myself to keep those lines exactly the same...my aesthetic demands a poem move! Fittingly, this poem is also a call to action. Thanks so much for reading.

Woman Reading the Morning News

When I scan the news each morning
I think: what can I do?
So many stories leave me reeling, mourning—
still, I scan the news each morning,
eyes smarting, heart storming.
I give the world my attention. I say: I see you.
When I scan the news each morning
I stop thinking. Time to rise. To feel. To do.

- Irene Latham

To the Little Girl Who Lives in the Mirror poem

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure and visit Ruth at There is no such thing as a godforsaken town for Roundup.

So many thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite women artists for this year's ArtSpeak: WOMEN. I look forward to meeting them and diving into their work!

Tuesday 2-Minute Writing Tips are BACK! I started this video series in 2023, and now I'm adding to it. You can view episode 21, "4 Traits of Successful Writers," on my YouTube channel. I welcome you to subscribe...I've got 15 or so tips in the queue and will be sharing them in the coming weeks. 

Today's poem was inspired by French portrait artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1780-1819). I've written after her before, back in 2017 when my focus was Portraits: "Happiness"

The piece I selected today is one of several portraits she made of her daughter Julie, titled "Julie Le Brun Looking in the Mirror." It lives at the Met. Thanks so much for reading.

To the Little Girl Who Lives in the Mirror

You have secrets.
I do too.

You only come out
when I look in.

Where do you
disappear to?

I only look in 

when I feel like
I'm disappearing.

When I see you
I remember. . .

I can be my own
best friend!

- Irene Latham

STILL & WOMEN for 2026!

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure and visit Catherine at Reading to the Core for Roundup.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I've got so many things cooking this year...which means I need my Poetry Friday community more than ever! This weekly gathering and poetry practice are among the core tenets of my creative life...I'm so grateful to each and every one of you. Isn't it a wonder that we're able to share our lives in this way?! I look forward to reading all your posts and appreciate your support so much.

And now, my 2026 One Little Word: STILL. As in being still (not in motion) and also still, as in, something that remains, "I'm still here."

Aside: I still need to see the film: I'M STILL HERE

I love all the complexities embedded in this one little word! Here's more from The Center for Action and Contemplation website:

"Pausing and being still enough to notice love within and around is a deeply powerful and countercultural act…. In the case of most of contemporary society, stillness is a prophetic act, defying that which demands that we move quickly and move upward. It challenges the notion that it is better to be busy and occupied. It refuses the call to be constantly distracted and perpetually plugged in."

And...hello ArtSpeak: WOMEN! As in, women artists, who historically have been overlooked in the art world. Not this year! 

I'll be using this Harper's Bazaar article that names 36 of the best female artists to begin selecting artists and art. And I will be looking to the universe to guide me....If YOU have a favorite female artist, would you please share her name and work with me?

I'm starting with #1 on the Harper's Bazaar list, Artemisia Gentileschi. Perhaps you've read the stunning YA verse novel Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough? If not, you totally should! Artemisia was a woman creating art in a man's world—a victim of violence, yes, but also a survivor. She used her art to proclaim herself—and to get her revenge. Read more about Artemisia here.

Allan Wolf, Charles R. Smith, Jr.,
Irene Latham

The title of the poem was inspired by Allan Wolf. During our NCTE presentation with Charles R. Smith, Jr., Allan said he "wrote himself into existence." That has really stuck with me! It's the same for me, and the same, I imagine, for Artemisia (except painting). Engaging in a creative art has that kind of power. Thanks, Allan! And thanks, all, for reading.

I Paint Myself into Existence

You left me
splintered
     shredded
but I will not
go quietly.

Many times
I have slit
your throat
     spilt your blood
across a canvas.

You cannot
conquer me.
I will always
     rise again,
paintbrush
in my hand.

- Irene Latham

Poem for the Day After Christmas

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect for Roundup.

Christmas tree shaped
charcuterie board :)

Hope everyone is enjoying some rest and relaxation during these beautiful holidays! We had a wondrous Christmas celebration, and I'm feeling super grateful for time, laughter, and conversation with my loved ones. Joy!

Last week several readers had questions about my new gig as a DAR Correspondent Docent in Training. Thank you! 

my maternal grandmother,
Ruth Lavinia Ralston Hedden Oslund

Yes, I am a member of DAR. DAR is a non-political women's service organization focused on preservation, education, and patriotism—any woman who can trace her lineage back to the Revolutionary War can join. My grandmother was a member, so all I had to do was turn in the paperwork. If you don't have this information, DAR has Genealogy experts who are happy to help you dig!

My ancestor, Andrew Ralston, served in the Thirteenth Pennsylvania as a Sergeant. He participated in the battles at Germantown, Monmouth, and Brandywine, where he suffered a head wound. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Long Island. Fortunately, he survived, and at the end of the war, he returned to York, Pennsylvania, where he married and started a family.

Funny thing: I didn't know any of this when we named our middle son Andrew! But now that I do know, it feels really sweet and special, like carrying on this name provides a vital connection to the past. Andrew thinks it's pretty cool, too.

If you've ever watched Gilmore Girls, you know Emily Gilmore was famously a DAR member. (Paul and I recently watched the entire series on Netflix. Love!) The show presents a stereotypical view of DAR as a hoity-toity social club for wealthy women. This may be true in some areas of the country. But my Warrior Rivers chapter here in Blount County, Alabama, is made up of wise, mostly elderly, down-to-earth women who are passionate about history, enjoy learning, and are eager to serve the community. 

The DAR Museum is located in Washington, D.C., near the White House. It's dedicated to the preservation of life inside the home—anything to do with everyday life, from decorative arts to what we wear, to kitchen gadgets, furniture, toys, and so much more! There are 31 period rooms (sponsored by different states) and 3 rotating galleries. 

I've never been to the DAR Museum, but I've received training about the museum so that I can be part of their Outreach team. Correspondent Docents deliver programs created by the museum's experts in their own home communities. Earlier this month, I gave a program on Holiday Traditions and how they've changed through the years. Next month, I will provide one titled "Sewn in America," which is about needlecraft, quilting, and dressmaking, based on an exhibit the museum held in 2024. Once I've given ten programs, I'll be a full-fledged Correspondent Docent and can drop the "In Training" part of the title.

Y'all, I love this! I get to learn! And share what I'm learning! I get to surround myself with other curious, history-loving folks! And who knows what stories and poems will arise because of it??

New life goal: visit the DAR Museum in person. For anyone reading this who'll be in D.C., it's free and open to the public Monday-Saturday.

Another DAR thing I'm doing during 2026 is facilitating an America 250 Book Club in our community. All the titles are related to the Revolutionary War. I'll paste in the list below. I'm excited!

The Founding Foodies: American Meals That Wouldn’t Exist Today If Not for Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin by Dave DeWitt

Angelica: For Love and Country in the Time of Revolution by Molly Beer

Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of an American Nation by Andrea Wulf

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts

1776 by David McCullough

Today's ArtSpeak: PICASSO is #52 and the last in the series! I've selected my ArtSpeak! theme for 2026, and I'll be introducing that—along with my 2026 One Little Word—next week.

One of my favorite things about Picasso is how incredibly prolific he was—he created nearly 150,000 pieces! He was constantly trying new things, and his style evolved over the years. This encourages me to be prolific and keep trying new things. So it made sense to choose for this last poem a piece of his art that was somehow related to him at work. There's also a nod to a famous Rilke quote (see below). Thanks so much for reading!

Picasso in His Studio the Day After Christmas

The air, once sharp
with anticipation
has softened. The world

rearranges with or without
our help. Do we dare
rest? We cannot

know what beauty
and terror wait for us
behind the yellow

door. The new year steals
into every room with
the feet of a thief.

- Irene Latham

p.s. I think maybe the poem isn't quite finished... I'll revisit another day!

Today I'm Feeling Winter by Irene Latham

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Michelle at More Art 4 All for Roundup. 

I've enjoyed lots of jolly Christmas fun this week...and more to come! 

This year we put up a "Keys" Christmas tree. As in the Florida Keys. So all the ornaments—pulled from our 35-years-together collection—have a coastal theme. Beaches and shells and blue! We added blue garland, and the treetopper is two dried starfish glued together. Fun! 

Texas bedroom at DAR Museum

Interesting historical tidbit I learned about in my new gig as Correspondent Docent in Training for the DAR Museum: when Christmas trees first became popular in the U.S. (as early as 1820s), they were smaller (tabletop-sized) and a small fence was placed around the tree. Inside the fence, one might build a village, or add toy animals, and the like. I'm especially fascinated by the fences!

Today's ArtSpeak: PICASSO poem is kind of an anti-Christmas poem...because some days are just like that! Also, earlier I wrote "Today I'm Feeling Autumn," and I guess I'd like to complete the series. :) Thanks so much for reading!

Today I'm Feeling Winter

stuck inside
myself

weary
of the world's
advice

where
is the sun?

- Irene Latham

2025 One Little Word: SISU Review

 

Christmas fun with family
(Levi, Lynn, Mama, MicaJon, Irene)
 at Opryland Hotel.

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Linda at A Word Edgewise for Roundup.

What a fun week...In addition to several joyful holiday celebrations, Charles and I are having a blast reading the flood of poems we received through our Open Call. 

Friends, poetry is alive and well! SO. MANY. GREAT. Poems. Y'all are making our work really difficult. Thank you!!

This just in: Ryan van Cleave, poet, author, and editor at Bushel & Peck Books runs a fantastic blog called Only Picture Books, where he interviews picture book authors, and they share loads of wisdom. Recently he interviewed me! He asked great questions, like, what did I learn from my first poetry picture book?; what is Charles Waters' superpower?; how does "every word matters" show up in your writing life? It was a fun interview, and I invite you to check it out!

As 2025 is fast coming to a close, I wanted to take just a moment to reflect on Sisu, my 2025 One Little Word.

First, a confession: a few times this year, I couldn't remember what my One Little Word was. :) It's an odd little word! So I had to go back to the blog and remember. But each time I did, I realized the word had been working under the surface of my life. I've definitely been cultivating sisu, even on those days when I couldn't remember the word. And isn't that the power of a One Little Word practice? 

Some ways I've brought sisu into my life this year (the most transformative practices in bold):

second-hand shopping

upcycling

taking small steps toward goals

limiting time with people who suck the sisu out of me/letting go of old commitments to make room for more positive growth and opportunities

taking a pause before responding: "Thank you, I'll think it over and get back to you as soon as possible."

Blue Mind - keeping water in my life (#lakelife, trip to coast, etc)

developing an allergy to self-pity - I just don't entertain it, at least not for long!

showing my appreciation of others - the grocery clerk, the lady who brings out the tortilla chips at the Mexican restaurant, my husband, etc.

So I'm feeling a bit sisu-fied, in spite of myself. Yay! And now I'm looking forward to what my 2026 One Little Word might be... do you have any OLW contenders yet?

In ArtSpeak! PICASSO news, just 2 more Picassos to go!! Today's features his Woman at the Window, 1936. It's basically me riffing off a Picasso quote I discovered sometime earlier this year: 

“The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?” - Pablo Picasso

I have been thinking about how I can apply this to my writing, and lo, this week, a poem emerged! There's also a nod to one of my all-time favorite poems "A Secret Life" by Stephen Dunn. Oh, and the form is a viator. Thanks so much for reading.

Making Sense of the World

The world today doesn't make sense

so I dive into the wondergush of words—
not to understand; to be baptized.

Let me be the one to promise chaos:
The world today doesn't make sense!
Baptists and other accountants may now rest.

One doesn't need words to witness a sunrise,
just as one can drown without water. Who says
the world today doesn't make any sense?

- Irene Latham

Poetry Friday Roundup is Here!

 

Hello and welcome to Poetry Friday Roundup! Please leave your link below.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Reminder: The Open Call submission window for The Periodic Table of Poetry is this weekend! We can't wait to read your poems!

Over at Smack Dab in the Middle, I wrote about the Golden Hour for Writers. When is your Golden Hour?

Also, you can listen to me & Charles talk about writing, poetry, and literacy at Melissa Morrison's podcast Teaching to Transform. Thanks, Melissa, for having us!

For my Poetry Friday offering, I have a poem for you from Barbara Crooker's collection titled More (C&R Press, 2010). I love Barbara's work, and I love this collection in particular. Read the review at Rattle. Big thanks to Barbara for granting me permission to share this poem with all of you! Learn more about Barbara at her website.

My Life as a Song Sparrow

by Barbara Crooker

My life is a song sparrow, chip chip chipping

on the hard white ground, hoping to find seeds,

yellow millet or black sunflower. It flits

from old apple tree to hedgerow, saying

my name. It's ordinary as this day,

beige, brown, and white, not flashy cardinal red,

not brassy jaybird blue. You'd hardly notice it

at the feeder, jostled out by all those bigger

birds, plain as the hills behind us, stippled

with trees. It's both more and less than I was

hoping for as I think about the cold mountain,

the long journey home. The sparrow looks

in the still water as it sits on the lip of the bird

bath, sees the wind-drawn ripples. It doesn't look

for more than food and shelter, a nest of straw,

a bough to keep off snow. Someone to share

a branch with, downy feathers on a night

of frozen zeroes. What more can a person 

hope for, in this world of a thousand sorrows,

than a life that was made for song, than a body

sometimes able to take wing?

--

Beautiful, yes?

And doesn't the title make a wonderful prompt? Perhaps you'd like to write a poem comparing your life to a particular bird? That's exactly what I decided to do...see below in this week's ArtSpeak: PICASSO poem. I chose a pigeon because that's what Picasso was fond of painting. :) (Without the art constraint, I think I might have chosen to write "My Life as a Hummingbird." Adding this to my to-do list...) Thanks so much for reading!

My Life as a Pigeon

Quiet, ordinary,
I scrabble for crumbs
along with my flock.
If I've learned anything,
it's that I was built
for flight—
flight and song.
Can't you hear me
cooing?
I carry a map
inside my heart
so that no matter
how far I fly,
I can always find home.

- Irene Latham

Black Friday is for Poetry!

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Buffy Silverman for Roundup.

Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Joyce Sidman,
Irene Latham

Wow, what a week. A lovely time was had by all at NCTE-Denver, and I enjoyed catching up with poetry peeps like Allan, Amy, April, Carol, Charles, Georgia, Heidi, Joyce, Laura, Linda, Lisa, Lynn, Margaret, Marilyn, Mary Lee, Matt, Nancy, Rajani, Rebecca, Willeena... and meeting new friends along the way. The world of children's poetry is alive and thriving!

I think the photo at the top of the post may be my favorite picture of the lot—so many thanks to the indomitable Laura Purdie Salas for taking it and for being the source of so much joy both on and off the page. Shout-out to Georgia Heard, who was also with us making merry!

AND thanks to Poetry Friday friend Linda Baie, who shared her beloved bookstore with me! (And lunch...and the science museum!) Y'all, Linda is a FORCE. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

Thanks to all the poets and organizers and educators and EVERYONE for making NCTE-Denver a valuable experience. 

Special congratulations to all the 2026 NCTE Notable Poetry books! Several of my favorites were recognized, and I've already ordered the ones I haven't read yet from my library. Yay!

And yesterday was full of turkey and family and all the related JOY.

I have a wee Black Friday poem for you. It's a found poem from a website recommended by Heidi Mordhorst: Svahausa.com (where Heidi purchased her adorable typewriter key skirt!). Thanks, Heidi!

Poem for the Day After Thanksgiving

Black Friday is here—almost

everything appears automatically

now. Huge pockets hold nothing

but wasted time.

Shop. Explore. What do you really want?

- Irene Latham

And now for today's ArtSpeak: PICASSO. Y'all, I really struggled with this one! I wrote quite a few drafts, and they all just felt too heavy...so I spent the last ten minutes of my allotted time crafting a haiku for anyone out there who dreams of the coast, but for whatever reason won't be going to the coast. Yay for staycations!

lemons and oysters

pucker air with sunshine, salt—

staycation

- Irene Latham

*It occurs to me that this could be a fun poetry prompt. Forget about the art. Write a haiku that ends in "staycation." What would your first two lines be??

The Poetry of Car Mechanics by Heidi E.Y. Stemple

 Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Janice at Salt City Verse for Roundup.

ICYMI: Click here for information about the Open Call for a new middle-grade poetry anthology, The Periodic Table of Poetry, coming from Lerner in 2028 with poems selected by Irene Latham and Charles Waters. We can't wait to read your poems!

Heidi with The Poetry of Car Mechanics

Today (while I am talking poetry at NCTE), I'm excited to welcome Heidi E.Y. Stemple to share about her beautiful new verse novel The Poetry of Car Mechanics (Wordsong, 2025). (The title makes me think of the old classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Ha!) 

Publisher's description: 

Dylan seeks solace through birdwatching and poetry in the woods behind his grandfather’s auto shop—but when he rescues an injured hawk, he must learn to confront the broken parts in himself in this powerful middle-grade novel-in-verse.

As is the tradition here at Live Your Poem, I've invited Heidi to respond to 4 simple prompts. But before we get to that, here are two poems excerpted from the novel. The first, because of its truth. I don't want it to be true, but it is. And isn't it our job to be honest with kids?

 The second, because I love how clearly the distinction is made between "mentally ill" and "crazy." Kids need this message.

Broken

Nature is cruel

to broken creatures.

Lame—

be it claw

or mind—

a long 

cold

starving 

season.

Or worse.

---

Counselor's Office

So much time

in the school counselor's office

has been spent 

untangling

mental illness

from

crazy.

I know the difference.

Mentally ill

is a diagnosis.

Crazy is a feeling.

But young me

was all feelings

and didn't understand

diagnosis.

So many days,

from where I stood,

my life felt

crazy.

And now here's Heidi!

FRESH

Heidi writing at Highlights

HS: I have written many things—from board books through adult short stories (well, only one of the latter) but a novel? That was going to be new for me. My friend, editor Eileen Robinson told me she wanted me to write a boy-centered novel. I thought that, perhaps, I wanted to, someday, try to write a verse novel. But, certainly not a boy novel… So, as an exercise in futility, I tried to create the most ridiculously testosterone-filled title. Hence THE POETRY OF CAR MECHANICS. I sat down and wrote the first poem. Then, I wrote a second poem. By the end of the day, I had 19 poems and I was hooked. I wanted to know more about Dylan. I wanted to read his story. In order to do that, I had to keep writing. 

But, how do you know that a book is in the right voice? When I am teaching, I challenge my students to find new ways to look at their story. I have them try changing the tense, the point of view, or the style. So, after I had written 38 poems, I did this myself. I opened a new document and began at the beginning. I wrote Dylan’s story in prose. It was fun. I was able to wiggle around in the details so much more. I enjoyed fleshing out the scenes and digging in further into the landscapes and textures. “This is it,” I thought. “This is the way to tell this story.” 

Then I reread the poems. With fresh eyes on Dylan’s story, it was clear—so clear—that, although, writing the story in prose was fun and less complicated, the poetry was the correct way.

DIFFICULT

HS: I liken the writing of THE POETRY OF CAR MECHANICS to writing 200 picture books, then revision 200 picture books. The process of creating a verse novel is, in my opinion, more intense than that of a prose novel (I’m in the middle of the revision of 4 of those, too). Though, I do think my experience as a picture book author did help. The space between poems is like the page turns of a picture book. The compression and economy of words is so important in both forms… there are many similarities.

But, honestly, the most difficult part of writing this book was the subject matter. There are many themes, but one of the most important is mental health, specifically, that of Dylan’s absent mother. I have received many emails from people commenting about how real this book feels in relation to their experience of navigating the mental health issues of their own loved ones. That is not just craft, it’s from experience. One of the most important things for me, as the author, was to treat Dylan’s mother with respect, but, at the same time, to allow Dylan to feel real feelings. He had to be able to be angry, embarrassed, sad, confused and even say things that, maybe, I was uncomfortable with, because his words weren’t always how I would like mental health issues to be portrayed. I did not want to stigmatize or villainize Dylan’s mother, but, if I sanitized what he was feeling, it would be less authentic. That balancing act was probably the most difficult part of writing this book.

DELICIOUS

HS: There is something magical about writing, especially poetry, when you realize all the pieces of your story fit together in a way you had not planned. There are lots of themes (or motifs) in this book that, when I started out, felt so separate. There is the mental health piece, car mechanics, birds, politics, masculinity, poetry… I had no idea how they would all mesh. Then, as I wrote, they started to bond in unintended and really special ways. Small ways-- Many cars are named for birds. And, big ways--an injured bird, a mentally ill mother, cars, and the world we live in, all feel like they need fixing.

Honestly, this is the part of writing I love the best. Just like Dylan says (of car mechanics) in the first poem. it’s “part poetry, part meter and math.”

If you’re a writer, you know the magic I’m talking about.

ANYTHING ELSE

HS: I feel so honored when anyone takes the time to read something I’ve written. When you’re writing, it is so internal, so personal. To let others in on the story… it’s terrifying. But, it’s also a gift. I am proud of all my books. I love each of them with my full heart. But, this one came from a very special place. It’s a completely made up story, but it’s as close to the bone as one can get in fiction. So, if you’ve read it, thank you. Thank you.

Tom Ricardi with a friend

Also, a little fun bit—when I got about half-way through the first draft, I went to visit my friend, raptor rehabber Tom Ricardi. I asked him a ton of questions to make sure the bird parts were plausible and he brought me around his facility. All the birds you meet in the pages of THE POETRY OF CAR MECHANICS, those are all straight from Tom’s real birds. I gave him part of my advance to continue saving birds. When I brought him his copy, he read it and brought it around to all his neighbors showing them “his book.”

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So many thanks to Heidi for visiting! Readers, don't miss Dylan's story. Good stuff!

And now for today's ArtSpeak: PICASSO. Wow, it's exciting to be heading into the homestretch now, with just 5 more Picasso poems to write! In honor of Heidi's visit, today I've chosen to write after one of Picasso's owl ceramics. Thanks so much for reading!

O, to Be an Owl; O, to Be Wise

by Irene Latham

First you'd have her eyes.

You'd like to see the world

the way she does, with such

clarity in low light.

And the way she sits still,

so still. A round moon

disappearing, becoming

one with her perch.

What you really want is to hear

with her ears, to savor

that symphony of heartbeats

singing from beneath three feet of snow.

How does she choose,

how does she know?

No one sees her coming.

She is all rustle and swoop,

feather rippling, her body

a quiver of arrows pointing

to the next right thing.