Acrostic Poetry [The Darling Files 006]

In April 2021, I took a Poetry course offered by Callie Feyen and Exhale Creativity. Many of the poems I drafted in that course have been sitting in my files ever since. Since April is National Poetry Month, I thought it was a good time to pull these out of storage. Written when we were returning to church for the first time post pandemic, they remind me that hope and beauty can come out of pain.

The Acrostic is a type of poetry where the first letter of each line spells out a word or phrase, which becomes the title or theme of the poem. Have you written any acrostic poems? If so, I’d love for you to share them in the comments below!

She slips into the pew quietly. Having been
away for over a year, she’s 
not sure it will be 
church like she remembers—
there’s no singing, no choir, no people to hug—
usual communal offerings now threats. Her heart 
aches for the missing—for what is lost;
raising her hands she whispers a prayer
yearning for God’s peace.

Beloved faces gather 
remembering people who have gone before;
each person around the table sharing
abundant love,
knitting stories together 
into a beautiful tapestry
never before seen; a work of art
generously gifted in community. 

Breaking hearts assemble
reflecting on 
extraordinary loss;
ancestors gone before us sharing faith in knowing
death brings new life and beginning.

---

This post is part of The Darling Files, a project initiated by my friends Rachel Nevergall and Callie Feyen. You can read more about The Darling Files from Rachel here and from Callie here.

You can read more of The Darling Files here.

---

Don’t forget to check out Soul Munchies on Substack! Each month I send a free newsletter, where I compile all my favorite things—articles, recipes, links to read, and sometimes even a playlist—and send them straight to your inbox. You can also sign up for a Premium Subscription, where you’ll get even more goodies every month.

a walk in the woods [The Darling Files 005]

Drop my kids off at nature class 
and take myself on a date
a solo walk in the woods

Forget a map to guide my way
no service to look it up
I briefly panic

What if I get lost? 

Sunlight glimmers through dense treetops
urging me to keep going
not to be afraid

I’ve been on these trails before
keep turning left and eventually
end up where you started

I think.

Wandering along the trail
I come upon an old stone bridge 
smiling at my reflection in the water below

A honking goose swims my way
angry that I dare cross his path 
he flies at me, long black neck a sword

I run away afraid.

Gnarled tree roots await
seven worn steps beckoning
me to climb up a steep hill 

Greeted at the top by forceful hammering 
of a red-bellied woodpecker
hunting for bugs in an old decaying tree

I perch upon an old worn bench

A cool wind blows upon my face
brown and withered birch leaves dance
their final frolic until the new are ready to burst with life

A nuthatch hops down an old tree trunk
Landing at my feet
Looking up as if to ask 

Why did you forget to bring seed?

My old friend
chickadee lands on the bench
“Hello!” he chirps

“Why don’t you sit a while and simply breathe?”

---

This post is part of The Darling Files, a project initiated by my friends Rachel Nevergall and Callie Feyen. You can read more about The Darling Files from Rachel here and from Callie here.

You can read more of The Darling Files here.

---

Don’t forget to check out Soul Munchies on Substack! Each month I send a free newsletter, where I compile all my favorite things—articles, recipes, links to read, and sometimes even a playlist—and send them straight to your inbox. You can also sign up for a Premium Subscription, where you’ll get even more goodies every month.

you can count on me

You can count on me to:

make a delicious meal out of whatever I can find in my refrigerator
invite you to come over and share that meal
vacuum the floor before you get here
but forget to clean the toilet
leave the dirty dishes in the sink while we chat over a glass of wine (or tea, whichever you choose)
deliver a warm meal (and fresh sourdough bread) when you feel like your world is turning upside down and you just can’t bear to leave your house
feed your kids if they happen to be anywhere near my house when the meal bell rings

You can count on me to:

always be prepared with a book recommendation (or a hundred)
have an extra copy of my favorite book to be loaned out at any time
fill the Little Free Library with the best books I can find
give you permission to read a book instead of clean the house
have more than 100 books checked out from the library at any given time

You can count on me to:

dance in the kitchen
sing out loud
lose my phone for days at a time
put cheese in the wrong drawer
leave the laundry in the washing machine overnight
go to the beach—even in the snow

You can count on me to:

ask hard questions
sit with you in the muck
mean it when I say “you are welcome to drop by at any time”
remember memories from “the good old days”
but forget to send a card

---

This prompt, “You can count on me to…” was inspired by Amy Krouse Rosenthal from her book, Textbook, and written with the writers of @exhale.creativity.

Don’t forget to check out Soul Munchies on Substack! Each month I send a free newsletter, where I compile all my favorite things—articles, recipes, links to read, and sometimes even a playlist—and send them straight to your inbox. You can also sign up for a Premium Subscription, where you’ll get even more goodies every month. Later this week I’m sharing a story about how I made a meal out of nothing, and a special recipe to go along with it!

A Library Book Spine Poem

Spine Poetry is one of my favorite ways to create in the margins. I love sitting beside my bookshelf holding a warm cup of tea while reading the titles of the books on the shelf. When a title nudges me, I pull it off the shelf and put it in a stack. Then I rearrange them over and over again until I come up with a poem (of sorts). Here’s a little spine poetry I put together with a stack of library holds that all came in at the same time.

Girl with a pearl earring
the idea of you
(may be a) state of terror
(That’s okay)
Find your unicorn space
under the whispering door
(and let) the house in the cerulean sea
(be your) paper palace

Go ahead - try it. What poems can you create from the books on your shelf?

the start of something new [The Darling Files 004]

This month’s Darling Files started as a journal response to a prompt from the very first writing course I took with Callie Feyen in January 2021. She told us to write about something in our bedroom, and I wrote about the pictures hanging on my wall. In a later poetry course, I used that journal entry for a Found Poetry exercise. It has been hidden in a Google file ever since. It seemed appropriate to send it out into the world this month, in honor of Valentine’s Day and also our 13th Anniversary next week. The picture may be 15 years old, but the memories live as though they happened yesterday.

Do you see that picture hanging on the wall—
the one from our first vacation together?

Our arms hang down, hands interlocked
walking along the brick-laid path

Fingers entwined together, 
evidencing a plait of strength

Trusting that our lives would soon be braided 
into something beautiful and new

I came with frayed edges—you did too
threads broken by our assorted pasts

Traces of hurt; marks of fear

Warning: Needs Repairs

We picked each other up, 
dusted off the broken ends,

Made space for God to create 
a new thing from the strands 

A new creation,
better than either of us solo 

Like a woven tapestry, 
stronger together than alone.

---

This is the fourth post in The Darling Files, a project initiated by my friends Rachel Nevergall and Callie Feyen. You can read more about The Darling Files from Rachel here and from Callie here.

You can read more of My Darling Files here.

---

Don’t forget to check out Soul Munchies on Substack! Each month I send a free newsletter, where I compile all my favorite things—articles, recipes, links to read, and sometimes even a playlist—and send them straight to your inbox. You can also sign up for a Premium Subscription, where you’ll get even more goodies every month.

A Year of Creative Exercises: Haiku

Written as part of A Year of Creative Experiments by Sarah Hauser for Exhale Creativity—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood.

P.S. Exhale is open for enrollment right now. Are you a mama striving for creativity? If so, this may be just the place for you to find your spark!

Rain: A Nonet Poem

Last year, my kids and I participated in a Read Aloud Revival Writing Workshop where we learned about the Nonet poetry form. A nonet is a nine-line poem, where each line has an extra syllable. The first line has one syllable, the second line has two, and so on until the ninth and final line has nine syllables. I played around with the form myself. After all, there’s no better way to teach our kids than modeling what we’d like them to do!

Rain
pouring
flowing through
gutters Iike blood
coursing through my veins
carrying oxygen
vital nutrients and life
to parched and neglected soil
preparing the ground for better days

Photo by Anna Atkins on Unsplash

On The Threshold

She stands on the threshold,
bare feet on rocks;
cap on cranium, 
hands on hips, 
baby in belly,
toddler secure on the sand.

Waves lap at her shins, 
cooling off her torrid skin, 
calling her to go deeper;
waves like the placenta
keeping her baby safe inside.

She walks to deeper water,
leaving her toddler at the shore;
allowing cool water to envelop her,
letting the ocean protect her,
giving her strength to carry on.

Photo by Timothy Meinberg on Unsplash.

How to Read (and Enjoy) Poetry

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? This is the final post in a three-part series on Poetry for Beginners. Don’t forget to read Part One: Discovering the Joy of Poetry and Part Two: Five Books of Poetry for Beginners.

Yesterday you were so inspired by my book recommendations that you went to the library, spent hours perusing the stacks, and picked out a book of poetry, right? If so, I’m so jealous of your free time! I did sneak fifteen minutes of alone time in the library yesterday afternoon, but didn’t bring any poetry home with me. Instead, I grabbed a new novel about Prussia and the Soviet Union during WWII. Perhaps I should have gone to the poetry section instead!

Whether you have a book of poetry waiting for you or not, I hope today’s hints will help you overcome any fear you might have of reading poetry. Once you stop overthinking it, poetry can be very enjoyable. It can even be a form of prayer. So, how does one go about reading—and enjoying—poetry? Today I’m bringing you five ways to start. The hardest part is opening the book.

Read it out loud

Did you know the oldest forms of poetry were sung or recited? Poetry predates any written language and is meant to be read out loud. When I first learned about the sonnet last year, I imagined troubadours traveling the streets singing familiar poems to anyone who would listen. It’s not unlike our favorite song lyrics today. In fact, one might argue that the best songwriters are indeed poets.

Something different happens in our brains when we read out loud. We hear rhythm and rhyme; onomatopoeia and alliteration. The language of poetry is richer and more beautiful when read out loud.

---

Close your eyes and listen

The flip side of reading poetry out loud is to listen as someone else reads it to you. I love when my children read poetry to me. The words take on such a different meaning when I hear them in tiny voices. Without seeing the words, I hear the sounds the words make, and it transports me to a different time and place.

If you live alone and aren’t ready to share the experience of poetry with someone else, find an audiobook of poetry and start there. Most of the books from yesterday come in audio version (milk and honey, Brown Girl Dreaming, what kind of woman). Or if you’re looking for something different, Olio Live is a fantastic audio production.

Close your eyes as you hear the poem being read. What images come to mind? What do you hear? If you’re feeling brave, consider doing a little sketching as you listen. What colors appear along the back of your eyelids? You might be amazed at how much you get out of hearing a few words.

---

Share it with someone

Share it with your children, your best friend, your spouse, or even your pet. Experiencing poetry together brings a shared experience that you can have conversation around. Make a cup of tea, pull out a box of crackers, enjoy one another’s company as you talk about a poem or two. Poetry is always better with a friend or two.

---

Start a Poetry Journal

I know this sounds daunting, but remember—poetry is not about understanding. It’s an experience. Poetry is an art. Like a masterpiece painting, a poem is meant to be interpreted by the person experiencing the words. It is likely that you will come to a poem with a different perspective than I will. And neither of us will be right. Nor will we be wrong. That’s the beauty of poetry!

You can use your notes app in your phone, or you can buy a new notebook. I love any excuse to buy a new notebook, but you do what works best for you. Copy the poem in its entirety. I prefer to write it with paper and pen, because I think our brains process things differently when we write compared to when we type, but again—do whatever works best for you!

Once you’re poem is written in your new journal, take a few minutes to jot down a few notes. Once you’re poem is written down (or typed), make a few notes about what you felt as you were writing it. Think about your senses: What do you see? Taste? Hear? Feel? Smell? Do any memories pop up? What questions do you have?

---

Feel whatever it makes you feel.

Perhaps the most important thing is to simply allow yourself to feel whatever it is the poem makes you feel. Sit with it for a moment or two. Allow yourself to enjoy it.

And if you don’t enjoy it, then find a new book of poetry to explore. You may not like every book of poetry. You may hate Emily Dickinson (who I love) or John Donne (who I despise). Here’s a little secret … that’s okay! There are so many books of poetry out there that you can put that book of John Donne off to the side and find a new poet to love.

Whatever you do, when you find something that you love, make sure you come back here and tell me which poem first stole your poetry heart!

Five Books of Poetry for Beginners

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? This post is the second in a three-part series on Poetry for Beginners. Don’t forget to read Part One: Discovering the Joy of Poetry and Part Three: How to Read (and Enjoy) Poetry.

You want to read poetry, but you don’t know where to start? It can be daunting to pick up a book of poetry. There are so many different types, so many books to choose from. How in the world do we choose a place to start?

Today I’m sharing five of my favorite books of poetry. Each of these is a great place to start if you’re new to poetry, or if you’re an avid poetry reader looking for something new.

What Kind of Woman

Kate Baer

What Kind of Woman was the first book of poetry I read for myself in 2021. I had been sharing poetry with my kids in homeschool lessons and poetry tea times, but it had been a very long time since I picked up a book of “adult” poetry. This book appealed to me because of it’s length (it’s only __ pages!), because of the pretty cover, and because the ladies of Exhale were reading it for book club. The first time I read it, I listened to the entire thing while laying in bed waiting on my youngest daughter to fall asleep. Then I read it another time, and another, and I still go back to it from time to time. I even wrote a poem inspired by one of the poems in the book, and it was published in The Elpis Pages last December!

Why is it good for beginners? It’s easy to read. It makes you feel. It’s not pretentious. It’s relatable. It is about being a woman and about being a mother, so if reading about womanhood or motherhood isn’t your thing, you shouldn’t pick this one up first.

milk and honey

Rupi Kaur

I read milk and honey on a road trip last fall and found myself sobbing in the passenger seat of the van. Rupi Kaur managed to capture every emotion I’ve felt about boys, fathers, and broken relationships. I was impressed by her ability to pack a hefty punch using very few words. It is filled with beautiful artwork (also by Kaur). Fun fact - milk and honey was originally self-published, but after it received an incredible response, a publishing house contacted Kaur and asked if they could re-release it. She inspires me.

Why is it good for beginners? The poems are short and are easily digestible. It speaks to the human experiences of longing and desire. It’s a quick read, and leaves you feeling like you just had a deep, intimate conversation with a good friend.

Brown Girl Dreaming

Jacqueline Woodson

Not knowing this was poetry when I first picked it up several years ago, Brown Girl Dreaming quickly became a favorite. A memoir through poems, Woodson tells the story of growing up African American in the 1960s-1970s. It took me a few poems to find my way into the story, but this is a true masterpiece of a book. The poems begin with her birth in Ohio, talk of her childhood in South Carolina and then later in Brooklyn, New York. It’s a powerful story of resilience and love and the poetry is stunning.

Why is it good for beginners? Because it’s a story, the poetry feels easy to read and keep up with. After the first few pages, you forget you’re reading poetry.

Read-Aloud Poems for Young People

by a bunch of amazing poets (most of whom are dead)

Despite the name, this isn’t just a book of poems for kids. Great poetry can be appreciated by people of all ages, and this book pulls together some of the best poems out there. As the title says, they are all great to read aloud, which makes them great fun for Poetry Tea Time. It’s separated into eleven sections: Natures People, Meet the Family, Just Me, Friendship and Love, Love of Country, Laughing Lyrics, Poetry of the Earth—And Sky, Poems that Tell Stories, Let’s Pretend, Special Places, and Poems to Ponder. It was in this book that I first fell in love with Emily Dickinson (There’s No Frigate Like a Book). These sections, as well as the poet index at the end, makes it easy to open and find a poem to fit your mood.

Why is it good for beginners? These poems are selected to be easy to understand and enjoy. I’ll read these poems long after my children are grown.

A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year

by Jane McMorland Hunter (compiler)

When I want to read poetry but I don’t know what I want to read, this is my go-to book. A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year is simply stunning and it makes a beautiful coffee table book. I’ve even caught guests picking it up to read while hanging out on my couch! It includes 365 poems—one for every day of the year—and they are all about nature and the changing seasons. I find it a great way to begin (or end) the day, with a simple reflection on how the season changes. These poems help me stop and notice the little things happening around me.

Why is it good for beginners? It’s so easy to choose a poem to read because they are all dated. No more perusing books for hours trying to decide which poem to enjoy. Simply open to today’s date, and read the poem. Then you’re done - you’ve read some poetry for the day!

Photo Credit and a full-length review of this book can be found here.

---

There you have it. Five books of poetry to get started with. Which will you choose first?

For you avid poetry readers - do you have any favorite poetry books? I’d love to hear what they are in the comments below!

---

Like what you see here? Sign up for My Favorite Things. Each month I compile all my favorite things—articles, recipes, links to read, and sometimes even a playlist—and send them straight to your inbox. This month’s newsletter will be all about PLAY, and you won’t want to miss it!

This post contains affiliate links.