The Poetry Friday roundup is here! I am so grateful to this community of supportive poets. At first, I was an infrequent participant, although I stopped by often to read and respond. I learned a lot, and eventually jumped in with my own poems. Thank you all! Today marks my first try at hosting.
I’ve been playing around with using book titles as inspiration for poems. Last week I reread Lee Bennett Hopkins’ anthology Night Wishes illustrated by Jen Corace (Eerdmans, 2020).
Night Wishes is a delightful collection of wishes whispered from objects in a child’s bedroom at night. As an added plus, it features many Poetry Friday regulars —Matt Forest Esenwine, Irene Latham, Renee LaTulippe, along with favorites Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Eileen Spinelli, Joyce Sidman, Nikki Grimes, and more. I offer this post as a tribute to the many poets I’ve learned from through the years.
What Does the Night Wish For?
a star filled sky,
the moon hovering high,
a whistle of wind through the trees
a peaceful refrain
from the whippoorwill’s call,
a kiss from the sun in the morning
Draft, 2022 Rose Cappelli
Looking forward to reading everyone’s poems! Please add your link here:
Imagine the Possibilities 
Thanks so much for hosting, Rose – and welcome to the ranks of rounder-uppers! Your poem is beautiful, a creative take on this lovely book title. I especially love “a whistle of wind through the trees” – ahhh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Robyn!
LikeLike
Oh, I see “star filled sky.” Just you wait until you see Margaret Ong’s visual poetry with star themes. You will LOVE it! Thanks for hosting. I do love a good LBH anthology! Thanks for featuring Night Wishes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the visual poetry tip. I will look for it.
LikeLike
Lovely poem, Rose. Esp. love the final line!! Thanks for reminding me to reread Night Wishes :), and thanks for hosting this week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Jama!
LikeLike
Pingback: Poetry Friday: Courage – A(nother) Year of Reading
Thanks for hosting, Rose. I love how you used the book title for inspiration! Fireflies are the only other thing the night might wish for.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely! I wanted to add a middle stanza but my brain wasn’t working well this morning. I will definitely go back to it and add something about fireflies. Thanks for the suggestion.
LikeLike
Lovely poem, Rose! Thanks for sharing – I’m so glad you enjoyed the book so much that it was so inspirational for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s such a lovely collection!
LikeLike
Pingback: Poetry Friday: Celebrating May 13th with birthday poet Kathleen Jamie – and a “double” picture book winner! – Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
Pingback: Poetry Friday: So Much Depends… – Reading to the Core
Oh my, Rose! You channelled the night with such grace! Beautiful imagery, and I love the idea of the night awaiting a kiss from the sun. Thank you for hosting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for all your encouragement, Patricia!
LikeLike
I love this writing prompt, Rose – and the poem that came out of the title for you. I especially love “a kiss from the sun in the morning”. Thanks for hosting today!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely idea to ask night what it wishes for–and I too like “a kiss from the sun in the morning,” such a nice way to wake! And thanks for hosting us this week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for hosting, Rose, and for being a poet we all can learn from too! Love that you incorporated “whippoorwill” into your dreamy poem 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for hosting today, Rose. Your poem captures the magic of the night sky beautifully! And I love your idea of using book titles to inspire new poems.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wrote a few this week. You never know where they will take you.
LikeLike
Pingback: love me some Joe Brainard | Jama's Alphabet Soup
Using book titles as inspiration is such a fabulous idea…I want to try this with students! And your gentle, perceptive list poem is simply lovely. It feels almost like a lullaby…and that morning sun kiss is perfection! Thank you for hosting! xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you, Amy! I hope we see each other again soon.
LikeLike
Yay! I love your prompt this week for the Nevermores. It’s been a busy week, so I’m going to be writing my book title poem at the 11th hour tomorrow. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too!
LikeLike
Pingback: Poetry Friday: Poems Hide | Reflections on the Teche
What a great idea to wonder what the night wishes for! I’m going to think about that … Maybe I could write one about some other time of day 🙂 Thanks for rounding us up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this deeper wisdom poem. The whippoorwill’s call is a sound from my childhood. Thanks for hosting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for hosting! I posted mine on the Mister Linky and now it doesn’t seem to be showing up. Here it is: https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2022/05/poetry-friday-ada-limon.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sorry Mister Linky didn’t work for you, Ruth. I reposted your link so I hope it’s OK now.
LikeLike
Thank you!
LikeLike
Thanks for hosting, Rose! I love the feeling in these lines: “a peaceful refrain/ from the whippoorwill’s call,”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rose, thank you for hosting! I hope you enjoy it! I hosted for the first time in the last half of 2021. I really enjoyed it – somehow I missed the call this time around. Anyway, I love the poem you shared. Finding inspiration through wishes from objects in a child’s room is such a creative idea! I will have to seek this book out! Thanks for sharing! ~ Carol ~
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love your poem! The last stanza really sang to me… thanks so much for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your poem is lovely! I haven’t read Night Wishes yet. I’m putting it on my TBR list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rose, thanks for hosting. I really like how you formatted this poem from a title from our beloved Lee. The ending sentence is thoughtful and filled with an amazing visual. if you rewrite the poem, you should keep that line in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Carol.
LikeLike
There couldn’t be a more inspiring, open-ended title than NIGHT WISHES, I reckon! I like the brevity of your stanzas. Here’s my such poem from PUMPKIN BUTTERFLY, for your amusement, also influenced by some small exchanges with Lee BH. Thanks for hosting, Rose! https://myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.com/2020/04/npm2020-poetry-videos-day-13-night-luck.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing your video and poem, Heidi! I love it, especially “sniffing your wishes” and “wagging your worries”
LikeLike