Author: Danna Smith

Celebrate World Poetry Day on March 21st

| Danna Smith

Many of us read, write, and teach poetry every day but did you know there is an official day to celebrate and support poets and poetry? As an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), world poetry day is held every year on March 21st. I’ve made a list (with links) of some fun ways you can celebrate poetry with your family and friends. And don’t miss my contribution to the official day in the form of a poem that turned out to be quite yummy.

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How to Write a Found Poem: Thrift Shop Flowers

| Danna Smith

Found poetry is the literary version of a collage. The poems are made up of words taken from a printed document such as a newspaper article, a speech, a menu, junk mail, or even another poem (or in this case, a book on flowers from a thrift shop). The poet selects words from the document and rearranges them to create a poem.

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Paint Chip Poetry: Colorful Wordplay

| Danna Smith

For the last decade I’ve attended an annual writer’s retreat by the ocean in Northern California where I gather with friends for inspiration, laughs, and writing. Each year, a friend, author, and artist I admire hosts a Paint Chip Poetry session. We dig into a pile of paint chips (you know those paper strips of paint colors from the hardware store) and write a poem in ten minutes based on a given prompt and the names of the chosen colors (unseen until timer starts).

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Zen Pop: Poetic Encouragement (Just Be)

| Danna Smith

Life is hard. Today, if all you do is be, then that’s okay.

Periodically on Poetry Pop, you will see a Zen Pop blog post. These posts are my way of sharing on a personal level and giving you a bit of poetic encouragement while traversing this beautiful (and often challenging) thing we call life.

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Free Verse: The Birth of a Poem

| Danna Smith

There seems to be an influx of newborn babies right now, at least in my little corner of the world. I’ve enjoyed seeing the sweet little bundles of joy and their happy parents and grandparents on social media. So, I had the idea to write a poem about babies for this week’s post. Oh, the pressure of a poem! After many attempts, my focus shifted to the process of getting my thoughts down on paper. Giving birth to words is not nearly as exciting to celebrate, but the labor pains are real!

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Poetry Pop Shop: The Crafty Poet

| Danna Smith

On Poetry Pop, you will periodically get posts titled, Poetry Pop Shop, where I introduce some fun writerly or readerly gadgets I think you might enjoy. Today, I want to share one of my favorite books on the craft with you. The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop by Diane Lockward is my go-to book when I need a little inspiration or poetry exercise.

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A Birthday Acrostic Poem

| Danna Smith

I had a birthday this week. I’m at that point where I’m far from young, but I’m not quite old (unless you ask my kids 🙂 ) And although I curse the wrinkles, aches, and pains, I am trying to embrace aging as I know it’s a privilege denied to many. So today, in honor of my birthday, I’ve written an acrostic poem.

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Visual Poetry Prompt: Naked (a winter poem)

| Danna Smith

When I saw this picture, it reminded me of growing up in Utah. Watching the Wasatch mountains turn a brilliant shade of autumn, leaving naked trees to be blanketed by snow. We always had the most beautiful snowstorms! I now live in Northern California’s wine country and although I’m a summer girl, sometimes I like to take a drive up to the Sierra mountains and say hello to that old friend, snow. (Photo, with thanks, by Tim Gouw),

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