Sierra Nevada (U.S.): At Xmas dinner, was glad when an old family friend (originally from England) said she would like to read and give a poem she had written to each of us, Having just published my second book of poetry - and never having read my poems in public, I was inspired to read 2 of my poems to this table of 5 friends, Read "Light, Float, Sits," and "Your mother's love," Was glad to have read these my poems, and here's " Haiku~ish and Other Loving Hippy Harbin Poetry"

At Xmas dinner, was glad when an old family friend (originally from England) said she would like to read and give a poem she had written to each of us at the dinner table. She did so and, in doing so, it created a kind of open space for reading poetry and further creativity. She's written many poems in Pittsburgh over the years,  is involved in at least 2 poetry writing groups, may be published, and is a very experienced writer. And she told how she wrote one of her poems with certain guidelines / constraints.

The poem she wrote, read to me, and then gave me, was entitled "Shipping Forecast." Thank you Christine Michaels!


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Having just published my second book of poetry - https://amazon.com/author/scottmacleodworlduniversity - and never having read my poems in public, I was inspired to read 2 of my poems to this table of 5 friends, one written about Harbin Hot Springs, and with constraints in a mini-workshop in Harbin's Stonefront Lodge in 2013, and one poem inspired by my mother.

So I read, which I like in a variety of ways (and the constraints are above):

Green sea turtle: Light, Float, Sit

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2013/09/green-sea-turtle-light-float-sit.html


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Here are the constraints, which I just came across:
- http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2017/12/iguana-email-to-cynefin-and-light-float.html -


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I haven't yet published "Light Float Sit' in a book.


I then said I wanted to read a poem to my mother, who was at the table, and which closes my 1st book of poetry "Haiku-ish and Other Loving Hippy Poetry," and I read "Your mother's love":

Eastern Agricultural Complex: Your mother's love, over years of orbits, moonshines earth's trips around sun - so warmly

Your mother's love,
over years of orbits,
moonshines earth's trips 
around sun ~ so warmly. 

http://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2016/04/eastern-agricultural-complex-your.html



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Was glad to have read these my poems, and felt like people around the table appreciated them.


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Here's 'Haiku~ish':
... http://www.scottmacleod.com/HaikuishPoetryBook.html