I have issues with knuckles on the door...
...and the doorbell.
No joke, I have issues.
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Speaking of crazy...mom and dad are still crazy in love.
Today is their 33rd wedding anniversary! 💖
I can't count that high in human years OR dog years.
But it's a lot.
Too bad 20 of those years were without me. 😩
The lovely and talented Michelle Kogan is hosting Poetry Friday this week.
Join us!
Sometimes hanging around the kitchen pays off...
The other day when Dad was cleaning up, manna from heaven rained down upon me!
CHEESE!
It. Was. Grate.
(we won't mention what happened with my belly later that night...😝 )
Buffy is our Poetry Friday hostess this week! Join the party...🥳
While wandering our new neighborhood I came upon a sign:
Being the tri-lingual (Canine, English, German) literate dog that I am, I quickly translated...
*woof yipper-yippity-yap*
Oh, wait, I mean, *Caution Amphibian Migration*.
And then I saw this toad-ally awesome friend:
I think he was on his way here:
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| A breeding ground for more toad-ally awesome friends. |
All of this inspired me to write this 'fibious' Fib*:
(that is toad-ally true)
a
sign
toad me
to watch out
for some hoppy friends
I found one that was ribbiting
©2022, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.
*a Fib is a 6-line poem with the syllable count: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
Speaking of Fibs, have you submitted to my upcoming poetry anthology, Two Truths and a FIB?
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| Click here to find the guidelines! |
The submissions I have received so far are AMAZING!
I look forward to reading YOUR words soon...
The lovely and talented Karen Edmisten is hosting Poetry Friday this week. Join us!
Being a dog of certain *ahem* breeds (Rat Terrier with a smidge of Chihuahua) I have been known to struggle with anxiety.
A. Lot.
(Apparently mom struggles, too, and she has zero Chihuahua in her - go figure!)
Being a resourceful pooch I deal with my anxiety in a variety of ways...
But recently I tried something new to deal with my anxiety...coloring!
Specifically coloring pages from The Anxiety Relief Coloring Book for Adults: Mindful Coloring to Decrease Stress and Anxiety by Kara Holmes
(Kara really should include "Dogs" in the title...just sayin'.)
Just look at my handy paw-work!
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The author was thinking when she made this book...
"I’ve designed my coloring book with 67 unique patterns that have been proven to provide a calming effect to those struggling with anxiety. Some pages also include powerful affirmations to ward off negative thoughts and help the reader improve their outlook on life." ~Kara Holmes
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| Click on this picture ^ to nab your copy. |
I'm especially proud that I got today's post done before the end of May because it is Anxiety & Depression Association of America's Mental Health Awareness Month.
#BreakTheStigma
Today's poem is actually a throwback from a couple of years ago when I barked spoke about my dog avoidance anxiety challenges...
a hug and a hand
turns day into night
other dogs off-leash
there is no f(r)ight
©2022, Bridget Magee. All Rights Reserved.
Linda at A Word Edgewise is hosting Poetry Friday this week...Join us!
Noooo!
Not a banana!
Cheese!
I love May because mom watches the Eurovision Song Contest.
And as you know, I love cheese.
The Eurovision Song Contest is CHEESY in the best possible* a good way.
*it's not edible
2022 ESC brings together performers from 40 European-ish** countries to compete for the best song of the year.
**I know I'm a pup of limited geographical knowledge, but I'm not sure when Australia relocated to Europe...
Previous ESC winners include Celine Dion, ABBA, and last year's winner, Måneskin.
As mom and dad watch, I lay on my pillow soaking up the sights and sounds of ESC.
One band that caught my attention is Subwoolfer from Norway.
Because, wolf.
Duh.I'm happy to report that, as of this writing, Subwoolfer is a finalist!
(The finals are Saturday 14 May 2022...it is going to be a loooong night for a champion sleeper dog like me, but totally worth it to see the stage presentation/dancing/costumes.)
While the Subwoolfer's song Give That Wolf a Banana is catchy, they have it all wrong.
(I dare you to listen to it once and not sing "yum-yum-yum" on repeat in your head!)
Yes, save Grandma, but feed the wolf CHEESE!
It's much more effective.
My poem is based on this song and will not make sense unless you've watched/heard the song.
Then again, it may not make sense even if you have.
I am a dog after all.
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| You're welcome. 😄 |
Give yourself a dose of happy and watch all of the Eurovision Song Contest videos.
Mom is also rooting for Switzerland to win (Marius Bear with Boys Do Cry - very Sinatra-like song) because then Switzerland will host ESC next year!!!
Rose at Imagine the Possibilities is hosting Poetry Friday this week!
Join us!
Switzerland has long been associated with gnomes...
...for both good and bad reasons.
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| (along our daily walking path) |
In positive terms, they are thought of as mythological creatures that guard subterranean treasures.
In more condescending terms, they are an unflattering nickname for Swiss bankers.
In dogspeak, they are friends.
Smidgey wrote this gnome poem for her neighborhood gnomies:
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So without further ado, congratulations Sandra Y.!
And thank you to all my email subscribers! To gnome you is to love you!
Know who else we love around here?
MOMS!
Happy Mother's Day to all moms everywhere*! 🎕
*but most especially MY mom, Pat Magee, 94 years young!
And we love this week's Poetry Friday hostess with the mostess...
Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup!
As we coast to the end of National Poetry Month, how about a little BOOST?
The multi talented Michelle Schaub over at PoetryBoost.com has a whole website dedicated to sharing poetry to BOOST literacy!
"Poetry is literacy's superfood. Just as certain fruits and veggies are packed with antioxidants, poetry is loaded with rich content, brain-stimulating vocabulary, and nourishing literary devices. Poetry's concise format makes it a perfect choice for:
In short, poetry is a great choice to boost literacy in all learners."
I am proud and honored that Michelle featured me Smidgey this week!
Smidgey's yearning for the limelight and my recent move coincided perfectly for Smidgey to share my Jaunty Letter J poem from my 10.10 Poetry Anthology: Celebrating 10 in 10 Different Ways.
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| (Click HERE to get to the video.) |
Smidgey is so talented she can recite the entire poem without moving her doggy lips!
And Smidgey and I are not the only poets featured on Michelle's website this month.
A plethora of poetic ROCK STARS are sharing AMAZING poems that will knock your socks off!
Or at least give you a long list of Poetry Books that you need to Get. Read. and Share...NOW.
Head on over to Jone Rush MacCulloch's place to meet up with some more ROCK STAR poets!
Welcome to Smidgey's Limelight World!
National Poetry Month is still going strong as I share today's video.
I'm happy to report that Smidgey's finely honed deductive reasoning skills led her to the only logical answer to today's riddle.
It was child's play!
Smidgey's Identity Crisis Poetry Series, Episode 4: Bundle of Joy
Congratulations to Maureen M-U!
Maureen is this week's lucky email subscriber winner of a beautiful hardback copy of my 10.10 Poetry Anthology!
Margaret at Reflections on the Teche is this week's Poetry Friday host. Join us!
Welcome to the third Friday of National Poetry Month!
Smidgey continues to enjoy the limelight...
Smidgey's Identity Crisis Poetry Series,
Episode 3: Fairy...Tale
Winners' Announcement!
April 1st winner: Sally M.
April 8th winner: Stephan S.
Today's (April 15th) winner: Rose C.
Didn't win?
Never fear, you have two more chances to win during National Poetry Month.
Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme is this week's Poetry Friday host.
Join the fun!
Happy National Poetry Month!
Smidgey continues to enjoy the limelight...
Well, that is not entirely true.
I love making people laugh. (Myself included.)
But sometimes I am self conscious.
Insecure.
Fearful.
These videos are a delight to make. (So much so that I literally LOL during the process.)
And after I finish I am proud...for a minute.
But then I worry.
Does my voice really sound like that?
Am I weird to put this into the world?
Is my poetry good enough to be among *real* poets?
Maybe I should leave it in a draft folder and call it a day...
But then I look at Smidgey's tiny furry face.
Needs to hear her *ahem* voice.
Needs a few minutes of silly dog respite from their worries.
Which brings us to the here and now.
To the POINT of this post... a short and sweet video. (It will prove my point.)
(short + sweet = Smidgey)
Smidgey's Identity Crisis Poetry Series,
Episode 2: Smidgey-who? Smidgey-ku!
Thank you for each and every comment on my blog.
I read them to Smidgey and she gobbles up your kind words like a cheese-filled treat. 🧀
Winners have been chosen!
I am waiting to hear back from two lucky email subscribers who have each won a beautiful hardback copy of my 10.10 Poetry Anthology. (for April 1st and today's drawings)
There will be three more chances to win during National Poetry Month.
Yay for a 5 Friday month!
Janice is interviewing David Elliot at Salt City Verse! She also happens to be the host of this week's Poetry Friday round up!
And for a complete listing of the NPM awesomeness happening in the kidlitosphere, go to Jama’s Alphabet Soup.
Jama is everything that is good in the world.
Do you want to be a part of my next poetry anthology, Two Truths and a Fib?
Submission guidelines are here and here.
I look forward to reading your words!
Happy April!
Happy National Poetry Month!
To celebrate NPM, Smidgey has put herself in the limelight...
That's FIVE Smidgey Poetry Videos in ONE month!
How fun is that?
(very fun!)
In the interests of full transparency, (and in line with me practicing giving myself grace* since we just moved) I must note that two of the videos were made and shared back in 2020.
(*my OLW for 2022)
But, don't worry they have aged very well.
(I literally LOL'd reviewing them...2 minutes well spent.)
The rest are brand new.
So without further adieu...
Smidgey's Identity Crisis Poetry Series,
Episode 1: #me-ow?
AND check out the awesomeness that the Poetry Friday community has to offer at my juicy little universe. Heidi is celebrating NPM by writing in response to the book All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis.
Smidgey is trying to be flexible...
...and go with the flow...
...as we severely disrupt her life.
As you can see, we are moving. (to a different apartment a few km away)
Smidgey will be meditating on not freaking out cheese as we transition, so she will be unavailable to blog for a week or two.
In the meantime, when you eat a bit of cheese, think of Smidge. 💭+🧀=🐶
She'll miss you.💗
This week Poetry Friday Sylvia and Janet at Poetry for Children are hosting. Join us!
3 March 2022 is World Book Day.
This year's theme is You Are a Reader.
Smidgey took this theme to heart.
And given the current state of the world, she chose a book that has heart for EVERY reader.
Even dogs.
Smidgey got her paws on WE BELONG by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by
While Smidgey has her dogged opinion about WE BELONG, MY opinion is that the text is rhythmic, rhyming and should be required for young (and young at heart!) readers.
And the illustrations are as uplifting and powerful as the words.
(And so much more colorful than Smidgey realizes...poor dog.)
written by Laura Purdie Salas
illustrated by
Carolrhoda Books ®
1 March 2022 (Happy Book Birthday!)
Picture Book for ages 4-8, 32 pages
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Poetry Friday is at Kathryn Apel's place...join us!
