Margot Zemach’s It Could Always Be Worse is one of my favorite children’s books. Funny, wise, and illustrated with Zemach’s signature zest. It’s been nearly twenty years since I last read it out loud to my youngest, but the title’s been running through my head ever since. Most especially lately. It Could Always Be Worse is […]
MoreCameo Appearance by Charles Simic I had a small, nonspeaking part In a bloody epic. I was one of the Bombed and fleeing humanity. In the distance our great leader Crowed like a rooster from a balcony, Or was it a great actor Impersonating our great leader? That’s me there, I said […]
MoreLike the shopworn self-satisfied serial killer of detective shows, I return to the scene of the crime any time I post a poem. Usually the poems have disappeared from where I left them. Once in a while they hang around for a few weeks, and sometimes they find new hiding spots, as if they are […]
MoreOne last haiku entry. My sister Ceci, an ESL teacher in Chicago, assigned her students the Poem Elf quarantine haiku challenge, and they came through with flying colors. I’m impressed with anyone able to write creatively in a second language! These are wonderful—thanks to Ceci’s students. * Ellen from Taiwan wrote two haikus: […]
MoreWhen Giving Is All We Have by Alberto Ríos One river gives Its journey to the next. We give because someone gave to us. We give because nobody gave to us. We give because giving has changed us. We give because giving could have changed us. We have […]
MoreTo start off European Haiku Day here at Poem Elf, here’s a picture my daughter in Prague created. She took advantage of over-developed film to fiddle around with the image (that’s the technical explanation). She calls it “Pause.” (FYI that’s what those two yellow bars mean. I didn’t know this, dinosaur that I am.) […]
MoreOne last call for readers outside the United States . . . send in your quarantine haikus! I’ve gotten two so far and will post those tomorrow. Would love to have more! Post here as a comment or email me at thepoemelf@gmail.com. Brenda Loew of Seattle sent in pictures and haiku. The pictures of […]
MoreI have haikus to post today and tomorrow, and that will be the end of this project . . . unless. . . my international readers step up! Sending out a challenge to Poem Elf readers in countries outside of the United States to send in a quarantine haiku. I know you’re there, I see […]
MoreWelcome to the third installment of readers’ quarantine haiku. Thank you for sending in these gems. I love them. (Reminder: if yours hasn’t been posted yet, wait a day or so, I’ll get to it. And keep them coming!) Let’s start with flowers because . . . flowers! After winter, flowers. What a […]
More(Please note: If you sent in a haiku and you haven’t seen it here yet, have patience! I have an abundance of haiku which is so much nicer than an abundance of caution.) Here’s a lovely dose of spring from Patti Russo of Bloomington, Indiana (a perfectly-named town for the season): Sunshine on a […]
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