Sylvia & Janet are hosting at Poetry for Children.
It’s the summer of the cinquain — Michelle got me hooked on them! I’m sending them for the 2014 Summer Poetry Swap, and here is one inspired by my recent participation in a quilt for a young lady who was injured in a car accident at the beginning of the summer.
On the Wing
by Keri Collins Lewis
When one
butterfly joins
a merry flight, they create
a bright kaleidoscope and soar:
good art.
A group of butterflies can be called a rabble, a swarm, a flight, or a kaleidoscope. I love the group names of animals!
If you are not familiar with Neil Gaiman’s commencement speech on making good art, please watch this video:
Love your butterflies–cinquain and quilt block. Thanks, too, for re-posting the Neil Gaiman “make good art” commencement address, which is both useful and entertaining. L, ‘g, js
Thanks! I need to listen to that speech at least once a month, I think!
Hi Keri – I too love the cinquain. I’m glad you got so into it this summer. Love this butterfly cinquain and the quilt as well!
Thank you, BJ! I find the structure of the form helps me focus, for whatever reason.
You do beautiful work, Keri– with words and with fabric. Don’t you just love that Neil Gaiman speech? That speech is what inspired this post on my blog from about a year ago: http://michellehbarnes.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-mountain-inspired-by-neil-gaiman.html
Love your butterflies cinquain. I haven’t listened to the speech yet, so i’ll do that now. Thanks for sharing it!
Cinquains are one of my most favorite forms. Your poem captures the beauty of the quilt and the insect perfectly, Keri. Who knew a group of butterflies could be called a kaleidoscope. Thanks for the tidbit today. = )
I’m glad I’m not alone in my affection for the cinquain! Thanks for dropping by, Bridget!
Enjoyed your cinquain’s lively, hopeful imagery. Group names for animals are great, aren’t they? Your community-made quilt must have been very comforting for its recipient.
Thanks, Tabatha! It’s exciting to hear from families who are surprised by a quilt that is delivered or arrives in the mail. It’s like a fabric hug!
I love the image of a merry, bright kaleidoscope of butterflies. Very nice!
Lovely quilt–simple block but very effective overall, not unlike your butterfly cinquain. I look forward to coming back to Neil’s speech. Did you get any mail yet? : )
Has the quilt been delivered yet? If not, maybe you can put your lovely poem on the back of it–or on a card to go with it!
That’s a great idea, Janet! Thanks!
Keri,
I love this cinquain…love the merry flight.
Hi, Keri. It was so much fun to see your individual quilt block, but also how it worked as part of the whole pieced quilt. Enjoyed your butterfly poem, too.