My Grandkids Asked Me–A Rhyming Poem & Hello

Complaints are afoot in certain close quarters

That my poems don’t rhyme, they’re merely imposters.

The grandchildren ask me, “Is that how you write one?

I’m not really sure, Nana, your kind’s the right one.”

“There’re no matching endings, really no reasoning.

It’s like eating roast beef without any seasoning.

Tasteless and boring, and lacking all color,

We honestly think that there’s nothing  duller.”

Well fine, I give up, I’ll leave free verse behind,

And because I’m your Nana, exceptionally kind,

I’ve put pencil to paper, all right, I can show ‘em

Read on my dear lovelies, for here is your poem.”

Dear faithful Readers and new Subscribers~ hello!

It’s been a minute, eh? This year at the end of May I made the decision to step away from writing to email subscribers via Substack where I’d been communicating and sharing for about two years. The shift has occurred for a number of reasons and I am glad to be back in your Inbox. The format might look a little different to you; maybe you won’t notice at all.

This new shift will include two communications per month–one as a blogpost here on my website and one in newsletter form via a platform called Kit. There’s nothing you need to do; emails will show up in your Inbox just the same–you can expect those around the 1st and 15th of each month. I so appreciate all of you who continue to follow my work! 

And just for the record, it’s been over two years since I’ve written to readers via my website; it might take me a few posts to get familiarized with this format again. Wink. 

A NEW PROJECT

The poem above is an illustration of a new project I’m starting–I’m always starting a new project, it seems. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to  make poetry more accessible and user-friendly to folks who wouldn’t ordinarily be comfortable with the form. The poem above is an example of that (some of you may have read “My Grandkids Asked Me” in my book “Mining the Bright Birds-Poems of Longing for Home”). When I released my first book of poetry in 2021 “Hearts on Pilgrimage Poems & Prayers,” I dedicated it to my grandchildren. They were kind and said nice things, “The cover’s pretty, Nana, but the poems don’t rhyme,” as polite grandchildren will do. ((To order signed copies of either of my books, click HERE.))

But while I’ve been writing free verse poetry for a number of years, my tastes in reading have been changing along with my writing–I am being drawn more and more to reading and enjoying verse that rhymes. I love the sound and meter and memorizability of verse. I think there’s something about the way our brains are wired to crave the kind of order that comes with lines of poetry read out loud in pattern and cadence.

This idea of order out of chaos is fresh in my mind as I enjoy the peace and quiet of my home, tidying up and putting things back in place after a visit from our youngest grandson. He was here for ten days and we thoroughly enjoyed his company–he loves Jesus and we are so grateful he loves us. (A 13-year-old who doesn’t mind hanging out with grandparents for ten days is a gift indeed!) A sense of peace settles in my spirit as I re-member caring for the place I call home; even doing laundry is a joy. A miracle, I know.

When you think of it, God created order out of chaos when he made the world. He is the originator of patterns–think about the Fibonacci sequence** in mathematics, for instance. (Also called ‘The Golden Ratio’ in architecture.) There’s something about the ‘just so’ fit of words that go together and sound right. To that end, I’m working on something new to help people who want to make friends with poetry, something I am rather evangelistic about.

My current brainstorm (brainsprinkle?) is to craft 52 poems–I have 25 so far–in simple rhyme and meter, encouraging readers to read and reflect on the simple verses in their quiet time with God. In this way those who are new to poetry will have an easy entry into reading a new genre and be invited to ponder God’s voice to them in their reading as well. The tentative title is, “Rhymes for Reflection.” 

If I can provide a gateway for folks to find their way into reading poetry and be an encouragement to pause and listen in their relationship with Jesus, well that’s a win-win. 

Now that I’m back to writing regularly I’d love to hear from you. What’s your summer been like? What are you reading? Or just say ‘hi!’ I so enjoy hearing from my readers.

With grateful thanks for being here~Jody

p.s. If you were forwarded this post from a friend, please consider subscribing HERE. 

** More about the Fibonacci Sequence can be found HERE.