This week I’ve been reading poemcrazy: freeing your life with words (1996) by Susan Goldmsith Wooldridge. I found this book as I was scrolling though my Twitter feed a few weeks ago. If you aren’t familiar with it, go find it now. You won’t be sorry.
Sometimes writing poems does drive me crazy, but this book makes you fall-in-love crazy about poetry. Wooldridge is a cheerful, enthusiastic teacher. In the first section of the book, “Following Words”, she urges us to collect words and “create a wordpool.” “The great thing about collecting words,” she writes, “is they’re free; you can borrow them, trade them in or toss them out.” Each short chapter is followed by suggestions for practice. This draft grew out of those suggestions.
The canary sun
sets the sky aglow,
whispering pink
at the edge of day
like a conch,
whispering
the memory
of ocean waves.
Please be sure to visit Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm, & Rhyme for the Poetry Friday Roundup. And to all my friends around the country who are facing hurricanes or fires, please stay safe!
Reading to the Core 
Catherine, your poetry always moves me. Right now I’m basking in your words and hoping that they set the tone for my day. Beautiful and serene.
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Love your colors – ‘canary sun’ – and the image of the conch sell!
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[…] Flynn, meanwhile, was inspired to write a short, colorful poem after reading Susan Goldmsith […]
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Ahhh…I can feel myself sinking into the peace of that sun at the edge of day. Beautiful!
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I used PoemCrazy with my students, Catherine. It is wonderful, and so is your poem! I love that connection between the sunset and the pink of a conch shell.
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That conch simile is so beautiful. Isn’t it great to find a how-to book that makes writing fun again?
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ooooooooooooh, great poem—the yellows and pinks are so happy. And, the book sounds good. Already off to find a copy!
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I like your whispering conch, and the calm softness in your poem and image. The book sounds inspiring thanks for all Catherine!
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I think most writers feel that way – we love to create, but it can drive us absolutely to distraction too, sometimes at the same time! 🙂
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Lovely!
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Love your word choices in this poem, canary sun, whispering, conch…building a beautiful image. How many poems can we write about the sunset?
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Thank you for the new find, Catherine. Your draft is lovely. It brings me back to summer. If interested, add the photo to the bottom of the poem, take a screenshot, sign off, and send to me for the summer gallery. I think it will fit in nicely.
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I’ll have to look for poemcrazy although I always have been…
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[…] words by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. I just purchased this recently after reading about it in a post by Catherine Flynn. (Thank you, Catherine!!) It’s a joy of a read with so many wonderful […]
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