Blog Posts

One Minute Till Bedtime Didn't Make the Cut Blog Tour

11/13/2016

Kenn Nesbitt's wonderful anthology, ONE MINUTE TILL BEDTIME, debuted on November 1, 2016 and was promptly named a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2016. And I agree. It's an eclectic collection of poems from over 130 children's poets, meant to be read in one minute or less. My limerick, entitled "Skateboard Girl" is included, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

But this blog tour's focus is on poems that were submitted but didnt' make it into the collection. Here is one of mine that didn't make it and an image to go along with it:

Summertime Horses

All summer long we played horses--
galloping through green yards,
our ponytails streaming in the wind.

(c) 2010 B.J. Lee All Rights Reserved

Working with Kenn Nesbitt is a treat! I first became acquainted with him when he was the Children's Poet Laureate and was posting a poem for every day of the school year at PoetryMinute.org . He posted two of my poems, "Dream Train" and "High Dive," another limerick.

Please visit amazon to have a look at this anthology. I loved it from beginning to end! The poems are quite diverse and perfect for reading to your litttle ones before bed!

For more poems that didn’t make the cut, visit the roundup at Jackie Hoskings Blog, which has many other poems submitted but not accepted into OMTB. Jackie also includes links to other Poetry Friday poets who are sharing their poems on their own blogs (as I have done). Thanks to Jackie for all her hard work! And thanks, once again, to Kenn, for including my poem in this exciting anthology! It was a pleasure to work with you, as always.

18 Comments

Much Ado About a 'Do

7/24/2014

55 Comments

Artwork by Julie Rowan-Zoch 2014

Fractured fairy tales can be fun! Here is one that I wrote as an exercise to a prompt which, later on, ended up getting published. I wrote it in monorhyme which, I think, adds even more silliness to the already very silly poem. What do you think? I hope you enjoy my poem.

A special thanks to the talented Julie Rowan-Zoch for supplying amazing artwork for this poem. I knew she would do something great and she did!

Without further ado, here is the poem:

Much Ado About a ’Do

When Rapunzel the fair had let down her long hair,

Goldilocks, shocked, stood stock-still to stare.

Finally Goldi called, “Hey you up there,

what product is giving you such great hair care?”

Rapunzel said, “If I were freed from this lair,

I'd show you my tricks and give your hair some flair.”

But Goldilocks told her, “No way! You’ll stay where

the princes can’t see your hair. No, I won’t share!”

Rapunzel cried, “Goldilocks, I do declare,

your selfishness fills me with deepest despair.

You must be aware there are princes to spare.

I hope, down the road, you run into a bear!”

B.J. Lee 2012 All Rights Reserved
(first published in the Open Door Anthology, 2012)

Here's more about illustrator, Julie Rowan-Zoch:

Julie is a reformed graphic designer, concocting and sculpting story ideas and illustrations –every day. She has illustrated three board books for Bailiwick Press (http://www.bailiwickpress.com/picture-books.html) coming soon, in October '14. Julie's blog is: http://julierowanzoch.wordpress.com/. I know you will enjoy her work as much as I do!

Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong are hosting Poetry Friday today over at Poetry for Children. Please join them for the roundup!

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Poetry Friday - The Great Egret

5/23/2014

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We've recently downsized from our home on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida to a more reasonable home about 15 minutes inland in a bayou region; we're one house away from conservation land surrounding the bayou system. We've traded one ecosystem for another.

Just prior to moving, I was feeling very nostalgic about leaving our nearly private lagoon where we saw many types of herons (some sources include egrets as a type of heron) on a daily basis as well as osprey, bottlenose dolphins, and different varieties of rays. One of my favorites was Egor (Igor), The Great Egret, who sat on our deck railing frequently.

I feel truly blessed to have lived in such a setting for nine years, but look forward to adventures in our new bayou ecosystem as well. I'm sure we will be making new "wild" friends and have already seen a saw whet owl and an opossum. We also hear the plaintive cry of Chuck-Will's-Widow nightly.

This poem is a sort of haiku without a strict syllable count.

Great Egret tamest of the herons
waits on our railing--
eager for a sardine treat

* * * * * * * *

In other news, Michelle Barnes has featured a limerick of mine on Limerick Alley, about a teacup poodle, inspired by our own Chou-Chou, may she rest in peace. Michelle has done a wonderful job with the post. Check it out and Thank You, Michelle!

Chou-Chou 1990-2001

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Poetry Friday - Jaeda Renae Features my Poems

4/25/2014

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Artist, Jaeda Renae, is featuring four of my adult poems on her Facebook page today. The poetry is artfully superimposed on the photography of Adair Puz Davidson. I met Jaeda during the March Madness. She is a friend of my husband, Malcolm Deeley, who is a speculative poet. Once we were introduced, she took off promoting my poems for March Madness. March Madness has opened many doors for me and forged new friendships. I've truly known what it feels like to have fans and to have other poets pulling for me. Exhausting as it was, it was an incredible experience. And I got to meet Jaeda, an artist, who loves my husband's poetry and loves mine as well.

Thank you so much, Jaeda, for taking the time to put together this feature of my poems and Adair Puz Davidson's photography. Brilliant photography and brilliant job! Thanks again!

Here are the links : "The Comet"
"The Osprey"
"The Sea"
"Moored"

To view them all together, go here and scroll down. Mine are in the last row before the comments begin.

Jaeda is a very interesting artist and photographer. Scroll down to view some of her art!

Thank you, once again, Jaeda!

14 Comments

March Madness Winds Down

4/11/2014

16 Comments

I had a terrific time doing March Madness this year and I'd like to again express my thanks to Ed DeCaria of Think Kid Think for hosting the contest every year and for putting an amazing amount of work into it on top of his day job. I'd also like to express my thanks to everyone who was behind me, supporting me, and voting for me. I felt it and it felt wonderful! I went into it with a whole lot of trepidation because I don't normally perform well under pressure. But even though I was sleep deprived, drinking copious quantities of green tea to help me stay up all night. writing double dactyls that really missed the mark, somehow, some way, I got it together enough to continue for five rounds. I can't ever remember feeling so inspired!

In the fourth round, my word was "imperceptible." I spent quite a while making lists of things that were imperceptible, such as an imperceptible glance between two high-schoolers that have begun to like each other (and I actually did write a poem using this idea.) Or, a grandfather pointing out to his granddaughter the imperceptible beginnings of spring. I did not use this idea but in the fifth round, I think the seeds had been planted, because I wrote my villanelle about the celebration of spring time. Nothing is ever wasted. Nothing is ever lost.

With these thoughts swirling in my head, I went to bed, and when I woke up the next day (I wouldn't say it was morning), I realized I wanted to write a pantoum. I had recently been experimenting with pantoums but had never managed to complete one in just four stanzas. That would be my challenge and here's the pantoum I came up with for round four:

Behind the Dancing Rain: A Pantoum

Lying in bed on nights when it storms,
I dream of a world past my window pane:
imperceptible movements, mysterious forms,
masked by the dance of the thunder-clapped rain.

I dream of a world past my window pane--
the gnarled fingers of troll-like trees.
Masked by the dance of the thunder-clapped rain,
owls hoo-hoo in the gusty breeze.

The gnarled fingers of troll-like trees
tap the walls of my hapless house.
Owls hoo-hoo in the gusty breeze.
In a sodden field sleeps a quiet mouse.

Tapping the walls of my hapless house,
imperceptible movements, mysterious forms.
In a sodden field sleeps a quiet mouse
in its own hidden bed on nights when it storms.

All Rights Reserved 2014 B.J. Lee

I'd also like to do a how-to on the pantoum similar to the one I did on the villanelle simply because I love forms!

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The Villanelle

4/6/2014

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Since I posted my villanelle, "Spring Has Sprung: A Villanelle" in the March Madness Poetry Competition, I have had several questions about the villanelle form itself. So I decided to do a blog post about the villanelle. This is not meant to be an exhaustive examination of the villanelle form but simply my experience with writing villanelles and some things I've learned about them.

I like poetry.about.com's definition of the villanelle which includes the breakdown of the rhyme scheme:

The villanelle’s 19 lines form five triplets and a quatrain, using only two rhymes throughout the whole form. The entire first line is repeated as lines 6, 12 and 18 and the third line is repeated as lines 9, 15 and 19—so that the lines which frame the first triplet weave through the poem like refrains in a traditional song, and together form the end of the concluding stanza. With these repeating lines [often called the repetend] represented as A1 and A2 (because they rhyme together), the entire scheme is:

A1
b
A2

a
b
A1 (refrain)

a
b
A2 (refrain)

a
b
A1 (refrain)

a
b
A2 (refrain)

a
b
A1 (refrain)
A2 (refrain)

A good example of a villanelle that many people know is Dylan Thomas' haunting, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" which I will quote here, since it is in the Public Domain. I'll superimpose the rhyme scheme to the right so you can see how Thomas put together his villanelle.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
By Dylan Thomas 1914-1953

Do not go gentle into that good night, A1
Old age should burn and rave at close of day; b
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. A2

Though wise men at their end know dark is right, a
Because their words had forked no lightning they b
Do not go gentle into that good night. A1

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright a
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, b
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. A2

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, a
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, b
Do not go gentle into that good night. A1

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight a
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, b
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. A2

And you, my father, there on the sad height, a
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. b
Do not go gentle into that good night. A1
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. A2

* * *

In the process of trying to write villanelles, I have learned two things about writing villlanelles:

1. Be sure you have something worth repeating for your repeating lines as both repeating lines will each be repeated several times.

2, Choose your rhymes carefully. Because there are only two rhymes used throughout each villanelle, you have to choose your rhyme scheme carefully and be sure you have enough rhyming words that will work together to get you through the entire villanelle.

* * *

When deciding to write my villanelle for March Madness, I decided to use my unusual given word, 'incontinent,' in one of the repeating lines, because I was using the second definition :

in·con·ti·nent
inˈkäntənənt,-ˈkäntn-ənt/
adjective
adjective: incontinent
1. having no or insufficient voluntary control over urination or defecation.
2. lacking self-restraint; uncontrolled.
  "the incontinent hysteria of the fans"
  synonyms: unrestrained, lacking self-restraint, uncontrolled, unbridled, unchecked, unfettered

and I wanted to bombard the reader with the word, so no thought of the first definition of 'incontinent' would ever enter the reader's mind.

Secondly, I brainstormed for ideas which were 'incontinent' in themselves; i.e., unrestrained, uncontrolled, unbridled, unfettered, and the one idea that kept coming to me was springtime where buds and blooms are bursting, people are feeling exuberant after a long, cooped-up winter, and are getting out to enjoy the outdoors, syrup is flowing out of maple trees, animals are mating, etc., a veritable riot of unrestrained, out-of-control, unfettered incontinence.

* * *

I'd like to include one more bit of information about the villanelle as a member of a family of repeating forms, such as the triolet, the pantoum, and the roundel.
I love Tilt-a-Whirl editor, Kate Bernadette Benedict's "Cheat Sheet of Poetic Forms." (I believe Tilt-a-Whirl is no longer being published), but it was good while it lasted and is still online for your reading enjoyment. There are good examples of many of the repeating forms.

18 Comments

March Madness - Incontinent

4/4/2014

12 Comments

Well, I've made it to the Semifinals in the March Madness Poetry Contest currently underway at Ed DeCaria's blog, Think Kid Think. Yup, just four of us left! I was reluctant to try doing the contest because I am not good under pressure, but I am surprising myself on this one. True, I did have several panic-stricken hours when I thought I would not have a poem for Round 3 with the word "pseudonymous," but in the end my wacky poem, "The Amoeba Gang," won the round. With the exception of that very difficult round, however, I am finding that I'm doing well under pressure and also discovering what a work-horse I am!

I'm very grateful for being in the contest this go-round because I had been in a bit of a writer' slump. Last year, I participated in the 12 X 12 picture book challenge and, in the end, I was so burned out on picture books, I turned away from them entirely to focus solely on poetry. I may go back to my picture book manuscripts, but at this point, I am thinking poetry and maybe finishing my YA or adult novel(s). I find picture books to be extremely difficult for various reasons which I'll save for another post. So I was feeling at loose ends with my writing "career" such as it is, with no poetry collection yet published and no picture book yet published although I do have a slew of poems published in magazines and about seven poems anthologized. I got a bad case of writer's block and a worse case of depression. We are also in the process of moving, fixing up our old house, and putting an addition on our new house so that has been very disruptive as well. Our old house goes on the market on Sunday, which is very exciting!

March Madness has given me back my drive, reinforced my love for poetry, and given me a desire to press on and see what I can do. It also taught me that, if I get 'stuck' again, simply go in a different direction, take a class, get out my watercolors for awhile, work on my novel. Just do something, something different, and I'll eventually find my way again.

Here is the poem I have submitted for Round 5. I went a few different ways with the word "incontinent", but in the end decided to go with it's secondary meaning rather than write potty-humor, which is sooo not my style. I hope you are finding the time to enjoy the contest. I think Ed is doing a wonderful and very hard thing at Think Kid Think. We all thank you, Ed! I also wanted to thank those who have been supporting me, voting for me, sharing and liking my face book posts and retweeting my tweets. I feel very connected to the poetry community as well as other writers and it's a wonderful feeling.

Here's the poem:

Spring has Sprung: A Villanelle

It’s time for a party to celebrate spring!
Let’s run with abandon, let’s race with the breeze.
A boundlessly joyous, incontinent fling

will let winter know he’s no longer the king!
Let’s fix up our bikes and let’s put away skis.
I’s time for a party to celebrate spring.

Let’s fly our kites high, holding tight to the string.
Let’s welcome the butterflies, beetles, and bees
with a boundlessly joyous, incontinent fling.

Let’s soar to the sky on the seat of a swing.
Let’s dance round the lilacs and crabapple trees.
It’s time for a party to celebrate spring.

The migrating birds are all back on the wing.
More crocuses, tulips and daffodils, please,
to brighten our joyous, incontinent fling;

for springtime is here! Let’s clap and let’s sing!
Let’s tumble and tussle and green-up our knees.
It’s time for a party to celebrate spring--
a boundlessly joyous, incontinent fling.

B.J. Lee 2014 All Rights Reserved

Please stop by and vote for your favorites! Here is the direct link to my match: http://www.thinkkidthink.com/incontinent-vs-kerfuffle/ Thank you #MMPoetry

12 Comments

March Madness - Pseudonymous

3/27/2014

22 Comments

I was given the *delightful* word, "pseudonymous" in the 3rd Round of the March Madness poetry contest currently underway on Ed DeCaria's website, Think Kid Think. I almost cried. Then I got down to business. I stayed up till 6 a.m. and wrote several poems, one of which I thought was quite good about Lemony Snicket (a double dactyl). My crit group, The Poet's Garage, pretty much panned it (although I later found out that Buffy liked it.) Back to square one.

On Thursday, I was busy with contractors at the house we are getting ready to put on the market. I was sleep-deprived and impatient because I wanted to get back to my computer. Finally, I got back to the house, after stopping at Starbucks for some caffeine and the library for some Dr. Seuss. I needed to refresh my memory since I was now considering writing a double dactyl about Dr. Seuss (double-dactyls on the brain). But, back at the computer, nothing would come together. I gave up in despair and took the dogs to the dog park. When my husband got home, I told him I didn't think I would have a poem for the third round, or at best, a poem that my crit group did not love. I read the Lemony Snicket to him; he didn't like it either. In fact, he said it was boring! :(

But he also said he would make dinner so I could maybe come up with something else. I forced myself to put put the double-dactyls aside and focus on other ideas. I wrote several other poems, but nothing special, then I had a brainstorm. I quickly roughed it out. My husband thought it was hilarious. I expanded, I tightened, I tweaked for several hours and read it to him again. He laughed! Music to my ears, and it is what I posted for the 3rd round of March Madness:

The Amoeba Gang

Albert the amoeba, a microscopic thief
had stolen from the hydra clan and now had come to grief.
The Unicellular Police were hot on Albert’s trail.
His pseudo-feet moved oh-so-slow. Would he be thrown in jail?
He tried to hang with slime molds, but they swam away from him.
The rotifers rejected him; his prospects now looked grim.
But suddenly he had a thought, a bright, pseudonymous plot--
a perfect way to slip and slide from this tight, ominous spot.
He fissioned once. He fissioned twice, and quick as one-two-three,
Al and Hal and Sal and Cal, all said, “It wasn’t me.”

~B.J. Lee All Rights Reserved c March 26,2014

I'm glad I persevered because I am truly proud of this poem. My opponent's (Darren Sardelli) poem is also good, though, and at last look, he is beating me in the Public Vote. Voting is open for another 22 hours or so. Please have a look and vote for your favorites. Our own, Buffy Silverman has a poem in Round 3 as well. Here is a direct link to my matchup - March Madness - Pseudonymous vs Insubordinate. Thank you!

22 Comments

March Madness - Unpredictable

3/24/2014

2 Comments

Well, I've made it to Round 2 of the March Madness Poetry Contest happening right now at Ed DeCaria's site Think Kid Think. I have been given the word, 'unpredictable.' At first, I thought it would be easier than the word I had in Round 1, 'fungible,' because I didn't know what 'fungible' meant, whereas I do know what 'unpredictable' means. However, this was not the case. I had more difficulty writing a poem with the word 'unpredictable,' than I did with 'fungible', although in the end, I do like my unpredictable poem as well as my fungible poem. Please take a minute to stop by and vote on this round of March Madness! Thank you! Here's a direct link to the Unpredictable/Flamboyant match up.

2 Comments

March Madness "Fungibility"

3/20/2014

18 Comments

I've been on hiatus from my blog because we were moving. We have moved, and I'm in love with our new artsy house, but now we have to fix up our old place to get it on the market. I really don't enjoy the whole real estate thing; it eats up so much time. I'd rather be writing and blogging. What got me to post today is my involvement in March Madness. I was assigned the word, fungible, a word I had never heard of before. I felt like I was back in college, pulling an all-nighter, but it was a good feeling in a way to be so involved in producing one poem in a short period of time. We had 32 hours, but of course some of that had to be spent sleeping (not much, but some). In any case, I've linked to Ed DeCaria's Think Kid Think site below. Ed is the mastermind behind March Madness and I think it gets bigger and better every year. If you haven't checked out the Madness before, it's really a lot of fun to read and vote on the poems!

Voting for my match has begun. "Strewn" vs. "Fungibile". Please cast your vote!

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B. J. Lee is a children’s author and poet. Her picture book, There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth, is launching with Pelican Publishing on February 15, 2019. She has poems in 25 poetry anthologies published by Little, Brown, Wordsong, BloomsburyUK, National Geographic, Otter-Barry Books, Pomelo Books, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has worked with anthologists Lee Bennett Hopkins, J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt. She has written poems for such children’s magazines as Spider, Highlights and The School Magazine. Follow her on Twitter @bjlee_writer.

Poets' Garage website

Includes my poem "Skateboard Girl"

Includes my poem "The Red Crabs of Christmas Island"

Coming in 2018 National Geographic's book of US: 200 Poems of People, Places, and Passions (edited by J. Patrick Lewis.)
Will include my poem, "Groundhognostication"