Our Host: Katrina Morrison
Katrina Morrison teaches English and German in a rural community in Osage County, Oklahoma. She has worked in education her entire career. This is her 19th year in the classroom. She has a master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to teaching, she worked in admissions and student services and in financial aid at Phillips Theological Seminary. This month marks her fifth year of writing and discussing poetry via EthicalELA.
Inspiration
Looking back at the last five years with EthicalELA, I discovered that we return every now and then to a tried but true form. One of those is the etheree. It was Glenda Funk, who first presented the challenge to write an etheree on April 30, 2020. In 2023, Stacey L. Joy, Angie Braaten, and Mike Dombrowski returned to the form. Our last encounter with the etheree was when Susan Ahlbrand shared it in June of 2024.
Process
Etheree Taylor Armstong, an Arkansas poet, created the simple eponymous Etheree. An etheree consists of ten lines with each line’s syllabication increasing by one. Line 1 begins with one syllable, line two has two syllables, line three has three syllables, etc. Proceed this way until you have composed a poem with ten lines.
As always, your own interests and the vicissitudes of life may direct you to write a haiku or a villanelle or free verse today. However, you may want to try the etheree on for size.
Here is my etheree from five years ago.
Katrina’s Poem
One
Leg, two
Legs, three legs,
Four, black eyes, gray
Snout, true omnivore,
Doesn’t bark, only licks
Not a pure breed but a mix.
Nestles snuggly in her big bed;
On the couch by me, I stroke her head.
A truer friend is hard to find, so kind.
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers.
Peaceful Etheree
Still
is hard
to come by
usually there
is giggles and some
shrieking and tears and then
singing and laughing again
but for now the noisemakers are
being loud in Somewhere Else with their
grandmother and the stillness is real weird
oops
don’t trip
watch your step
there goes our food
pizza flies through air
girlfriend ducks, screams in fear
the dog thinks its a new game
he leaps and snags the pie midair
now he’s king of lunch, proud and smug
meanwhile, we’re all left hungry and sad
Nooooo! I love the description, although I’m sad the dog got the pizza.
Hilarious! Well done! It flows perfectly and the images come through like a movie.
This is honestly so funny, and I love it. You tied in everything very well and flows great.
I’m
Thinking
About you
You never leave
a revolving door
constantly around me
no reason; just always there
I always want to ask you, why?
Now I know I won’t get an answer
One day, I hope you tell me everything
Ang, this poem is so mysterious. Leaving me wondering who the you is and why the disconnect, but in many nostalgic ways because I’ve been in similar situations. Thanks for sharing.
Tomorrow
by Mo Daley 4/16/25
Let’s
put today
to bed. I
mean, it was kind
of a lot. My stomach
was knotted, my head was swirling
with too many unknowns- the bane of
my existence. It’s all too much. So now,
I lie in bed, counting words on my phone
and hoping that tomorrow I’ll be able to breathe again.
I love that you modified the Etheree to represent the number of words per line rather than syllables. I have done this before and now I want to revisit my poem; revise it to be number of words.
Oh, I hope you feel better tomorrow. I’m so glad you stayed up to count these words. Peace and a good rest for you, Mo!
Hugs, Mo! I hope tomorrow is better for you! I love how you simply phrased “it was kind / of a lot”. I know those. Night night.
What a coincidence that you captured my day as well!
Oooh! I love an etheree! Thanks for the opportunity Katrina. Mine was written in response to the National Poetry month poster.
This is the World
shared
you, me
together
this is the world
I want to live in
dancing to my own beat
feeling rhythms inside me
different from those you’re tapping
synched or syncopated, we can lift
each other, singing out tunes the world needs
Kim Douillard
4/16/25
https://thinkingthroughmylens.com/2025/04/16/this-is-the-world-npm25-day-16/
Kim,
I love the rhythm of your poem. I want to live in that world too. I hope we can get there!
The world needs more poets and poetry. Thank you for capturing their healing powers with this sweet poem.
Kim,
in the interest of transparency, I’m a drummer. That said, what a great poem with rhythm as the centerpiece. You really leaned into the form, building rhythms as the lines got longer. We definitely need songs more than ever to uplift one another.
What a lovely poem to read at the end of the day, Kim. I love how upbeat it is (sorry- I couldn’t resist!)
Love Gate A-4 and the poem you created from its inspiration. The dance and song is joyous!
This makes me just feel love. Like it screams love and I love it thank you.
I
want to
pen poems
of happiness
Light, airy, hopeful
but the world is too full
of harbingers of evil.
Doomscrolling social media
for the most recent account of hate.
An etheree unfinished
Yes, yes, yes, Cheri. I concur! And I love the craft decision to leave the last line “unfinished”!
Cheri, I love the anticlimax of this. Truth!
The last line is so powerful. The break in style to parallel the breaks in our society/world conveys the heaviness in the air. Beautiful and heartbreaking.
Wow! I love your decision to leave the last line unfinished, Cheri. Very powerful.
I really love the last line and the decision to leave the poem unfinished. I also really like the searching for hate on social media. it really paints how people focus on hate too much.
I didn’t think I’d be able to write this week because my mother-in-law who has been in and out of hospitals for months, is now being given palliative care. Sometimes her room is crowded and sometimes one or another of us finds quiet, alone, bedside time with her. This poem seemed to write itself.
For Sandy, with Love
Pain.
I watch
helplessly
as you breath in,
grimacing with each
short, broken, tortured breath.
Squeezing your hand, I think of
the little boy whose hand you held
to keep him safe, to show him how to
love. Leaning over, I whisper, thank you.
Ann, you poem brings me to tears remembering the grimacing and tortured breaths you describe as you remember she held her son’s hand, not that long ago. May you all find peace in this chapter of life.
This is stunning, Ann. Phew. It is a thank you that can only be understood between those who have raised good people…those who have an eye on time. Gorgeous. This is a scene so many know…or will know. So tough.
Ann, this is a beautiful etheree, an ode to your mother-in-law. I teared up at “the little boy whose hand you held”…precious. May she be in comfort in these final days, surrounded by love.
Ann, I am so sorry. It hurts to see lived ones suffer. I hope you find peace in those good, kind memories. Hugs!
Ann,
I know this pain well. I pray that your mom-in-law feels peace and comfort. Love that sweet ending because don’t we all want to hear gratitude for raising our children right and for the way they love their mates.
Ann, this was a beautiful tribute. I’m so sorry.
Ann, I’m so sorry for you and your family. You are in my thoughts. This is such a tender moment: “Leaning over, I whisper, thank you.” Thank you for this.
Ann,
Your poem is so raw and vulnerable. It is a reflection of the bitterest part of loving another. Hoping for peace to be with her.
So beautiful, Sandy. The image of the hands – you holding hers, her holding little his. Sending peace
Thanks for choosing to write. It’s amazing what comes out of these kind of moments so naturally and beautifully. When you turn to him mothering your husband and giving thanks, so beautiful. What a poem for your mother in law
A beautiful tribute to her. I like the two sets of holding hands you describe. And the whispered thank you at the end.
each day brings worse news
I
walk fast
to sweat out
the spiraling
within my body
the unsteady feelings
the upside down emotions
the unceasing jumble within
due to this cruel administration
I cannot possibly walk fast enough
You describe the “spiraling” emotions those who stop to notice and read all share. I cannot walk fast enough to take the pain away and i feel compelled to follow updates on the latest evidence of bullying that we must endure waiting and hoping for the courts? to turn this ship around.
It’s so hard to be alive right now. I felt that mirrored back to me in your poem. There is no way to hold it all, walk it out. We just have to hold on and hold each other as the emotions swirl.
“[T]he unceasing jumble within / due to this cruel administration.” Yep. THIS. Thank you for articulating this so well, Maureen!
Maureen,
I’m so with you on how you’re feeling—“I cannot possibly walk fast enough” really encapsulates the urgency and fear of the moment.
Maureen,
This is a superb Etheree. I love the last line and the cause/effect relationship from walking fast juxtaposed with the reality there is no fast enough or soon enough when it co
es to getting away from the current regime.
busy
too much
making a list
buy some ripe bananas
take Sis to the airport
hoping to get in a walk
but there’s a hungry cat under my feet
wanting full attention and a treat I don’t have
can’t wait to be sitting and have it all done.
Thanks, Katrina. This one tells all about my busy day.
These words made me smile “there’s a hungry cat under my feet” – that little being will keep you focused on the here and now. Hope this busy day is done and you are sitting with your feet up!
Your description of the many tasks awaiting you is interrupted by your description of the hungry cat. It is the perfect change of directions in this poem. Lovely
Susan,
Some days feel this way. Too much to do, and a cat reminds us what we’re missing!
Susan, I feel like we are soul sisters when I read your poem. Sitting seems like such a luxury!
I
Look young
For my age
I chuckle at
The misconception
That I am a first year
Do my crows feet and laugh lines
Not tell the world all around me
How I traveled on a non-trad route?
In my ninth year, of ELA classroom bliss
Adorable! This is such a fun line – “How I traveled on a non-trad route?”
As one who has always looked young for my age, this poem made me laugh…of course one day I woke up and those crow feet and laugh lines had dug in…no matter ~ this poem made me laugh! Enjoy your classroom bliss!
I sure wish I looked younger than my age! It’s a great poem and congratulations on your ninth year.
Hello Katrina, What fun to think tight as we write, hoping to get it all right. Or is that alright or allright?
Day
Or night
We have fun
When sun is up
Or not even around
Just grinning like a clown
Fun is being with my friends
Chatting, eating, or just laughing
We read, we write. It’s mostly online
We’ve done it for years and get along fine.
Anna, I love the way your poem draws me in and how I slowly figure out you are talking about this very group here. Nice!
This is adorable!! I hear both adult and child voice as narrator. It’s so much fun!
I love this, Anna! Wonderful etheree.
It took me about 4 reads and a glance at Katrina’s comment to confirm you were talking about this group. Very creative
Anna, your poem looks so perfectly aligned. Yes, chatting, reading, writing –everything is better with friends, especially here. Love the joyful drawing you added for day and night. Thank you!
Yes! The fact that Sarah has the EE pages open so that we all Can contribute wherever we are on the globe! When it nearly midnight for some, it’s morning or midday for others. Thanks everyone for telling us what was poems is saying to you.
Changing Times
We
came to
celebrate
your dancing, but
we left a little
bit closer and a lot
sadder – the last performance,
traditions coming to an end,
family dynamics shifting, but
witnessing your ascent to the zenith
Heather, your poem is poignant. I imagine a prom event, and I understand the way certain traditions single change. Knowing it’s the last dance adds a level of sadness, but I love how you end on such a positive note. Fantastic, relatable poem!
Heather, your title “Changing Times” and the explanation of the poem, “the last performance” perfectly capture the bittersweet nature of our loved ones growing up. “…traditions coming to an end…witnessing your ascent to the zenith.” Perfect.
Heather,
You’ve gifted us a bittersweet poem. Watching young people excel and dance into their own lives does this, especially this time of year.
Your poem captures what my heart feels now as my granddaughter graduates and moves away to college. She has her own life starting and the visits to Grammy will be seldom.
That last line – “witnessing your ascent to the zenith”…I hear a mother’s love and pride resonating here. Beautiful!
Heather, I love this. I really like how you articulate family changing.
Katrina, I love your sweet portrait of your pup!
Binoculars
in hand,
I spy him:
black and white woodpecker –
a flash of red crowning
his little head as he pecks
the feeder, there all day, snow and
cold be darned, and I wonder at his
patience and dogged persistence as he spills seeds to
those below, who patiently wait their turn to fill bellies.
Your etheree captures this moment perfectly. I love how the woodpecker’s work benefits those below.
Wendy, I love how you capture the way birds will take advantage of each other. i see the same kind of thing happen between the eagles feeding high in tress and the crows waiting below to capture their scraps. I really like the focus on action here and how you crate the image of the woodpecker and his actions. Fun poem!
Wendy,
This form kind of replicates the pecking woodpecker. Your description is so precise and clear. As w/ Barb’s poem, I see and adore the color imagery, too.
Wendy, I love the image of you, the watcher, with “binoculars/in hand” and the watched “…he spills seeds to / those below…” and those watching the watched, “who patiently wait their turn to fill bellies.” As the length of the lines gets longer, the scene becomes more layered.
Wendy, I see “binoculars” and immediately think of the theater or opera. You fooled me here. ))) Your spying on a woodpecker is something. You description allows me to see him the way you do. Beautiful!
What a great description of this woodpecker–I feel like I’m looking through the binoculars!
After being on the road for over fourteen hours, I came home to an incredible moon whcih inspired today’s poem.
Mississippi River Moon
moon’s
brilliant
magic casts
golden arrows
across the river’s
midnight blue, igniting
an impossible pathway
for our careless hearts to follow
16 April 2025
I love the sound of this poem, and the words “impossible pathway for our careless hearts to follow” make me want to search for this path. Your words make it seem truly magical.
Barb, how gorgeous! I think I need to experience a midnight blue river with a moon like this. Maybe I will start a journal of beautiful things I must see!
Barb,
I saw that gorgeous moon photo. Your poem echoes yesterday’s nature colors. And it reminds me of color imagery in The Great Gatsby, particularly in the reference to “careless hearts.” I’m reading the book “Careless People,” so Gatsby is on my mind.
Barb, I think there is a story in the words, “igniting an impossible pathway for our careless hearts to follow.” Where does the pathway lead? Why is it impossible? I love the “careless hearts.”
How perfect! golden arrows across the river’s midnight blue…what a lovely description... your careless heart is a poetic one!
This poem does not sound like the tired after 14 hours of driving kind of poem! Instead, it sounds like someone who has just observed the magic of a magnificent image over a homestead that can only be followed by the heart.
I saw that incredible picture you posted on FB, Barb! Your poem vividly describes that moon’s “magic casts.” I am thinking about those pathways that our hearts may attempt to follow. Gorgeous!
I’m awed by how you crafted this so simply & beautifully. Gorgeous!! I like the feel of an 8 line etheree.
Wow, the way you explain this, I can see the “impossible pathway” on “the river’s midnight blue” Such a beautiful image you have cast. And that last line with “our careless hearts” is gorgeous.
Barb, the mystical power of the moon is real here in your lines. The use of “midnight” blue makes the dark even darker and more alluring – the power of a well-chosen word! Same for “igniting” – it has a dangerous feel. It is a warning, for of course our careless (maybe sometimes mindless) hearts want to follow the arrows. To drown, essentially, since they are on the “impossible pathway” of the river! The imagery is just beautiful – I can see it all so clearly.
Katrina, I love how you play with rhymes within your lines and describe your snuggly pooch and the comfort she brings! Lovely friend, indeed! I was inspired by an unexpected treasure in my laundry this morning. It’s been an intense week, and this moment made me really happy!
I Found my Hero of the Week
Pink
squishy
dinosaur
survived washer
and drier: intact!
I found her ready to
soar above my toddler’s head.
he giggles, scoops her up, “again!”
I pull her flexible wings back and
let go! Been through the wash and still she flies.
Love the focus and action of your poem. It is amazing what things accidently go through the wash, but I love the toddler’s giggles, and the ending line is priceless!
Emily, the number of times I’ve given my daughters friends an inadvertent bath! I could relate tot this and loved the flow of your enjambed lines which your poem sound so natural.
Emily,
I love the pink flying dinosaur! Your poem and Denise’s are celebrations of the Littles we love.
Emily, you take me back a couple of decades with the one word “again.” Oh, how I loved to hear that word and repeat whatever simple action brought joy to a little one’s heart and to mine.
Emily this is great ~ my favorite line (and one I’d embroider on a pillow if I did such things)— Been through the wash and still she flies. I love that line. Love it!
I can see this “lovely” fresh out of the washer and ready to love again. Lovely
I love the way the first three lines are single words! Sets the scene perfectly.
Katrina,
Thanks for the shout-out and for celebrating our furry friends. I’m w/ you in believing mixed breeds are the best.
Last month I wrote a blog post about the NYT Spelling Bee, which I recently started playing. At the time I did not realize Genius is not the highest level. My MTP mentor told me about Queen Bee status.
S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G
BEE [Etheree]
I’m
. May-
obsessed describes 
minded need to find each 
hind the honey
Bee pollinating phonemes
so I whir & work for words.
hooked on
New York Times
Spelling Bee
be
my buzzing, hovering
hive
word hiding be
comb. Queen
wears the crown,
Glenda Funk
April 16, 2025
Glenda, wow, your poem is delightful! I love the bee emojis and your word choice is brilliant. I especially adore the action words like hovering, buzzing and hiding and how you show your obsessive efforts to become Queen Bee each day. Love the image of wearing the crown and your last phrase is especially apt “so I whir & work for words.” Your poem is honey sweet!
Glenda, I loved the whimsy in this, and the bees were adorable! Loved your wordplay:
“whir & work for words” and all of your bee allusions!
I love playful poem about your obsession with the Spelling Bee. It was so fun!
You are so darn creative!! I haven’t gotten hooked on the daily Spelling Bee because I refuse to stop trying to get Wordle in one try.
Your poem is
utiful!!
Tis one buzzing temptation I avoid. I’m addicted to so many other things, and the few times I played, I’ve quickly realizes the addition would come quick! LOVE THE BEES!
Glenda, I love your use of emojis to illustrate the bee. “May be obsessed” captures the essence of trying to find every single word. I can’t EVEN play it on a school day. It is a luxury saved for spring break and Saturdays (maybe). Nice!
I love this as I too am totally addicted to the Spelling Bee. It took me a while to warm up to the thinking and strategies, but all those years of teaching phonics and word strategies has sure come in handy. I’ll think of you as I try to go from Amazing to Genius in just a little bit!
Such a fun poem, Glenda! Love all the alliterations with “h” and “w.” The sound effect creates that humming buzz of the bee hive. I am not playing Spelling Bee. Daily Wordle and Connections are enough to start my brain in the morning.
I’m so impressed with your ability to find all those words. It makes me exhausted trying. I love the look of your beautiful poem with the sweet bees. “hive minded need to find each / word hiding”
I started with wordle, then connections, then my students introduced me to stands now I guess I have to try spelling bee!!! Fun poem!
Feel
free to
reject this
prompt for something
else entirely
or nothing at all, dear;
for a poem must serve you–
your heart, your mind, your writerly
needs, not be a burden nor nag beats
from your pulse, only nurture ways with words.
Sarah,
Good job honoring the prompt and each poet’s choice. “nurture ways with words” is lovely alliteration and why we keep returning to write each day.
Sarah, I loved this line best:
“nor nag beats
from your pulse,”
A sensitive and insightful way to describe this.
Sarah, I like how you capture Katrina’s message at the end of her prompt. Poetry does nurture us in so many ways, and I love how you ended this etheree: “your writerly
needs, not be a burden nor nag beats
from your pulse, only nurture ways with words.” Amen!
Brilliant!! This could be a mid-point poem to help us all push on and keep writing regardless of the prompts.
Sarah, I love the irony in your following the prompt while reminding the listener/reader to “feel / free to / reject this prompt.” I am literally smiling as I type this.
I have long felt this community just “too strong” and “too good” for a fledgling wanna be writer like me; however, I was wrong. This is a group that encourages each of us to write from your heart. It’s pretty amazing.
Sarah, your poem captures so well the very reason so few leave this group. We feel welcome and supported. It’s been a delight to see new ones join and a joy to recognize so many who’ve been on this journey for years. You leadership opens space each of us to be ourselves and doing so, we’re open to learning with and from others.
This looks like it could be an invitation for each of our prompts. I love how you followed the prompt, yet knowing and reminding us that we don’t have to do the prompt. Our writing should “nurture ways with words” So beautiful!
Hello from your northern neighbour! I have been writing a poem a day for this lovely April Poetry month and using ELA to inspire me and teach me. Thank you! I am a retired teacher so thinking of you all in the trenches and love your support of each other. Reading a poem of a few days ago fed me a few lines to use in this fun Etheree format for us all in this tumultuous, fraught world.
Canada, what now?
Strong
and free
we will be,
land united.
And what of our friends,
In the rockets red glare?
Kind, caring – aghast at what
becomes when corruptions unleashed?
Compassion, tolerance, love must be
our choice, together we’ll all stand strong, free.
Marla,
Many of us are horrified by the evil in our administration. I try not to miss an opportunity to speak against it and am glad Canada is turning from Orangey and his minions.
Marla, thank you for sharing a Canadian’s perspective. I’m so glad you shared your poem. Your word choices are powerful, and I feel the deep need for compassion and tolerance, and fear for myself the corruptions being unleashed. “aghast” is truly an apt descriptor for many actions of our current nation’s state of affairs. Powerful poem!
Marla, loved, loved the tone of this, the rhetorical question…beautiful poem. I grew up in Buffalo. going back and forth across the border, frequently, and I still do spend a lot of my time and money there. It breaks my heart to think that Canadians might think of us in any other way than as friends and neighbors — your poem was full of hope, so thanks for it!
Welcome, Marla, from a disgusted and embarrassed american.
Thank you for your words of hope:
Marla, I love your employment of lines from the Canadian national anthem, which I is such a pleasure to hear. I also like the juxtaposition of the lyrics with our militant lyrics “rockets red glare.” May the words of Canada’s anthem ring true for all to hear (including those of us south of the border weathering this administration).
Love this! Yes, together we can stand strong and free. Your words give assurance.
Storm Clouds
Dance
in the
rain when clouds
turn gray and drop
their tears. Finding peace
in the chaos is not
easy. It takes courage to
step into the darkness and wait
for the sun. It will come in due time.
Hope will shine through clouds. So, dance in the rain.
Love the last line, giving us hope for the hope and encouragement to dance.
Melissa,
I feel some remnants of yesterday’s nature and color prompt threaded in here for me as a reader moving day to day with these various prompts. I love sitting in nature with this poem, even the melancholy of the tears and the gray, while waiting for the sun. Let’s dance. Yes.
Sarah
Awww, my colleagues’ name is Stormy (not THE Stormy from the news!) and I call her Stormcloud! I might have to send this to her as she just put down her beloved pup. So many truths in this. Thanks for this!
Melissa,
I’m reading this metaphorically as an invitation to resist and still find joy, i.e. “dance.”
I love the repetition of “dance in the rain.” We must do something while we “wait for the sun.”
This is fabulous, Melissa. It flows so naturally and doesn’t at all feel like a forced syllable count!
I like the rhythm of your lines, “Dance / in the / rain when clouds / turn gray…” The sound reflects the rhythm of the rain and the dance.
Hi Katrina,
I am so grateful for the etheree option today. It’s the 6th anniversary of my dear friend’s passing and I always like to honor her memory with a special poem. This was perfect for today. I love your poem for your doggie! Seems that I’ve read quite a few pet poems this month and that makes me so happy.
A Double Etheree in Remembrance of Lyn
Lyn,
dear friend
we miss your
smile and your laugh
how you lit up rooms
and captivated crowds.
Now you’re a star in heaven
angels in awe of your brilliance
but you’re also here, holding us close
because you know how much we need your love
your spirit permeates our spaces
beckons us from purple roses
and in yellow butterflies
dancing across our paths.
Your light lives in us
forever loved
we miss you
dear friend,
Lyn.
© Stacey L. Joy, 4/16/25
Stacey, first, this is a such a beautiful tradition for you to write and dedicate a poem to your friend. Second, your heartfelt tribute to Lyn is precious. These lines made me smile: “Now you’re a star in heaven / angels in awe of your brilliance.” Lyn, doesn’t just live in heaven, “her light lives” with you, and I know how much you miss her. Sending love and hugs.
Thank you for sharing this elegy etheree with us. What a lovely reminder that we can use our poetry in ways not articulated in the prompt, that we can imagine ways our writing can serve us each day, and here to honor Lyn.
Stacey, what a beautiful tribute to your friend. She sounds one of a kind, and I feel I got to know her from her brilliance, holding close, purple roses and yellow butterflies. May her memory continue to be a blessing- thanks for sharing your memories today!
This is a beautiful poem to honor your friend. I found my eyes tearing up “but you’re also here holding us close.”
Stacey, you show how even when we lose a loved one, they live on in our hearts and our lives. Poignant and loving poem . Hugs!
Love this. Love how you use words to bring all your JOY into the world, gifted others. You’ve lit our lives, too, with this poem. Thank you.
I’ve lost loved ones, too. Grief is so hard to experience. Thank you for sharing your friend and grief with us.
Stacey, I like the way your poem builds to the line “because you know how much we need your love” and then goes on to leave us with beautiful images.
Stacy what a powerful poem. I really liked who you decided to do a double etheree. the repetition of the first and last three lines is heart wrenching. great work.
And risking faux pas by posting twice- I challenged my 5th grade ELD class to try this form today because we have been playing with haiku and tanka, the natural next step!! They complained and whined the whole way through. And it was like tricking them into make a poem. The poem I wrote with them as I struggled with the prompt on my own:
I
made my
class try this
today and they
hated every bit.
But funny thing happened-
some complained and complained through
every syllable and new line,
until a poem formed down the whole page
and they smiled in amazement of them.
Great, keep encouraging the effort and the exploration. I teach 9th and I’m sure they are actually very similar.
C.O., don’t you just love with 5th graders groan and grumble then create something beautiful? Thank you for pushing them to write an etheree! They’ll love you for it.
C.O., “and they hated every bit” sounds familiar, but when they see the result, they are in awe. I see it over and over in my practice even in college classes. Thank you for sharing this story!
So often we have to trick them into believing they can do amazing and hard things. Or boring things! Well done. Isn’t it nice when you can see some progress or discovery because so often we, as their teachers, might not see our work in them. Loved that you could put this into poetry!
C.O., we don’t have many rules here (just respond to others), so if you are moved to post again. Of course, we’d welcome more poetry. The world can always use another poem. This is a fun way to model how we write our way into and through something. Have you found our free book 90 Ways of Community (see the store). The beginning has a system for getting students to write poetry, and one is to create a heart map for topics. If you have a poem form, you still need to find a topic that resonates with you. The heart map is great (form Georgia Heard).
C.O. – by letting them work through the challenge you gave students the gift of confidence! I can hear those grumbles loud and clear!!
Your students are like me. I often whine and complain about the day’s prompt and write until I love it. Side note: My response to complainers was “Thanks for sharing” and/or “Mo whine before your time.”
YES! Growing pains hurt! Write on!
I was thinking of doing this poetic style with my students, too. I’m glad it worked out in your classroom. Your courage to jump right in gives me courage to do the same thing. Thank you.
C.O., thank you for sharing your experience of sharing the poem with your students. Those smiles are priceless.
Perfect! And I totally identify with students who complain their way to success (I might even do that from time to time myself).
Oh, yes! What an illustration of what happens when children learn new and amazing things in spite of them. “until a poem formed” Yes!
I really challenged myself today and I’m quite pleased with the result. I love the kids’ poem book “Echo Echo” and so I tried that on top of the etheree. Enjoy
Write? Right.
Write?
But why
reveal you
instead of hide?
Conceal beautiful
thoughts, unsafe to others’
ears. Negativity spreads
when your wounded mind speaks before
your heart can stop it from hitting page
after page of truth that hurts your self-worth.
After page of truth that hurts your self-worth,
your heart can stop it: from hitting page
when your wounded mind speaks, before
ears’ negativity spreads.
Thoughts unsafe to others
conceal beautiful.
Instead of hide,
reveal you,
but why?
Right.
IMPRESSIVE!! The first 4 and last 4 lines hit hard. I agree, it is scary to reveal myself through writing – but there have been many times that it has been so worth it!
I love your creativity here and the variations of meaning.
I admire the dedication to form. Brilliant and vulnerable. Honest. Thank you for this poem of echoing truth.
american empire
my
body
should be mine
tempting, temple
but they have always,
always claimed it was theirs
planted stakes in stolen land
patriotism, tradition
do not speak out, but pledge allegiance
to the empire of america
Oh, my gosh, Kasey. Thank you for this. I love the lines “tempting, temple” and “planted stakes in stolen land.” The word empire is perfect in this poem, conjuring thoughts of Rome.
Ooooweeee, Kasey! I am standing and applauding this poem and you!!
Kasey, I so appreciate how you have called on poetry to serve as an argument, as a commentary. We need to use poetry to serve our hearts, be our voices,share our perspective, and recognizing how form helps us is essential. Your poem really uses the etheree’s economy of words to pack a punch.
Kasey,
Preach! I could not agree more:
“my
body
should be mine”
If I were still teaching I’d resurrect The Scarlet Letter, even if I had to read it to students, because it speaks to this moment. Powerful line:
”planted stakes in stolen land”
both the bodies of women and Native Americans’ land. Love your poem.
Wow, Kasey! I am reading and rereading your poem. You capture perfectly the harm of unfettered authoritarianism on a personal level. We tend to think of the body politic as collective. Your poem reminds me of the personal toll of “patriotism / tradition” run amok.
Wow. Gorgeous. So many good themes and strong words. Thank you for creating this truth bomb.
First, your poem format sounded scary but was really fun. Next, your poem is lovely and I love the way you started with the counting legs. ALSO, if that is a picture of your office/writing space, I LOVE it!
Here is a short piece of gluten free cooking for the holiday.
If
You love
Someone who must
Not eat gluten flour
You will find a way
To make yummy Italian Ricotta cookies
Substituting gluten flour for pricey almond flour
Smiling broadly at your accomplishment adapting the ingredients
So that everyone will be included in the gluttony
That we call holiday eating till stuffed without side effects.
Oh, I love this, Anita. You revisited the etheree in another way by adding an additional word in each line. The Italian Ricotta cookies sound amazing. And I love the word gluttony at the end of line 9. It seems so positive! Love that these will cause no side effects for the gluten free folks.
Me, pick me! I want to be included in the gluttony of any and all cookies. What a fun poem!
Anita,
What a great topic to show the ways a form can help us uncover our lived experiences and teach readers a little something about living in gluten-free relationships and the many ways we can cultivate inclusion!
Anita,
This clever Etheree belongs in a cookbook. I need that recipe!
Anita, I love the welcoming nature of your poem/table, where “everyone will be included in the gluttony.”
Ha I enjoyed this gluten free poem. My nephew has celiac and my dad is always trying to make things that are good dupes. Hard task. Sweet message.
Breathe.
Breathe in.
Cleanse your soul.
A coveted
momentary win;
existing without toil.
Wrap yourself in tranquil thoughts.
A barrier – pilfering noise,
a meditative evolution;
breathing is a private way to console.
Tracy, what a peaceful poem. Wow. So powerful. You’ve taught me a couple something here: “breathing is a private way to console” and I love “existing without toil.” We can do it anywhere. Thank you.
Tracy,
Oh, you got me breathing for sure. Exhale. I feel like this is a form of yoga– reading your poem. “a private way to console” — yes.
Such an important message!! “A coveted / momentary win; / existing without toil.” I wish it was easier to keep that feeling longer, instead of momentarily! Your poem invites the feeling, slow & calm.
Tracy, I am cutting and pasting your poem where I can see it in the morning. Thank you for your encouragement to “breathe / breathe in.”
“Private way to console” because we all have to breathe one way or another! I love this. What a soothing reminder.
Thank you for introducing me to a new form of poetry. It was interesting to think in syllable count.
Friendly Competition
Smack!
Ball flies
over net,
Returned fast, low
Dash forward, stretch- yes!
Got to the ball, tapped it
Hits the top of the net, rides
along the white taped edge, drops down
in their kitchen-one bounce, two bounces
Our point, we all prepare for the game point serve.
I felt like I could see the ball! Great job bringing your words to life.
Oh, my, I was all into this game on the the court, but then I saw “kitchen” and thought you were playing inside! After a minute of research, I learned there is a kitchen on the pickleball court. I need to learn this game before I get too old! Your “Friendly Competition” sounds like my kind of competition. You have captured the joy.
Yay for pickle ball. This poem is a great way to help readers puzzle out the sport by looking for clues. At first, I thought tennis, maybe volleyball, could be ping-pong, but the “kitchen,” was the key clue.
I like the way you take the whole poem to get to the “point” and remind us of how “we all prepare for the game point serve.” Since I do not play pickle ball, I am thinking of it metaphorically.
I love the idea of an etheree! I haven’t tried one before, so here it goes!
Nora Elena
Blue
and wide
open skies,
floating clouds sail
past the window and
inside I stare at my
new granddaughter sleeping – content,
milk drunk, perfect, peaceful and loved.
I don’t tire of gazing at her face,
taking all of her in for when I leave.
What a beautiful poem! Your last three lines capture that grandmom moment perfectly!
This is such a tender poem exuding the peace and joy of watching a newborn sleep. My favorite line- “milk drunk, perfect, peaceful and loved”. Congratulations!
Oh, sweet Nora Elena! This is so lovely. That 8th line with those wonderful adjectives made me smile so big. I love the never tiring of staring at a baby’s face. Beautiful poem!
Elisa, what a beautiful tribute to a grand baby. Your last two lines especially pull on my heartstrings “I don’t tire of gazing at her face, / taking all of her in for when I leave.”
Hi Katrina, I love the haiku because it shows us we can capture a world of sensations within fourteen syllables. I have never tried the etheree before. This one is dedicated to all the valiant teachers who need to be armed with utmost patience and resilience to ensure that the kids entrusted to you come out victorious. You are the true heroes.
Night
A knight
Dappled mount
Seeking glory
Jubilant jousting
Lonely, battle-weary
Wars waged in distant realms
Exploits woven in tapestry
Anon sung by bards in rhymed epic
Amid misty ruins of bloodied exploits.
Wow, what a metaphor for the valiant teachers out there! It is hard work. Here’s to the teachers. They are the true heroes.
Krish,
I am loving the word play and choice throughout with night and knight and then jubilant jousting alliteration as well as wars waged…woven. Such fun to read aloud.
Hi Katrina, fun prompt. It’s always time to write an Etheree. I love the sweet poem you wrote about your dog. I’m playing Grammy this week in the desert.
We’re
Diggers
Two shovels
Milo and me:
Excavators
Transfer sand here to there
Onto the porch in neat piles
Sweep off the sand and pile again
One is big, good for a volcano
So much sand. Is there time to move it all?
Oh, how I love that you included a photo! That opening two lines: We’re diggers. That invites me into the play and the movement you are so clearly enjoying today – – I chuckled at the last line, knowing you are there in the desert.
You and Milo have so much fun together, Denise! Can I come to play with you?
Thank you for a glimpse of your little digger.
Such a sweet poem to capture this memory!! I especially love the first half – sets the scene so beautifully!
Denise,
The first pronoun is everything “we’re,” sparking my interested in uncovering the who and the relationship captured and explored in this etheree. Diggers. Yes. I love that this is an excercise of transfer and creation rather than a finding.
I love the language of your poem, Denise. Your opening invites the reader right into your efforts to move sand. Your closing question is delightful as it looks like there is more sand than one can imagine. Thanks for sharing the sweet photo of one of the precious diggers.
Denise,
I love grandson poems, as you know. I’ll be spending the weekend w/ my grandson, so I’ll be writing new poems about our time together. Lots of action in your poem: diggers, excavators, transferees! You must be exhausted!
Denise, the first four lines could stand on their own, “We’re / diggers / two shovels / Milo and me.” They are perfect!
How sweet! So much sand and such a lovely poem and memory.
My budding artist, age 4
On
the walls
in her room:
a gallery.
Pieces selected
from her prolific port-
folio of markered works
(mostly mermaids and princesses)
each one signed and placed with special care.
What will her walls look like 10 years from now?
Lovely. May she never cease to be an artist!
Your poem touches on the creativity of childhood and that it should be treasured and showed off. The ending question is powerful. May her artistic, creative ways continue as she grows.
Ah, this sounds like it could make a lovely series of poems of what is on her walls throughout the years. In the first few lines, I thought she might have been drawing on her walls.
I love that 9th line “signed and placed with special care” Yes, a budding artist.
Rachel, your poem is a picture, a moment in time. The last line is a poignant reminder of how time flies, “What will her walls look like 10 years from now?”
Such a snapshot in time. How sweet
Read
a book,
or listen,
to find relief
during lunch or prep
and renew your sane-ness
so that you and your students
both survive the rest of the day.
Pride and Prejudice could work for you;
it certainly soothed my angst yesterday.
Hi, she who makes a book her friend is never alone. After decades of reading a book still works as a balm to a bruised soul.
Mekinzie, fun! You make the etheree look easy. Each line is perfection. I love the suggestion of the book in line 9, and the reason in line 10. Great poem!
Mekinzie,
I had a couch in my classroom. More than one student took a short rest on it during lunch over the years, and I lounged on it to read. It’s necessary to spend time in books during prep and/or lunch.
Mekinzie, thank you for the encouragement to “find relief during lunch or prep.” Honestly, I am terrible at this. I do think “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE could work for” me.
I like this “pro-tip”- I actually worked on this poem between meetings after school. Thanks for the imagery
This resonates so strongly!
Thanks Katrina for guiding us to Etheree today!
The Path
Each
morning
we pray “Lord
cover us in your
protective hedge…”
then send our precious boy
into an indifferent world
full of thorns and cliffs and monsters
hoping he has the skills and armor
to make it back, if prayer’s not enough.
Safely back home, we go over the day,
thrills and pitfalls along the road,
tend to wounds, repair the armor
fit him for life’s joys and pains—
“Let questions be your guide,
drink in adventure
keeping caution
at your side,
living
life.
Oh, I love the way that you arranged this poem! I appreciate the pattern and the richness of the lines!
I love how you build the poem up to ten syllables and then decrease it back to one. To me, it mimics the course of a day and the challenges that each day brings. Thank you for sharing!
Wow! Your etherees. are like a tree of wisdom reflected in the stillness of the mind. Thank you for sharing.
Dave, your poem shares every parent’s fear. The love here and desire to protect radiates. Love “drink in adventure/keeping caution/at your side”. Marvelous poem!
Create this in Canva and hang this on his wall. It’s so gorgeous and honest and real!
Dave, the form of your poem perfectly illustrates the way the day builds up and how we prepare for it with our children and the wind down and how we make sense of it.
Wow, Katrina! Your poem has such a lovely rhythm and rhyme to it making the poetry seem so friendly, just like your true friend. Fun!
These days I have been immersed in what is probably an obsession. Almost a year ago, I raced on a BMX track for the very first time in my life at age 41. And it was AWESOME!!!! I just kept showing up and crazy things have happened. Long story short, in January 2025 I qualified to go to the 2025 BMX World Challenge in Copenhagen, Denmark. The people at the tracks gave me a nickname: Sparkles. And I’m totally leaning in and running with it, bringing the message for others to shine their brightest. It’s been fun being a gateway to inspiring others to lean into their passions, even if it isn’t BMX like mine. And lately, I’ve liked the quote by John C. Maxwell about true leaders bring others with them across the finish line. And that’s what I want to do, even if its a metaphorical “finish line.”
Pursuing Passion
By Amber Harrison
Be
em ex
at the tracks.
Be the new year–
the sparkle and shine–
on your way to the chutes.
Breathe. “Okay, riders. Random start.”
Momentum forward, abs are tight.
Pedal, tuck, pull, push, jump, swoop, and curve.
Be the leader: bring them to the finish line.
Always up for a sports poem, Amber…each line and syllable are perfect within today’s poetic leadership. Sh’Zaam.
Thank you for sharing your passion with us! How fun to make it to Denmark for BMX biking!
Congratulations for that. Your poem has me feeling the excitement.
Amber—First of all, that’s awesome!
In the poem, I love his you capture the moment and the hectic sprint of the race. That ninth line is so full of movement!
Amber, I love the motion of your poem, “Pedal, tuck, pull, push, jump, swoop, and curve.” Wow!
Love the use of “be” here and enjoyed the syllables found in the sport. Thanks
Mowing Woes
Whoa.
When did
My lawn grow
Dandelions?
Wasn’t it just dead?
Now I have to mow it.
I dislike mowing my lawn.
As in I have to bribe myself
With ice cream after I am all done.
Perhaps I should plant prairie grass instead.
This was a fun prompt!
Ice cream is always warranted. Good luck convincing yourself to mow your lawn! I did enjoy reading how your lawn woes translated into poetry. Thank you for sharing!
Sheila, your poem is relatable especially now when the yards are just coming back to life and look a bit overwhelming and wooly. I love the questions you weave into your poem, but my favorite part is how you bribe yourself, and your last line is a hoot! Fun poem!
Sheila, I chuckled at the stream of consciousness style of your poem, “Now I have to mow it. / I dislike mowing my lawn.” You know, you could join the “No Mow Movement.”
LOL, Sheila! Hahaha! I love the humour in your poem!
Etheree Taylor Armstrong (1918-1994)
Thank
you for
sharing this
creative form
with the poetic
world, Etheree. I’m glad
to know the origins have
a poetic powerhouse at
the very core. You will forever
be remembered when I share Etherees.
copyright Jennifer Kowaczek April 2025
Katrina, I love writing Etherees but until today I did not know where the form came from.
Thank you for bringing the form to the forfront today. I’m going to do some more Etheree writing later today; maybe you’ll see me post again.
I love how you used the poetic form to create this tribute, Jennifer.
Ah, Jennifer, what a sweet shoutout to the poet Etheree Taylor Armstrong. I’m sure I’ll remember her more readily thanks to your poem.
Jennifer, I certainly hope we see your posts in the future.
1-2-3 Bir-Iki-Uç
Bir
Comes fog
Hiding all.
Islands gone pfft.
Everyplace socked in.
Sunset banished for now.
Sidewards lightning 3…7.
Pelting rain, wild swaying branches
Streetlights flicker, glow, survive the storm.
Surprise! Rain’s hailstones are also grey white.
Two
(Iki)
Strangest sky
We’ve ever seen
Solid deepbluegrey
Blocks of color to south
Outline white stucco houses.
All eyes shift to this bold display
of darkness mingling storm and near night.
But what of the clouds we more often have?
Last
Uç (3)
in the west
islands are back
with them a pale blue
high pressure front of air.
It scatters puffy storm clouds
by seeming to sit down on them
squishing them slowly, and letting grow
the sunset view we welcome back with joy.
Thanks to Katrina for the Etheree form and to Brittany for the “Color in Nature” prompt.
Ooh, that final etheree– I love the imagery of “seeming to sit down on them/ squishing them slowly, and letting grow/ the sunset view we welcome back with joy.” I will imagine storms squishing clouds from now on.
Martha, you really capture the awesome power of nature, especially in the first etheree. And then leading with color pulls the reader into the relief of a storm passed and a new day! I love the progression!
Martha, I want to visit the place you enumerate and so beautifully describe here. I like your “solid deepbluegrey / blocks of color to the south.”
A fun use of numbers and languages here
writer
a
fragment
of a line
of poetry
tugs at the edge of
the article on my screen
fingers on the keyboard poised
to capture images as they
escape from mental cages…I
should be writing up my research but
poems call, worlds to write into being
Melanie, I love that poems are calling to you. Listen.
Melanie,
I totally relate! I love how you describe the “tug” of the poem!
Melanie, yes – – what is amazing is when the researching and poetry collide. You and I are a lot alike – – the need to work, the want to write.
Melanie, thank you for surrendering to the “tug” and “call” of poetry. It is always the right thing to do.
Melanie,
Keep writing those poems that call to you! Your research voice will thank you!
Katrina,
I’m so glad you returned to the etheree. It is a fun format to write. I love the coziness of your poem. This line, “doesn’t bark, only licks” reminds me of my dog.
A Tree’s Hope (and mine too)
Tree
Outside
My window
Stands as witness
To the breaking morn
Sunrise over the sea
Holds promise of a new world
Perhaps the poets find a way
To make a change for good, to create
Enough love to cover over its sins
I love the imagery you create with your words. Well done!
Emily, this is lovely. The imagery of the tree and the sunrise and the sea is so peaceful. It definitely gives me the impression of “change for good, to create / enough love”. Thank you for sharing this. Now I want to write another one that captures moments like this.
Oh, that final line, Emily . . . I love that idea of “enough love to cover its sins.”
Emily, I have such an affinity for trees and yours keeps calling to me. Nature often provides us with new promise, in its cycles, its diversity, its unexpected surprises. I believe in these poets. I know that we can cover whatever we need to with love. Thank you for reminding us of that today.
Emily, your words and the image they create remind me of the power of nature and the powere of the poet “to make a change for good…”
Emily, I loved the way your etheree connected nature and poets. Thank you for sharing!
Katrina, this is what I needed today—a short poem with focused attention to syllables. I love your poem about your four-legged friend. The rhythm, rhyme, and flow create the friendly, relaxed tone.
Conversation with My Sweet Tooth
Can,
or may
I bake cup-
cakes on a week-
day? – tricky question.
What is your suggestion?
Tempting smile says yes to me
Without — morsel — of — hesitation:
You — absolutely, — positively — must!
Yes! I agree! Your rhyming makes this poem so much fun. I had that smile while reading it that says yes! Can you bring me one?
as a cupcake-loving human being, I hope you give yourself permission. You deserve it!
I stress bake so there was a magic in this poem for me! The idea of cupcakes midweek? Yum. I loved the “without–morsel–of hesitation”. What a great line!
Leilya, what an explorative and delicious poem here. I especially am captured by the use of the em-dash. Punctuation in poetry has been something of interest to me for the past several years. Thank you for sharing this.
Yes, I think the cupcakes are a must!
That was a rhetorical question, right? Cupcakes can be baked every day!
Leilya,
This is such a fun poem. I makes me want a pink cupcake – yum – I can taste it now!
Wow, now that looks like a cupcake and a half. Love your fun poem, but I sure wish I was biting into one of those tempting morsels myself! Yummy!
Leilya,
That question is rhetorical. Of course you must bake and eat the cake.
I did. Will bring them to my students tomorrow.
I love the dialogue within your poem. “Without – morsel – of – hesitation,” please continue to write and bake!
That was sweet. I didn’t read the title til after the poem and I liked it even more! Cute conversation
I love the answer from your sweet tooth! So cute! “Without — morsel — of — hesitation” is such a perfect phrase with its double entendre.
i had so much fun writing this etheree!! this is such a cool prompt!
etheree of a girl
i’m
not just
a girl who
walks with her hands
hanging by her sides,
i’m a girl with her heart
prettily adorning her sleeves
her arms soaring high above her head
on the dance floor, in the car, around
her family, friends’, lovers’ waists with ease.
Molly, your girl looks and sounds so amazing! I love the image of a dancing one especially with “her arms soaring high above her head on / the dance floor.” Thank you for such a positive outlook this morning!
Ohmergosh, Molly!
How fun is this! I like the contrast with how it opens with “i’m / not just / a girl who” and “I’m a girl with…” alongside the image of what the arms are doing. Keep being you! The world needs more of you!
I love the lines “I’m a girl with her heart/ prettily adorning her sleeves”– so visual!
Molly, I like the embrace you give yourself in your words, “i’m a girl with her heart / prettily adorning her sleeves.” I like the celebration of your words.
So fun loving. Playful and confident
Poem, I Guess, Technically
I’ll
write an
etherre
about writing
an etherre and
the difficulties of
typing and counting on my
fingers as I try and decide
what wonders my next line will hold while
still trying to make the syllable count.
____________________________________
Thank you, Katrina, for having us revisit the etheree for today! (And “fur babies” are the best couch buddies, aren’t they?)
Scott, thank you for making me laugh (9). I absolutely was counting on my fingers (12)!
HA! thanks!
this is so funny!!! i remember in middle school counting the lines on my fingers when i learned how to write a haiku, made me nostalgic!
Scott, this is precisely what writing an etheree is – waiting for that next line to come up with wonders, preferably with the right amount of syllables. Lol. This is a fun one!
And I struggle with counting haikus! Love the imagery, Scott. The tapping of your phalanges to keep the beat.
I loved reading this! I wrote one about writing as well–this one is so clever! I loved the part about the difficulties of typing and counting on my fingers. Great line!
Love this, in particular the title. The whole poem gave me a little chuckle.
I was counting on my fingers for my etheree, too!
Scott,
It helps to number lines to keep track of the syllable count. My fingers always get a good workout w/ this form!
The struggle is real!
Scott, so true! We must count on our fingers since we are writing poetry not theorems or equations.
So much finger counting today. The universal sign of haiku and relatives. Fun meta poem
Etheree: A Page, an Empty Canvas 4/16/2025
Blank
pages.
Taunting me,
alluringly
vast, empty, devoid
of ink, words, expression.
I’ll tip paint cans onto it,
Spill emotion, watercolor.
Let it dry, and harden, coalesce.
Embody meaning, imperfect abstract.
Such powerful parts of speech throughout this poem. I’m drawn to “vast, empty, devoid” and “dry, harden, coalesce”. I really like your title also!
Oh, James, this is too good to end. Do you want to try a mirror one, going from ten back to one syllable? Love this imagery: “I’ll tip paint cans onto it, / Spill emotion, watercolor.” Just beautiful!
I love how visual this poem is! The idea of being taunted by a blank page and tipping paint cans onto it…lovely. Just lovely.
James, I love those lines–so true: “Blank pages. Taunting me, alluringly vast…” I take from your poem the paradox of the invitation and the difficulty in answering it sometimes. That last line is beautiful.
I love that unexpected line: I’ll tip paint cans onto it. What a perfect way to liven up the empty page.
James,
Are you familiar with the poem “Echo Sonnet [to an Empty Page]? Your poem reads as though it’s in conversation with/ that poem. I love the personification of the blank page and your response to it. I’m a big fan of abstract art.
James, thank you for “spilling emotion” through your art.
Ooooh I love this metaphor and visual. Sometimes I “spill” the words and look back later and say, oh wow that was more profound than I thought at first take. Imperfect abstract. Love that. Thanks for sharing
Ben
Gibbard
did it to
me again. The
Death Cab For Cutie
song “What Sarah Said” is
a perfect picture of sadness
and loss and mortality. Now
I’m very seriously thinking
about death and life lived and life wasted
instead of being ready for my fun classes
today, teaching kids about literarature and heroes.
“And it came to me then that every plan
Is a tiny prayer to father time” “Love is watching someone die.” “Who’s gonna watch you die?”
Not perfect, but close
I was listening to this album and a podcast about this album on the way to school this morning. I really love this song (check it out if you aren’t familiar) but the problem is it is so heavy and makes my ponder such heavy things that it is hard to switch into excited teacher mode on a dime. Anyone else relate? Any similar feeling you share with me on being in the “wrong” headspace in a certain situation? I’d love to hear anything in the comment as I’m sure we all would. Thank you. Have a great day everyone.
I think we can all totally relate. Thanks for sharing this experience in your poem today. I listened to the song and sheesh, it’s powerful. I wasn’t really ever into Death Cab for Cutie but it brought me back to the days I listened to like Bright Eyes and stuff.
Luke, it’s okay to be in any space. We are humans, we relate, we emphasize, we get into the mood of what surrounds us. Yes, this song is very heavy, and I don’t know if I could listen to something like this on the way to school, but, on the other hand, I listen to the news from Ukraine every morning and somehow manage to turn on the switch when walk into the classroom. I haven’t heard about the band and their album until today. Thank you for sharing!
Thank goodness for the “Ben Gibbards” of our world who allow us a brief escape before “teaching kids about literature and heroes.” (Now, to check out Ben Gibbard).
Breathe.
Inhale
Through the nose,
Slow and steady.
Pause for a moment.
Get ready to exhale:
Really slowly through the mouth.
How are you feeling after this?
Are you ready to do it again?
Repeat until you are ready to shine.
A great meditation etheree. The form works so well with meditation prompts! This would be a cool exercise for students.
I love this!! A mantra of inhale, exhale, and steady breathing. This poem feels like one big exhale, a poem you can read to feel calmer after. Beautifully written.
OH, what a lovely description of breathing into that moment of needed peace.
Yes, thank you. I’m feeling ready.
Your poem made me slow down and follow your directions per each line. The last line is the best direction yet. Thanks for giving me a breather.
Julie, I am cutting and pasting your words along with those of Tracy, who also wrote here today, in a place where I can see them. I need the reminder.
Hi Katrina, thanks for bringing us back to the etheree. I first started here April 2020 and that was one of the first new poems I wrote as well! I’ve introduced most of my students to it since then. Before we went on April holiday last week, we did Earth Day poetry activities. Most of my 6th/7th graders said they didn’t know what a haiku was so I started there. Easy peasy. Then I started explaining what the etheree was and as I wrote the line numbers + syllables on the board one by one, I kinda blew their minds. They did so good with them. I showed them mine from 2020 and I also wrote a new one while they wrote theirs. Here it is:
Rain
Nonstop
Dripping down
The window pane
Humid atmosphere
Feels like a sauna in here
Fog hides part of the mountain
This is what the island has craved.
We can’t complain too much about it,
The rain will save Mauritius from a drought.
Hi Angie, I love your etheree because it is awesome and because I have such strong connection to the mountain you mention, having been on it for the past twenty years. And the rain on this mountain can be both fascinating and scary. I can feel the fog growing and hiding the mountain. Keep the poems coming!
Nicely done. I’ve never tried this form with my students but maybe I should.
Hi, Angie, I tried many forms with my students, but somehow this one escaped. I need to take care of it (lol). When I read your poem beginning with “rain” the etheree form helps me see that “dripping down,” and I imagine puddles by the end of the poem. I like the the rhyme and rhythm with rain-pane-mountain; atmosphere-here; about it – drought. Thank you for this beauty!
Angie, I know the students are loving the challenge of the etheree, and how wonderful that you write with your students and share your work. The world needs more teachers just like you.
Angie, I am so glad to read about your students’ efforts. What fun! I love the action within your poem and how it creates a mountain shape. Your imagery and focus on sensory appeal bring Mauritius to life. Loved your lines “This is what the island has craved.
We can’t complain too much about it,” as it personifies and shows a human reaction at the same time. Awesome poem!
Angie, I like the way your words in the etheree form mirror the accumulation of “Rain / Nonstop / Dripping down…”
Introspective Etheree
I
Or one
Or lowercase l
A barren tree trunk
Or a branch of one . . .
How many times in one day
Do I say, write, think, redirect, or
call attention to myself, like Cummings’s leafy loneliness?
Seeking to reach out, connect, open up, serve, but
Everything is still filtered through the perspective of personal experience.
I counted words, instead of syllables, so I hope this still counts.
Of course it counts! Your poem is filled with deep thought and I am drawn to:
“How many times in one day
Do I say, write, think, redirect”
because I wonder how many times I do.
Kelley, I think of this poem often, the e.e.cummings with the flipped leaf on the fall. So much depends on the lens through which we view it all. Clever lines today!
So clever! I believe that whatever helps us create…it doesn’t matter if it follows a designated form or structure. A new creation is always to be celebrated!
Kelley, your words “Everything is still filtered through the perspective of personal experience” reiterates the very personal nature of poetry. No matter where our poems go, we are still the person sitting in the room writing them.
Amazing, Katrina. This was more fun to unscramble in my brain than this morning’s NYT Wordle & Connections. Nothing better than an a.m. dog-tribute. Here’s to the mix-breeds…mixed-brains…mixed drinks…& mixed-media in our lives (I couldn’t help but play with the etheree visually) (& in reverse, too). First time I’ve learned of this clever, clever style.
Ethereal
eye
question
existence
extensively…
interrogation.
my supernatural
individuality.
how do i know if this is real?
3rd person wit. 1st person doubt.
Heterophenomenology.
You had me at “Eye.”
I don’t have the brain to connect poetry and art, but it’s quite clear you do! That visualization is incredible–the framing, color choices, and symmetry of it are absoutely stunning. What a way to play with the form!
So dang incredible!
Wow. I am blown away by the richness of the lines here. Such a rich vocabulary play as well as such a visual connection.
Bryan, that “eye” for “I” in the name of “eye.” And then–boom–heterophenomenology. The image just amplifies the message. Incredible!
Ok, Bryan! This is so good! The visual is mesmerizing (even before I opened it to take a closer look). The mirroring in two directions is incredible, and you’ve conveyed meaning with what appears to be ease but I know it takes a clever mind to play around and get exacting results like this. Bowing down to you today!
So clever. And love the ethereal title. I enjoy reading everyone’s unique takes on the prompt. Thanks for sharing your smarts with syllables.
Cool, Bryan, very cool! The poem, the picture — pure perfection — and so, so clever on multiple levels!
Katrina, I love your couch buddy. I have two couch buddies that make me smile like I do when I read your poem. I have omnivore cats. LOL.
Today, I turned an etheree into a prayer.
Dear
good and
gracious God,
bless this day, these
hours of sharing time.
Pour into me a love
that can be received, trusted
and counted on. Help me to learn
the way to be this season’s daughter.
to tend common ground in a place so strange.
Linda, what a beautiful and powerful prayer. We should all be praying for and tending to a common ground.
Yes, Linda! So beautiful as a prayer…so natural. Nice.
You’re there prayer is lovely Linda. “To be this season’s daughter” is a phrase that made me think how to be one as well.
Common ground in a place so strange . . . I think that’s ground we are all trying to walk. Well said, and lovely prayer.
I love this etheree prayer. A teacher’s prayer/mantra/what have you, for all of us for sure. Thank you.
Thank you, Linda. These hours of writing and reading are indeed blessed.
Linda, that last line stays with me…..and how to be this season’s daughter too. We are in that strange season between aging parents and grandchildren, and boy do we need the love.
Beautiful.
What a beautiful prayer! I want to join you “to tend common ground in a place so strange.”
Thank you for this prompt, Katrina! It is so fun to be counting syllables
I wrote this etheree this morning on how it feels to mother teenage boys (and their friends)
boys
soon men
sometimes tough
but not yet wise
holding back, in fear
of not looking like men
bring them food, and they will talk
maybe even they shed a tear
give them advice that they will ignore
then release them softly into the night
I enjoy the syllable counting too. The truth of sons is right here. Every word is something I have felt while watching my boys.
“Bring them food, and they will talk.” Your poem perfectly captures the essence of teenage boys!
Jaime, I read the poem without your commentary above it…then said, “This sounds like parenting,” so I read that it. Phew. There are no rule books…just hope. Hope for all kids in the home…especially those “in fear / of not looking like men” (great line).
Moving from
“maybe even they shed a tear”
to
“give them advice that they will ignore
i think totally sums up an almost man boy’s adolescence!
I sure can relate to your poem! Especially the line, “give them advice that they will ignore.” Oh, but I keep it coming anyway. Your poem may inspire me to write a parenting poem today too!
Another great poem that teachers can deeply relate to. Thank you.
I love this! As someone who has never experienced motherhood, I tied this into the feeling of teaching boys! I love the detail and emotion here. Amazing work.
These boys are lucky! Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us.
Son of a Onion
Spring
Sprung Some,
But no sun,
Shun my onions,
No seedlings have spun,
So, onions I have none,
But, Spring is not yet done, son,
The fun in the sun has begun,
Look, I see one growing in the run,
I’ll put my hair in a bun, and grab one.
Wow! look at all the fun rhymes you packed into this etheree. Fabulous! You took etheree to a whole new level.
Always love the wit and playful rhyme, boxer. Now I’m singing Sir-Mix-a-Lot.
Clayton, this is a fun way to celebrate spring (even without as much sun as we’d hope for just yet).
Katrina, thank you for returning to this form. I had forgotten about it. Your poem about your dog made me smile.
Time
We
never
imagined
getting older
bodies slowing down
sands of time slipping through
the hourglass more quickly now
yet there is still much life to live
places to go, memories to make
at a slower pace with wisdom and grace.
Rita, thank you for this graceful poem! That last line made me smile; it IS wonderful to grow older!
A colleague at work has a unique way of saying, “true-true.” It’s what I want to say after reading your etheree. true-true.
There’s an hourglass shape that gets created with this style of poem and I love it (almost could be written backwards within the etheree style…10…9…8..etc, to shape an hour glass). And yes…time…I’m aiming for the slower pace, but need someone to guide me!
Love your internal rhyme in the last line!
Love this. I think this going to be my nightly prayer. Thank you.
What a beautiful look at evolving with grace. Thanks for this lovely rhyme too.
Katrina, I haven’t written many etheree poems so I welcomed the opportunity to try the form today. I love how you captured your loving pet in your poem. I wrote about an illustration by E. H. Shepard from The Wind in the Willows. It’s featured on my website today as an invitation to write: This Photo Wants to be a Poem.
Toad
Rat, Mole
in color
sing from the page
a long ago tune
inviting young readers
to skip stones across stories
adventures in the great wild wood.
Illustrators capture our heroes,
and our imaginations for all time.
“skip stone across stories” what a delicious phrase.
You won me over with “to skip stones across stories.” BOOM, Margaret!
Margaret, I hear the passion for illustrations coming through loud and clear today! Oh, how I loved those books as a child.
Never enough of the etheree!
Each year during state testing, I seem to write a poem ranting about it. Here’s this year’s installment:
WTH?
state
testing
love stripping
stress inducing
what is the purpose?
measure rather than feed
time eater for other things
so much instructional time lost
the seeds of learning don’t get nurtured
less passion leads to a soulless people
tax
spending
corruption
costing millions
money NOT to schools
lining corporate pockets
greed trumps the developing love
they can’t even write a poem
because it’s not a tested standard
non-stop use of brain-numbing devices
~Susan Ahlbrand
16 April 2025
Love these! I am also sitting in state testing, and your poem spoke to me. I love that last bit “they can’t even write a poem/because it’s not a tested standard”. Preach!
Oh, my! I relate to both of your poems today and am with you. Your lines, “they can’t even write a poem /because it’s not a tested standard” really struck home.
Susan, your poem’s title had me immediately laughing even though the topic is not humorous. Testing is truly a waste of money which you show brilliantly in your poem. The main reason I agree is the instructional time lost, and I adore the line “less passion leads to soulless people”. Your final line is also striking “non-stop use of brain-numbing devices” If only people would begin to see the worthlessness of all the testing. Near the end of my career, students were testing four times a year that lasted several days. Yikes!
I’ve never written an etheree, Thank you for this prompt, Katrina. I’m writing this while proctoring standardize tests for a group of girls who receive extended time. It is a practice in patience.
Spring.
Testing.
Third grade girls –
Breathe in, Breathe out.
First time taking test,
All nervous energy –
Fidgeting, tapping, sighing.
Take a deep cleansing breath again.
Slow down, be attentive, be mindful.
It is just one little test, your first in spring.
Oh, for more patience! This form mimics the test taking process so well. Jump in. Keep going. Building and building in pressure and time. I love those breaths. They are such a good and necessary reminder (for all of us) as we face the hard things. I notice that the short breaths in the short lines are followed by deep, longer breaths in the longer lines (again, reflecting the process). Sending good thoughts their (and your) way!
Wow, in such a short poem with your use of textual features and “fidgeting, tapping, sighing” you have shown the truth of testing anxiety. It’s so ridiculous to do this to small children!
Joanne, a perfect way to spend proctoring time – -poeming!! Love how you capture the feeling of released anxiety in the breathing.
Katrina,
Thanks for bringing us back to the etheree and sharing your sweet pup with us.
reconnects me with all the loyal dogs I’ve known.
———————————————————
bike
dusty
vertical
waiting for me
to heal, ride again
united in motion
pedaling, weaving, coasting
wandering streets and green treed trails
my muscles working, my mind clearing
free to seek beauty and strangeness of home
Sharon, the movement in your poem pulls me along as if I’m riding with you (or maybe being pulled along in a kangaroo bike:) “United in motion” is such a compelling line–uniting the reader and the writer–and your verbs (pedaling, weaving, coasting – all the fun parts) make me want to ride again too!
Sharon, I could feel the anticipation of “pedaling, weaving, coasting” and the speed at which you want to return to biking. I hope you are riding again soon because it sounds essential to your well-being.
I love the personification of a bike waiting for you to heal. What a friend that bike is…seeking beauty with you, helping you to do that.
Hopefully you’ll be biking again soon! I fully understand the frustration of healing, movement is so important to mental health. I love the image in the first couple lines, as if the bike itself feels alien being verticle. Thank you for sharing!
Sharon, that is one thing I sure miss about living in a neighborhood with paved roads – – a bike! I like this bike for waiting on you to heal, to take you to new places. Simply gorgeous!
Sharon, I join your prayers for full recovery so you can ride again. Your poem reminds us to explore home to
”seek the beauty and the strangeness”.
It’s that combination that makes walks and rides in familiar places a rejuvenating adventure.
Take care.
Katrina, our love of the etheree is evident from the number of times we challenge writers to use this form. You bring your dog to life one syllable at a time until we have the full image–perfect for an etheree! Thanks for getting us counting again today!
we
arrive
together
every day
drawn by april’s pull
to spin word sorcery
create a word concoction
send our magic into the world
an offering to the language gods
hoping to soothe souls in a troubled world
Jennifer, brilliance! to spin word sorcery – – yes, word concoctions, yes! Yes to all of this. As Ada Limon says in her final line of Instructions for Not Giving Up……I’ll take it! I’ll take it all! Those language gods and the soothing souls. Magical.
Poetry certainly does “send our magic into the world.” I love the line “to spin word sorcery.”
Jennifer,
thank you for your lovely tribute to this community of poets that I am so grateful for.
I’m struck by your verbs:
You show the power of writing in community.
What an excellent depiction! The last 2 lines are exactly how I feel about playing around with poetry- thanks for capturing that feeling in words!
Yay! Yes, ma’am. “Drawn by April’s pull” is wonderful.
Jennifer — You captured precisely what this is…a “pull” and an act that “soothe[s]” and I’m grateful. Your poem is just right. Hugs, Susie
What a great poem for this community!
“Hoping to soothe souls in a troubled world.” Amen.
Jennifer, I always love reading your poetry. I have to tell you that there was a poem you wrote a few years ago that I based a poem on that I wrote to a friend dying of cancer as a sort of thank you to her. I’ll have to share it with you sometime.
I love you line, “ to spin word sorcery” and the image of sending magic into the world.
Oh, that is so kind of you to share with me. I’m grateful that it helped your friend too. I would love to read yours when you are ready.
Yes, Jennifer, what a great way to bring us together in this etheree “to spin word sorcery / create a word concoction / send our magic into the world,” and become friends along the way. Your words are unique and precious as always.
Jennifer,
You are wonderfully idealistic in this poem. There are days I’m here because I’d hate myself if I were to quit. Today, I’ll wrap myself in your words and check my heart and motives. Of course your poem is full of clever sounds and wordplay.
Such beautiful word choice, Jennifer. You definitely didn’t simply settle for choosing words that met the syllable constraints; your word choice is masterful.
Thank you for reminding us of what we do here by “send[ing] our magic into the world / an offering to the language gods / hoping to soothe souls in a troubled world.”
Jennifer, poetry IS magic! That final line is sublime – speaking to the healing power of writing. So amazing when you think of all that certain arrangements of words can do. “Word sorcery” captures it so…magically.
Ah, the etheree! It’s one of those forms that has just enough space to take you any which way. Thanks for bringing it back today, Katrina. Love the rhyme in yours, as well as the tribute – what is life without the pure, infinite love of a dog?? I went with my first thought today –
Fresh Breath-aree
They
always
know, children.
Instinctively
they offer a hug
just when you need it most.
Our most precious resource, yes.
Maybe more so, our connection
to magic realms and hidden wonders.
They keep us hoping for all humankind.
They are this breath of fresh air, children, put in such honest and simple terms without all the complications and games. And the truth that escapes their lips – – only those of of who have taught young ones understand The Emperor’s New Clothes and how a child will address the proverbial elephant in the room without hesitation…..and in the same turn, knows to just be quiet and be present and hug us. You capture their sweet spirit so honestly here.
Fran,
Thank you for bringing us these reminders:
Fran, we are both writing of magic today–I’m so glad we are putting a bit out there in this messy, messy world. Children are so perceptive and they care so much. I tell my 7th graders often that they give me hope for the future. I think it was William Wordsworth who believed that children smile more often because they were most recently closest to God. Whatever their realms are and wherever there wonders are, we need more.
“more so, our connection
to magic”
Yes, so true. I was in an airport this week and the children daydreaming and humming and trailing along their parents–lost in their own little worlds–just filled me with a sweet kind of happy.
Such truth!! They offer such hope. Until they don’t.
It’s hard to imagine certain people as children once.
Omggg “Fresh Breath-aree” indeed! An awesome poem.
Yes, yes, yes, Fran! Children are our living miracles. “They keep us hoping for all humankind” – this is so true. I love your play with a title
Fran, you’ve captured the essence of our precious children. Your ending line says it all “They keep us hoping for all humankind.”. Gorgeous poem, and your title is brilliant!
Hi, Katrina,
Thank you for hosting us today and bringing all the sweetness of a non-barking pet cuddled up with full presence and close proximity to the human she adores. Pets are so good at just being there. I’m a fan of the etheree form and love that you offer it today. My mind is still on a recent visit from a character I learned about through Fran Haley of this group – The Poetry Fox, who knows words and weaves them into on-demand poems for people.
The Poetry Fox
have you ever seen a fox type poems
on a classic vintage typewriter
pecking with his paws at the keys
pounding out on-demand verse
for people offering
their favorite words,
then reading each
aloud to
human
hearts?
Perfect!! The Fox is practically a miracle worker. I have watched people laugh and cry and stand rooted in awe over his poems. If they didn’t love poetry before – the Fox changes them on the spot. Wonderful tribute to the Fox AND to the power of poetry!
Kim,
This is delightful. I’m going to spend today hoping to catch a glimpse of the poetry fox, imagining him just out of sight as I go anout my day. Thank you for sparking my imagination!
I’d love to see such a fox! A vintage typewriter is my kind of fun. What fun and fantasy you’ve packed into this etheree. More of these, please!
Kim — Yes…very foxy you are! I love the image of a fox typing…LOL! l The fox is such a magical creature and so rightly tied to this, this thing here we do together. Hugs, Susie
I know I’ve read something you’ve said before about this poetry fox but I looked him up again and OMG. Going on my bucket list!
I’ve never seen this poetry fox, although I think I’ve read some of his work . . .
I love this image.
Kim, I looked up The Poetry Fox. You described the fox typing on a vintage typewriter precisely. That fox has a name too
That’s a fun little side gig, too.
Kim, I love how you’ve captured The Poetry Fox in your poem. I hope to see this character some time, especially to see that vintage typewriter being put to use and of course to hear the poems read aloud, something that does touch one’s heart.
Kim,
National Poetry Month mans it’s time for the Poetry Fox to make an appearance. I bet the vintage typewriter gifts extra time for the foxy fox to think and then write.
Kim, what a funny image, the fox “pecking with his paws at the keys” of a “vintage typewriter.” Clever!
Oh, yes, to the power of poetry! So, so beautiful. I love that you got to experience him with folks in your town. Such a clever idea.
Hi Katrina
You got me counting on fingers this morning.
Kevin
Sound,
of you
becomes me,
a symphony
in a major key,
a string of sixteenth notes
strung together, harmony
and melody merge together
so that one voice is two, me plus you,
resting beneath the sign of Fermata
Gorgeous, Kevin – reading your work, i am a learner of poetry AND music…ultimately, of the song of life.
Kevin, there is something about the counting on fingers that strums the music of life. It’s about the only music I can produce, this drumming and keeping the beat this way – – I wish I could create the music and the symphony. Yours is the essence of musical lyrics here.
Kevin,
These lines are so simple and beautiful:
Kevin — Lovely. The merging and the resting. And crazy as it is, with all the years of music in my life, understanding the act but I had no name for that rest sign…Fermata…thank you for handing me the word. Susie
The sound of this fits the topic so well . . . it’s melodic!
Today’s form was an exercise in math as much as poetry, I had myself second guessing syllable counts the entire time. The rhythm in your poem today is wonderful, the music allegory fits the form all too well. I absolutely adore your ending, the longing to simply wait without end with another. Thank you for sharing!