Celebrating a Poem's Take-Off

A lovely thing happened this summer.  I received an invitation to have one of my poems published in another of Michelle H. Barnes "Best of Today's Little Ditty" anthologies.  Of course I was delighted!  Of course it is an honor to see my poem in a volume with many illustrious poets.  So... woohoo!  Thank you, Michelle! How exciting!

And as of today, the book is out, available on Amazon.  Congratulations to Michelle and all the poets.  I can't wait to get my copy.  You can find it here.

I like Michelle's description:
Today’s Little Ditty is more than a children’s poetry blog, it’s a poetry playground. Each month, a lively community of writers, teachers, librarians, and poetry-appreciators gathers to take part in the Ditty of the Month Club (DMC). Writing to prompts by successful authors and editors, they participate for the camaraderie, and for the joy and craft of writing poetry.

So today I thought I would tell you the story behind my published poem by explaining the DMC challenge and showing you a picture of the object I chose.

I wrote this poem in response to a prompt with Helen Frost in which she challenged us to write what she calls an "Ode poem."
Choose an object (a seashell, a hairbrush, a bird nest, a rolling pin). It should not be anything symbolic (such as a doll, a wedding ring, or a flag). Write five lines about the object, using a different sense in each line (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). Then ask the object a question, listen for its answer, and write the question, the answer, or both.

I chose to write about the dress I wore when I was a flower girl in my oldest brother's wedding. (I know there is a color version of this photo, I just can't locate it.  Sigh...)  At any rate, here you see it in black and white.

And here is my poem:

Ode to a Pink Dress

Sweet as cotton candy, you gathered me

into a cloud of pink confection

Where sheer and taffeta rustled lavishly

Each seam scented with anticipation

I slid my fingers around your slippery satin sash

My girlish twirls blossomed like peonies

You remember me after all these years?

Like silk stockings in a parade of bobby socks

You indulged my sweetest dreams

© Karen Eastlund

Thanks for indulging me as I celebrate publication and look back at a sweet memory. I hope my poem whets your appetite for Michelle's Best of Today's Little Ditty 2017-2018 anthology, and challenges you to try writing a poem also!