Poetry Friday: Re-sharing a birthday poem for my father

Matt Forrest Esenwine

Jun 22

.My nearly 87-year-old father just went into the hospital yesterday - again - with a serious infection and serious complications, so as I was trying to wrap my head around posting today, I thought the best thing to do would be to share a poem I wrote a few years ago for his birthday. (You can read the original post, where I talk about the inspiration behind the poem, HERE)

He was a woodworker and loved making carved signs, and when I published my original post I never shared the graphic I had made for the poem - I simply shared the text. So I thought I'd remedy that today, so you could see the complete creation:

We're not sure how much time my father actually has at this point, so this poem means more now than it even did a mere 3 years ago. I hope you like it.

And by the way, if you're in the Dartmouth-Sunapee Lakes Region area of New Hampshire this weekend, I hope you'll consider stopping by the Tracy Memorial Library in New London.

I get to kick off their summer reading program, "All Together Now," with a storytime and craft - and it's all happening as part of New London's annual Strawberry Festival! How cool is that??

I'll be reading my new picture books A Beginner's Guide to Being Human (Beaming Books, 2022) and I Am Today (POW! Kids Books, 2022) and sharing an origami sea turtle craft with the kids. Plus, the folks from Morgan Hill Bookstore will be on hand in case anyone wants to bring home a copy! It should be a lot of fun for both kids and caregivers, so I hope to see you from 11am until about 2pm or so. (And did I mention all the strawberries??)

Need more poetry? Linda Mitchell is hosting today's complete Poetry Friday roundup with a "clunker challenge," at her blog, A Word Edgewise!

I'm currently booking author visits for 2023 Summer programs and 2023 Fall semester, too!

I love chatting with elementary and middle school classes about writing: why poetry is fun to read and write, the importance of revision, and how one's imagination and creativity can lead to a fantastic career! My presentations are tailored to fit the needs of the classes and students' ages. One day I might be sharing details of how a picture book like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) was created; the next, I'll be discussing dinosaur breath or origami sea turtles!

Student presentations include:

The Making of a Picture Book
How a Child Saved a Book
"Once Upon Another Time"
The Most Imporant Thing about Writing Poetry
"I Am Today"
"A Beginner's Guide to Being Human"
"Everybody Counts: Counting to 10 in Twelve Languages"

Adult presentations include:

The Making of a Picture Book
The Most Important Thing about Writing Poetry
Free Yourself with Free Verse
Tight Language, Loose Narratives: Crafting a Non-Traditional Picture Book

Learn more at MattForrest.com!

If you or someone you know might be interested in having me visit your school, library, or other organization, please email me
at matt(at)mattforrest(dot)com!

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NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDERS:
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THE THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT STARGAZING
(Tilbury House, Oct. 3, 2023)

AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE:
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EVERYBODY COUNTS!
(The Little Fig, LLC, 2023)

.
Order a PERSONALLY-SIGNED copy of this or or ANY of my books
from my local independent bookstore!

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Ordering personalized signed copies online?
Oh, yes, you can!

You can purchase personally-signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Astra Young Readers, 2017), Don't Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly EVERY book or anthology I've been part of!

Click here to view all my books and to order!

Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send a comment to the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH requesting my signature and to whom I should make it out. (alternatively, you can log onto my website and do the same thing) They'll contact me, I'll stop by and sign it, and then they'll ship it! (Plus, you'll be supporting your local bookseller – and won't that make you feel good?)

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Thank you to everyone for your support!

FLASHLIGHT NIGHT:

NY Public Library's "100 Best Book for Kids 2017" AND "Staff Pick!"
KIRKUS Starred review!
Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Books!
"Best Reads of 2017," Unleashing Readers
Finalist, 2019 New Hampshire Literary Awards
Positive reviews from Horn Book, School Library Connection, School Library Connection, Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, and Shelf-Awareness!

DON'T ASK A DINOSAUR:

"Rollicking rhyme!" – Booklist
- "A wild romp!" – Parenting NH Magazine
- "Cute…intriguing…4 out of 5 stars" – Tulsa Book Review
- "Rhythmic…funny and informative" – Unleashing Readers

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