"Ode to a Sprinkler
There is no swimming
Pool on
Our street,
Only sprinklers
On lawns,
The helicopter
Of water
Slicing our legs.
We run through
The sprinkler,
Water on our
Lips, water
Dripping
From eyelashes,
Water like
Fat raindrops
That fall from
Skinny trees when
You're not looking.
- Gary Soto"
This posthumous anthology of poems divided into the three sections (home, street, town) was mostly complete before Mr. Janeczko died in 2019. There are 34 entries. The collection contains poems from many familiar poets, almost all have been published elsewhere before 2020.
The book begins with a poem from X.J. Kennedy, aptly titled 'Home', and describes that no matter where a person lives home is where they want to be. Following are poems about breakfast and family, windows, a rooftop, yards, porches, crickets, a train, pets, and ends with a tire swing. Moving on to images of life in neighborhood streets and yards, the poems are often lighthearted then thoughtful, with a focus on observation of seasonal changes.
"The Walk
Crunching my boots
through another snowstorm,
each footprint a temporary tattoo
against the frosted prairie.
- Charles Waters"
In the final section, the poems reflect the many sights and sounds that are a part of the life found in a community, rural or urban. At every turn of the page, Ms. Yum uses colored pencil and watercolor to enhance meaning and mood. Most picture children for whom the poetry will have special appeal. They reflect the many places and actions that interest them about their home, their neighborhood, and the greater world of their community.
Just as the poems range from old classic works to much more recent offerings, the poetic styles vary from one to the next. Young listeners will enjoy the differing views, the sights and sounds, and the variety in word choice.
What a reminder to all of the importance of home, wherever that may be! Lovely.
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