Selections by Poetry Friday regulars from LULLABY & KISSES SWEET, Poems to Love with Your Baby, selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, Illus. by Alyssa Nassner.
"Milk" by Robyn Hood Black
"Snack Time" by Linda D. Kulp
"Spaghetti" by Laura Purdie Salas
"First Tooth" by Matt Forrest Esenwine
"My Tricycle" by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Selections from LULLABY & KISSES SWEET, Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins (read by Irene Latham)

Poem #1 in ARTSPEAK!, my project for National Poetry Month 2015 (poems in response to art), after "Baby at Play" by Thomas Eakins. View art and read poem at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2015/04/artspeak-poem-1-escape-of-toy-horse.html

ARTSPEAK!  "Escape Of The Toy Horse" by Irene Latham

Poem #5 in my 2015 National Poetry Month project ARTSPEAK!, in which I respond to pieces of art. This one was inspired by "Cat Watching Caged Bird" by Jacques Callot. See the poem and others in the series at www.irenelatham.blogspot.com

ARTSPEAK! "Cat & Bird" by Irene Latham

Poem #30 in my 2015 National Poetry Month project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to pieces of art. Today's piece is "Young Girl Reading" by Jean-Honore Fragonard. View the piece, poem and others in the series at www.irenelatham.blogspot.com

ARTSPEAK! "Dear Reader," by Irene Latham

Several poems/nursery rhymes from OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes collected by Elizabeth Hammill, with illustrations by 70 different artists! 

Selections from OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY by Elizabeth Hammill (read by Irene Latham)

The title poem in May Sarton's book COMING INTO EIGHTY.

"Coming Into Eighty" a poem by May Sarton (read by Irene Latham)

"Message to a Former Friend" by Tony Hoagland as it appears in the August 2015 issue of THE SUN magazine. www.thesunmagazine.org

"Message to a Former Friend" by Tony Hoagland (read by Irene Latham)

3 poems from A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED: And Other Poems by Janet S. Wong (McElderry Books, 1996)
"Acupuncture"
"Sisters"
"Which?"
Read the poems at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-visit-with-janet-wong-suitcase-of.html

Selections from A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED by Janet S. Wong (read by Irene Latham)

When I read this today, I thought of the Syrian refugees, especially the children. 
"I do not want
fire screaming up to the sky
I do not want
families killed in their doorways...

Life is for us, and is shining."

Read the poem here: https://books.google.com/books?id=AiXJ8Wh94ZkC&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=a+little+girl%27s+poem+gwendolyn+brooks&source=bl&ots=eYDPfk8Zu6&sig=R-hUcHO9XuMerTbvOb-_eQ7rres&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAWoVChMI9sKG-aj3xwIVi3I-Ch3inQHH#v=onepage&q=a%20little%20girl's%20poem%20gwendolyn%20brooks&f=false

"A Little Girl's Poem" by Gwendolyn Brooks (read by Irene Latham)

After binge reading about 450 poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar, this one is the one I keep coming back to. From his book LYRICS OF LOWLY LIFE (1898).

"The Poet And His Song" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Such Silence" from BLUE HORSES: Poems by Mary Oliver. Read the text and some thoughts on waiting at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2015/10/what-are-you-waiting-for.htm

"Such Silence" by Mary Oliver (read by Irene Latham)

A poem written and translated to English from original Shetlandic by Scottish poet Christine DeLuca. http://www.christinedeluca.co.uk/pages/index  Contains the line "we must unself ourselves," which I am adding to my How To Live Your Poem page! http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/p/how-to-live-your-poem.html

"Head Over Heels" by Edinburgh Poet Laureate Christine DeLuca (read by Irene Latham)

First published in 1892, this version was adapted from a copy in THE OXFORD BOOK OF CHILDREN'S VERSE, eds. Iona and Peter Opie (London: Oxford University Press, 1973).

"The Camel's Complaint" by Charles Edward Carryl (read by Irene Latham)

A poem about writing from FELICITY by Mary Oliver.

"That Little Beast" by Mary Oliver (read by Irene Latham)

A favorite poem from FELICITY by Mary Oliver.

"Everything That Was Broken" by Mary Oliver (read by Irene Latham)

A favorite poem from FELICITY by Mary Oliver -"Love still as once you loved, deeply/ and without patience." Adding to my "How To Live Your Poem" page: http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/p/how-to-live-your-poem.html

"The Gift" by Mary Oliver (read by Irene Latham)

Every few years I write a "creed" poem -- this is the latest. More poems at www.irenelatham.com

"I Could Say I Believe In The Ocean" by Irene Latham

Poem #14 in my 2016 National Poetry Month project ARTSPEAK! Plant. Grow Eat. This poem is inspired by "The Last Days of Harvest" by Winslow Homer. Read the poem and others in the series at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2016/04/artspeak-2016-poem-14-harvest.html


ARTSPEAK! 2016: "Harvest" a poem by Irene Latham

Poem #28 in my 2016 National Poetry Month project ARTSPEAK! Plant. Grow. Eat. This poem inspired by "Strawberry Basket" by William Spiecker. Read the poem and others in the series at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2016/04/artspeak-2016-poem-28-strawberry-basket.html.

ARTSPEAK! 2016: "Strawberry Basket" a poem by Irene Latham

Poem #29 in my 2016 National Poetry Month project ARTSPEAK! Plant. Grow. Eat. This poem inspired by "Repast in the Garden" by Edouard Vuillard. Read the poem and others in the series at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2016/04/artspeak-2016-poem-29-these-al-fresco.html.

ARTSPEAK! 2016: "These Al Fresco Summer Nights" a poem by Irene Latham

An original poem in honor of the last photo of me and my father together, taken St. Patrick's Day 2016.

"This Poem Is Green" a poem by Irene Latham

Poem #17 in my 2017 National Poetry Month poem-a-day project ARTSPEAK! Portraits. Today's art is "The Bubble Boy" by Paul Peel. Read the poem and others in the series at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/p/artspeak.html

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Boy Blowing Bubbles" by Irene Latham

Poem #19 in my 2017 National Poetry Month poem-a-day project ARTSPEAK! Portraits. Today's art is "In Summer" by Auguste-Pierre Renoir. Read the poem and others in the series at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/p/artspeak.html

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "In Summer" by Irene Latham

Poem #23 in my 2017 National Poetry Month project ARTSPEAK! Portraits. Today's art is "Little Dutch Girl" by Robert Henri. Read the poem and others in the series at http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/p/artspeak.html

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Dark The Day" by Irene Latham

Poem #2 in my 2018 ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance poem a day project. Today's piece is "Building More Stately Mansions" by Aaron Douglas. Read the poem and others in the series at www.irenelatham.blogspot.com

ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance poem "For The Builders" by Irene Latham

Poem #3 in my 2018 National Poetry Month poem-a-day project ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance. Today's piece "Sahdji (Tribal Women) by Aaron Douglas. Read the poem and more in the series at www.irenelatham.blogspot.com

ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance poem "To A Dancer" by Irene Latham

Poem #15 in my 2018 National Poetry Month poem-a-day project  ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance. Today's piece "Madonna at the Stoop" by Palmer Hayden. Read the poem and others in the series at irenelatham.blogspot.com

ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance poem "Girl To Mama" by Irene Latham

Poem #28 in my 2018 National Poetry Month poem-a-day project ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance. Today's piece "Portrait with Flowers" by William Johnson. Read the poem and others in the series at irenelatham.blogspot.com

ARTSPEAK! Harlem Renaissance poem "She" by Irene Latham

3 poems about horses: "Man O'War" by pre-teen-me, "Anatomy of a Horse" from an unpublished children's picture book manuscript, and "Horseback Riding" from CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship (co-written with Charles Waters). www.irenelatham.com

Three Horse poems by Irene Latham

An original poem inspired by the book TINY INFINITIES by J.H. Diehl. Read the poem http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2018/06/tiny-infinities-firefly-poem.html.

"To A Child Of Summertime" Poem by Irene Latham

There are nearly 200 prompts found in the book. THE BUTTERFLY HOURS by Patty Dann. This playlist contains my responses that have taken the form of poetry only. Prose responses and background stories to these poems can be found on my blog: irenelatham.blogspot.com

Popular tracks by Irene Latham Poetry