Myra here.
Thank you to Ruth @ There Is No Such Thing As A Godforsaken Town for hosting on New Year’s Day.
Thanku: Poems Of Gratitude (Amazon | Book Depository)
Edited by: Miranda Paul Illustrated by Marlena Myles Published by Millbrook Press (2019)
ISBN: 1541561007Â (ISBN13:Â 9781541561007)Â Book borrowed from Overdrive. Book photos taken by me.
This poetry picture book anthology edited by Marlena Myles and featuring 32 poets with evocative art by Miranda Paul may be associated more with the American Thanksgiving day – but I find it to be especially fitting too for New Year’s Day, and I am thrilled to have chanced upon it on Overdrive. I was also happy to see a few familiar contributing poets from the Poetry Friday Community such as Renee LaTulippe, Charles Ghigna – just to cite a few.
Each poem is a mentor text to different poetic forms and styles. Teachers would be happy to see a detailed description of each literary device used at the end of the book.
For Today’s Poetry Friday, I am sharing Naomi Shihab Nye’s contribution to the anthology entitled, “Dear Sky” – not only because it mentions Dubai (90 minutes car drive from where I currently live), but because it has that feeling of expansiveness that I associate with welcoming a whole new year. I hope you enjoy it, dear Poetry Friday friends. I know we have been particularly remiss in commenting and overall engagement for the past year or so. We truly hope to do better this 2021.
May the skies above you make you feel especially glorious today and every day of this year.
#SurvivalStories2021 Update: 1 out of target 100
Gathering Books 
This is a most wonderful poem. And it’s new to me. The anthology sounds fabulous, too. Gratitude is definitely the way to approach these challenging days. Wishing you a happy new year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this book & this poem touches my year, Myra. I took so many pictures of the sky. Here in Colorado, it is gorgeous, often different. every day! Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the reminder to take this book of my shelf and give it a close reread, Myra. The final line, “Love, Small Dot on the Earth” brings it home, doesn’t it? Literally and figuratively. Happy New Year! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
So beautiful and true. I need to share this with my students. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing this sensitive and beautiful poem Myra–the sky has brought me such comfort over the last year. I look forward to reading more of the poems, Happy New Year, from my “small dot” to yours!
LikeLiked by 1 person