L is for letters

by bulldogza

I’ve loved ABC books and A-Z lists for quite a while. This post is one in a series on writing, with the subtopic of poetry.

 
I’ve read a lot of books that give advice on writing. Sometimes, I think I read when I should be writing. But, one piece of advice I read recently I thought was good. It was about writing a letter, or note, to someone every single day. Not an email, but a true handwritten note. I’ve tried several times to do this and my efforts always fizzle out. Still, I have done it in fits and spurts.

 
Writing letters benefits the writer as well as the recipient. It hones the writing skills and connects the writer to other people. The recipient, of course, benefits in so many ways. For a shut-in, a letter can be the highlight of the day. A letter can say I’m sorry, I’m thinking of you, I love you, I miss you, or just “Hi there!” A letter can be a thank-you note, an interview, or just a retelling of a day’s events. Why not write one today?

 
My poetry focus is a Lanturne. I’ve written these before with students, but it has been a long time. The Lanturne is a five-line verse shaped like a Japanese lantern with a syllabic pattern of one, two, three, four, and one

 
Here’s an example:

Swift
winds blow
threatening,
a tornado
grows