My Poem (a poem for children) by Leanne Dyck

Why share? What do you lose? What do you win?

 

photo by ldyck

Made by my neighbour Jason—a talented and skilled carver

Reading My Poem

This is my poem

Mine, mine, mine

Mine and mine alone.

It's a poem all about me.

No one else's poem just--

Hey, what are you doing here?

Yeah, you.

Who told you you could read my poem?

It's mine, not yours.

Not y--

Hey, what are you doing?

That looks like fun.

Can I play?

Later, we can have fun reading my poem.

You'll like it.

It's all about me.

On this blog in JuLY

Sunday, July 12

Between and Underneath (children's story)

An unnamed narrator is playing hide-and-seek with their big brother. The narrator believes they have found the perfect hiding spot—between and underneath—until...

Between and Underneath, for children 4 to 8 years of age, examines the themes of directional concepts and childhood anxiety.

Sunday, July 19

All of Me (poem)

This mindfulness poem is about self-compassion.

Sunday, July 26

Claudia

This short story was inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's relationship with Sherlock Holmes.

Bouquet (Poem) by Leanne Dyck

Witness the magical transformation as a pile of weeds becomes a bouquet of flowers...

photo by ldyck

Bouquet

He pulled the fuzzy-headed weeds

one by one by one

from the soil.

He wrapped his chubby little hand

around the bundle

of stems.

With a smile,

he presented the dandelions

to his mother.

She filled a vase

with them,

treasuring them

as flowers.

Dandelions: The Good and the Bad by Tracey Etwell

On Mayne Island

photo by ldyck

Mayne Island's shiny new dock.

photo by ldyck

The best news about the shiny new dock: the ferry schedule is back to normal. So the first sailing has been moved back to 7:10 am—from 6:40 am. This is really good news, especially with regard to these next week, as I'll be on the ferry a lot.

Items of interest for writers and readers...

Studying Poetry (a poem) by Leanne Dyck

I was introduced to poetry, as many of you were, in grade school. Later, I matriculated and a professor furthered my studying on the subject. Those two experiences were remarkably different. How? Well...

photo by ldyck

 Studying Poetry

The first time I studied poetry
I was encouraged to
think
feel like a poet

I was rewarded with
Well done, Leanne
Insightful

And I felt like
a genius
poetry was part of me

The second time I studied poetry
I was taught that
poetry 
was a bug 
to be 
di-s-sect-ed

I was chastised with
Not that
The poet clearly didn't mean that

And I felt like
a foreigner in a strange land
clearly, I didn't get it

And so now
I've decided
not to study poetry
but simply
to enjoy it

written the morning of 11/18/2024

photo by Byron Dyck

Sunday, January 26

Making Giant Snowballs (children's story)

Making Giant Snowballs encourages children to show acceptance and kindness--especially to people who are different from themselves.

Book Review: Poems by Maya Angelou, reviewed by Leanne Dyck

 I've been doing a lot of reading but not for pleasure. And I've missed it. I felt the key to returning would be finding something undemanding. Maya Angelou took me by the hand and brought me back.

Photo by ldyck

Poems 

Maya Angelou

Bantam Books

1986

I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with Maya Angelou. She was entertaining, inspirational, and insightful. Admittedly, some of her writing required a second reading, and some escaped me. But others will remain with me long after this book is closed. 

Still I Rise

 You can write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

with the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I’ll rise

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don’t you take it awful hard

‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines

Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I’ve got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

I rise

Bring the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise

Such power... Such pride... 

What does this poem say to me as a Caucasian... as a woman... as a neurodivergent? 

I know my time with Maya Angelou has changed me. I close this book with regret, wishing I could have stayed longer.

Other genres that have kept me reading...

short story collections such as...

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

graphic novels such as...

Ducks by Kate Beaton

novellas such as...

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Middle Grade fiction such as...

The Dollhouse: a ghost story by Charis Cotter

Young Adult fiction such as...

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

More... 

How to get back to reading consistently again 

by Akanksha Narang

How to Make Reading a Habit

by James Clear

photo by Byron Dyck

January on this blog

Sunday, January 19

Studying Poetry (a poem)

I was introduced to poetry, as many of you were, in grade school. Later, I matriculated and a professor furthered my studying on the subject. Those two experiences were remarkably different. How? Well...

Sunday, January 26

Making Giant Snowballs (children's story)

Making Giant Snowballs encourages children to show acceptance and kindness--especially to people who are different from themselves.

16 Poetry Book Publishers by Leanne Dyck

I spent some time today—April 5, 2026—updating this link from the original. In 2020 I found 22 poetry book publishers. Today, I only found 16. Please support small presses.

In 2020, I scoured the Literary Press Group of Canada list of member publishers to find those publishers who publish poetry books. Please search this list for your best fit and then send them your poetry collection. Some of these publishers only accept submissions from Canadians. Others are open to a wider population of poets. Carefully read the submission guidelines.

photo by ldyck

At Bay Press

BookLand Press

Breakwater Books

Caitlin Press

Coach House Books

ECW Press

Icehouse Poetry
poetry imprint of Goose Lane Editions

Guernica Editions

submission period February 1 to 28

Mansfield Press

Mawenzi House

NeWest Press

Nightwood Editions

Palimpsest Press

Radiant Press

Ronsdale Press

Gordon Hill Press & The Porcupine's Quill

On this blog in May...

photo by ldyck

May is short story month and so...

I will publish two book reviews

May 3
Oh, My Darling
Shaena Lambert
a short story collection

May 31
Ethan Frome
Edith Wharton
a novella

I will share two short stories

May 10 (Mother's Day)
For Mom
two short stories inspired by my mom

May 24
Imprisoned
This short story was inspired by cvoid 19. Writing is one of the ways I deal with stress. 

And 

on May 17 something very special
Short Stories:  A Writer's Toolbox
I've filled this toolbox with articles to make writing and publishing short stories easier.

Are you following me?

Facebook
Twitter
Linked In

What makes me smile?

Neighbours helping neighbours.

18 Poetry Magazines (list) by Leanne Dyck

Looking for a publisher for your poem? Look no further than this list. Below is a list of magazines that publish poetry. Select one and send them your poem...

Click on the magazine's title and the link will take to you the submission guidelines page.

photo by ldyck

18 Poetry Magazines

The Antigonish Review

Arc Poetry magazine

Canadian Stories

Contemporary Verse 2:  The Canadian Journal of Poetry and Critical Writing

Filling Station magazine

Geist magazine

Grain magazine

Current submission period from September 15, 2019 to May 15, 2020

Island Writer magazine

Icelandic Connection magazine

'by and/or about Canadians and Americans from or relating to the Icelandic-North American cultural community'

The Malahat Review

Poetry Contest:  Far Horizons Award for Poetry 
Deadline:  May 1

Prairie Fire:  A Canadian magazine of new writing

Prism International

Ricepaper magazine

'Asian writers of all cultural backgrounds are encouraged to submit.'

Room magazine

'by women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people'

Poetry Contest
Deadline:  June, 2020

The Fiddlehead magazine

The Windsor Review

More...

League of Canadian Poets

League of Canadian Poets:  Resources

The Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry:  Resources

Poetry Slam

How to Publish a Poetry Book (YouTube video)

Constructing Chapbooks (YouTube video)

Next Sunday evening

 

photo by ldyck

Poetry Book Publishers

Next Sunday the fun continues with a list of 33 publishers are interested in publishing poetry collections.

Are you following me?

Facebook
Twitter
Linked In

Found on a walk...

'face in a tree' photo by ldyck

And this short story flew into my ear...

Time and other Poems by Leanne Dyck

After reading Leaving Now, I asked author Arleen Pare, "You write such lovely prose. What's your secret?"

She said, "I also write poetry." And she encouraged me to try.

Yeah, right? Me? I can't...

I don't know if I will ever be comfortable calling myself a poet--but I have written some poems.

photo by ldyck

I've assembled a collection of my best poems. And if you click the titles the link will take you to the poem. Happy reading. 

Leanne Dyck's Poetry Collection

Studying Poetry

Dog Hair

Her First Crush 

Let the Sunshine In

In the Wind

Devotion

He Makes Me Feel

What Genre?

Blessed be

2020 Meditation

How do you get published?

Byron did

Avalon

How a Lifetime is Measured

And a new one...

Time

I was waiting for the bus 
when he asked, "Do you have the time?"

When we're young we have all the time in the world--

storytime, playtime, snack time, nap time

We grow older and we get busy.

We no longer have time.

We must make time.

If we grow too old, we have too much time on our hands.

But we never know when our time is up.

Time, invest it wisely

for we can't stop it or turn it back.

He asked, "Do you have the time?"

He glanced at my watch. 
The sound of the approaching bus made him grin. 
"Right on time," he said.

Next Sunday Evening...

Be Gentle (short story)

 Leanne Dyck

How do you express strength?

Are you following me?

Facebook

Twitter

Linked In

Sharing my author journey...

'Abby offering a kiss to her friend Reba'

photo by ldyck

An extra poem...

Book Review: Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini

A father and a son prepare to leave their homeland and cross the ocean to--what they hope will be--a safe new home.

Buy this book

I purchased my copy from Bolen Books

Illustrated by Dan Williams

Published by Viking

an imprint of Penguin Canada

a division of Penguin Random House Canada

Published in 2018

This narrative poem gives a voice to refugees. Hosseini writes of the love they have for their country, of the memories of better times. He writes of the love they have for their family and the desire for a better life. I'm overwhelmed by the sacrifice, by the courage, by the hope and I wonder what I would do. Could I be that brave? 

Because many of us are fortunate enough not to be in this situation, we may see refugees as other. Hosseini helps us to see their humanity. Look back in your family tree, you may be fortunate enough to be a descendant...

In the 1800s, my maternal Icelandic ancestors were squeezed onto a ship like cattle. Due to inclimate weather conditions, half of the populations had no choice but to leave. They could only take a few belongings. They had no idea what awaited when they docked. They hoped a new life, a new home. 

After reading this book... After researching your family genealogy... You may ask, how can I help?

4 Ways You Can Support Refugees

8 practical ways to help refugees

UNHCR Canada

The note on the dust jacket reads...

'Khaled Hosseini will donate author proceeds from this book to UNCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and to The Khaled Hosseini Foundation to help fund life-saving relief efforts to help refugees around the globe.'

Other recommended illustrated books   

photo by ldyck

August on this blog...

August 4:  guest post:  
Interview with author Ellen Schwartz

Ellen discusses establishing her career, what inspires her, and the importance of belonging to a writing group--like CWILL-BC.

August 11:  book review:  
Quintland Sisters by Shelley Wood

Shelley Wood uses the power of fiction to reveal the truth behind the seemingly fairy tale childhood of the Dionne quintuplets.

'the only book published in 2019 by a Canadian to hit the [best-seller] list' reports Publishers Weekly

August 18:  short story:  
The Invisible Woman 

Was this short story inspired by The Invisible Man (a novel by H.G. Wells)? Maybe...

August 25:  book review:  
The Princess Dolls by Ellen Schwartz

Set in 1942, two girls--one Jewish-Canadian and the other Japanese-Canadian--bond over their mutual admiration of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

In the Wind (poem) by Leanne Dyck

A poem in tribute to nature's beauty.

'nature's fragility, nature's beauty' ldyck

Sing to me of trees dressed for autumn,

of spring rain, of summer sun,

of snowflakes dancing in the air 
like fairy princesses.

And I will follow you 
down dirt paths,

through snowbanks,

We will leave footprints in the sand.

We will be children of nature, 

living forever in the wind.

*On April 28, 2018, while on a walk with Abby, this poem flew from some magical place to my ear.

'letting the sun in' ldyck

This June's blog offering...
-a two-part short story on my relationship with CBC (public) radio.
-a book review on an Icelandic classic
-a report on a writers' workshop

'Abby, the beautiful' ldyck

Sharing my author journey...

Gloves in my Pocket (poem) by Leanne Dyck

On chilly days, I stick gloves into my pocket and, with a smile, chant this poem--it all helps to warm me.

photo ldyck

Gloves in my Pocket

I've got gloves in my pocket

Yes, I have two of them

Gloves in my pocket, gloves in my pocket

I've got gloves in my pocket

I know how to use them

Gloves in my pocket, gloves in my pocket

I've got gloves in my pocket

They have holes in them

Gloves in my pocket, gloves in my pocket

I've got gloves in my pocket

I need a new pair of them

Gloves in my pocket, gloves in my pocket

I've got gloves in my pocket

Now lots and lots of them

Gloves in my pocket

Gloves in my pocket

Gloves in my pocket

Next post:  Spring Cleaning (short story)

If you have a collection this short story will be especially meaningful for you.

Published on Sunday, April 8th at (approximately) 5 PM PT

Sharing my author journey...

What does a writer do without computer ink?

The Wind by Robert Louis Stevenson reviewed by Leanne Willetts

Robert Louis Stevenson writes with old-fashioned charm. He takes delight in the simple and ordinary. This poem, in particular, views the wind through a child's eyes.

He wonders as to the nature of the wind:  'Are you a beast of field and tree,/or just a stronger child than me?'

The poem has a way of pulling you back to childhood, when you had time to sit and wonder.

The poem draws upon all your senses. You feel the wind push at your face. You hear its windy song. You see it merrily dance with the kites, birds, and grass.

The poem too talks about the sadness of not being able to find the unapproachable. The mystery always seems to be around the next corner:  'I saw the different things you did,/ But always you yourself you hid./ I felt you push, I heard you call,/I could not see yourself at all-'

I wrote this review on September 15, 1987, for a children's literature class I took at the University of Winnipeg.

I saw you toss the kites on high

And blow the birds about the sky,

And all around I heard you pass,

Like ladies' skirts across the grass--

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,

But always you yourself you hid.

I felt you push, I heard you call,

I could not see yourself at all--

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song

O you that are so strong and cold,

O blower, are you young or old?

Are you a beast of field and tree,

Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song

Next post:  Sunday, April 16 (5 PM PT) 

Her Words (short story)

(click on image to embolden)

"I have a story to tell"

Leanne Dyck's Author Reading

Sunday, April 23rd 11 am

Mayne Island library

Festival Active Pass

"Looking forward to seeing you there."

Putting a bow on 2015

2015 whished passed in a blur. One minute I'm sitting in the sun, the next I'm walking my dog in the frosty air. It's time to examine the year the blur.

Buy this book on Amazon

In 2015, I was published in this anthology.

Thanks to your support, 2015 was amazing. I began the year with apprehension due to a decision I'd made concerning this blog. The decision:  No more guest post Fridays. No more -- (link)  On January 4th, 2015, I explained this decision. I wrote...

As my own writing career demands more and more of my attention, I'm finding less and less time for everything else. And thus I've been forced to make a difficult decision. Effective January 16, I will no longer publish guest posts.

Yes, I worried. I worried that you would abandon this blog.

Boy, did you prove me wrong. In 2014, this blog reached 234,000 page views. And now it has over 251,000. That's an increase of over 17,000 page views. (In 2015, I published 52 posts. So that's approximately 327 page views per post. You rock!)

The most popular post in 2015 were...


How-to live a dream (320 page views)


The most popular book reviews...

1st...

Sing A Worried Song (mystery) by William Deverell (194 page views)

2nd...

Every Word (YA/mystery) by Ellie Marney (149 page views)

The most popular creative writing (short story/poetry) posts...

1st...

Irene's Reading by Leanne Dyck (122 page views)

2nd...

The Poem My Husband Inspired by Leanne Dyck (109 page views)

The most popular 'writing tips' posts... 

1st...

On Writing and Illustrating Kids Books (99 page views)

This is a yearly free event--well worth attending. In 2016, it will be held in the Vancouver Public Library from 7 to 8:30 P.M.

2nd...

And Then: Writing Transactions (93 page views)

In 2015, I made a personal goal of making 100 submissions. I'm pleased to report that on December 15, 2015 I'd sent 103 submissions. That's 1.5% more submissions than I made in 2014. 

What are my blogging plans for 2016?

This blog will offer one new post every week. I will review books, share writing tips and publish my own short stories. I'm looking forward to spending 2016 with you. Best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.

In 2015, our beloved cat--Ticky--passed away, from old age. We took the love he gave us and adopted...

Bim

a nine year old miniature poodle/Maltese cross

More...
What else does 2016 have in store for you?
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2016 is the year of the red monkey. Click this link, to read more. 

Next Post...
Just write. This post explains why.

Sharing my author journey...
What's an arch?