I noticed a sign like this one when I was out walking somewhere in the country--or maybe it was in Rock Creek Park.  I liked the idea that stopping for horses might make them appear on the bridge, and it became a poem about expectation and disappointment--one of those sour mouthfuls that you get some days.

Recently I noticed that this poem depends on all our senses: looking, listening, catching a whiff, the laying on of hands.  Oh--but not tasting!

...about       

Squeeze     

School Library Journal

"Familiar elements of a child's world are explored in these sensitive, free-form verses. The 24 original poems capture an imaginative view of commonplace things and happenings, such as "Wherever you are/is somewhere sour or sweet-/a lemon heaven/full of juice to squeeze." The emergence of spring crocuses, a sandy beach, a honeysuckle vine, a full moon, swinging high on a swing, and riding in the backseat of a car take on new dimensions as the poet's imagination enlarges the ordinary, creating new visions and possibilities.  Artistic, full-page color photos add to the attractiveness of the book." 

ALA Booklist

“’Let loose . . . hold safe.’ In a poem about soaring high on a swing, Mordhorst captures the rhythm and movement of holding on tight as a swing swoops back and rushes forward. Many of the other poems in this lively collection also blend immediate physical experience with the wonder of opposites in a child’s daily life, whether it’s the combination of noise and quiet that cause a child to wake in the morning or how being alone allows a child’s imagination to fly (“what’s inside me rushes out”). The best poem, “How to Run Away,” could be a picture book in itself. Some of the color photos overwhelm the poetry; it’s sometimes hard to get near the words printed on the bright, big images. Most pictures, however, leave space to imagine the fun. A book for writing classes as well as for reading aloud.” ––Hazel Rochman

Kirkus Reviews

“Mordhorst's collection of 24 non-rhyming poems is a juicy treat itself, full of evocative images and insightful glimpses into childhood activities, many inspired by her own Southern childhood. She takes ordinary slice-of-life events such as a scraped knee or lying on a sandy beach and turns each into a fresh, adventurous experience that is quite out of the ordinary. In surprising twists, birds grow from birdseed, sand dunes are elephants and a rug turns into a geographic structure for toy cars. The titular poem, "Squeeze," is especially memorable, comparing a lemon in the hand to one's own little universe, sometimes sour and sometimes sweet. Torrey's photographic montages add just the right touch of sugar and spice to the collection: flowers, trees, smiling children and darker shots of the moon, a starlit sky and sparklers twinkling to illustrate a poem about brainpower. Teachers will find this a welcome classroom resource for many age groups."

Nowadays I'm the driver of the family car most of the time, but this poem is from the time when I was always a passenger, stuck in the back seat with no control over the car or the routes we took.

So, no map to look at?  Make one up out of the lines and leaves and wires.  Headed someplace not very interesting? Go somewhere better: through the doorway of that ramshackle house, through the tall grass of that field, through the spaces between those chunks of gravel, into a whole new world....

I am an early bird and always have been.  I like the feeling of being up before anyone else:  in an empty, quiet world there's room to notice things, room to lay grand plans--and room to make up new words if I want to.

a taste of lemon heaven, a gust of butterflies

the reviews and a few poems

from Squeeze and Pumpkin Butterfly

     ...about

Pumpkin Butterfly

Children's Literature:

The poems in this book celebrate the small things. Butterflies appear as the ghosts of pumpkins...  Children take note of the world around them, talking to plants, or putting old Christmas trees up in a schoolyard before the first snow. The world presented here is seasonal, simple, quiet—but aware. Ideally suited for a classroom setting, where children can enjoy the poems one by one, savoring them individually as the year progresses, this book has widespread appeal, and could be used in primary grades as well as junior high. Its encouragement to consider the small things that surround us is refreshing in a world often filled with distraction and chaos, and its playful tone helps to avoid sanctimony. While it is not rollicking or hilarious, as are so many other books of poetry for children, the poems presented here will make them think—and, hopefully, will push them to notice what a wide, strange, and wonderful world we live in. It is a lovely work.

Kirkus Reviews

A collection of 23 nature poems cycles through the seasons, emphasizing the play between the outward and the hidden realms. The vocabulary and imagery stretch the maturing apprehension of young readers: "Botanical Jazz," about a sunflower, says, in part, "you're breaking our eyedrums / trumpeting all that color and sun / blowing that blazing yellow jazz . . . ." The use of contrasts-"heavy pumpkins and light butterflies"-vividly convey an observant look at what is often overlooked. Bright orange endpapers mirror pumpkin color, prefacing the title poem. Reynish's decorative illustrations reflect a thoughtful and purposeful artistic hand. A fuzzy chick in an outstretched hand, cherries scattered across another page, a pile of decaying leaves, a wintry scene and a starry-night-filled room enhance the more accessible poems. While some poems are readily within readers' grasp, others are more obscure, with a sophistication that exceeds the young-looking format. Guided reading will expand understanding and appreciation of these lovely, often challenging poems. (Picture book/poetry. 8-14)

ALA Booklist

“Heaven might be this / dark and wet and dangerous.” The excitement of the natural world, from a thrilling lightning storm to butterflies “untethered from earth,” is a child’s joyful discovery in this poetry collection. At home in his yard, the child enjoys playing with the falling leaves“mounding and drifting and trickling and piling / curling and crumbling and blowing and flying.” The bright watercolor, oil, and tempera illustrations extend the metaphors, with delicately detailed images of petal-soft, tiny, pink, cherry-tree blossoms pedaling toward summer or the literal image of the young speaker’s hoarse throat (the horse may be thirsty for lemon and honey, “but if I feed him / he’ll whinny and fly away”). Far from any solemn reverential view of nature, the poems are filled with fun action that is always rooted in physicality, whether it is shooting a cherry pit missile out of the park (“spitwhistle summerfun home run”) or making frozen angels in the snow.  

For more views of the poems in these books, visit these blogs:

BookAunt

Poetry for Children