Friday, April 13, 2012

Kate Coombs - Mud

Mud
by
Kate Coombs

chocolate fudge
face smudge

shoe suck
wheel stuck

seed sowed
worm road

kid slip
spring drip

Earth blood
mud

© Kate Coombs. All rights reserved.

Kate Coombs might be best known for her picture books... or maybe for her middle grade novels... but boy, oh, boy look what she can do with only 19 words! I mean, I don't think I'll ever look at mud again without thinking "earth blood," will you? Of course, if you look at her other work, you'll see the same skills on display... even if you won't see a worm road (be it a one laner or a superhighway).

Kate's been having a wonderfully busy year, with Hans my Hedgehog (a Brother Grimm retelling) out in January, and a wonderful book of poems, Water Sings Blue, out just in time for National Poetry Month. In the poems in Blue, you'll definitely see her great ability to create vivid images and memorable turns of phrases, this time dealing with the ocean and the creatures within it rather than mud. I love reading her poems, her reviews, and her books... all reasons I'm so glad to have Kate Coombs here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

The Poetry Friday roundup is over at Anastasia Suen's Booktalking blog today. There's a TON going on this month, so be sure to check it out.

Yesterday we saw My Pencil from Robert Weinstock. Tomorrow... The Rock Climber by Michael Salinger. For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.



21 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

I just love Kate Coombs. WATER SINGS BLUE is just gorgeous - she identifies something so vital in everything she writes about.

Linda B said...

You are right, doing what she did in 19 words is pretty slick (see I'm thinking in mud words). I have "Hans, my Hedgehog" but still not the "Water Sings Blue" book. Soon!

alice@Supratentorial said...

The Water Sings Blue looks fantastic, thanks for the review.

alice@Supratentorial said...

The Water Sings Blue looks fantastic, thanks for the review.

jama said...

Always a thrill to see another Kate poem. Was mud ever so glorious?

Bob Raczka said...

That poem is filthy good.

Amy LV said...

Earth blood! Kate just nails it. Again. Thank you both...makes me want to go outside. a.

Author Amok said...

Fabulous poem! I loved making mud pies as a kid, so the opening lines sing "mud pie" to me.

Tara said...

I was tap tapping my feet to the rhythm of this...great poem!

Elaine Magliaro said...

I ordered a copy of "Water Sings Blue" a few weeks ago--but it hasn't come in yet. I'm dying to read it!

Andromeda Jazmon said...

I love the simplicity and the depth. Mud. Ha!

Ruth said...

What a wonderful poem! What kid doesn't love mud?

Betsy Hubbard said...

Oh boy, ooey gooey goodness all the way through! I experienced a shoe suck on a field trip in second grade, that can definitely make mud memorable. Love the poem!

Julie said...

Best words, best order - this is a perfect example. Kate makes it look simple when it's not - that takes a lot of talent! Thanks, Kate - and thanks for posting it, Greg.

GatheringBooks said...

Kate is a favorite. Thanks for sharing this.

Robyn Hood Black said...

I don't mind being dragged through this kind of mud - wonderful! And I just got my copy of WATER SINGS BLUE. Kate's words sing no matter what she writes about.

Susan Taylor Brown said...

Oh my, earth blood is perfect. So perfect I wish I had come up with it. Lovely, Kate and Greg, thanks for sharing.

Mary Lee said...

Thanks for bringing us Kate Coombs and her delightful mud!

Liz Brownlee said...

'Earth blood' - fantastic. Wonderful.

Charles Waters said...

Straight to the point. Something we all need to be aware of when writing children's poetry. Valerie Worth would be impressed.

Anonymous said...

Great combinations on such a sludgy subject. Yes, earth blood IS perfect.

Gotta love Mud! :P