A Poem for Endangered Species Day

I wrote this poem a few years ago but have never used it on social networking before.  That sorta seems a shame.  It won the Franklin Christoph's Prize for poetry a few years ago, too. They are the only makers of fountain pens I know of located here in America!). That's ore than I ever expect to make from poetry again!  I have the check photographed and hanging on my wall.  I kind sad to keep it hidden in the bowels of computer.  Here it is for your enjoyment. If you'd like to know more about endangered species, you can sign up for the organization's newsletter by Googling "Endangered Species Day 2023."  Ta Da!

Endangered Species

 

A dragon, hiding as dragons 

do, to pounce upon prey, shock

 

them into submission with forked 

tongue, spiked tail, blue-green 

 

scales, brimstone breath. But not

a sea dragon, this—nearly misnamed

 

a seahorse—dainty—

disguises herself in briney 

 

fronds, sways with the current. 

her delicate horn-shaped

 

snout trumpets silence.

Long like a dragon, 

 

long as a water-lily stem, 

soft, and—presumably, 

 

slick. She flourishes

her leaf-like fins, the translucent

 

shade of her underwater forest 

of amber seaweed pads, exactly,

 

matches her dance to that of the kelp

—ballet in slow motion 

 

so the visitor to her underocean

home will not see her. She will take

 

them by surprise

with tenderness.

~~~By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

       Winner Franklin Christoph's Poetry Prize

 PS: This poem appears in a book I wrote with Aussie Magdalena Ball called Sublime Planet (https://bit.ly/SublimePlanet). Cover Photography by Anne Howley.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered in its third edition by Modern History Press. Others in that series are How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically, The Frugal Editor and two booklets,  both in their second editions, also from Modern History Press. 

The booklets, Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and Great First Impression Book Proposal (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. The Frugal Editor (https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers.

Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). 

 In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow for news on her new releases direct from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.