POetry POstcard (POPO) Festival 2025 was the best one yet, both on the creating and sending and the receiving. There were 31 people on my official list and 3 on my unofficial list. Each of these individuals received a collage postcard put together by me, with a poem that was spontaneously written in the mornings as I drank first cuppajoe and looked out upon the day.
I received a postcard from 27 of the people on the official list, and 2 from one of them. Thank you, Mary Beth! I received postcards from Alexandra, Kerfe, and Jules. Jules sent me 2 also. Thank you, Jules! The postcards received were beautiful and magical, the icing on the poetry cake. Thank you to each person for the care, creativity, and messages of each poem.
As I have done in previous years, I took one line or phrase from each poem received and have created/compiled a cento form poem. Capitalization may have been changed to fit the flow of it but otherwise the lines are verbatim.
If you are interested in participating in Poetry Postcard Fest 2026, which begins on July 4, 2026, Early Registration is now open HERE.
Dark things filled my field
feel the year turning
when the shadow casts long
well past its best use date,
but the basement
ignored on the shelf
king of ignorance and colony
no time for questions when life shifts
On a fever blue morning
an engaging escape
“I want to show you this”
home is just over the creek in
radiant sunshine glistens
nature show up daily
Oh ginger, I could bathe in a lagoon
Sure to find one
it’s a fancy
and wonder what motions
just resting my eyes
to come out and play!
Old cypress tree, born of roots like hers
but the soul of the soil is in all their bones
leaves – their sails cast by the wind
It’s all about the overtone
learn the art of apology, eat
But, we still must continue
guardians cradling the last pale light
too late to ask the who’s who
we know the song – now we must sing for our lives
‘cause in the darkness she sees the stars
That, just that, saved the day
Tao Talk 
Amazing!
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:) A very satisfying end.
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:>)
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How lovely!
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The concentrated creativity is almost more than I can take.
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Well done. Lots of work preceded this post, Lisa. Plaudits!
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Judy, thanks so much. I like the whole process. Thanks for noticing that part.
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Such a cool thing to do, in sharing art and poetry! I love this poem. Sometimes the best ones are made from bits and pieces of other things and words, just like your collages. :)
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Barbara, it is a really fun experience, and thank you for sharing about the similarity between the cento and the collages <3
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You’re welcome! :)
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This was fun to follow along with this year. I hadn’t heard of this previously, but it is a great event linking poetry and community.
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Bruce, creating and sending is delightful. Walking to the mailbox every day and hoping to see a popo gift is priceless. It’s tangible in an increasingly virtual reality. Glad you enjoyed following along :)
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Another great cento.
I had some outstanding cards this year, too, but did not receive as many in total as you did. Looks like a good selection. And the ones you sent were all special. (K)
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Thanks, K. It was a good year for poeming<3
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First! This is great. Second, was that a Gilligan’s Island reference? Very cool!
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Thanks, Aaron. I’m not sure what part you’re talking about? All lines are from other poets.
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“Oh ginger, I could bathe in a lagoon…” it’s a cool reference.
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p.s. If you meant the Ginger reference, no, in the poem it was about ginger you put in food as seasoning :)
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OK. Thank you for the clarification.
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I think it is so cool you do this every year! I’ll have to put it on my calendar and I might try it next year.
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Dana, I hope you do! You can buy pre-made postcards for it if you choose to. It’s really about the poetry.
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I will have to consider that and if I can be that creative!!
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<3
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I saved the link, thanks, Lisa!
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