• Home
  • Fine Living
    • Start Here—Welcome to Tweetspeak!
    • Read
      • A Poem a Day with Every Day Poems
      • book club
      • Poetry Newsletter!
      • poetry reviews
      • T. S. Poetry Press
      • Quote a Day
      • VerseWrights Journal
    • Write
      • A Book of Beginnings
      • Become a Better Writer
      • Fiction Posts & Prompts
      • Memoir Notebook
      • Poets and Writers Toolkit
      • Writer’s Conferences
      • Writing Prompts
    • Live
      • Art and Disabilities
      • Artist Date
      • Eating and Drinking Poems
      • Journey into Poetry
      • Literary Tour
      • Poem on Your Pillow Day
      • Poetry at Work Day
      • Random Acts of Poetry Day
      • Take Your Poet to Work Day
    • Play
      • Coloring Page Poems
      • Mischief Café
      • Music Playlists
      • poetry humor
      • Quote a Day
      • Shop
      • Twitter Poetry Parties
      • Videos
    • Learn
      • A Poem in Every Heart, a Story in Every Soul
      • Infographics
      • Poetry Classroom
      • Poetry Units for Teachers
      • Writer’s Conferences
      • Writing Workshops
    • Grow
  • Poets & Poems
  • Writers’ Resources
  • Daily Poem
  • Teaching Tools
  • The Press
  • Workshops

Adopting Poetry (Texas) and Reaching for the Stars

By LW Willingham 22 Comments

Naming poetry stars night sky
Sometimes, poetry has a strong sense of place.

Sometimes, poetry is a place.

That poetry can be a place is a thing known intimately by the 90-and-change good folks who live near the intersection of Farm Roads 986 and 1565 in Kaufman County, in the little unincorporated town of Poetry, Texas. We made the discovery when Rick Maxson, the poet-editor behind our Every Day Poems publication, shared in a virtual editorial team meeting recently that he had, on behalf of Every Day Poems and Tweetspeak Poetry, adopted Poetry, Texas.

Poetry Texas Adoption Certificate

A few years ago, Falling Tree Productions spent some time in Poetry reporting for a podcast on BBC. The account is poetic in its own way, sharing interviews with the locals about the town’s history and ongoing struggle to keep the small community viable.

Like a lot of poetry, the town of Poetry started out as something else. The Texas Almanac (where you can adopt your own town for just $25) recalls that the town was first named by Elisha Turner after being awarded “a patent to a league and a labor of land” by Anson Jones, who was the last president of the Republic of Texas, back when that was a thing. Apparently along with patents and leagues and labors of land, a guy like Turner also got naming rights. There was some confusion at the post office, and in 1876 the postal service asked that the town of Turner’s Point be renamed to something less like another town. Good poetry has its own unique voice, so it’s fitting, really, that a local merchant named Maston Ussery suggested the name Poetry, “because the area in springtime reminded him of a poem.” The Almanac doesn’t say if he meant the idea of a poem or a real poem, and if so, what poem that might have been.

A lot has happened since 1876. We’ve put people in space and created telescopes big enough and powerful enough to see the whole galaxy. I imagine Maston Ussery might find that reminds him a little bit of a poem, too. And maybe he’d want to name a star after that poem, and after his place in Poetry, Texas.

He’s not here to do it, but Tweetspeak has always wanted to put poetry into space. On the moon, precisely, but with the NASA priorities as they stand right now we’re happy to work with the stars in the meantime. After Rick (our Every Day Poems editor) adopted a little town in Texas named Poetry, Tweetspeak took the liberty (or, poetic license as it were) of naming a star in a far off constellation for Poetry. You can even see it here, twinkling bright in the sky.

Poetry star

Like our little town, Poetry the star came with its own adoption certificate. If you visit the profile online, you’ll find a poem written for the occasion.

Poetry
probably began
in the stars.

Though some would
say it began
in the moon.

We’re choosing
stardust
at least for today.

Stardust
for you.

Just look to the sky
and open your hand.

*love, Tweetspeak

—L.L. Barkat

Tweetspeak in the Stars

It is believed that we are all made, at least in part, from stars. Joni Mitchell sang at Woodstock that “we are stardust.” Carl Sagan said that “The very matter that makes us up was generated long ago, far away, in red giant stars.” Even Walt Whitman wrote that “A blade of grass is the journeywork of the stars.”

Astrophysicist Karel Schrijver has said that “most of the material that we’re made of comes out of dying stars, or stars that died in explosions. And those stellar explosions continue. We have stuff in us as old as the universe, and then some stuff that landed here maybe only a hundred years ago. And all of that mixes in our bodies.”

So if we’re made up of the stuff of stars, and stars are made up at least a little bit out of poetry, maybe it’s also true that we are also made up, at least a little, of poems. If that’s true, there’s plenty of space in … space … for more poetry. Not long after our star appeared in the Centaurus constellation, someone else adopted a star in the neighborhood (the star-naming people let you be neighborly like that) and named it Neruda. And then, soon enough, along came Emily. And then Sonnet.

We can’t all make the trip to Poetry, Texas. (Though I think Rick may have.) But we can meet in the stars. Join us in naming more of Poetry’s celestial neighbors (you can do it for free). Just visit our star’s page and choose “Name a Star Nearby.” We’d love to hear from you if you name a star. Tell us what name you chose in the comments, and if you write a poem for your star, all the better (but certainly not required).

We’ll be looking for you in the night sky.

Photo by Thanasis Papathanasiou, Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by LW Lindquist.

You Might Also Like

  • How to Write a Poem in the Classroom: Joel JacobsonHow to Write a Poem in the Classroom: Joel Jacobson
  • How to Write an Acrostic Poem InfographicHow to Write an Acrostic Poem Infographic
  • How to Write an Epic Poem: InfographicHow to Write an Epic Poem: Infographic
  • Top Ten Reasons to Read Rumors of WaterTop 10 Reasons to Re-Read ‘Rumors of Water’

Filed Under: Blog, poetry

P. S., With Love

We hope you found something
inspiring here today.

Why not keep it going—for you, and the world?
For as little as $1 a month.

Comments

  1. L.L. Barkat says

    November 2, 2017 at 8:38 am

    I love this! Especially the part about maybe all of us having poems in us, via the stars. Fun musing. 🙂 Poignant, even.

    I do look forward to some new poetic stars in the Poetry neighborhood in the constellation Centaurus. And I suppose there’s a poem in that, too. 🙂

    Reply
    • LW Lindquist says

      November 2, 2017 at 4:22 pm

      I imagine there is. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sandra Heska King says

    November 2, 2017 at 11:50 am

    I named two nearby stars.

    Prufrock – For all those who dare.

    Memory – In honor of all those hearts that beat to the rhythm of memorized poems

    Reply
    • LW Lindquist says

      November 2, 2017 at 4:22 pm

      Very excited to have these neighbors. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Maureen says

    November 2, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    A found poem sourced in your text:

    Ode to Dying Stars

    Night sky of dying stars
    old as the universe,
    you made space for us
    in your springtime galaxy —
    our explosions into being
    like stellar little poems
    that soon enough appeared
    in a constellation made visible
    from far away.

    Reply
    • LW Lindquist says

      November 2, 2017 at 4:21 pm

      Really beautiful, Maureen. Thank you. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Katie says

    November 2, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    What about “TweetSpeak” for a star name?;)

    Here is another stacked poem inspired by this post:

    “Texas Night Sky”

    almanac
    universe
    galaxy
    telescopes
    space
    stars
    Centaur constellation
    twinkling
    TweetSpeak
    stellar explosions
    Neruda
    Emily
    sonnet
    celestial neighbors
    ascension
    declination
    magnitude
    poetry

    Reply
    • LW Lindquist says

      November 2, 2017 at 4:22 pm

      Love that title. 🙂

      Reply
      • Katie says

        November 3, 2017 at 11:41 am

        Thank you, LW:)

        Reply
  5. Bethany R. says

    November 3, 2017 at 10:15 am

    Love this.

    Reply
  6. Katie says

    November 3, 2017 at 11:43 am

    shining
    bright, luminous
    distantly glittering
    a sight we can hardly fathom
    starlight

    Reply
  7. Katie says

    November 3, 2017 at 7:50 pm

    Psalm 147:4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

    Reply
  8. Katie says

    November 11, 2017 at 8:58 am

    On November 5th, we and some others of my husband’s family gathered to celebrate his mother’s 90th birthday. What a fun surprise when my sis-in-law presented the birthday gal with the certificate showing a star named for her:) There was happy applause and jovial comments relating to the question: “What DO you get a nonagenarian, anyway?!”

    In honor of the occasion and this strong woman I dedicate this cinquain in her honor:

    lots and
    lots of love shared
    over many decades
    nurturing, giving, showing us
    the way

    Reply
    • LW Lindquist says

      November 11, 2017 at 9:51 am

      Oh, what a great gift. 🙂

      Reply
  9. jack griner says

    November 11, 2017 at 7:50 pm

    [ picked out a star that was shining so bright
    It hovered up high and would shine there all night
    When a poem is for lovers they grab and hold tight
    sliding on a rainbow but that star kept them in sight

    Reply
  10. jack griner says

    November 11, 2017 at 7:57 pm

    I try to send a poem each day to poetry Com
    doing it for a long time

    Reply
  11. jack griner says

    November 11, 2017 at 8:41 pm

    Name that star Stay Put

    Stay put couldn’t give in to temtation
    Others wondered around to get more light
    Stay put couldn’t help so warned them
    just the other night
    Don’t you know you may get lost
    Read a poem about a star wondering
    around over in the westernmost
    Got mixed up so now they just coast

    Reply
    • LW Lindquist says

      November 12, 2017 at 6:51 pm

      “Don’t you know you may get lost.”

      There is something particularly endearing to me about a star saying this. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Rick Maxson says

    November 21, 2017 at 4:53 am

    LW, I finally have gotten in a few breaths after moving to Canyon Lake in the Texas Hill Country. This piece is perfect. I love all the information on stars.

    I guess you could say that Poetry, Texas is a Haiku of a place. In Spring we might steal a thought:

    The apparition of these daisies by the road; Petals on a wet, black bough.

    Reply
  13. John MacKinnon says

    February 17, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    Enamoured Me

    If my mom had named me Vincent
    Would my go van blow a tire
    If my mom had named me Pablo
    Would my water flow like fire
    If my mom had named me Salvador
    Would my real name be Dali
    If my mom had named me Ludwig
    Would my symphony still be

    If my world had circled Saturn
    Could I give the Sun a ring
    If time hurled from forward fissions
    Would I still hear Lennon sing

    If my mom had named me Vincent
    Would all my colours still bleed through
    If my mom had named me Pablo
    Would my pieces still seek you
    If my mom had named me Salvador
    Would my sky just be a door
    If my mom had named me Ludwig
    Could my music matter more

    If my universe was tiny
    Would my thoughts grow larger still
    If my mom had named me Vincent
    Would my starry night fulfill

    Jmac

    Reply
    • LW Lindquist says

      February 18, 2018 at 12:19 pm

      “Would my sky just be a door” — I like that. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, John.

      Reply
  14. John MacKinnon says

    February 18, 2018 at 1:03 pm

    AbSOLution

    And in the final desperate times
    The children all were gathered
    The dogs released to scout the line
    Where nothing living mattered

    And rockets raced upon their marks
    High up amongst the heavens
    Now sturdy cedars withheld brave barks
    Becoming hidden havens

    Yet all the while the rivers wept
    For streams lost coinciding
    The mothers treasures closely kept
    Near arms grown weary hiding

    And lastly before stars were joined
    An instant moment later
    Old Sol the Sun, new light purloined,
    Smiled back at the Creator

    Jmac

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

Free with tweet

Welcome All the Goodness

Welcome all the
patron-only goodness,
when you become a part of a place
that brings joy to the world.

Follow Tweetspeak Poetry

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café.

You’re a regular? Check out our February Menu.

Recent Comments

  • L.L. Barkat on The Handwritten Letter: How To Tell A Friend You Adore Her
  • Anne Maguire on Writing, Paper & Quills: Ode to a Planner Prompt
  • Pranjulaa Singh on Poetry Prompt: Angry Poem Stacks
  • Megan Willome on Book Club Announcement: “Twirl” by Callie Feyen

A Love Story to Teaching

The Teacher Diaires Front Cover with Lauren Winner

“Hilarious, heart-rending, entertaining.”

—KA, Amazon reviewer

GET FREE SAMPLE NOW

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The New York Observer

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

Tumblr Book News

Categories

Poetry for Life? Here's our manifesto on the matter...

Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches

Help make it happen. Post The 5 Vital Approaches on your site!

Learn to Write Form Poems

Whether or not you end up enjoying the form poem, we've seen the value of building your skills through writing in form.

One reader who explored the villanelle was even featured in Every Day Poems!

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

Featured Literary Analysis

Poem Analysis: Anne Sexton's Her Kind

Poem Analysis: Adrienne Rich's Diving into the Wreck

Poem Analysis: Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Order and Disorder in Macbeth

Tone in For Whom the Bell Tolls and Catch-22

Tragedy and Comedy: Why People Love Them

Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

Book Promotion, Platform, Publicity

Author Platform: Where to Start

Ten Surprising Secrets to Make Your Book Go Viral

How to Host a Successful Book Launch

Simple Tips on Finding and Working with a Book Publicist

How to Get Your Poems Published!

Pride and Prejudice Resources

5 Amusing Pride and Prejudice Quotes

Infographic: Simpleton's Guide to Pride and Prejudice

10 Great Pride and Prejudice Resources

Happy Birthday Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Playlist

Featured Top 10 Poems

Top 10 Chicken Poems

Top 10 Chocolate Poems (Okay, Minus 3)

Top 10 Fairy Tale Poems

Top 10 Funny Poems

Top 10 Laundry Poems

10 of the Best Love Poems

Top 10 Poems with Make or Break Titles

Top 10 Mirror Poems

Top 10 Question Poems

Top 10 Red Poems

Top 10 Rose Poems

Top 10 Summer Poems

10 Great Poems About Work

Children’s Poems, Children’s Books

Llamas in Pajamas and Ten Great Children's Poetry Books

A Children's Poem on the Playground

Come Again: Teaching Poetry to Children

Poetry With Children: What's in Your Journal

Teaching Poetry to Children: There Are So Many Blues

Take Your Poet to Work Day: Poet Treasure Hunt in the Library (Callie's Story)

6 Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Children

Top 10 Children's Books and YA Books

Little Red Riding Hood: Graphic Novel

14 Reasons Peter Rabbit Should Be Banned (Satire)

The Latest Patron-Only Articles

Handwritten Letter

The Handwritten Letter: How To Tell A Friend You Adore Her

Braiding Sweetgrass Lost in Translation

Braiding Sweetgrass: Lost in Translation

Gratitude Together: Now Our Minds Are One

Braiding Sweetgrass book club

Braiding Sweetgrass: No One Asked the Plants

Featured Infographics

Infographic: How to Write an Acrostic Poem

Infographic: How to Write a Ballad

Infographic: How to Write an Epic Poem

Infographic: Ghazal for a Gazelle

Infographic: Boost Your Haiku High Q

Infographic: Pantoum of the Opera

Infographic: How to Write an Ode

Infographic: Poem a Day

Infographic: How to Write a Rondeau

Infographic: Simpleton's Guide to Pride and Prejudice

Sonnet Infographic: Quatrain Wreck

Featured Playlists

Playlist: Cat's Meow

Playlist: Doors and Passageways

Playlist: Fairy Tale and Fantasy

Playlist: Purple Rain and Indigo Blues

Playlist: Surrealism

Playlist: Best Tattoo Songs

Playlist: Trains and Tracks

All the Playlists

They Bring Poetry for Life

Meet our wonderful partners, who bring "poetry for life" to students, teachers, librarians, businesses, employees—to all sorts of people, across the world.

About Us

  • Our Story
  • Meet Our Team
  • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • Contact Us

Writing With Us

  • Poetry Prompts
  • Submissions
  • Writing Workshops

Reading With Us

  • Book Club
  • Dip Into Poetry
  • Every Day Poems
  • Literacy Extras
  • Quote a Day
  • VerseWrights Journal

Public Days for Poetry

  • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • Poetry at Work Day
  • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • Take Your Poet to School Week—National Poetry Month!
  • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • Give the Gift of Every Day Poems
  • Our Shop
  • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • Blog Buttons
  • Put a Poem in Your Heart, Or a Story in Your Soul
  • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2019 Tweetspeak Poetry · Site by The Willingham Enterprise · FAQ & Disclosure

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more