Please Join Us!

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Please Join Us…as we celebrate the unveiling of our 2024 Poster Series! Beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19, our 23rd annual celebration will take place in the Atrium Gallery at 201 E. Washington St., Syracuse. This special event will bring together the 12 poet-artist pairs of the 2024 series, their friends and family, and friends and followers of the Syracuse Poster Project. This year’s unique theme features poems and illustrations of 12 historic characters from Central New York, including Jean Daugherty, Eric Carle, Adelaide Alsop Robineau and Gustav Stickley, among others.

Strong Hickory branch
catches balls thrown long through time 
Turtle clan stays strong

by Thomas Stock (2023 – for Alf Jacques)

As we’ve done in the past, the 2024 festivities will begin as soon as you walk through the doors of the Atrium Gallery: lined up beautifully along its large windows, you will have a chance to view the handsome display of the 2024 large-format posters. You might even have an opportunity to talk directly with the poet/artist before the brief ceremony introducing the new series begins. Visitors to the event will also enjoy music, appetizers and light beverages, and time to browse and purchase Syracuse Poster Project products. Voting for the 2024 “People’s Choice” poster is also planned as is a silent auction of last year’s poster panels and special items donated by local businesses. 

In justice's name, Karen stood tall 
Championing rights, she answered the call. 
Her words like beacons, fierce and bright, 
In DeCrow's legacy, we find our light.

by Jane Verostek (2023 – for Karen DeCrow)

One thing for certain, our 23rd poster series drew high-quality submissions of haiku and short poems. Inspired by our list of historic characters, our call for poetry last September drew works from 62 returning poets and 55 new poets. A total of 246 poems were submitted from which 144 semi-final poems were selected and then allocated (four poems each) to 37 artists. Each artist selected one poem to illustrate and 25  posters were completed. From these, our guest panelists presided over a blind selection of 11 posters and awarded first-, second-, and third-place posters for which we were able to award an honorarium to the selected poets/artists with monies from a grant through the New York State Council on the Arts. 

I heard you play for
Elders waiting. Life goes by. 
A freight train too fast.

by Mary Stanley (2023 – for Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten)

Many thanks again to NYSCA and to our many friends and sponsors of our new poster series, including CNY Arts, Onondaga County, Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today, Bousquet Holstein PLLC, Humanities NY, Commonspace Work, Downtown Committee of Syracuse, The Summit Federal Credit Union and Tony Malavenda and Martine Burat. 

When Moses Fleetwood Walker left 
Baseball closed the door.
But Jackie Robinson came to play 
and opened it once more.

by Herm Card (2023 – for Moses Fleetwood Walker)

Be sure to look for our new posters in May when they’ll be placed in several kiosks downtown. If you’re unable to join us on the 19th, you’ll find the new posters HERE following the unveiling event. While browsing, you’ll also be able to explore our recently redeveloped website, generously funded by The John Ben Snow Foundation and The Dorothy and Marshall Reisman Foundation! And, as always, if you’re wanting to purchase any of our other wonderful posters, click HERE.

We’re all looking forward to seeing you on the 19th!

fossil fuel free! 
planet in recovery 
cocoons in coolness

by Monica Kakkar (2023 - for Fictional 
Character From the Future)

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Remembering Friend and Poet, Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu

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Breaking the stillness
a blue fluttering takes flight 
the great heron soars.

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2004)

We recently learned of the death of Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu — a dear friend of the Syracuse Poster Project and one of our many contributors of wonderful haiku.

Open the window
chase out the smell of winter 
bring in plum blossoms

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2005)

A kind and formidable champion of education (specifically, Communication and Women’s Studies), social justice, feminism and diversity, she died on February 6, 2024 at the age of 85.

Passing cloud alights
on the canal's cold waters 
ah, here come the geese

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2007)

A prolific writer and lifelong learner, Joan published two books of poetry: Winged Odyssey: Poems and Stories (2003) and On Gossamer Wings: Poems and Stories (2013); and, in 2006, she published an illustrated trade paperback, Imperial Valley Nisei Women: Transcending Poston, containing a selection of oral histories taken from five Japanese-American women confined to a Poston, Arizona internment camp during WW11.

Two baby deer sleep
in the shade of red bud trees 
a garden refuge

Joan Loveridge- Sanbonmatsu (2015)

Over the past several years, the Syracuse Poster Project has featured a diverse selection of Joan’s haiku on its Poetry Blog; and three of her haiku have been beautifully illustrated by former Syracuse University Illustration Students.

Streaks through cobalt blue 
arcs of brilliance charge skies 
meteors dazzle

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2005)

For our 2005 Poster Series, Joan offered this thoughtful reflection on the colorful haiku selected by former SU student Renee Mlynaryk: “I remember the day of this poem very exactly. It was one of those beautiful Central New York summer days, and it was my birthday. My husband and I went to the Gifford Zoo. And there they were—the flamingoes! They were elegant, a brilliant salmon color, outside in the pond, and it was the first time I had seen them outside. We went on to see the eagles, red pandas, and the baby elephants. But I was so taken by the flamingoes, I kept coming back to them. And several of those flamingoes held my gaze, made eye contact. That very afternoon, the haiku wrote itself. I would love to see them fly. I don’t think I’ve seen flamingoes fly. So I wonder: do the flamingoes at the zoo fly?”

With grace, salmon pink
flamingos stand on one leg
snoozing at the zoo

Poet: Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu
Artist: Renee Mlynaryk
Series: 2005

It’s easy to see how Joan’s love of nature comes through in many of her haiku. 

Brown sparrows huddle
on thick branches, feathers puffed 
to still arctic air.

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2004)

For our 2009 Series, she reflected on how fond memories and keen observations made it easy for her to write the lovely haiku chosen by former SU student Rachelle Boyd: “I saw my first dragonfly when I was six years old. My dad told me that dragonflies were good to have around because they ate mosquitoes. I remember the moment when I wrote this haiku. I was sitting on my back porch, one of my favorite places to write to gather in the beauty of summer. I have this lounge chair and sit in the shade of my magnolia tree and look out at our long, green backyard. Near the chair is a little table for my poetry notebook and pen. I saw a dragonfly, a deep crimson one, fluttering on our forsythia bush. I caught its gaze and it hovered in the same place for a while. We watched each other, the dragonfly and me.”

In still moments on
my porch, I watch the crimson
dragonflies watch me

Poet: Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu
Artist: Rachelle Boyd
Series: 2009

Seasonal changes are also found in many of Joan’s poems.

Sea oats shimmer gold
in October’s dimming light 
waves in Autumn wind

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2005)

For the 2013 Poster Series, her stirring haiku caught the attention of former SU student Joel Jensen Heath. Reminiscing on how she came to write this haiku, Joan states: “We were moving into our house in Syracuse, from Oswego, on December 1st, 2009. It was late in the afternoon and the first snow of the season began to fall. I looked out of a large living room window—we had a small, fenced-in backyard in Syracuse—and beyond the fence, under a tree, was a red fox curled up sleeping. It was such a welcoming sight for me, and even on that same afternoon, several deer visited us. When we moved to the city, seeing those beautiful creatures in our backyard felt like home. When I see something—if there’s a flash of beauty in nature and I see that occur—the haiku more or less write themselves. If I see something that really touches me, or moves me, I like to write it down—and a haiku is born.”

Oak trees in the sun
Curled up on straw and first snow
a sleeping red fox

Poet: Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu
Artist: Joel Jensen Heath
Series: 2013

In addition to receiving a Presidential Citation for the American Red Cross Overseas Association in 1998, Joan’s other life accomplishments are well documented in the Oswego Alumni Association’s 2008 Spring/Summer Issue. 

Pause at the Swan Pond
four babies with gray-brown down 
grow, swim: celebrate

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2012)

All of us at the Syracuse Poster Project will miss Joan’s warm smile and generous spirit. Our deepest condolences to her family and many friends.

Unveiling, 2013

2009 Unveiling

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

A Call for Poetry: Our 2024 Series

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By now, you should have received our 2024 Poster Series invitation brochure and poetry submission form. If not, please join us in this annual tradition of ours by submitting fresh work (as detailed below) and/or by sharing this invitation with a fellow writer!

New this year, we are asking poets to submit haiku and other short form poetry based on a series of historical characters with ties to Syracuse. These 13 Famous Faces of Syracuse were selected with the help of the Onondaga Historical Society. Ultimately, 10 posters will be selected for the 2024 Series.

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Echoes of legends
murmurs of up—and—comers
drift over concrete

Poet: Erin Stepowany
Artist: Jamie Ashlaw
Series: 2019

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As we’ve featured in the past, we are also including in this year’s challenge a commissioned “reverse process” poster. The finely illustrated poster by James McCampbell features early 20th Century stained glass artists, Henry Keck and Stanley Worden. 

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Can you find the words to fit this wonderful poster? Poets can submit a single poem to complement this “reverse process” poster and up to three poems on any of the other eligible historical figures on our list.  

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Poets also have an opportunity this year to create a fictional character from the future. Use your imagination to create a person living roughly 150 years from now, who is famous for something that they’ve created or built making them a legend in their own time.

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Old buildings reborn
No longer dead, forgotten
Downtown comes to life

Poet: Peggy Droz
Artist: Roger DeMuth
Series: 2015

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The deadline to submit poems is September 30, 2023. Selected poets, and artists too, will be announced at the end of December. As always, our unveiling event will be held in April, 2024.

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Two Schiller Park bards
oversee the city below:
poem in motion

Poet: Ellen McNeal
Artist: Rich Kelly
Series: 2007

If you did not receive our invitation and would like to contribute your poetry or art, please click HERE for more information and further details on how to participate. To see our 2024 Brochure, click HERE. For the submission form, click HERE.

And, as always, if you’d like to learn more about the Syracuse Poster Project, please visit our website at www.posterproject.org. To read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. If you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year.

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll  for the Syracuse Poster Project

Just a Quick Note From Our 2023 Series Unveiling Event

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Oooh’s and ah’s filled the
room. Poets, artists smiling.
Music filled the air.

by Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius)

On Thursday, April 20th, we celebrated our 22nd annual unveiling event with the debut of our 2023 Poster Series. Poets, artists, friends and family — along with many of our generous sponsors — enjoyed a very special evening of art, haiku, light refreshments and music!  

Among the many delightful highlights of the evening was our “People’s Choice” Award. Of the ten posters on the ballot, attendees selected our featured poster below by poet Maura Harling Stefl (Fayetteville) and artist Christian Freeman (Syracuse). We think you’ll agree, it’s a vibrant haiku and a striking illustration!

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Also new at this year’s event was our first ever Silent Auction of newly retired, large-format posters from our 2022 poster series. These special posters had been displayed outside the downtown Post Office on Salina Street. The posters are printed on solid Gator Board panels (34.75 X 58-inches) and are suitable for inside or outside display. With two successful bids received on the night of our event, there are still eight posters to choose from. Each one can be purchased for a minimum contribution of $75. Not only is your donation put towards our continued success, it’s a great way to beautify a sizable space — a cafe, lobby or outdoor wall — with a single, economical purchase.  If you are interested in purchasing one of these wonderful posters, please contact Jim Emmons directly at Jim@posterproject.org or 315-937-7123‬.

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Mixed in with the many thanks to our sponsors, volunteers, interns, part-time workers, and Board Members, Syracuse Poster Project Director and co-founder, Jim Emmons, announced his plans to retire. As a search for an eventual successor begins, Jim is working closely with the Poster Project Board to develop funding for a paid director’s position. For further details, or if you would like to learn more about how you can help, please do not hesitate to contact Jim directly.

Jim Emmons
Photo by Mindy Lee Tarry

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Finally, if you missed our celebration on the 20th, you will find the 2023 series of eclectic posters here. In a few weeks, be sure to look for them in designated kiosks throughout downtown Syracuse.

Congratulations once again to our 2023 poet-artist pairs. Your creativity represents another year of fine work!  Thank You!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku to Celebrate Women’s History Month

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Peaceful park morning
Around the paths, birds pecking
Mom and boy laughing

by Vinh Dang (2007)

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As we’ve written on these pages before, the month of March is a lively time of year. From the Ides of March to March Madness, from National Pi Day to St. Patrick’s Day, from the Spring Equinox to Music in Our Schools Month, March can be a busy month, indeed!

Equinox. Yin, Yang.
Moon and Sun partners in time.
Night and Day embrace.

by Thomas Stock (2015)

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Among the many spirited celebrations of March, there is Women’s History Month. Designated as such in 1987, March has been recognized since then with an annual Presidential Proclamation honoring the specific achievements and contributions made by women in a variety of fields over the course of American history.

Vintage wedding gown. 
Handmade quilts sewn long ago. 
Time never fading.

by Cynthia DeKing (2023)

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Even here in Central New York, women have played, and continue to play, important roles in our society. When writing her haiku below, Michele Reed “…. thought of our area’s legacy of social activism, from abolitionism to Women’s Rights. And who better to embody that heritage than Harriet Tubman, conductor on the Underground Railroad and women’s suffrage activist? Many area homes have “hidey-holes,” where enslaved people took cover on their way to Canada and freedom.

There is still much to be done to secure equality and justice for all people. But our local history proves that even one person of good will can make a difference.”

Follow the North Star
Harriet Tubman leading—
Underground Railroad

Poet: Michele Reed
Artist: David Zeggert
Series: 2021

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Celebrated on a global level, International Women’s Day takes place in March, too. According to International Women’s Day, this notable day “….celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.”

Peoples of far lands
came to find peace, home and work
a city was born

by Mildred Woolley (2014)

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Red sari blows wide
Bag of onions on her head
Market vendor smiles

Poet: Cindy Ostuni
Artist: Katie Turner
Series: 2021

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Be they mothers or daughters, teachers or caregivers, scientists or artists, contributions by women throughout history have made the world a better place.

Iroquois women
Fayetteville bloomers--Orange
Sisters in the Hood

by Mark Calicchia (2021)

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In her interpretation of Deborah Tracy’s wonderful haiku below, artist Kathleen O’Dell, “….chose to depict Harriet May Mills, prominent leader in the women’s suffrage movement, born in Syracuse in 1857. As the backdrop, I featured the Harriet May Mills Art and Home Center, a permanent structure at the Fairgrounds that opened in 1934. The font I chose is called “Keep on Truckin,” which I thought was fitting given the circumstances of our present political climate. My hope is to pay homage to a true American hero by adding a touch of whimsy to an overly political time.”

Old woman, straight stride
Mouth set, umbrella held tall
'Gainst soft spring drizzle.

Poet: Deborah Tracy
Artist: Kathleen O'Dell
Series: 2021

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We hope you’ve enjoyed these thoughtfully written haiku and beautifully illustrated posters. We think you’ll agree that they add a unique perspective to the celebration of Women’s History Month! 

A pink ribbon halved
folded pulling through us three
my mother’s, hers, me

by Lynn McDonald (2012)

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To read more March themes on our Poetry Blog, click HERE. As always, to read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. And, if you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE — they make great gifts!

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Our 2022 April Event

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Mama mourning dove
shivers and huddles in nest,
Spring snow squalls whip by.

by Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (2021)

It’s April! Time for Spring cleaning and April showers. Best of all, it’s also time for Syracuse Poster Project’s Annual Unveiling Event! After two pandemic-related years of virtual celebrations, we are pleased to announce that the opening event of the 2022 poster series will be held, in person, at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 21 in the Atrium at City Hall Commons, 201 E. Washington St., Syracuse.

Magnolia blooms burst
Pink and purple pageantry.
The sweet scent of Spring.

by Joan Dear-Houseman (2021)

Please do join us as we return to an in-person celebration! It will be a wonderful opportunity to see our new posters before they’re placed in the various kiosks lining downtown Syracuse.

You’ll also meet the poets and artists of the 2022 series and it will be a good time to mingle and chat with our many friends of poetry and public art. As always, we will have music, appetizers and beverages to make the evening extra special. So, dress up, turn out and party with the Poster Project!

Hats glow like halos —
Colorful Procession climbs
Stairway to heaven.

Poet: Anna Pyrohanych
Artist: Yvonne Buchanan 
Series: 2013

How to find us: City Hall Commons is located on East Washington Street, between Warren and Montgomery streets.

It’s the Flat Iron Building just south of the State Tower Building. And, if you’re wanting to purchase any of the new posters or those from our archives, we’ll also be selling prints at this annual event. By the way, click on any poster featured on this blog and it will take you to our SHOP page!

Purple loosestrife and
yellow finches brighten the
canal bikers' path

Poet: Nan Gartner
Artist: Joyce Backus
Series: 2021

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So, as we welcome Spring, with grasses growing green, please join us in congratulating the Poets and Artists of our 2022 Series!

Listed here by poet and artist:

Mary Jane BeVard (Liverpool) & Jill Long (Syracuse)
Emily Buchanan (Minoa) & David Hicock (Syracuse)
Ellen McCauley (Syracuse) & Tommy Lincoln (Manlius)
Timothy Muir (Marcellus) & R. Paul Lilly (Syracuse)
David Pasinski (Syracuse) & Tyler Hill (Nedrow)
Cynthia Perrine (Fabius) & Thomas Harris (Syracuse)
Michele Reed (Oswego) & Patrick Volz (Liverpool)
Evelyn Stemashuck (Parish) & Aletta Ren (Syracuse)
Jane Verostek (Fayetteville) & Meg Stephens (Syracuse)
Amy Zamkoff (Syracuse) & Leah Hennessey (Baldwinsville)

Happy Spring!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

March Madness Haiku

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Hoops hysteria
basketball stars down the court
Orange Carrier

by Jennifer Fulco (Syracuse, 2012)

Tomorrow, March 15, 2022, may be The Ides of March, but it also marks the official start of March Madness and the 2022 Men’s and Women’s  NCAA Basketball Tournaments. 

The town with the MOST
We play basketball and boast
On streets we all coast

by Nick Ghezzi (Canastota, 2011)

As you may have guessed, we’re celebrating March Madness — the kind of madness when watching non-stop hoops and the constant checking of brackets takes on a life of its own — by highlighting some fun haiku from our archives with an eye on Basketball!

Fenced in glory hoops
leap in air toward heaven
endless chatter scores

Poet: Pat Flowers
Artist: Gabriel Eng-Goetz
Series: 2008

With carefully scheduled contests in the East, West, South and Midwest, brackets help keep track of the teams that ultimately make it to the Final Four. And every year, it seems, there’s always the question: will there be a Cinderella?

Tick tock, tick tock, tick
Thirty-five second countdown
Orange brings it home.

Poet: Abigail Lent
Artist: Yoomin Cheong
Series: 2014

From the many teams selected from across the country, to the Sweet Sixteen, to the Elite Eight and down to the Final Four, March Madness is certainly an exciting tradition to welcome Spring!

Thousands march like ants
Uphill. Wearing orange, blue
Invade a white dome.

Poet: T. Michael Duncan 
Artist: Cecily Thomas
Series: 2016

However your team progresses this year, and whatever the outcome, have a “ball”!

The stakes are rising,
screams echoing through the Dome,
the shot’s up, it’s in!

by Nolen Brann (Jamesville, 2018)

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Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

More Haiku For Mother’s Day

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Between cement cracks
Fragrant wildflowers blossom
kissed by golden rays

by Deb Bateman (East Syracuse 2001)

Ready or not, Mother’s Day will be here soon. A pleasant reminder, if you will, that Spring has sprung at last...well, at least, that’s what the calendar says!

It’s here, falling fast!
Snowflakes land wet and heavy.
Tulips sadly droop.

by Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius 2021)

Despite the snow and chilly rain of late, (we need the rain, or so ‘they’ say), the wild abundance of Daffodils and Tulips this year should make a perfect Mother’s Day bouquet! Their warm and familiar colors seem to rival all those joyfully bursting yellow Forsythia found growing everywhere this year! 

drops of rain water 
dangle under a tree branch,
temporary pearls

by Sara Parrott (Nedrow 2017)

Nothing, though, seems to rival all the wind storms that this Spring has sprung…

so much wind today
kids blow kisses through their wands
bubbles chase me home

by Wendy E. Kaplan (Villas, N.J. 2020)

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To celebrate Mother’s Day, our featured haiku poster is from our 2004 Series. Artist, Meaghan Arbital, has created a colorful complement to the wonderful haiku written by Poet, Molly English.

Onondaga Lake
Shoreline; a nesting hotbed.
Make way for goslings

Looking at this cheerful poster, it’s easy to see, even in nature, Mother’s Day seems to be synonymous with Spring blooms, birth, growth and nurturing. 

Buds and baby birds
grow together on branches
fly away in fall

by Megan Reed (Liverpool 2009)

Despite ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, we hope your Mother’s Day is a pleasant and Spring-infused one! 

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And, last, but not least, in case you missed it, the 2021 Virtual Series Event and 20th Anniversary Celebration was a huge success and a lot of fun! Such good work this year by poets and artists! Thanks again, also, to our sponsors and donors, our interns, volunteers and board members. Please enjoy the roughly half-hour presentation of the 2021 Virtual Series Event and Anniversary Celebration by clicking this link: https://youtu.be/R8N-DmL9CxY. By the way, if you see a new haiku poster you just have to have framed and hung in your family room, click here to shop!

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

Our 20th Anniversary and 2021 Series Event

We’re celebrating our 20th Anniversary! 

The Syracuse Poster Project is celebrating 20 years of bringing together community poets and artists to create an annual series of poetry posters for the poster kiosks in downtown Syracuse. Co-founded in 2001 by long-time Syracuse resident, Jim Emmons and Roger DeMuth, artist and former Professor of Illustration at Syracuse University (SU), the Poster Project’s first Series was unveiled in 2002. 

I spoke recently with Jim about the driving force behind the creation of the Syracuse Poster Project:

Founded in 2001 and formally established as a non-profit in 2010, the Syracuse Poster Project was formed to solve an issue with the city’s image. The problem arose after a major renovation of the downtown streetscape in the mid-1990’s. Included in this renovation were approximately 25 poster panels, or kiosks, intended as advertising venues for downtown merchants. Instead of flourishing, these kiosks languished, often displaying outdated material or nothing at all. Like empty storefronts, the panels blighted downtown. The Poster Project addressed this problem by bringing together and artists to create civic poster art for the panels. We did this by inviting writers to write Syracuse-themed haiku, then having the best of these haiku illustrated by art students from the illustration program at Syracuse University. 

Downtown Kiosk
From our 2008 Poster Series 
Poet: Rosalyn M. Carroll 
Artist: Rebecca Zomchek

I asked Jim to expand upon how Syracuse University art students became involved with the Project in its early days: 

2015 Poster Series
Poet: Peggy Droz
Artist: Roger DeMuth

Jim first became aware of the illustration program at SU after reading a story in the SU Alumni Magazine about Professor Roger DeMuth. At the time, Professor DeMuth would assemble a collection of his students’ work, in postcard format, to present to prospective employers at an art and design convention in New York City. Intrigued by the graphic quality of this work, Jim reached out to DeMuth and proposed teaming up by having DeMuth’s students illustrate haiku-based posters for the city’s poster kiosks. Professor DeMuth accepted, and continued to participate in the Project, annually, for 15 years until his retirement from SU.

Once the source for posters was resolved, I asked Jim, why haiku?

While brainstorming ideas for better ways to use the downtown kiosks, Jim also consulted with an advertising professor at SU and pitched several ideas to the Downtown Committee of Syracuse. One of those ideas was to create haiku-based posters. This seemed a viable possibility as there was already a tradition of people writing haiku in Syracuse for the Syracuse New Times Syr-Haiku contest. In addition, the brevity of haiku lent itself to the brevity of communication required of poster art. The Syracuse New Times let us tap its collection of haiku, which we immediately supplemented with our own call for haiku. A year or two later, the New Times ceased its contest, and we relied entirely on our own call for haiku.

Syracuse New Times
Syr-Haiku Contest

Eventually, the Syracuse Poster Project’s annual call for haiku included a kind of Ekphrastic challenge. I asked Jim about this challenge–where a poster is commissioned and poets have the chance to submit a haiku to fit the illustration:

2012 Poster Series
Poet: Sara Parrott
Artist: Skip Frost

For the 2012 poster series, we created the first of several “reverse process” posters, in which we commissioned an illustration and invited poets to write haiku to complement the image. The first instance of this arose when Onondaga Community College (OCC) asked us to create a poster in celebration of its 50^th Anniversary. We commissioned Skip Frost, an art instructor at the college, to paint a scene of OCC’s iconic footbridge, which was then completed with a haiku submitted by Sara Parrott. 

In 2018, shortly after Roger DeMuth retired from SU’s Illustration Program, Syracuse Poster Project initiated an open call for Central New York artists to participate in the production of the 2019 poster series. I asked Jim about the success of this change:

It has been tremendously successful. From 2001 to 2017, we collaborated with a senior illustration class at Syracuse University, whose students would select and illustrate haiku. In 2018, we broadened our reach by implementing an open call for Central New York artists. Each year, approximately 40 artists have committed to participating. After screening submitted haiku, we allot four of our favorites to each artist to participate. Artists then select and illustrate their preferred haiku.

2019 Poster Series
Poet: David Harper
Artist: Eva Hunter

As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, I asked Jim to briefly reflect on the success of the Syracuse Poster Project:

Photo: Rosalyn M. Carroll, 2018

If numbers are any indication of success, consider this:

In 20 years, the Syracuse Poster Project:

• Has worked with more than 500 artists and 600 poets
• 3,136 haiku have been submitted for consideration
• approximately, 320 haiku posters have been completed
• 440 of those posters have hung in kiosks in downtown Syracuse

Over the years, the Syracuse Poster Project has grown tremendously and has implemented new ways of fulfilling its mission to enliven the city of Syracuse and to build community between poets, artists and the community at large. 

Along with a well-constructed website, an active Blog and social media presence, Syracuse Poster Project also sells poster prints and poster-related products in their online Shop, at local events, such as the annual Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival, and at our annual (pre-pandemic) Series Unveiling Event in April. 

2017 Poster Series
Poet: Ross Getman
Artist: Tong “Amy” Su

Among other community building events, including occasional  poetry workshops and the Erie Canal Museum Poster Installation, there is also a traveling exhibit of framed poster prints that has contributed to the wide audience Syracuse Poster Project currently enjoys.

As Jim explained to me, “….each year, we print 16 unique posters and up to 10 copies of select posters for a total of approximately 22 posters to appear in the kiosks. So: 22 posters per year over the course of 20 years amounts to 440 posters.”

Upon further reflection, Jim added this note of thanks: 

Interns: Yunhu Zhu & Jiaqi Liu
Photo: Jim Emmons, 2020

Our success would not be possible without the support of our generous sponsors and dedicated Board members, our tireless volunteers and enthusiastic interns.

We also thank our poets and artists for their spirit, skill and creativity, and a tremendous thank you to our larger circle of community supporters for keeping faith in us. Together, we’ve helped to make Syracuse a place of civic art.

Board member: Marc Maynard
Photo: Jim Emmons, 2015

In closing, our 20th Anniversary celebration would not be complete without the unveiling of our newest Series!

With yet another year of pandemic quarantining, we are unable to meet and mingle in person as has been our tradition. Instead, we will be presenting our 2021 Series Unveiling Event virtually. Like last year’s virtual unveiling, the YouTube premiere of the 2021 Series will combine posters, poems, video clips by the artists and poets, and live commenting. This special event will take place on Thursday, April 22 at 6:00PM.  To watch and participate, go to the Poster Project’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/theposterproject. Please join us!

Enjoy a few photos below from our previous Unveiling Events or click here for more!

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

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  2018 Series Event
  Poet: Rosalyn M. Carroll
  Artist: Mya Parker
  Photo: Charlie Carroll

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  2016 Series Event
  Poet: Erik Lilly
  Artist: Lazaro Sanchez
  Photo: Herm Card

• 

  2018 Event Series
  Co-Founder: Jim Emmons
  Guest: Amanda Henrie
  Photo: Jim Emmons

• 

  2015 Series Event
  Co-Founder: Roger DeMuth
  Board Member: Joe Murphy
  Photo: Marc Maynard

• 

  2015 Series Event
  Artist: Biko Walker
  Photo: Alexis Emm

• 

  2017 Series Event
  Jasmine Coan: DJ Bella
  Photo: Herm Card

• 

  2015 Series Event
  Guest: Brendan Rose
  Photo: Alexis Emm

• 

  2017 Series Event
  Artist: Gabriella Silverstein
  Photo: Mindy Lee Tarry

• 

  2012 Series Event
  Artist: Anna Rettberg
  Photo: Caitlyn Bom

• 

  2019 Series Event
  Poet: David Harper
  Artist: Eva Hunter
  Photo: Jim Emmons

Haiku For March, 2021

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It’s hard to believe that roughly one year ago, the Coronavirus blew into March like a lion. Still roaring strong, the pandemic has changed all our lives quite dramatically. Adapting to these changes and the resulting “new normal” hasn’t been easy. Thankfully, the constancy of March and its promise of Spring hasn’t changed! 

Thus far this March, Central New York has seen a few sunny days mixed with bitter cold and snowy days. Notwithstanding those few wild and windy grey days, there is absolute joy when spotting Crocus blooming or Tulip shoots pushing their way up through worn patches of snow!

Poster: From our 2018 Series
Poet: Laura Feldman
Artist: Anna Schwartz

Pale winter lifts her
hooded veil and buds appear
in a burst of spring

Despite crowd restrictions and masked coaches, college hoop fans are checking their brackets and watching games from home as March Madness gets underway this week. Out of 68 teams, will a “Cinderella” team emerge this year? Which two teams will progress to the Championship Game on April 5th? Fingers crossed!!

Poster: From our 2016 Series
Poet: T. Michael Duncan
Artist: Cecily Thomas

Thousands march like ants
Uphill. Wearing orange, blue
Invade a white dome.

For the safety of marchers and revelers alike, Syracuse was among many cities that did not schedule a St. Patrick’s Day parade. Disappointing as this is, be sure to celebrate the day by donning some green and cooking up your own Corned Beef and Cabbage. And though nothing beats a well-poured draft of stout at your local pub, be sure to raise a pint at home to St. Patrick and the many contributions of the Irish.

Poster: From our 2017 Series
Poet: Abigail Lent
Artist: Mack Muller

At a corner stool
Beige froth nearly overflows
Silky Guinness poured

March will always be the month when the sounds of Spring fill the air. Whether it’s the chirping song of returning Robins or the sharp splat of rain against the windowpane or the howling wind of a sudden snow squall or even listening to Celtic music on St. Patrick’s Day, March is still the perfect prelude to Spring!

Poster: From our 2015 Series
Poet: Ellen McNeal
Artist: Dianna Wendell

Lone violinist
strains against a wintry blast.
Snowy walk. Encore.

For more haiku celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, click here. Check out our March Madness posts here. And, for more Spring haiku, click here! As always, if you love any of our posters, click here to Shop!

Happy Spring!

Stay well and be safe!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku For a Mask

ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ

summoned by sunlight
masked pedestrian shadows
avoid each other

by Joe Sarnicola (Auburn 2020)

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Since last March, when the Coronavirus pandemic first put us all in lockdown, wearing a face mask to protect each other has become de rigueur. 

Halloween each day,
masked eyes measuring six feet,
a faceless future.

by Ann Scholl (Skaneateles 2020)

While it has not been an entirely easy adjustment for everyone, masks have become part of our new normal.

Masked folk walk, bike, run
the Erie Canal towpath
during pandemic.

by David Hitchcock (Fayetteville 2020)

In fact, at work or play, masks have become essential…as has a new level of patience when wearing one—or when trying to understand your dentist who’s wearing 3 or 4 layers of masked protection as he tools about your mouth!

Off to work -- pause, breathe.
Mask, gown, gloves. Patients. Patience.
I smile with my eyes.

by Jaclyn Sisskind (Manlius 2020)

At the start, finding the right mask to wear was a difficult prospect as there were few to be found. Now, from “how to sew your own” to the expensively styled and marketed, face masks have also become the new look du jour. 

Masking to combat
One-hundred years pandemic
assorted facewears

by Audia Denton (Ithaca 2020)

From our 2013 Series, our featured haiku poster adds a bit of lighthearted comfort to our current mask situation. Highlighting the colorful imagery of the poet’s words, the poster was beautifully illustrated by former Syracuse University student, Carolyn Glavin. The haiku was written by Janice Scully, author of Salt City Verse.

Cardinal, feathered ~ masked bandit on a snowy ~ limb — all can see you!

Despite the politicalization of wearing a mask during this pandemic, the experience, like many others created by Covid-19, has captured the imagination of poets and artists everywhere. For us, haiku reflects this experience quite neatly.

Dread phantom of the
coronavirus awaits
final unmasking

by James and Barbara Yonai (Syracuse 2020)

What has been your experience this past year with wearing a mask? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear from you! And, be safe out there!

ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ

Face masks, and first bumps’
socially six feet apart.
Be Corona safe.

by Patricia Teska (Syracuse 2020)

ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ  *****  ᐇᐇᐇᐇᐇ

posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku For Spring of 2020

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Spring arrived early
splashing against my window
dreams interrupted

by Lynn McDonald (Ogden 2004)

Spring officially arrived this past week. So did COVID-19. And with it, a new normal has taken over everywhere with schools and businesses closing, social distancing, working remotely while sequestered to our homes in self-quarantine. A troubling disruption, with its own uncertainties, to say the least.

Spring snow–heavy, wet
downing tree limbs, power lines,
darkening our hearts

by Robert Stone (Baldwinsville 2015)

At this point, it might be hard to imagine how reading or writing haiku might make a difference to what’s going on. Reading poetry, prose, or even a good book, offers an escape from our daily worries as well as a chance to see new perspectives outside ourselves. Besides making us feel better, writing–whether you’re writing poetry, prose or journaling–can give us a sense of control and purpose and can help us make sense of difficult times. Writing also offers us an opportunity to reflect on all the things we love. It’s a place where we can freely express our thoughts and feelings, observations and experiences.

Red brick, gray concrete
plant pushes up through the gap
life blooms overnight

by Peter Allen (Syracuse 2016)

Our featured haiku poster is from our 2018 Series. A wonderful reflection of Spring, Sean Conrey (Syracuse 2015) crafted his noteworthy haiku while observing: “We’re always waiting for that moment for spring to begin; a leaf coming out, one little bud, it’s going to happen at some point.” Beautifully illustrated by former Syracuse University Illustration student, Jake Penman, who chose this haiku “…. because I feel like it speaks to the kind of person I am, or at least the kind of tonality that I like to illustrate in my work. I really enjoy drawing trees, life, and images of nature. A lot of the work I do is in pen and ink, and a lot of natural structures—branches, roots, and trunks—do very well in pen and ink. I feel like the complexity of the roots is visually similar to cardiac vessels or streams running through hills. It’s just the way the line moves between, like if you’re following a river downstream, or if you’re following a tree branch from a trunk’s base—it’s very similar. Whatever is causing that similarity is what I try to get at, not just visually, but emotionally.”

A spring breeze still cold / All nerves beneath the black oak / A new leaf unfurls

We hope these few reflections on the arrival of Spring have cheered you and given you some food for thought. Unlike the unsettling throes of a pandemic, Spring is certainly one constant we can depend on year in and year out. The interesting thing is, what kind of Spring will it be?

March into April,
Shed the outer cloak, breathe and
Take the umbrella….

by Michelle M. Miles (Israel 2016)

Wishing you well — stay safe!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

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Haiku for a Rainy Spring

To the chagrin of many, rain has predominated the weather this Spring. In fact, it’s hard to believe it’s mid-June already, what with Summer officially beginning in a few days! One has to ask, where, oh where, is the sun?

To cheer you up, we’ve dug out some haiku dedicated to Rain…yes, Rain…

From Jeanne Viggiano (Syracuse, 2009) comes a haiku which perfectly describes a rainy workday and the promise of a dry, sunny evening!

Rain pelts the sidewalks.
Lunch hour is a duck and dash.
Forecast: sun by five.

You’ve heard that phrase, “We need the rain”? Well, one benefit of all the rain this Spring has been the lush greens and gorgeous colors of its slow-blooming flowers. Renee-Noelle Felice (Syracuse 2011) says it well in her haiku:

After weeks of rain,
hollyhocks–deep pink and red–
big as salad plates

Have you ever just sat and listened to the rain falling? Frequent haiku contributor, Anne Mackenzie (Skaneateles, 2014), hears something beautiful:

woodland canopy
raindrops tap-dancing on leaves
ageless lullaby

Listening to the rain takes another shape in this delightful haiku by poet, Nicholas Petrone (Syracuse, 2010):

wooden boards beneath
Ruskin front porch rocker creak
steady rain keeps time

Our featured haiku poster is from our 2004 Series. The bright haiku was written by long-time contributor, Marilyn Shelton; the illustration colorfully created by former Syracuse University
student, Marlene Heuer.

silver drops of rain / suddenly, a bright garden / of umbrellas blooms

Of course, when all else fails, there’s nothing like getting your Gene Kelly on, like Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius, 2016) does in her haiku:

With a steady beat,
rain strikes my umbrella—I’m
dancin’ in the rain

Stay dry! And, as the old song goes, “let a smile be your umbrella”!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

**Haiku For A Memorial Day**

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Souls of the soldiers 
march and quiet names surround 
Freedom’s arena 

by Mark Shevalier (Henderson 2007)

A well-written Haiku can say a lot in only a few words and 17 syllables–it can tell a story and even express deep emotions; it can also be political and make us pause to reflect upon the world around us. Like other forms of poetry, haiku can speak to war and peace, heroes and fallen soldiers, victory and defeat, freedom and sacrifice.

Heroes defended 
Liberty and freedom rang 
Stars and stripes rippled 

by Michelle Miles (Denver  2016)

Originally referred to in the late 1860’s as Decoration Day–a day of remembrance when mourners could grace the graves of the Civil War’s dead with flowers–Memorial Day became a national holiday in 1971.  It remains a day of solemn observance; a day reserved to honor and remember all Americans who have died while serving in our country’s military service.  

Run run Jerry run 
freedom is at hand oh Lord 
helpful hands stretch out

by Pat Flowers (Columbus 2006)

Memorial Day is also a day to celebrate our many freedoms, the unique cause that these American servicemen and servicewomen died for.

Our featured haiku poster this Memorial Day is from our 2004 Series.  It was written by frequent contributor, Jay Cox and illustrated by former Syracuse University student, Steve Kim.  We think you’ll agree, the poster exemplifies the beauty of our monuments to remembrance, peace and freedom.

The blue sky ripples / and clouds stream by in the water / fountain reflections

As we remember those who fought for our freedom, we hope you’ve enjoyed these few haiku from our archives that best express our observation of Memorial Day!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

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This year’s wintry mix of weather has not dampened the spirited shenanigans of St. Patrick’s Day revelers here in Central New York.  From parades and concerts to hearty helpings of corned beef and cabbage, St. Patrick’s Day is one of our favorite holidays! From our archives, please enjoy these cheerful haiku dedicated to this Irish celebration!

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Green attire swishes
Fast feet, giddy crowds sip ale
Leprechauns walk by

By Pearl Popiak (Syracuse 2011)

Parades, Irish music, food and drink, are among the ways we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Salina Street wears
a green stripe and marching bands
on St. Patrick’s Day

By Nan Gartner (Fayetteville 2007)

It’s a day to revel in the sounds of bagpipes, bodhrans, Irish flutes and fiddles! And, it’s a great day for Irish dancing and singing of Danny Boy!

Dancers jig and clap
Bagpipes blast a cheering tune
Leprechauns skip by

By Gabrielle Gardner (Camillus 2013)

It’s a day that would be incomplete without corned beef and cabbage or a frothy Guinness Stout at your favorite Irish pub. Best of all, St Patrick’s Day is a sweet prelude to warmer weather!

on St. Patrick’s Day
the city dances with green,
welcoming Spring

By Heidi Stephens (North Syracuse 2008)

Our featured haiku poster on this special occasion is from our 2007 Series. The cheerful haiku was written by Jennifer Sanford and the poster beautifully illustrated by our own, Joseph Murphy, when he was an illustration student at Syracuse University. Joe is one of our Board Members; you can learn more about his work, here.

Our Irish landmark / Green light proudly wears the crown / Tipperary Hill

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku For Syracuse

On Memorial Day, freedom is one of many blessings we celebrate.  As a special day of remembrance, Memorial Day is also a reminder of the costs of freedom–including the costs to those we continue to protect against tyranny.  As they make the oft-times wrenching decision to leave their homeland behind, people from around the globe who flee war, political oppression and poverty, hope that freedom, safety and a better life will one day be theirs.

One of the main themes of this year‘s Syracuse Poster Project Series was that of Syracuse as a City of Welcome–for the hundreds of refugees and immigrants who set sail for the United States, many land here in Central New York!  Two artists, Nicora Gangi and Nada Odeh, were commissioned by the Poster Project to illustrate this theme.  Local poets were given the opportunity to write and submit haiku inspired by the beautiful images displayed in the two posters.  As you can see below, the haiku chosen for these two posters–one by long time Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Vinh Dang and the other, by poet, Jean Fahey–were splendid.

At the April unveiling, which happened to fall as it always does during National Poetry Month, artist, Nada Odeh, spoke of what inspired her to create her illustration and why she chose Vinh Dang’s haiku: “…. The boat image in my poster represents the crisis of the refugees seeking hope and a safe place to stay. It portrays a strong visual and overwhelming emotions while questioning how these people had to go through such harsh living conditions in their native countries. They are seeking refuge in another country and hoping to be welcome regardless of their origin or political status. The reason why I chose this haiku is because it speaks for me in a simple way and reminds me of how I feel about living in Syracuse.”  

Poet, Vinh Dang, a quiet spoken gentleman, recalled his own journey from Vietnam to America and the challenges of  building a new home in Syracuse while still keeping memories of his homeland close to his heart.  His haiku was inspired by these memories, as he stated, “…But what most inspired me was the greyish blue smoke flowing out of each family’s thatched roof, where mothers and wives were cooking the evening meal, promising a sweet reunion of the whole family under an oil lamp.”

 

White clouds drifting where? Over ocean or dark wood. Homeland hearth–blue smoke

 

Artist, Nicora Gangi, was unable to attend the event’s festivities, but she writes about her work, “…. I envisioned a round table positioned at the center to illustrate symbolically a place where a culture meal is shared, one’s national stories can be told, and events past, present or future can be discussed. A variety of written languages decorated the borders of the image to refer to the nations. There is a Syracuse city skyline in the background to convey that the city is here to welcome all nations from around the globe.”  

Ms. Gangi’s illustration spoke to Jean Fahey’s pride in Syracuse as a Sanctuary City.  She writes, “…We are their beacon of hope, the promise for a better tomorrow. Our city was named for a beautiful city in Sicily by people who fled there to start a new life; for freedom and a chance to be anything they want to become. Since then, other people from different countries have fled here for different reasons but seeking the same dream. We are their light in the darkness. We are their new home.”

 

A beacon of hope, city of welcoming arms–a place to call home

 

You can find photos from the April unveiling event, here.  Please be sure to check out the other beautiful and inspired posters from the 2018 Series, here, or in designated kiosks throughout downtown Syracuse.  And, don’t forget, if you love these posters, you can always purchase them at our online shop, here!

So, if you are new to these pages or to our fair city of Syracuse…Welcome!

This is your home,                                                                                                                                          you whisper in my ear.  Here is                                                                                                                      where your roots will grow.                                                                                                                                                              By Karen Krull Robart

A Haiku for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day. Bouquets of flowers and blue, Forget-Me-Nots.  They seem synonymous, don’t they?

To celebrate this very special day, we searched our archive of haiku posters and found the wonderful gem below from our 2004 Series!  

Written by frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Marilyn Shelton, the colorful poster was illustrated by former Syracuse University illustration student, Aja Gibson.

Corner vendor shouts / Flowers! Flowers! Flowers! Makes / City women smile

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

It’s Our Annual April Event!

Suddenly flowered
dresses everywhere. Hurray!
The snow has melted!

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On Thursday, April 19, please join us in celebrating the unveiling of our 2018 Syracuse Poster Project Series!  Beginning at at 6 p.m., you’ll find us in our usual spot in the City Hall Commons Atrium, located at 201 E. Washington St., Syracuse. Wondering how to find City Hall Commons? Here’s the map.

The 2018 Series includes 14 posters created the traditional way–poster illustrations created by Syracuse University students and inspired by haiku written by Central New York poets.  This year, students had 483 haiku to choose from: we had submissions from 81 returning participants and 56 new participants. With each participant submitting up to three haiku, we received a total of 251 new haiku. We then added haiku still active in our archives for a total of 1,101 active haiku, and then selected one haiku from each poet to pass along to the student artists.  Many of the haiku selected by students for the 2018 Series were written by new participants!

In addition, we commissioned two specially themed posters this year, and invited poets to write haiku to complement the theme: Syracuse as a place of welcome to all people and cultures.  We received 64 haiku submissions in response to the beautiful poster created by Nicora Gangi and chose a haiku by Jean Fahey to complement it.  For the other poster, beautifully illustrated by Nada Odeh, a haiku by frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Vinh Dang, was selected by the artist.

On Thursday evening, along with congratulating our 16 poets and artists, Darren Chavis, of Creole Soul Cafe, will be serving up some vegetarian jambalaya, blackened sausage, and creole chicken to munch on. We’ll also have tasty contributions from The Sweet Praxis and Wegman’s.  Adding to the overall vibe of our festivities will be D.J. Bella, also known as Jasmine Coan, a LeMoyne College graduate who earned her D.J. credentials at Scratch Academy.

So, please do join us on Thursday evening, in Congratulating the 2018 Poet – Artist Pairs:

Omanii Abdullah (Syracuse) and Claudia Lewis
Travis Bartlett (Brewerton) and Alena Sceusa
James Bush (Skaneateles) and Ariel Dinero
Rosalyn Carroll (Manlius) and Mya Parker
Sean Conrey (Syracuse) and Jake Penman
Vinh Dang (Syracuse) and Nada Odeh
Jack Davis (North Syracuse) and Eduardo Figueroa
Terry Eckert (Syracuse) and Kim Truong
Jean Fahey (Syracuse) and Nicora Gangi
Laura Feldman (Jamesville) and Anna Schwartz
Mary Huling (Baldwinsville) and Elise Beauchamp
Dennis Kinsey (Syracuse) and Jake Navarro
Mary Ann Laidlaw (Syracuse) and Zoe Karikas
Sara Marsh (Syracuse) and Victoria Thomas
Devon Moore (Syracuse) and Shawna Stevenson
Lorraine Piazza (Syracuse) and Bernardo Rodriguez

The evening promises to be a great opportunity to see all the new posters in one spot, meet the poets and artists, and mingle with friends of poetry and public art.  So, dress up, come out, and party with the rest of our poster peeps!

See you there!

The Syracuse Poster Project

Our featured poster above is from our 2002 Series with a cheerfully Spring illustration and haiku by Jennifer Theiller and Mary Taitt, respectively!

 

 

Warm Weather on Your Mind?

If you’re on our mailing list, or follow us on social media, you know that we frequently highlight our activities and events with a short newsletter-style email blast. This short bulletin also features a poster from our archives that best matches our latest news–and, it’s usually offered at a special discount! (**See how you can get on our mailing list below!)

Our latest newsletter teases us out of our Winter doldrums with a wonderful haiku poster from our 2013 Series showcasing Columbus Circle on a bright Summer’s day. Written by Ricky Maeweather and illustrated by Walter Kampf-Lassin, this wonderful scene certainly allows us to forget–even for a moment–the cold, dreary weather we’ve been having this January!

large buildings stand tall / the center always crowded / square blocks building lofts

It will be a few months yet until the sun warms us up as it does in this bright haiku poster, but we are always warmed by the responses we receive from our followers to things we’ve written about in our newsletter–and, our blog!

In fact, we’d like to say ‘thanks’ to our long-time–and now, long-distance–friend of the Syracuse Poster Project, Patricia Rickard, for her comment to our Columbus Circle dispatch.  From sunny Florida, where she is researching publishers for her book, ‘The Complete Guide to Child-Centered Musical Theater’, Patricia writes, “I hear from family and friends back in Syracuse and the North Country that Winter is already old and cold, and it’s only January.  Spring will eventually come to Syracuse in two more months!! So, close your eyes and be transported with this Haiku!”

Sun, Sea, Sand, Blue Skies;
Palm Trees Sway, Seagulls Swooping;
Red Hibiscus Bloom!

How simply marvelous…can you feel the warmth, now, of a soft, sunny blue day in January? Thank you, Patricia!

So, hang in there all you Central New Yorkers…it’s almost February!!

Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

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**If you’d like to join our mailing list to receive news about our activities, invitations to submit poetry and notices of shopping deals, please contact us here. We’ll keep you informed by email and occasionally by direct postal mail. Rest assured, we do not share contact information or email addresses.

A Haiku Nod to Sunflowers

As the end of Summer draws near, sturdy Sunflowers still stand shoulder high.  While their full-seeded heads seem to be nodding, Farewell, their brilliant shades of yellow add a unique dimension to the colorful arrival of Autumn.  

From our archives, we found some Sunflower-themed haiku to share with you–what better way to show our appreciation for this beautiful flower that bridges Summer into Autumn!

Brilliant sunflowers                                                                                                                                       cast against slate sky, red birds                                                                                                                       fly in for dinner                                                                                                                                                                          by Sheila Forsyth (Fayetteville 2008)

 Lofty sunflowers                                                                                                                                             arrayed in golden splendor                                                                                                                           heads above the rest                                                                                                                                                            by Sharon Rorer (Syracuse 2007)

Van Gogh Sunflowers                                                                                                                                      paint themselves across the fields                                                                                                                  Camillus, New York                                                                                                                                                           by Joan Cofrancesco (Camillus 2009)

From our 2010 Syracuse Poster Project Series, our featured haiku poster was written by Claire Bobrycki and illustrated by former Syracuse University student, Catherine LaPointe, now a children’s book illustrator and graphic designer–see more of her wonderful work here.

Blue Moon, Big Dipper / Sunflowers under porch lights / Peace on the South Side

We conclude with three more gems:

Sunflowers drooping                                                                                                                                      looking for a warm embrace                                                                                                                        oh, where is the sun?                                                                                                                                                                   by Kelly Bargabos (Syracuse 2010)

Sunflower faces                                                                                                                                               a swoosh of yellow and black:                                                                                                                        goldfinch dinnertime                                                                                                                                                               by Ellen Barnes (Syracuse 2014)

A smile on your face                                                                                                                                         is brighter than sunflowers                                                                                                                         at the farmer’s stand                                                                                                                                                                  by Jungtae Lee (Syracuse 2006)

We hope you’ve enjoyed our brief tribute to the Sunflower! What do you see when you gaze upon a Sunflower?  

Inspired Haiku

We recently announced our call for haiku for the 2018 Syracuse Poster Project Series. The deadline for submissions is Friday, September 8! 

Stuck for an idea? Why not visit the newly redeveloped Morningside Cultural Trail?  In fact,  its official Grand Opening Event is Wednesday, September 6 at the Barry Park Field House.  Festivities begin at 5:30 pm.  Learn more about the opening event here and a brief history of the project here.  Celebrating Syracuse’s Eastside, with its 7-mile walking path, the Morningside Cultural Trail crosses through three notable neighborhoods (Map) and includes a Public Arts Pathway (Map).  For photos of the Trail, check out their Facebook page here.  With trails meandering through Oakwood Cemetery (Map), the Morningside Cultural Trail offers interesting reflections–just the kind you might need to write some haiku!  

There is much to learn about Oakwood Cemetery.  Its assortment of mausoleums and monuments have inspired several haiku from our haiku contributors.  From Peggy Liuzzi (Syracuse 2014) a fine sensory approach to haiku:

With each step, dry leaves / speak of memories.  Oakwood / whispers Autumn’s song

And, from Mark Shevalier (Henderson 2007), a warm reflection inspired by a walk through Oakwood’s hallowed grounds:

And there they all sleep / Beneath the earth and granite / Oakwood their fine bed

Visitors to Barry Park may find a tennis game going on or kids playing soccer–just like Meganne Oakleaf (Fayetteville 2010) did in her cheerful haiku:

Fall sees Barry Park / ablaze with colorful leaves; / soccer jerseys, too.

The Barry Park Pond may offer you some inspiration, too, as it did for Jessica Cuello (Syracuse, 2010):

At Barry Park Pond / black-webbed geese crowd two children. / Small hands tear soft bread.

Meadowbrook and Westcott, two of the neighborhoods the Morningside Cultural Trail crosses through, has inspired several haiku from our contributors–including this one from Jane Cassidy which, in turn, inspired this beautiful poster from our 2006 Series by former Syracuse University illustration student, Natalie Zuk :

Unexpectedly / a stone staircase in the woods— / very Narnian

Walk the Morningside Cultural Trail and Get Inspired!

 

Hot Haiku

Summertime, when days are warm and humid…we’ve had a few of them here in Central New York recently.  It’s days like these that make Summer simmer (no pun intended)!  If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, you know that we often highlight seasonal themes, sometimes focusing on singular characteristics of the season we’re in. Hot, humid and hazy Summer days happen to be the subject of many haiku found in our archives contributed by Central New York poets.  We thought it would be timely to add these to our Blog before Summer ‘daze’ slip away.

There’s a unique sound to warm Summer days. You can practically hear the sultriness in this fine haiku written by frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Ellen Agnew (Syracuse 2005):

waves of locust songs                                                                                                                                                                          ebb and flow with no excuse                                                                                                                                                       except Summer heat

Along with spindly grasshoppers, the sound of crickets and cicadas are even more noticeable when days are long and warm.  It’s easy to imagine the captivating scene detailed in Anna Pyrohanych’s (Auburn) colorful 2012 haiku:

Sun sets, moon rises–                                                                                                                                                                  Shimmer across still waters…                                                                                                                                                       Summer crickets sing

When there’s a stretch of days in the high 80’s, even the inevitable thunderstorm offers little relief, as perfectly described in Karl Krohl’s (Syracuse) 2015 haiku:

Thunderheads tower                                                                                                                                                                           Summer, a breathless haze–still                                                                                                                                                            the cicadas drone

From our 2006 Poster Series, former Syracuse University Illustration student, Lauren Katz, beautifully conceived Jane Cassady’s (Philadelphia 2005) fine haiku:

Humid moon rises / over the stopped clock tower / like a real city

Now that it’s August, you can forget the heat with this delightful haiku by another frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Mary Gardner (Skaneateles 2003):

Heat hung low and haze                                                                                                                                                                    Hinders not these hearts at play–                                                                                                                                                   Music in the square

Speaking of music, don’t let the heat deter you from enjoying the other sounds of Summer as Sheila Forsyth’s (Fayetteville 2008) haiku vividly describes:

Sizzling riffs from sax                                                                                                                                                                            “Jazz in the City” heats up                                                                                                                                                                        Cool, full moon evening

Finally, there’s no doubt we’ve all shared Michele Reed’s (Oswego) feelings from time to time as crisply expressed in her 2015 haiku:

sound of cicadas                                                                                                                                                                                       on a sultry Summer’s eve                                                                                                                                                                        and I dream of snow

What do you find distinctive about warm Summer days?  However you spend these remaining hot, hazy ‘daze’, stay cool!

Cloudy Haiku

In just a few syllables, Haiku are a perfect way to capture a scene, a memory, or even a mood.  Regardless the season–or time of day–clouds can do pretty much the same thing. Mountainous thunderstorm clouds can be majestic.  Serene, wispy cirrus clouds can make a sunset heavenly.  In color and shape, or by how quickly they’re moving, clouds will let you know if you need to carry an umbrella or if you’re likely to rev up the snowblower–in which case, if they’re very low and grey, you might consider going back to bed!  But, on a bright Summer’s day, when clouds are drifting lazily, high in the sky, watching these seemingly magical shapeshifters is pure joy.

From our archives of contributed haiku, we’ve selected a cloud-themed few for your Summer reading pleasure.  Can you tell which season the poet is describing?  Have you ever experienced the same feelings as expressed in the haiku?  Do you remember a day the clouds were just like those characterized by the poet?

From Cynthia Perrine (Fabius 2015):

Sun breaks through the clouds / Mist rises from the water / Day begins anew

From Jay Cox (Pompey 2005):

Cumulus clouds float / in a deep-blue sky–downtown / petunias in bloom.

From Pamela Lynch (Oneida 2013):

Fronts collide to paint / phenomenal cloud skyscapes / Swirling overhead

From Michael Brigandi (Syracuse 2014):

Playing in the grass / Childhood days slipping away / Like clouds rolling by

From Nancy Preston (Syracuse 2013):

Clouds heaped like meringue / cumulus jubilation! / Summer sky party

From Maggie James (Syracuse 2010):

One, then two at once! / Colorful balloons drift east / Low clouds they vanish…

From Diane Lansing (Syracuse 2014):

Dragonfly’s kiss makes / once still pond pulsate rings of / fractured clouds and trees.

From our 2004 Syracuse Poster Project Series, a wonderful display of Summer.  The haiku was written by Jennifer Sanford and the poster illustrated by Cally Jones, former Syracuse University Illustration student.

Summer breezes lift / gull and dragon kites across / Onondaga Lake

Wishing you carefree Summer days where, as Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius 2017) writes:

Daydreaming on a / Cotton candy cloud–oh, the / Places I can see

 

Haiku to Welcome Summer

At long last, it’s coming on Summer!  From our archive of contributed haiku, we’ve found a few to highlight the return of this sunny season.

Spring flowers have faded, making way for bright Summer blooms.  Everything’s comin’ up roses, too, as vividly described by Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu (Syracuse), in her 2011 haiku:

 A burst of petals                                                                                                                                      flame red, melon, pale yellow                                                                                                             Summer rose gardens

After a long Winter and wet Spring, neighbors are slowly emerging from their homes, greeting each other like old friends.  Beth Miller (Auburn) skillfully creates such a scene in her 2015 haiku:

Warm friendly greetings                                                                                                                       Summer on South Geddes Street                                                                                                           Flowers lead to porches

Outdoors, there’s the sound of lawns being mowed and the comforting smell of fresh cut grass.  Green grass and Summer–there is nothing quite like it as Thomas Stock (Ft. Plain 2014) describes in his mirthful haiku:

Cool clover carpet                                                                                                                                   seduce my bare feet with dew                                                                                                               Summer night, you muse!

The arrival of Summer also means weekends are suddenly booked with music festivals, sporting activities, sun gazing and weddings!  Our featured poster from our 2004 Series notes this traditional season for wedding celebrations with a cleverly written haiku by Ralph Long, Jr. and a beautiful illustration by  Elizabeth Couturier, former Syracuse University Illustration student.

In a Rose Garden / at the top of Campus Hill / wedding dresses bloom

Of course, Summer’s arrival also means construction season is underway everywhere you turn. When artfully expressed in a haiku, such as this one by Dianne Apter (Syracuse 2015), delays don’t seem quite as dreadful:

Summer highway rite                                                                                                                             Orange cones stretched forever                                                                                                                   A sea of detours

How do you welcome Summer?  Write us a haiku in the Comments and we’ll publish it next time on our blog.

Happy Summer!

A Memorial Day Post

                 Run run Jerry run / freedom is at hand oh Lord / helpful hands stretch out                                                                                          by Pat Flowers (Columbus 2006)

Originally referred to in the late 1860’s as Decoration Day–a day of remembrance when mourners could grace the graves of the Civil War’s dead with flowers–Memorial Day became a national holiday in 1971.  It remains a day of solemn observance; a day reserved to honor and remember all Americans who have died while serving in our country’s military service.

                    Heroes defended / Liberty and freedom rang / Stars and stripes rippled                                                                                              by Michelle Miles (Amman, Jordan 2016)

Memorial Day is also a day to celebrate our freedom, the unique cause that these American servicemen and servicewomen died for.

                   Souls of the soldiers / march and quiet names surround / Freedom’s arena                                                                                         by Mark Shevalier (Henderson 2007)

Over the last few decades, Memorial Day has also come to be known as the unofficial start of Summer.  Marked with patriotic parades, major sporting events, family gatherings and barbecues, Memorial Day is still a shared American tradition.

Our featured haiku poster this Memorial Day is from our 2004 Series.  It was written by frequent contributor, Jay Cox and illustrated by former Syracuse University student, Steve Kim.  We think you’ll agree, the poster exemplifies the beauty of our monuments to peace, freedom and remembrance.

The blue sky ripples / and clouds stream by in the water / fountain reflections

However you observe this Memorial Day–whether it’s laying a wreath or raising a flag, marching along with a parade or gathering with family, watching a ballgame or enjoying the evening’s fireworks–safe travels!

Birds coax forth the dawn. / She smiles and all turns golden. / Our lake beams its thanks…                                                            by Patricia Ziemba (Syracuse 2010)

 

Introducing Our 2017 Poster Series

We are pleased to report that our 16th Annual unveiling event of the 2017 Syracuse Poster Project Series on April 14 was a great success!  

Autumn Wilson, artist

 

Along with their families and friends, several of our featured poets, artists and students turned out for this yearly Spring celebration.              

With music by D.J. Bella, Jasmine Coan, 

D.J. Bella –  Jasmine Coan

and tasty Hors-D’oeuvres by  Creole Soul Cafe, the evening moved smoothly from brief introductions by Jim Emmons (co-founder of the Syracuse Poster Project)  and John Thompson (Illustration Professor at Syracuse University) to the haiku readings and acknowledgements of the night’s Poets and Artists.  

 

Jim Emmons with poet & SPP blogger, Rosalyn Carroll

Of course, the evening would not have been possible without the valued assistance of our enthusiastic interns and volunteers (click here to read more); our committed Board Members (click here to read more), 

Joe Murphy, Board Member

or our dedicated Sponsors and Supporters (click here to read more)!  

Special thanks, also, to our evening’s photographers, Mindy Lee Tarry and Herm Card.  

 

Once again, the Atrium, at the City Hall Commons, proved to be the perfect spot to exhibit the kiosk-sized haiku posters.  The excitement upon entering through the Atrium doors was unmistakable!  

Syracuse University Illustration Students

What a thrill to slowly walk down the exhibit hall, watching poets find their poster, listening to artists and poets meeting for the first time, mingling with the crowd and oohing and ahhing at every poster!  

Cannon David, artist

On May 1, the new 2017 Series Posters were mounted in specially designated kiosks throughout the downtown Syracuse area.  

2017 Haiku Poster on Display

They are also for sale on our web page.  In fact, check out our online store  here for all our haiku posters, cards, books and other Syracuse Poster Project paraphernalia.  

 

If you missed the fun–or just want to relive it–check out this video featuring our youngest poet, Kiru Morrissette, whose haiku was illustrated by Kelly O’Neill.  

Kiru Morrisette, poet

You will find other short videos of the evening by clicking here!  A very special thank you to our volunteer, Priya Balaji, for catapulting us into new video territory with these wonderful shorts!

 

 

 

Reading Haiku & Talking Art!

 

Go to our Facebook page to see other photos from the evening’s events!

 

Abigail Lent, poet

 

 

 

 

Our thanks, again, to all who made this a very special evening of community, poetry and art!  

You’re Invited!

You’re invited to the 16th Annual Syracuse Poster Project unveiling event of our 2017 series!  Mark your calendar for Friday evening, April 14 from 6 – 8 p.m.  We’ll be celebrating in the Atrium at City Hall Commons, 201 East Washington Street, Syracuse.   

Need a reason to dress up? Come and meet the poets and artists of this year’s poster series! Along with friends, family and other supporters of public art, please enjoy with us a light reception of hors d’oeuvres, drink and music!

To add to the merriment, sit and listen as our featured poster poets read their haiku.  

And, of course, our wonderful new posters will be displayed along the glass walls of the Atrium!  

Prints of the new posters, as well as other items from Syracuse Poster Project, will be on sale during the event.  (Click here to view our online Shop.)  

Our congratulations again to the 16 poets and Syracuse University Illustration students (respectively) who are featured in our 2017 poster series: Rosalyn Carroll / Bobby Davison; Chen Chen / Carly Wright; Sheila Forsyth / Cannon David; Ross Getman / Tong “Amy” Su; Linda Griggs / Tatiana Diaz; Abigail Lent / Mack Muller; Peggy Liuzzi / Geani Sanabria; Tara Miner / Lara Hirschberg; Kiru Morrissette / Kelly O’Neill; William Padgett / Autumn Wilson; Nicholas Petrone / Marisa Rother; Tanya Raymond / Lara Hirschberg; Erin Stepowany / Laura Mead; Susan Stiles / Amber Roach; Robert Stone / Monica S. Rexach Ortiz; and Elizabeth Westfall / Gabriella Silverstein. 

These featured poets can thank a combination of skill and luck for rising to the top, given the large number of participants again this year.   A striking total of 125 poets submitted 260 fresh haiku.  We added these to 717 active haiku from past entries, then selected one haiku from each poet to pass along for consideration by the student artists.  Bottom line: as a group, Syracuse University artists had a total of 414 haiku to consider!

Our student artists created 24 posters, from which 16 were selected.  The selection committee consisted of Laurie Reed and Bethany Holbrook, of the Downtown Committee; Professors John Thompson and Marty Blake, of the Syracuse University Illustration Program; and Jason Evans and Jim Emmons, board members of the Syracuse Poster Project.

We hope you’ll be able to join us and we look forward to seeing you on Friday evening! But, if you should happen to miss the evening’s festivities, be sure to look for this year’s posters in the kiosks dotting downtown Syracuse. They’re expected to be on view by May 1.   

 

Haiku for a Slow Start to Spring

Pink clouds dot the sky                                                                                                                                                                            Black crows fly past crescent moon                                                                                                                                                       A change of weather

                                                                                     by Peter Allen (Syracuse 2013)

---

Whether or not you care much about the weather, it is one of the major topics of conversation anywhere, anytime, anyhow, no matter the day or the time of year.  It pretty much affects everything around us and everything we do.  We, at Syracuse Poster Project, would rightfully guess that we receive more haiku written about weather–like the fine poem above–than about any other subject!

Changes in the weather often signal a change in the season, too.  For instance, in Central New York today, while the calendar may say Spring, the weather these past few weeks has been mostly cold, dismally grey and, well…cold.  In fact, on St. Patrick’s Day–usually a fine day to celebrate the imminent arrival of Spring–there were snowbanks here that were as high as an elephant’s eye! The tulips and daffodils that had started to peek out from the cold March ground were quickly sent packing.  

Moving from March to April isn’t always easy or fast.  Thank goodness for Haiku to put this change of season into perspective!  Take, for example, this poignantly expressive haiku from frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Jay Cox (Pompey, 2001):

Treetops’ sprawling arms                                                                                                                                                                        tremble, holding pale gray sky–                                                                                                                                                           snow patches linger.

Or, consider the perspective found in this uplifting haiku from Anton Ninno (Syracuse, 2008):

Last snow of the year                                                                                                                                                                                crashes down, heavy and wet                                                                                                                                                                 young buds shake it off

From Craig Overbeck, (Fayetteville, 2015), a stirring haiku with an artistic glimpse of what awaits us this Spring:

To the south, rain falls.                                                                                                                                                                  Gray brushstrokes sweep from dark clouds                                                                                                                                        To paint the hills green.

We think you’ll agree, this warm and delightful haiku by Rachel Guido deVries (Cazenovia, 2001) enriches any conversation about the weather or change of season.  Her words create a feeling beautifully captured in this poster from our 2015 Series by former Syracuse University Illustration student, Lise Sukhu.  To see more of Lise’s artwork, click here.

Dog sleeps safe from rain, / nestled in blankets, my feet / warm up, beneath her

Over the past several months we’ve highlighted many fine haiku written by our contributors about the weather and the change of seasons in Central New York.  Our accompanying featured posters beautifully underscore and accentuate the fine work we receive.  We hope you’ve enjoyed reading these poems as well as the few highlighted here today.  

And, remember, as we move from snow to rain this season, keep this cheerful haiku, written by Michelle Miles (Amman, Jordan 2016), in mind:

March into April,                                                                                                                                                                              Shed the outer cloak, breathe and                                                                                                                                                         Take the umbrella….

Until again, stay warm, stay dry! Happy Spring!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

A Haiku for Two Full Moons–Neither Blue

Springing forward this year, Daylight Savings Time brought with it the unusual surprise and delight of a full moon appearing twice over two evenings!!  Our beautiful moon was equally full on the evenings of March 11 and 12.  

This curious lunar event brings to mind the enchanting haiku poster from our 2002 Series.  A collaboration of words by poet, Bryan Wilbur, and art by former Syracuse University Illustration Student, Andy Walker, the poster reflects the view outside on this wintry March evening on the cusp of Spring.

Syracuse’s crows / laugh as a fairy ringed moon / paints the frozen peace

Stay warm and think Spring!!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

Summer’s Small Treasures

Summer.  Long days.  Blue skies.  Bright evening stars.  Among its simple pleasures: the sweet cacophony of birdsong, the laughter of children playing, the chirping of crickets lulling us to sleep.

Many of our archived haiku reflect these simple joys of Summertime.  Here are a few of them!

Syracuse Poster Project haiku contributor, Dianne Apter (Syracuse 2011) offers up a delightful poem which warmly embraces one such Summer treasure – the company of friends:

  Old-older-oldest                                                                                                                                                                Summer’s eve front porch sitters                                                                                                                                  Wine-laughter-gossip

And, Jacquelyn Green’s (Syracuse) 2015 haiku cheerfully evokes a Summer treasure that never gets old:

 Dreaming of Summer.                                                                                                                                                 Double Dutch, hopscotch and friends.                                                                                                                          Good times and laughing.

For some, nothing says Summer like chasing Fireflies!  Their magical flight, on a starry Summer night, can still take us by surprise.  As part of our 2015 Syracuse Poster Project collection, our featured poster beautifully reflects a childhood we can still remember when we chased a brightly lit Firefly.  Eloquently written in 2014 by frequent contributor, Thomas Stock, this charming poster was illustrated by former Syracuse Illustration Student, Sophia Openshaw, now a freelance illustrator from Annapolis, Maryland.  

Fireflies blink brightly / Caught in jars of summer dreams / Where I once left them.

We’ll leave you with this 2014 haiku by Syracuse native and poet, Martin Willitts, Jr.  He writes vividly of another Summer treasure which certainly cannot be denied:

 Summer night concert                                                                                                                                               Black crickets on violins                                                                                                                                                  Bullfrogs on bassoons

What do you treasure about Summertime? Let us know in the comment section below or on our Facebook page! And, don’t forget, if you see a poster you would like to own for your home or office, visit our Shop page!

Stay Cool!

Celebrating Summer With Music

From our 2011 Syracuse Poster Project Series, poet Nancy Liccione and former Syracuse Illustration student, Kerff Petit-Frere, now a freelance illustrator out of Brooklyn, joined forces to create this telling poster of summers in Syracuse:

Fountains echo words / Blues and jazz reverberate / Summer in the Square

Music. Festivals. Summer.  They’re synonymous with one another.  Celebrating the season nearly every weekend of Summer, festivals fill Syracuse squares and parks with all kinds of music, ethnic foods and treats, crafters and artists of all kinds, individuals and families enjoying the outdoor opportunities of coming together as a community.

Joseph Whelan’s  (Syracuse) 2015 haiku nicely describes this sense of community on one such Summer’s evening–perhaps an evening enjoying Syracuse’s Candlelight Series in Armory Square:

 Music in the night                                                                                                                                                              Neighbors gather in the square                                                                                                                                      Dancing in the street

Frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Ellen Agnew (Syracuse) similarly recounts the pleasures of one of Syracuse’s most popular neighborhood festivals, the Westcott Street Fair with her 2015 haiku:

 Westcott Festival                                                                                                                                                                  brings out musicians, artists,                                                                                                                                         cooks, friends, and their dogs.

Peggy Liuzzi’s (Syracuse) 2009 haiku colorfully describes our collective refusal to have rain hold us back from celebrating Summer’s annual rituals, including the Syracuse Jazz Fest which inevitably has one rainy night in its lineup:

 Music fills square.                                                                                                                                                               Rain falls and the crowd blossoms                                                                                                                              With bright umbrellas.

Another Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Arlene Quizon (Roseville), richly reflects how music–think Jazz in the City or Northeast Jazz & Wine Fest–can bring us together in her 2009 haiku:

 Great Summer jazz songs                                                                                                                                               Together neighborhoods bond                                                                                                                                      Clap worries away

Even late Summer festivals, such as the Syracuse Irish Festival, bring music and community together as expressively described in Sheila Forsyth’s (Fayetteville) 2002 haiku:

 Warm Summer night’s wind                                                                                                                                          Whispers Celtic music through                                                                                                                                        Armory Square streets

Jay Cox’s 2003 (Pompey) haiku brilliantly reminds us that Summer in CNY is incomplete without celebrating the blues–as in the NYS Blues Fest:

 Texas blues drift with                                                                                                                                                       the moonlight through a Summer                                                                                                                                night in Clinton Square

When all is said and done, our 2003 Syracuse Poster Project series haiku poster–written by Claire Bobrycki and illustrated by former Syracuse University Illustration student, Julia Cocuzza, now a working artist living in Brooklyn–says it beautifully:

Steamy Summer night– / ribs smokin’, guitars wailin’ / Blues Fest makes it right

Do you have a favorite Summer festival? Let us know in our comment section below, or even on our Facebook, and we’ll find a place for it in our next Blog Post!

Happy Summer!

 

Haiku to Welcome Summer

Ah, Summer!  Sunshine (mostly), long, warm days (usually), soft breezes (often)!  What better way to officially welcome Summer – and all that it promises – than with a few haiku from the Syracuse Poster Project archives!

You can practically feel one of summer’s little pleasures with this beautifully written 2014 haiku by Thomas Stock (Fort Plain):

 Cool clover carpet,                                                                                                                                                              Seduce my bare feet with dew                                                                                                                                         Summer night, you muse!

And, on an early Summer’s morning, you might be surprised to hear the unique sound of hot-air balloons overhead–like Rosalyn Carroll (Manlius) did in her 2015 haiku:

 colorful balloons                                                                                                                                                             drift lazily overhead                                                                                                                                                           breathing like dragons

….or, from a distance, you’ll see what Nan Gartner (Fayetteville) describes in her colorful 2007 haiku:

 hot-air balloons rise                                                                                                                                                       and a riot of color                                                                                                                                                               blossoms in the sky

Either way, a sure sign Summer has arrived in Central New York, is the annual Jamesville Balloonfest held at Jamesville Beach Park.  One of many Syracuse Summer festivals to feature arts and crafts, food and music, this festival is special for its lovely venue and beautiful hot-air balloons!  

And, if heights aren’t your cup of tea, perhaps you’ll find one of the many Summertime events hosted by the Onondaga Historical Association, such as the Ghostwalk Tour of Oakwood Cemetery, more to your liking!  James Tobey (Cazenovia), former host of Jazz Impressions on WAER radio, found majesty in Oakwood’s grounds with his 2015 haiku:

 rooted in Oakwood                                                                                                                                                            old trees towering above                                                                                                                                                  granite monuments

….as did Mark Shevalier (Henderson) with his 2007 tribute to this tranquil and historic Syracuse landmark:

 And there they all sleep                                                                                                                                                    Beneath the earth and granite                                                                                                                                        Oakwood their fine bed

Summer would be incomplete without a visit to Thornden Park’s Amphitheater where you can help celebrate William Shakespeare’s 400th Birthday by catching a variety of theatre productions presented by the Syracuse Shakespeare Festival.  While you’re there, smell the roses (!) and become inspired–as did our poet, Rosalyn Carroll, and former Syracuse University Illustration Student, Rebecca Zomchek, now a full time Illustration professor at the Columbus College of Art and Design.  Rebecca’s motivation behind her beautiful poster: “I have always loved Shakespeare and was very excited about the opportunity to illustrate a piece about the wonderful Shakespeare Festival in the park. I love walking out to the amphitheater in the Spring when the roses in the park are in bloom.  I wanted to create a fun and interesting piece and tried to give my version of Shakespeare a unique look and personality.  I hope this piece reflects those ideas and the wonderful haiku, and encourages everyone to enjoy the wonderful festival, garden, and arts here in Syracuse.”

Drama in the round, / Roses, far and wide abound. / Shakespeare would be proud.

Summertime events and haiku – what a great combination!

Finding Solace in Haiku

It’s difficult.  Finding the right words to use when tragedy strikes.  Again.  When lives are cut short.  Not wanting to sensationalize.  But, wanting to say something.  Something that will support, comfort and soothe.  

Eagles nestled in                                                                                                                                                        High above the peaceful shore                                                                                                                           Watching, protecting                                                                                                                                                                    By Michael Brigandi / 2014 Syracuse

Our archives hold many haiku describing love, hope and the clear, simple splendor of Nature.  We’ve chosen only a few with the hope that you will find solace in their words.

Heaven’s cries resound                                                                                                                                            Weeping tears open flowers                                                                                                                                   New day springs alive                                                                                                                                                                  By Deb Bateman / 2002 East Syracuse

Our featured poster is from the 2010 collection.  The beautiful haiku was written by Peggy Liuzzi and the gorgeous illustration by former Syracuse University Illustration Student, Alec Acevedo, now a freelance illustrator and in-house artist for Jay St. Video Games in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

White trilliums light / the dark forest floor glowing / ghostly like spilled stars

Pulse.  We are touched and saddened by what’s happened in Orlando.  One of many horrific events that will be in our hearts for a long time…like Sandy Hook, Aurora and Columbine, San Bernardino, Ft. Hood, Boston, Charleston, Oklahoma City….

Love, come sit by me                                                                                                                                                    The sun is tucking in now                                                                                                                                           My shoulder is yours                                                                                                                                                       By Kathryn Hammer / 2015 Syracuse  

With our deepest sympathy.

Over graves and drifts                                                                                                                                              frozen teardrops of snow sigh                                                                                                                                   and whisper soft grief.                                                                                                                                                                  By Mary Taitt / 2011 Grosse Pointe Farms

The Syracuse Poster Project  

A Taste of Summer

Though the Summer Solstice is still three weeks away, Memorial Day Weekend and the first week of June, essentially welcomes Summer! And now with the season of fun in the sun officially underway, so are its many celebrations, including outdoor festivals, concerts, craft fairs, art shows, field days, Highland Games, baseball games, boating events…we could go on forever!

And, believe it or not, there are haiku from our archives that fit nearly every summertime occasion imaginable!

For instance, during the first weekend in June, the Taste of Syracuse event in Clinton Square has celebrated the opening of Summer for the past 20 years.  Food tasting and music dominate downtown Syracuse for two days and two nights.  Our illustrated haiku poster from the 2011 collection gives you an idea of the crowds that have enjoyed this annual event.  The poster was created by former Syracuse University illustration student, Rebekah Mackay, and written by frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Robin Gross.

Craft shows, concerts, food / Taste of Syracuse so fine / Dance to the music

Meanwhile, in the nearby Village of Chittenango, Oz-Fest celebrated its 39th year this first weekend of June by again painting the town yellow—er, green!  This Oz-stravaganza celebrates the birthplace of L. Frank Baum with parades, hot air-balloon rides, munchkin races and Dorothy look-alike contests.  Manlius writer, Sylvia O’Connor, describes this bright occasion with her 2014 haiku:

 Immoderate Spring                                                                                                                                                           Bursting into leafy green                                                                                                                                                 Emerald as Oz

History lessons and re-enactments are part of the 24th annual Peterboro Civil War Weekend next weekend.  The home of the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum and the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, Peterboro was an important  stop on the Underground Railroad.  The legacy of the abolitionist conductor’s use of codes–such as the North Star–on the freedom trail is one interpretation of Judith McGinn’s (Skaneateles) brilliant 2007 haiku:

  Hearing freedom’s call                                                                                                                                                    heroes boldly save the day                                                                                                                                              guided by a star

Whether you’re out on Cazenovia Lake with the Caz Rowing Club or preparing for the Onondaga Cup and Lakefest in July, you will like Sheila Forsyth’s (Fayetteville) beautiful 2005 haiku:

  Peaceful lake morning                                                                                                                                                      Sculls glide over the water                                                                                                                                                Leaving V-Shaped wakes

What’s your favorite Spring into Summer festival?

A Haiku Reflection on Memorial Day

A well-written Haiku can say a lot in only a few words and syllables–it can tell a story and even express deep emotions; it can also be political and make us pause to reflect upon the world around us. Like other forms of poetry, haiku can speak to war and peace, heroes and fallen soldiers, victory and defeat, freedom and sacrifice.

Among many things, this poster from our 2003 Syracuse Poster Project collection beautifully reflects the haunting memories of war. The haiku was written by poet, Bryan Wilbur, and illustrated by former Syracuse University illustration student, Robert Franceschini.

Emptiness echoes / around monuments. A man / remembers shadows.

Wherever you find yourself this Memorial Day–whether it’s laying a wreath or raising a flag, marching along with a parade or gathering with family for a barbecue, watching a ballgame or enjoying the evening’s fireworks–we wish you well!

 

 

 

Springtime Reflections

---

spiraling around                                                                                                                                                          the mailbox pole, they climb, climb                                                                                                                       brief springtime neighbors!

Our thanks to Michelle Miles, (Amman, Jordan, 2016 and youngest sister of this blogger), for her comment on our last blog, (Waiting for Spring to Spring!), in the form of this richly evocative haiku.  We think you’ll agree, her words could easily describe the Clematis, Morning Glory or Honeysuckle you’ve seen lately snaking up mailboxes, lampposts and telephone poles–all reaching for Spring’s blue sky!

Around Central New York, you may have also noticed red-tinged Peony buds and purple-budded Irises shooting up in freshly mulched flower beds.  Frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Audia Denton (Ithaca) cheerfully describes how good the colors of Spring can make us feel in her 2011 haiku:

   Shoot forth stems of Spring                                                                                                                                            hues from every source waving                                                                                                                                    flowers smile at us

Fragrant and colorful Lilacs are making their appearance now, too, while Apple and Cherry blossoms are filling out many a bare-limbed orchard.  Another of our frequent contributors, Jennifer Groff (Lancaster 2013), celebrates all the blooming going on with this wonderful Springtime haiku:

   flowering trees flaunt                                                                                                                                                      voluptuous silky blooms                                                                                                                                                  of new spring dresses

Springtime in Central New York is also grey baby goslings vying for space with afternoon golfers on bright green golf courses.  It’s a family of  black turtles sunbathing on half-sunk tree logs along the Erie Canal.  It’s blue Robin eggs spied in a new nest.   Norma Odell’s (North Syracuse) 2014 haiku vividly describes another Springtime activity:

   Bobbing goldfinches                                                                                                                                                        Upon purple coneflowers                                                                                                                                                Ignore my feeders

Lest we forget, nothing says Spring like the smell of freshly mowed grass or the smell of rain after days of dry weather.  Our featured haiku poster is from our 2006 collection. Written by Sheila Forsyth and illustrated by former Syracuse University Illustration student, Elizabeth Black, it lends itself well to Spring musings, doesn’t it?

Rain beads on petals / Thornden among the roses / After passing storm

Spring flowers, Spring smells, Spring sounds and Spring sites…ah, joy!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

Waiting for Spring to Spring!

Around Central New York this year, Spring seems slow in showing up.  Digging through our large archive of wonderful haiku, this 2013 poem by Joan Dear-Houseman (Chittenango) is striking in its description of how unhurried a start to Spring it’s been this year:

 Mittens on my hands,                                                                                                                                                Contradicts the month of May.                                                                                                                                Will Spring ever come?

The sudden demise of early Spring flowers saddened many of us…thank goodness for the brilliant cheer of our fine-feathered friends as depicted in this playful 2013 haiku by frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Sam Donnelly (Syracuse):

On a frosted branch                                                                                                                                                          A love-sick chickadee croons–                                                                                                                                    You-hoo, babe, it’s Spring!

And, if you don’t see anything blooming brightly yet in your neck of the woods, look closer–as Robert Gaurnier (Syracuse) does in his illustrative 2003 haiku:

  Ducks in Webster’s Pond                                                                                                                                         dive under the Spring sunshine                                                                                                                             tail ends sprouting up

Still looking for Spring?  Check your lawn, where crazy as it may sound, dandelions have already begun to seed!  David Hitchcock (Fayetteville) vividly captures this disparaged Spring flower in his 2009 haiku:

  Dandelions spring,                                                                                                                                    disturb the tranquil green lawn                                                                                                                        with cheeky yellow.

One of our lovely Spring posters comes from our 2014 Syracuse Poster Project series. The haiku was written by James & Barbara Yonai (Syracuse) in 2011 and illustrated by former Syracuse University illustration student, Emily Rhain Andrews, now a Vermont based freelance illustrator.

Spring comes, flowers bloom / deer dine on floral buffet / gardeners must pay

Finally, as we wait for Spring to spring, consider the hopeful words of this 2010 haiku by frequent Syracuse Poster Project contributor Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu’s (Syracuse)

  Spring rains gently coax                                                                                                                                               earth for purple primroses                                                                                                                                         to open anew

How do you wait for Spring to spring? Send us your thoughts in a haiku and we’ll add it to our blog!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

Our April Event!

Syracuse Poster Project is proud to announce the unveiling of its 2016 collection on Thursday, April 14.  Our festivities will be a gathering of poets, artists, friends and other supporters of public art.  Food, drink, music and of course, a display and haiku reading of each of the 16 new posters will be served!  This year’s merriment begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Atrium of City Hall Commons, 201 E. Washington Street, Syracuse.  Click here and here to see photos from a few of our past openings and recent kiosk displays.  

We hope you will join our celebration of this year’s series!  In addition to our “traditional method” of creating posters from contributed haiku, this year’s collection includes another poster created by what we like to refer to as a “reverse process” poster–meaning, we solicited haiku to complement an illustration.  We added this unique process to our annual call for haiku in 2009.  Two of our many favorites created by “reverse process” are:

From the 2009 collection: Keely Bowman, poet and Donald Kilpatrick, artist—

Branches reach for you / A forest of decisions / Which tree will you climb?

And, from the 2012 collection: Sara Parrott, poet and Skip Frost, artist–

Community builds / bridges of thought between us, / hope for the future.

Our 2016 reverse process poster was created by artist and Syracuse University adjunct professor, Tim Coolbaugh. His captivating poster was spotlighted last August on our blog post: Meet the Illustrator of Our Dog Rescue Poster.  In response to Tim’s poster, we received over 70 haiku submissions; five semi-final haiku were selected and then passed along to the artist for his decision.  Of these five, Aubrey Joy Cooper’s (Auburn) haiku was selected to accompany Tim’s poster.

Dare I hope again? / Human eyes reveal few truths. / Still, I hope once more.

Here are the other four (4) semi-final haiku:

Roaming the streets, lost / Looking for love, a fiend, warmth / Today…a new home.               Michael Brigandi, Syracuse

…and we have a cat. / So, that’s the whole family. / Let’s go home–my friend.                              Karl Krohl, Syracuse

Driving through the ‘Cuse / A shelter dog by my side. / A life worth saving.                                         Justin Blok, East Syracuse

A neglectful past / A hopeful future awaits / Rescued, loved again                                                  Philip Andon-McLane, Syracuse

Our thanks to the many poets who submitted haiku for the 2016 poster series.  We had an excellent response: approximately 100 of you submitting a total of 168 fresh haiku! Combined with submissions from past years, we had a total of 371 poems to pass along to our Syracuse Univeristy Illustration students whose efforts this year–as you will see–were outstanding!  Our thanks to these talented student artists and their faculty members who have worked closely with Syracuse Poster Project since our very beginnings–we are fortunate and blessed to have you!  Finally, our thanks to our wonderful volunteers without whom this event would not have been possible!

See you Thursday night!

April – Come What…May

April.  The word itself elicits all things Spring: April showers that bring May flowers, soft breezes and memories of April in Paris, cherry blossoms and lilacs, love poems and songs…think Simon & Garfunkel, April Come She Will and Frank Sinatra’s rendition of I’ll Remember April.  

Joan Loveridge-Sanbonmatsu’s (Syracuse) 2007 haiku easily describes an April scene some of us woke up to this morning:

High walls of Spring snow
Line the roads of the city.
When will the tulips bloom?

April is also a month of celebration.  In fact, Syracuse Poster Project is celebrating its 15th year!  Bringing together community poets and Syracuse University artists and illustration students,  Syracuse Poster Project creates an annual series of poetry posters which are hung in kiosks throughout downtown Syracuse.  Be sure to catch our annual haiku-poster unveiling event on Thursday April 14 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commons, 201 E. Washington Street.  

Coincidentally, this April marks the 20th Anniversary of National Poetry Month; and it also marks the Smithsonian’s 14th annual celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM).  Speaking of Jazz, a Syracuse shout out to this year’s SAMMY’s Music Educator of the Year, jazz guitarist, Mark Copani and to Andrew Carroll on his Syracuse SAMMY Award for Best Jazz Recording for his debut album, Alliterations.  

April is also the start of fishing season and the first heady days of baseball season.  We think you’ll agree that our featured Syracuse Poster Project haiku poster from our 2007 collection beautifully depicts an April scene. The haiku was written by poet Claire Bobrycki and illustrated by former Syracuse University Illustration student, Wei Hsing.  

Cold hands, smoky breath / Brown trout jumping Nine Mile Creek / in the April dawn

Our thanks to one of our readers, (Anonymous), for this wonderful Spring haiku, below. Responding to our recent question, What is your favorite sign of Spring?, we think you’ll agree, this beautifully descriptive haiku evokes all the hopes of Spring that April brings.  

March into April,
Shed the outer cloak, breathe and
Take the umbrella….

Happy Spring!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

The March to Spring!

It’s been a chilly, rainy “March” to Spring this year.  Much different than what we experienced last year–a cold, snowy, and seemingly interminable journey!  But still, Spring has sprung at last, and when mornings awaken blue and bright, it’s as wonderful as this 2015 haiku by Syracuse Poster Project contributor Sean Conrey (Syracuse):

     A spring breeze still cold                                                                                                                                                   All nerves beneath the black oak                                                                                                                                    A new leaf unfurls

Depending on where you live, you may still have patches of snow on the ground.  But that hasn’t stopped the green shoots of tulips and daffodils from pushing their way up through the soggy Winter ground just as imaginatively described as in this 2012 haiku by Jane Woodman (Syracuse):

    Syracuse snow banks                                                                                                                                                          cover heat-seeking missiles                                                                                                                                             of Spring daffodils.

No doubt you’ve also seen colorful blooms of crocuses cropping up everywhere you turn.  More than Winter’s white and grey, these sweet hints of Spring colors to come is delightful–as is this 2011 haiku by Sam Donnelly (Syracuse):

    Blossoms in short shorts                                                                                                                                                   Sunbathing between snow banks,                                                                                                                                  Blooming in the thaw

…Or this 2014 haiku by Andrew Schep (Syracuse):

    forsythia arms                                                                                                                                                                     sleeved in little bursts of sun                                                                                                                                           shoveling the snow

While the earth is renewing itself, our fine-feathered friends are returning home, too.  Robins, of course, among the first signs Spring has arrived.  Surprisingly, even Gulls, as vividly described in this 2008 haiku by Alexa Carter (Fulton), herald hope:

    Gulls like drifts of snow                                                                                                                                      Gather on the shores in spring                                                                                                                         Harbingers of fun to come

One of our many favorite posters from the 2009 Syracuse Poster Project Collection, written by longtime Syracuse Poster Project contributor, Jay Cox and illustrated by teacher and former Syracuse University Illustration student, Devin Scannell aptly describes this taut time between Spring and the last of March snows.  

A blackbird sways on / a goldenrod stalk covered / with afternoon snow

Finally, a fitting tribute to Spring by another of our haiku contributors, Marilyn Shelton (Dunmore, 2005):

    Snow melts to lilies                                                                                                                                                              Of the sweet valley, reborn                                                                                                                                              In sensuous spring

What is your favorite sign of Spring?  

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project

March Madness

It’s that time.  The Ides of March, when the tables turned on Caesar, and the battle for power…oh wait… I mean, that time of year when the battles of March, played on basketball courts around the country, determine who will be the 2016 National Champion!

East, West, South, Midwest–what better way to express the excitement of March Madness than our featured 2008 Syracuse Poster Project haiku poster created together by poet, Pat Flowers and former Syracuse University Illustration student, Gabe Eng-Goetz:

Fenced in glory hoops / leap in air toward heaven / endless chatter scores

Congratulations to the Syracuse University basketball team for their selection to play in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.  In another day or so from this posting, they’re scheduled to play the Dayton Flyers.  And, while the game won’t be here at home, Michael Brigandi’s (Syracuse) 2013 haiku resonates with our hopes for them:

Dark walking through snow                                                                                                                                  Uphill, wet cold, bundled, warm                                                                                                                          Back down, Orange win

Good Luck!

The Music of March

March has arrived – whether as a lion or a lamb, it’s too early to say – but, there is certainly music in the air!  You can hear it in the wind.  Just listen to the lion’s roar in Rachael Ikins’  (Baldwinsville) 2011 haiku:

 Always hungry, March,                                                                                                                                         Sub-zero gales, snow knives cut.                                                                                                                        Peaceful arc, tender spring.

You can hear it in Thomas Stock’s (Ft. Plain) inspired 2015 haiku:

 Hear eager March sun                                                                                                                                                Turn Winter packed icy eaves                                                                                                                                  To notes of spring song.

And, like Eric Darby, (California, 2009), you can hear it in the lilting song of our fine-feathered friends:

 A robin perches                                                                                                                                                            on the snowplow blade, singing                                                                                                                                  its bright orange song.

Speaking of the cheerful sound of birds, you can find this beautiful 2007 illustrated haiku on our Syracuse Poster Project Shop page.  Poet: Claire Bobrycki and Artist: Mike Tanoory.  

Ten below zero / Chickadees go on chirping / Outside my window

Lion or lamb, March has a beautiful sound all its own.  Listen for it and let us know what you hear!

 

Getting Inspired

Hope you enjoyed a pleasant Thanksgiving Holiday.  It’s been only a handful of days, really, since the last of the leftovers was eaten and the office email back under control.  And during this relatively short period of time, meanwhile, we’ve endured Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and GivingTuesday!  If you’re worn out already, you’re not alone!  

Having trouble finding poetic inspiration from a good sale?  Look no further than your favorite electronic device.  Whether it’s an iPhone, an Android, an iPad, a laptop or a desktop, there are plenty of websites and apps out there to help nudge your creative juices flowing again during this somewhat stressful time of year!

For instance, Poets & Writers, a not-for-profit organization, offers a variety of online tools and services for writers including their excellent source of inspiration,  The Time is Now E-Newsletter.  Delivered straight to your online mailbox, the e-newsletter offers weekly Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction prompts intended to kick-start your imagination.  

HaikuJAM is a relatively new app whose approach is a little different – rather than working by yourself to come up with a complete haiku, HaikuJAM offers you an interesting opportunity to collaborate with other writers to help you create – and finish – a unique piece of poetry.

There are hundreds of poetry blogs out there, too.  Rattle: Poetry for the 21st Century, mentioned on these pages before, offers interesting reading and thematic challenges including, an Ekphrastic Challenge – Art Inspiring Poetry. Similar to our annual Syracuse Poster Project Challenge, Rattle issues a monthly challenge using paintings or photographs to inspire poetry.  Results are fascinating!

You are likely to find inspiration right here at Syracuse Poster Project, too. Thanks to the creative work of our own database development intern, Yingxue Xiao, we recently introduced Haiku Of The Day on our Facebook and Twitter pages.  Reading these daily selections is a wonderful opportunity to read, reflect and become inspired.

Happy Writing!

 

Love-ly Haiku to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

❣️❣️❣️❣️

Bright city streetlights 
shine down on shoveled sidewalks 
for lovers to stroll 

by Bobbie Panek (Auburn 2020)

While it’s been a somewhat weird-weather slog this year to mid-February, celebrating Valentine’s Day is one of many heartfelt ways to brighten the journey to Spring. From our archives of haiku, we’ve come up with a few ‘Love-ly’ haiku for you to enjoy on this special day.

❣️❣️❣️❣️

love lingers around
from coffee shops to downtown 
warmth everlasting

by Nick Ghezzi (Canastota 2016)

When one thinks of Valentine’s Day, the keyword is Love. There’s romantic love, familial love, love for one’s pet, and sometimes, best of all, platonic love and affection.

For poet David Pasinski, “I have been blessed throughout my life with friends. I do not say that lightly or take it for granted. I have shared laughter and tears for over sixty years with some of them and felt that they have “walked” with me past any expectations. I only hope that I have shown my deep gratitude and appreciation in being able to accompany them also. We obviously don’t know what the future holds and there are moral, emotional, financial, and physical limits we each have. Yet I hope to respond within those in a most loving way in this precious gift of friendship.”

As far as friends go
I promise you to go there
And maybe further

Poet: David Pasinski
Artist: Lucie Wellner
Series: 2023

❣️❣️❣️❣️

Red, pink, white, yellow 
Urban oasis of love! 
Soft rose petals fall

by Christa Boice (Marathon 2017)

For many, the color of love and devotion on Valentine’s Day is Red: red roses, red hearts, a red dress — maybe even a red sauce for dinner. For poet Diana Cramer, “….Some years ago, I started noticing a small group of women and men on Wednesday mornings [at Thornden Park], bending over the rose bushes, trimming, weeding and watering. The image evoked a gentle, almost spiritual companionship, as the volunteers worked side by side caring for the garden. That brief moment as I drove by always felt peaceful, honest and nurturing to me, during what was a challenging time in my life.”

Each Wednesday morning
rose lovers gather to tend
Thornden Park jewels

Poet: Diana Cramer
Artist: Elizabeth Martone
Series: 2006

❣️❣️❣️❣️

But, of course, Love is celebrated all year long with love poems, love stories and love songs. Perhaps one of the most timeless and celebrated love stories is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. For poet Robert Stone, “….I think Shakespeare is still relevant. The plays are timeless, speaking to us today on issues of politics, betrayal, love, social issues, giving us insight and guidance as we confront the challenges of today.”

Kings, Queens, Knaves, Fairies,
Betrayals, ill—starred lovers.
Shakespeare in the Park

Poet: Robert Stone
Artist: Monica Rexach Ortiz
Series: 2017

❣️❣️❣️❣️

Moms cooking dinner,
Columbus Bakery bread--
family, food, love

by Lou Ann Pilon (Pennellville 2018)

Finally, what would Valentine’s Day be without a specially prepared dinner and a dessert of Chocolate Kisses, Sweetheart (Conversation) Candy, or luscious Lindt Lindor Truffles. For poet Maura Harling Stefl, “….My inspiration [for this haiku] came when I went to Armory Square to pick up stretch bread at Pasta’s Daily Bread. It’s always a special treat and something to share at family celebrations. Getting bread is a joyful experience tied to other joyful ones. I wanted this haiku to be full of joy!”

❣️❣️❣️❣️

Like a warm sweater,
the soft smell envelops me.
I take home a loaf.

Poet: Maura Harling Stefl
Artist: Christian Freeman
Series: 2023

❣️❣️❣️❣️

Made for you with love 
Hendricks Chapel Quilters sew 
Blankets for tough times

by Ruth Kurlandsky (St. Augustine 2013)

In a variety of ways, Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time to express your love, deep affection and gratitude for those you love and care for as well as the world around you. 

By the way, if you need a last-minute Valentine’s Day card, please download and print out one of our free cards by visiting the Free Stuff section of our website. There you’ll also find Valentine Day cards from past years to download free-of-charge. This is a great resource for all romantic do-it-yourselfers!

And as always, to read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. Click HERE for more thoughts and haiku about the month of February and Valentine’s Day. And, if you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE.  

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Wintry-Seasoned Haiku

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Snow heaped on statues,
City shrouded in silence,
Ghostly winterscape.

by Dianne Emmick (2010 Camillus)

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It’s January, and Winter has definitely arrived in Central New York. Punctuated by the documented effects of climate change, recent headlines indicate Winter is also making its frosty march across much of the country right now. In fact, over the last couple of weeks, cold, wet and windy weather has ushered in the new year with a wintry-seasoned blast!

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I'm globally warm
freezing on a downtown street,
in snow all the while

by Mike Milliken (2009 North Syracuse)

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From our archive of well-crafted haiku and beautifully illustrated posters, you can see that Winter in Central New York is characterized—and even appreciated, sometimes—in diverse and colorful ways.

Snow spins through streetlights,
delicate silver threads of
downtown's Winter cloak.

Poet: Laura Ferrel
Artist: Alexandra L. Grant
Series: 2020

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Snow blankets the sill….
the birds and deer seek shelter…
only the wind moves

by Yvonne Kovits (2022 Little Falls)

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When a light dusting of snow becomes 2-3 inches…okay, it becomes 6-8 inches…well, maybe it’s quickly becoming a foot…bundle up—it’s time to pull out a shovel!

Snow is falling thick,
Covering me with white lace,
I've wed my shovel.

Poet: Rosalyn M. Carroll
Artist: Erica Bortnick
Series: 2012

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Snow plows spit out sand
and frosted cars crawl dark streets
like igloos with eyes

by  Joan Sauro (2011 Syracuse)

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Brilliant, blinding, blowing, blustery lake-effect snowstorms can sometimes create unexpected havoc—especially if you need to run to the grocery store for milk and bread! Easily blanketing rooftops and driveways, roads and runways, waiting for the village snow plow to hit your neighborhood can be nerve-wracking to say the least. But never-fear, sooner or later, they’ll be there—thankfully!

Armies of snowplows
invade snowbound neighborhoods
winter prison break

Poet: Elizabeth Patton
Artist: William Padgett
Series: 2019

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snow clinging to black
branches, a symphony of
chiaroscuro 

by Cynthia (Sam) Foley (2023 Ithaca)

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As you might agree, Winter can be an evocative time of year when you have a haiku-flavored view of the world. Whether snow is gently falling, or the day is bright and chilly or just grey on grey, we hope you’ve been inspired to find some warmth and cheer in the wintry-seasoned world around you. 

Do you have a Winter haiku to share? Send it in the comments below and we will post it in an upcoming Blog!

And as always, to read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. Click HERE for more thoughts and haiku about the month of January. To read more Winter–related haiku on our Blog, click HERE. And, if you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE.

Stay warm!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

🎄🌕 🎄A Second Look: Haiku For December 🎄🌕🎄

December. An extraordinary month of cherished traditions, we find many ways to observe the Season of Light that December holds in its frosty days.

The towering tree
Stands still and silent, waiting
To light up downtown

by Christina Lee (Syracuse 2010)

As December days grow shorter and shorter, with their long, cold nights, we celebrate the Solstice this year on the 22nd when days typically become a bit longer–and warmer–again.

First Winter snowfall
Silent, swirling, descending…painting
Blue Spruce white.

by Robert Stone (Baldwinsville 2013)

Not only is December the last month of the year, it is also one of the busiest months of the year. Among other things, December embodies Winter holidays and long school breaks, cookie exchanges and gift shopping, family feasts and get-togethers with close friends. 

Bright lights, days of old
‘tis the season windows glow
downtown walking, looking, joy

by Michael Brigandi (Syracuse 2013)

With its short crisp meter, haiku can uniquely express many of our December reflections. For Nan Gartner, “….I wrote this haiku about a scene which I haven’t necessarily been in but I have imagined, which pleases my romantic instincts. I know that wintertime strolling can be romantic, and I think people are fortunate to have that experience. I don’t think there’s anything prettier than large white snowflakes falling quietly, especially in the evening by moonlight, what could be more beautiful? The square that comes to mind is in Syracuse. Hanover Square, maybe.”

Poet: Nan Gartner 
Artist: Amy Cunningham-Waltz 
Series: 2021



December snowflakes
Fall by moonlight on late night
strollers in the square

If you like this beautifully illustrated haiku poster by Amy Cunningham-Waltz, consider purchasing it as a gift to yourself by clicking on the Series Year next to the poster; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE. To read more wintry haiku to brighten up your Winter, click HERE for our Poetry Blog. As always, to read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted.

Tree lights and skate blades
Illuminate Clinton Square.
Silent stars wink by.

by Ellen McNeal (Summerville 2002)

Wishing you a warm and bright December!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku to Celebrate Veterans Day

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A well-written Haiku can say a lot in only a few words and 17 syllables–it can tell a story and even express deep emotions; it can also be political and make us pause to reflect upon the world around us. Like other forms of poetry, haiku can speak to war and peace, heroes and fallen soldiers, victory and defeat, freedom and sacrifice, and gratitude. 

Souls of the soldiers
march and quiet names surround
Freedom’s arena

by Mark Shevalier (Henderson 2007)

While May’s Memorial Day is a day of solemn observance reserved to honor and remember all Americans who have died while serving in our country’s military service, November’s Veterans Day is reserved for all Veterans who have served in our country’s Armed Forces whether in war or peace, alive or dead. 

Price of our freedom
evident within these walls,
veterans — heroes.

by Ellen Wheeler (Fayetteville 2012)

Originally called Armistice Day, this federal holiday commemorated the end of World War 1 — ‘the war to end all wars’. Its name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the holiday was eventually amended to honor and thank all American Veterans of all wars for their many sacrifices.

Heroes defended
Liberty and freedom rang
Stars and stripes rippled

by Michelle Miles (Denver 2016)

Our featured haiku poster this Veterans Day is from our 2019 Series. The colorful haiku was written by contributor, Michele Madonna and beautifully illustrated by community artist, Alyssa Dearborn. We think you’ll agree, the poster exemplifies the strength, freedom and goodness of our nation and its Veterans.

Flying on moonlight
above Onondaga’s waves
Eagle’s wings dancing

We hope you’ve enjoyed these few haiku from our archives that best express our observation of Veterans Day and our gratitude for all our Veterans!

Soldier’s homecoming
duties satisfied for now
Toddler gets a hug

by Pearl Popiak (Syracuse 2011)

Thank you!

Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Haiku For the Fading Colors of Autumn

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Rustling vibrant leaves 
Falling off the tall oak trees 
Fall rakes the city

by Nicole Chen (2022)

Right now, there are at least one hundred different shades of Autumn blanketing the ground here in Central New York. Along with the usual shades of brown, red, yellow and orange, you can also see yellow-green, lime-green, rusted-yellow, golden-yellow, yellow-orange, red-orange, burnt-orange, maroon, mauve, and even pink!

View from my window
Heron fishing in the pond
Autumn leaves falling

Poet: Michele Reed
Artist: Christine Mitchell
Series: 2007 

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Acorn caps scattered 
Remnants of an autumn feast 
as squirrels wax round

by Laura Ferrel (2022)

While feasting on the visual beauty of Autumn, its earthy aroma can also lift one’s spirit. A walk through the woods, too, with the crunch of drying leaves beneath your feet, is uniquely satisfying. And on a windy day, as all your hard work of raked-high leaves skitters across the street — oh, dear — imagine the sound of little fairy feet scurrying quickly!

There are so many other ways that Autumn can inspire. For poet, Elizabeth Westfall, ”….I was inspired by the ambience of Autumn. The colors, warmth, and feelings of love and comfort were considered throughout. Autumn is a time to be grateful for those in our lives and for the beauty we get to see in nature every day. Autumn foliage is breathtaking and vibrant, as can be love you feel for someone else. I just wanted to capture the amber tones, visual and emotional, of my favorite season.”

Leaf—strewn vibrant woods
Cinnamon spice and sweaters
Your hand in my hand

Poet: Elizabeth Westfall
Artist: Gabriella Silverstein
Series: 2017

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Autumnal colors
muted by November greys
Time-Life Progression   

by Mark Calicchia (2021)

Most recently, we’ve had warm days and startling blue skies highlighting this year’s wonderful Autumn colors. But on those windy and rainy days, moody grey clouds can create an almost somber atmosphere: as the last leaves drift from their branches, Autumn once again reminds us that it will soon be leaving us behind. 

From the past they speak.
We can hear the stories told.
Their memory stays.

 Poet: Evelyn Stelmashuck
 Artist: Aletta Ren
 Series: 2022

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Drained of color, the
Burning Bush has lost its fire.
Red blankets the ground.

by Rosalyn M. Carroll (2022)

As always, to read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. To read more Autumn – related haiku on our Blog, click HERE. If you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the Series Year next to the poster; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE.

Stay inspired and stay warm! Thank you!

Autumn chill at last
zipper, button, don the hood. 
Dodge covid, skip flu

by Michelle Miles (2022)

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

Mostly Orange-Flavored Haiku

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Leaves fall in warm hues.
Cool breeze, early nights, crisp air. 
Autumn says "Hello".

by Alyssa Dearborn (Liverpool 2018)

It’s mid-October, a Mostly Orange-flavored time of year here in Central New York. With Autumn now in full swing, what better time to pull a few haiku out from our archives to brighten things up!

October arrives
Time for leaves and spooky things 
Fall shows her beauty

by Lou Ann Pilon (Pennellville 2018)

flame red veins on leaves 
golden faces letting go 
waltz with wind then rest

by Sally Hendee (Hawley 2016)

Like an artist’s canvas, October’s changing skies, gusty winds and fluctuating temperatures have once again created unexpected sensory delights all around us with warm shades of orange, yellow and red — the quintessential colors of Autumn here in Upstate New York.

Leaves, brown yellow red 
Colors falling over green 
Nature's changing art

by Michael Brigandi (Syracuse 2014)

‘long the creek untrimmed
sumac wave fall-singed leaves, flaunt 
burnt sienna horns

by Ellen Agnew (Syracuse 2007)

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Even October’s full moon on the 28th — the Hunter Moon — is expected to be a bright shade of orange.

moonbeams hitch a ride
onto lazy waves, while the 
leaves flutter and fall

by Debra Alexis (Jamesville 2016)

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Speaking of Autumn-colored moonbeams, when creating the beautiful illustration below, artist James McCampbell, writes: ”….When I read this efficient haiku that evoked the beauty of the fall season and the passion of two people in love, the idea of my eventual illustration bloomed inside my head. Once I took a photograph at dusk in the Franklin Square area, the poster design came together quickly. I wanted to use the shape of an imagined couple to frame the scene via the use of negative space. Once the first draft was completed, it all felt like it was meant to be. Simultaneously as the sun begins to set, the dawn of young love begins.”

Wild Autumn wind whips
Two young lovers first wild kiss
Embrace crimson leaves

Poet: Jane Curley
Artist: James McCampbell
Series: 2021

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On a bright October day, stunning visions of mostly orange shades of Autumn abound: on a drive to the local pumpkin patch or a wagon ride out to pick apples or a quick stop at a farmer’s market for the last of sweet corn, sunflowers and acorn squash.

Orange foliage
Amid the crisp Autumn air 
Apple picking days

by Cynthia DeKing (Zephyr Hills 2020)

red apples, red barns
Rolling hillsides, cornfields tilled 
Blazing leaves, Autumn!

by Patricia Rickard-Lauri (Baldwinsville 2017)

Bountiful harvests,
Corn mazes, pumpkin patches. 
Picture-perfect Fall.

by Perri Hogan (Syracuse 2018)

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“Orange” is also the official color of the SU Orange — whether you enjoy basketball or football, soccer or field hockey, SU Orange sports dominate the news here — all year long.

Touchdowns and skinned knees
leaves fall, covering the ground 
We all bleed Orange

by Stephanie Maksymiw (Auburn 2019)

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Poet Lewis Hylton reflects on the inspiration for his fine haiku below: “I first encountered the “Saltine Warrior” sculpture when my father took me to S.U. football games at Archbold Stadium. It was Ernie Davis’s first varsity season, the year S.U. won the National Championship. The sculpture was in a prominent location on University Place which I tried to walk by every game on the way to the stadium. The warrior exemplified the spirit of excellence in Syracuse athletics. When the “Saltine Warrior” was discontinued from the role as a sports mascot, the statue was relocated to a sculpture court elsewhere on the campus, which is where I rediscovered it some years later. Reconnecting with it inspired the creation of my haiku.”

Secluded glory
Red and orange tradition
Saltine bow poised taut

Poet: Lewis Hylton
Artist: William Smith IV
Series: 2016

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Is it still a Mostly Orange-flavored Autumn outside your window? Be sure to soak it all in before it’s blown away!

Like a dusting of snow
Orange blankets the ground
Time to rake up leaves

by Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius 2016)

Vanished Autumn leaves
a murder of black crows guard 
the lonesome oak tree

by Jungtae Lee (Syracuse 2019)

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To read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. To read more Autumn-themed haiku on our Poetry Blog, click HERE. For Halloween-inspired haiku, click HERE. If you’d like to read more October-themed haiku, click HERE. And, if you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE — with the holidays just around the corner, they make great gifts!

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project

🍂🍁🍂

Haiku and Wine

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Endless vines flow on
fence posts. Bees kissing blossoms. 
Sticky nectar smooch.

by Christina Finn  (2017)

Throughout New York State — and Upstate in particular — thriving wineries dot the Central New York countryside and the Fingers Lake Region to our West. 

Vineyards awaken
Apple trees blossom anew.
Springtime in Upstate.

Poet: Perri Elizabeth Hogan
Artist: Daniel Shanahan
Series: 2019

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Outside the café
Friends gather by candlelight, 
Words flowing like wine.

by Emily Buchanan (2019)

Typically, from mid-to-late August, to the end of October, wineries are busy harvesting grapes, processing them, and bottling their wines. Sadly, for wine growers in the area, this year’s grape harvest is predicted to be smaller than usual — according to Wine Enthusiast.com, an unexpected and devastating frost in mid-May caused a good deal of damage to crops across the State. 

Old-older-oldest
Summer's eve front porch sitters 
Wine-laughter-gossip

Poet: Dianne Apter
Artist: Kathleen O'Dell
Series: 2019

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At night about nine
Under the moonlight we dine 
Fine food and good wine

by  Pearl Baldwin (2011)

Regardless, though, along with a variety of grapes and locally produced wines, a number of the region’s wineries and small businesses continue to provide wine tasting and guided tours, unique dining experiences, wedding venues and musical entertainment. Click here for more things to do in the Finger Lakes Region.

At Alto Cinco
do as the bartender says:
pinot grigio

Poet: Jane Cassady
Artist: Sarah Anne DiNardo
Series: 2009

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Who builds a city?
Bricks. Sewers. Sidewalks. Light poles. 
Whose hands pick the wine?

by Mary Stanley (2016)

Thanks to CNY Latino Newspaper.com, we received a wonderful poem from Miguel Muller regarding the Finger Lakes Region. While we primarily promote haiku and short poems, Muller’s poem below — translated from Spanish — perfectly fits our Haiku and Wine themed post. Author of a self-published book of poems, An Identity Shared, Muller wrote his vineyard poem after one of his annual trips to The Finger Lakes Region. He states,“….I really believe in NY Wine — especially from The Finger Lakes Region — as a great product and I pay tribute to the hard work of all those who continually labor to make it great.”

“Spirit Of Love”
(Dedicated To All The Workers of The Wineries And Vineyards of The Finger Lakes and Central NY)
 
The Landscape of The Vine.
He receives a kiss from its spirit
every day that opens his eyes.
Every sunrise is a rebirth of the
happy one received when the
grapes swam in the blessings
of their first breath.
 
Bless all the vines, 
the flowers, trees, and the
munificence of the earth.
She carries in her heart a love
for the land of his world
higher than a great mountain range.
 
The Vintner works the land
developing wine for his
management.  She releases the 
fruits, this wine from the
labor of his arms of passion.

For him, she is the goddess of his harvest.
He dedicates his work to her for its rich
cultivation.  She gives it a lot of 
energetic adoration and affection.
With her kisses she washes the crop
that the winegrower’s sweat cultivates.
 
For him, her perfume is like that of a
fragrant grape and the taste on his
lips is the sweetness of the wine
from his labors.

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Do you have a favorite Finger Lakes winery? Or, a favorite wine from CNY grapes? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll share your thoughts in a future post.

Syracuse winters 
drinking wine by the fire -- 
me and my orange cat

by Joan Cofrancesco  (2019)

Whether celebrating a special occasion or just an evening in front of a cozy fire with friends, enjoying a glass of wine can be quite delightful.

Painting with a twist
Friends, laughter, wine and happy 
Fun nights, memories

by Kara McCandless (2018)

To read more about each poet and artist listed above, click on their name where highlighted. To read more Summer-themed haiku on our Poetry Blog, click HERE. And, if you’d like to purchase any of the illustrated haiku posters featured on this post, click on the highlighted Series Year; if you’d like to view and purchase any of our other beautiful haiku posters, click HERE — they make great gifts!

Thank you!

Posted by Rosalyn M. Carroll for the Syracuse Poster Project