2016 Found Object Poem Project: Wrap Up

Happy Poetry Friday, everyone. Today, I'm wrapping up the annual daily write-in project.In January, I invited everyone to join me for a month-long project, writing in response to found objects (the original post is here). This is the fourth time I've celebrated my February birthday with a daily project that gives back to the writing community.In 2013, I sent original postcard poems to 44 friends. In 2014, Author Amok turned into a poetic version of a Color Run, with poets doused in all the shades of the rainbow for writing inspiration.And for 2015, we wrote a poem for every day in February in response to sound clips.This year's theme was FOUND OBJECTS. Thanks to everyone who sent in objects for us to use as prompts! We wrote about 29 objects from a variety of categories: Toys, Food, Functional Objects, Art, Antiques, Nature, and Signs.I was unprepared for the amazing response our project had this year. Here are the numbers.

2014's Pantone Poem Project: 14 poets, 144 poems about colors.

2015's Sound Poem Project: 14 poets, 177 poems about sounds.

2016's Found Object Poem Project: 28 poets, 346 poems about objects.

We nearly doubled the number of participants and the number of poems this year! Yes, this February included Leap Day, but we can't attribute all that writing to a single day. It takes stamina and commitment to complete this project.The most-written-about objects were early in the month:Lotus Pods (Day 10, 17 poems)Antique Store Dolls (Day 6, 16 Poems) Least written about objects were:Garlic Bud (Day 28, 6 poems)Horse Figurine (Day 20, 7 poems)Maybe we were running out of steam by the last ten days. All five of the days I skipped this year were in the final ten days of the project.There were five people who completed the challenge, writing a poem for each of our 29 prompts. As promised, I will be sending prizes to these prolific poets: look for something fun from one of my favorite Etsy shops, Petite Paperie.       Our 29-poem writers are: Linda Baie, Jessica Bigi, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, and last year's winner, Charles Waters.Congratulations to all of you on a great month of writing!Before we get to a list of links for each day, I wanted to give special kudos to one poet, Jessica Bigi. Jessica was new to our project this year. I have appreciated her enthusiasm for our community and watching her poetry develop over the last month.On our final day, I posted one last found object prompt for everyone to try. I wasn't going to post any responses, but Jessica's poem is so striking that I had to share it today.The object is a door-knocker. What I did not tell you is that this is the door of a famous house, Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott set her novel, LITTLE WOMEN.GriffinBy Jessica BigiAt age seven heshowed himselfto me wings ofgolden sunshineme inside a roomof a locust treelooking through awindow to his worldand still to this dayI will never know whythough I havenever told a souluntil todayI guess age sevenis magicaland this aGriffin knowsWould you like to go back and revisit all of the poems in our project? If your name is missing from any of these days and its important to you to see it listed, please let me know.Project AnnouncementModel Responses and the Week 1 PromptsMonday, February 1FOUND OBJECT: 100 year-old Mailing BoxPoems by: Diane Mayr, Molly Hogan, Mary Lee Hahn, Linda Baie, Jessica Bigi, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Catherine Flynn, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Brenda Harsham, Charles Waters, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Jan Godown Annino.Tuesday, February 2FOUND OBJECT: Fancy ProducePoems by: Mary Lee Hahn, Jessica Bigi, Diane Mayr, Molly Hogan, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Margaret Simon, Jennifer Lewis, Charles Waters, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Jan Godown Annino.Wednesday, February 3FOUND OBJECT: Moth EggsPoems by: Jessica Bigi, Margaret Simon, Diane Mayr, Mary Lee Hahn, Molly Hogan, Linda Baie, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Laura Shovan, Charles Waters, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona.Thursday, February 4FOUND OBJECT: Table FanPoems by: Jessica Bigi, Diane Mayr, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Molly Hogan, Mary Lee Hahn, Linda Baie, Carol Varsalona, Catherine Flynn, Charles Waters, Donna Smith, Jan Godown Annino.Friday, February 5 at Guest Blog, Radio, Rhythm & RhymeFOUND OBJECT: Tomato MoonPoems by: Matt Forrest Esenwine, Jessica Bigi, Diane Mayr, Molly Hogan, Margaret Simon, Carol Varsalona, Laura Shovan, Mary Lee Hahn, Linda Baie, Charles Waters, Donna Smith.Saturday, February 6FOUND OBJECT: Antique DollsPoems by: Jennifer Lewis, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie,  Molly Hogan, Catherine Flynn, Heidi Mordhorst, Laura Shovan, Carol Varsalona, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Mary Lee Hahn, Jessica Bigi, Margaret Simon, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, Donna Smith, Jone Rush  MacCulloch.Sunday, February 7FOUND OBJECT: Blood Letting KnifePoems by: Diane Mayr, Jessica Bigi, Laura Shovan, Catherine Flynn, Linda Baie, Molly Hogan, Carol Varsalona, Mary Lee Hahn, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Charles Waters, Donna Smith, Jone Rush MacCulloch.Monday, February 8FOUND OBJECT: Sculpture in the WoodsPoems by: Laura Shovan, Jessica Bigi, Heidi Mordhorst, Carol Varsalona, Linda Baie, Margaret Simon, Donna Smith, Diane Mayr, Joanne R. Polner, Kay McGriff, Molly Hogan, Mary Lee Hahn, Catherine Flynn, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Charles Waters.Tuesday, February 9FOUND OBJECT: Tire Tracks in SnowPoems by: Molly Hogan, Jessica Bigi, Linda Baie, Violet Nesdoly, Carol Varsalona, Mary Lee Hahn, Donna Smith, Laura Shovan, Diane Mayr, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Catherine Flynn, Kay McGiff, Charles Waters, Margaret Simon.Wednesday, February 10 at Guest Blog, Reflections on the TecheFOUND OBJECT: Lotus PodsPoems by: Diane Mayr, Patricia VanAmburg, Jessica Bigi, Molly Hogan, Laura Shovan, Charles Waters, Buffy Silverman, Catherine Flynn, Linda Baie, Carol Varsalona, Violet Nesdoly, Heidi Mordhorst, Donna Smith, Mary Lee Hahn, Margaret Simon, Jone Rush MacCulloch.Thursday, February 11FOUND OBJECT: Walnut DollPoems by: Diane Mayr, Carol Varsalona, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie, Violet Nesdoly, Donna Smith, Jessica Bigi, Mary Lee Hahn, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Margaret Simon, Catherine Flynn, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Charles Waters.Friday, February 12FOUND OBJECT: Whipped CreamPoems by: Patricia VanAmburg, Diane Mayr, Jessica Bigi, Margaret Simon, Mary Lee Hahn, Donna Smith, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Catherine Flynn, Linda Baie, Carol Varsalona,  Matt Forrest Esenwine, Laura Shovan, Heidi Mordhorst, Charles Waters.Saturday, February 13FOUND OBJECT: PUFFER FISH SKELETONPoems by: Diane Mayr, Laura Shovan, Jessica Bigi, Margaret Simon, Linda Baie, Mary Lee Hahn, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Catherine Flynn, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Charles Waters.Sunday, February 14FOUND OBJECT: Hot PotatoPoems by: Violet Nesdoly, Jessica Bigi, Laura Shovan, Carol Varsalona, Heidi Mordhorst, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Mary Lee Hahn, Donna Smith, Charles Waters, Molly Hogan.Monday, February 15 at Guest Blog, My Juicy Little UniverseFOUND OBJECT: Coffee MugPoems by: Jessica Bigi, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Catherine Flynn, Laura Shovan, Mary Lee Hahn, Heidi Mordhorst, Diane Mayr, Buffy Silverman, Carol Varsalona, Linda Baie, Donna Smith, Julieanne Harmatz, Jone Rush  MacCulloch, Charles Waters.Tuesday, February 16FOUND OBJECT: SculpturePoems by: Victoria Costa, Jessica Bigi, Laura Shovan, Carol Varsalona, Mary Lee Hahn, Donna Smith, Catherine Flynn, Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Robyn Hood Black, Buffy Silverman, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Charles Waters.Wednesday, February 17 at Guest Blog, Mainely WriteFOUND OBJECT: Hot  Pink SandalPoems by: Diane Mayr, Jessica Bigi, Carol Varsalona, Linda Baie, Catherine Flynn, Mary Lee Hahn, Buffy Silverman, Donna Smith, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Laura Shovan, Heidi Mordhorst, Margaret Simon, Charles Waters.Thursday, February 18FOUND OBJECT: “Typewriter Eraser, Scale X” SculpturePoems by: Jessica Bigi, Diane Mayr, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Mary Lee Hahn, Linda Baie, Catherine Flynn, Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Charles Water, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Buffy Silverman.Friday, February 19FOUND OBJECT: Deer SkullPoems by: Mary Lee Hahn, Jessica Bigi, Donna Smith, Linda Baie, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Patricia VanAmburg, Charles Waters, Carol Varsalona, Heather Meloche, Laura Shovan.Saturday, February 20 at Guest Blog, DeowriterFOUND OBJECT: Horse FigurinePoems by: Donna Smith, Jessica Bigi, Margaret Simon, Linda Baie, Carol Varsalona, Charles Waters, Jone Rush MacCulloch.Sunday, February 21FOUND OBJECT: Antique Sewing MachinePoems by: Diane Mayr, Linda Baie, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Jessica Bigi, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Charles Waters, Catherine Flynn.Monday, February 22FOUND OBJECT: Stick InsectPoems by: Mary Lee Hahn, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Jessica Bigi, Charles Watesr, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Linda Baie, Diane Mayr.Tuesday, February 23 at Guest Blog, BOOKSEED STUDIOFOUND OBJECT: Library of Congress CartPoems by: Jan Godown Annino, Jessica Bigi, Donna Smith, Linda Baie, Laura Shovan, Carol Varsalona, Diane Mayr, Mary Lee Hahn, Charles Waters, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Heidi Mordhorst.Wednesday, February 24FOUND OBJECT: Phoebe NestPoems by: Jessica Bigi, Diane Mayr, Heidi Mordhorst, Mary Lee Hahn, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Linda Baie, Laura Shovan, Charles Waters, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Jone Rush MacCulloch.Thursday, February 25FOUND OBJECT: Pearl Harbor KeysPoems by: Diane Mayr, Laura Shovan, Donna Smith, Jessica Bigi, Heidi Mordhorst, Charles Waters, Mary Lee Hahn,  Carol Varsalona, Molly Hogan, Linda Baie.Friday, February 26 at Guest Blog, Michael Ratcliffe’s PoetryFOUND OBJECT: Sun SignPoems by: Michael Ratcliffe, Diane Mayr, Jessica Bigi, Heidi Mordhorst, Donna Smith, Carol Varsalona, Mary Lee Hahn, Molly Hogan, Charles Waters, Laura Shovan, Linda Baie.Saturday, February 27FOUND OBJECT: Architectural RuinsPoems by: Jessica Bigi, Carol Varsalona, Diane Mayr, Molly Hogan, Linda Baie, Donna Smith, Buffy Silverman, Margaret Simon, Charles Waters, Laura Shovan, Mary Lee Hahn.Sunday, February 28 at Guest Blog, Bookseed StudioFOUND OBJECT: Garlic BudPoems by: Carol Varsalona, Margaret Simon, Charles Waters, Diane Mayr, Donna Smith, Jessica Bigi.Sunday, February 29FOUND OBJECT: Carnival TruckPoems by: Jessica Bigi, Charles Waters, Diane Mayr, Mary Lee Hahn, Linda Baie, Carol Varsalona, Molly Hogan, Donna Smith.Before we close the project, I'd like to send a special thank you to all of my guest hosts: Matt Forrest Esenwine, Margaret Simon, Heidi Mordhorst, Donna Smith, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Jan Godown Annino, and Mike Ratcliffe. It was a lot of work to get the poems posted every day and I could not have done it (sanity intact) without all of you.Since participation in this project has made such a jump, I will be looking for a different platform next year -- one where we can all upload our own poems to community page that we share. Ideas? Suggestions? Leave a comment.Before you know it, National Poetry Month will be here. I will not be doing a NPM project this year. Instead, I'll be getting ready to launch my debut children's novel!Until then, enjoy the 2016 20th Anniversary National Poetry Month poster.