This is so beautifully sad. Melancholy. @carriganak.bsky.social in @flightlit.bsky.social flight-literary.ghost.io/alex-carriga...

Being a champion is as much about how you respond to loss and disappointment as it is about winning. Ilia Malinin knows how to win. We've seen it. Today, he also showed us that he knows how to lose. The competition may not have gone the way he hoped, but he should still be proud.

A couple of memories prompted by watching Olympic Hockey. As a kid, I watched the Dallas Freeze and Wayne Anchikoski. Later, my girlfriend & I (now my wife) watched the OKC Blazers & "Mighty" Marty Standish. Any other DFW or OKC people out there who watched one or the other?

As the Olympics continue, I am daily reminded that I am NOT an elite-level athlete. Or even an athlete is the loosest sense of the term. So, I decided to write an ode to a sport that's a little bit more my speed. #poetry #poetrycommunity

Just read The Museum of Rain by Dave Eggers, which the publisher describes as, "a beautiful testament to family, memory, and what we leave behind". It's a gem. A beautiful, effecting piece with crystal clear language that almost seems to glisten. If you've read it, I'd love to hear thoughts.

Only last week, our weekly text in #eyfs was #littleredridinghood. Granny needs a break! #quaint #fairytalepoets #fairytale #airbnb #wolf

Olympics Day 1: Who watches curling? It's competitive sweeping! Day 3: Actually, this is kinda fun. Day 5: We're down one point in the 8th end & we've got the hammer. Team USA has got this. Day 7: Oh, look! There's an Oklahoma curling club & they hold regular "Learn How to Curl" events for $35..

It's been a bit since I've written a good ol' limerick. I can't really attest to this being a good one, but it's definitely a limerick, and it's my response to the #wordoftheweek from @thetoypress.bsky.social #kidlit #poetry #poetrycommunity #writingforchildren

Lit Kids needs YOU to submit work for Issue 9: Mystery by 2/14! 🔍 We accept writing, art, and photos from 5 to 13 y/o kids, and our mentors can't wait to feature new talent. Keep shining! ✨ www.litkidsmagazine.com/submissions #parents #teachers #librarians #kidlit #emag #submissions

The stories of the competitors, like Maxim Naumov, are the best part of the Olympics for me. There are roughly 3,000 people competing. Most will not medal. I won't pretend the medals don't matter. They clearly matter a great deal to the athletes, but it's the stories that will stick with me.

Pretty much every Olympics, there's a new sport that I become insanely invested in. This year, it seems to be curling. Huge congrats to Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin for their historic silver medal in Mixed Doubles, and thanks for helping me dive into a sport I never really understood before.

Just re-watching Bad Bunny's half-time show, as well as Kendrick Lamar's show from last year. Art, culture, our country, the world, they're better, richer, and deeper when we not only welcome but celebrate a multitude of voices.

One of the few news stories that made me smile recently, and it's brilliantly captured in Steven Kent's poem in @lightpoetrymag.bsky.social 's Poems of the Week. Oh, how I love to read a good pun.

I used to write light verse pretty regularly (in addition to my children's poetry), but I'd drifted away from it for a bit. Recently, I've started toying with it again, and I'm enjoying it every bit as much as I did before.

It's taking a few days, but I think I'm finally starting to piece together how curling works...

When I think of the America that I love, it looks a lot like this. Love isn't weakness. Diversity is strength.

Reading through "Set Change" by Yuri Andrukhovych, Ukrainian poet, essayist, novelist, and co-founder of Bu-Ba-Bu (which stands for Burlesque, Balagan, and Buffonada), a literary performance group. His work is decidedly surreal, and if I were being overly literary, I might call it "darkly comic."

I just finished reading Charles Causley's "Collected Poems for Children" & it immediately rockets onto the list of poetry books I'll return to again & again. His poems are so whimsical, beautiful, and imaginative. Each poems rings with music and leans heavily into the lore of Cornwall. I adored it.

Here's the poem I wrote in this week's blog post ( shaunmjex.wordpress.com/2026/02/08/g... ) The hockey stick in question belongs to my son, and is currently sitting in the corner of our living room. #poetry #poetrycommunity #kidlit

#poem #poetry

For #smallpoemsunday, here's a pair of poems I wrote a few years ago that appeared in Light Poetry Magazine.(lightpoetrymagazine.com/shaun-jex-sp...)

Lindsey Vonn had nothing left to prove. She strapped back on the skis for the love of it. I hate that the Milano Cortina Olympics ended this way for her, but I'm still blown away by her strength, skill, and determination. It made me think of this classic poem by William Ernest Henley.

If we don't use our small poetry presses, we'll lose them. This is why I refuse to flinch or shy from asking you to purchase a copy of Whatever You Do, Just Don't, my second full collection. Here's a sample poem from the book. Just drop me a DM and I'll sort out a signed copy for you...

This week's poetry blog has been inspired by the Winter Olympics! As always, we've got a weekly prompt and a quartet of poems to help inspire your writing! #poetry #poetrycommunity #kidlit shaunmjex.wordpress.com/2026/02/08/g...

#Poem #Poetry #Prompt You are the colours of flamingo bright shoelace charms threaded like beads through white trainer laces on mufti day, and you remind me of the tap dance shoes on a shelf I wished for Mum to buy me. brian-moses.blogspot.com/2017/07/to-g... @brianmosespoet.bsky.social

Currently watching Canada vs. Switzerland Women's Hockey, and this little poem emerged. #olympics #poetry #poetrycommunity

Watching the Winter Olympics will always remind me of being a kid. I would take my skateboard to the top of the hill on Lake Forest Drive and luge my way down. I had excellent luging form, if I do say so myself.

It's after midnight, and I'm watching curling. And also reading up on the history of the sport. I was interested in learning that the great poet Robert Burns (a personal favorite) was a curler, and mentioned it in a few of his poems.

As always, I loved the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Some truly gorgeous visuals, and it's always a joy to see the parade of athletes from around the world.

For the next 17 days, I will be an expert and authoritative voice on sports that I watch for a few hours every four years. I love watching the Olympics.

If you need to scroll, I’d recommend looking at all the adorable illustrations in the #kidlitartpostcard hashtag rather than scrolling of the doom variety. It’ll bring much more happiness and light to your life.

Happy #kidlitartpostcard day! ⭐️ My name is Farah, I’m a children’s book author & illustrator and I love creating characters with stories to tell. Open to work on BB, PB and fiction projects. ⭐️ Rep’d by Emily Talbot at @unitedagentsbooks View more at www.fawashah.co.uk #kidlitart #kidlitartist

Happy #kidlitartpostcard day! My name is Brooke and I’m an author illustrator who enjoys making goofball art for goofball kids. I’m open to PB, early reader, and graphic novel projects. Represented by Marissa Brown at Pippin Properties! brookebaum.com #kidlit #kidlitart

Happy #KidLitArtPostcard Day! I love creating whimsical worlds and curious characters. I am available for new projects and would love to chat about your illustration needs. You can contact me or my agent @kaitlynleann17.bsky.social @bradfordagents.bsky.social #PictureBookArt #KidLit #Kidlitart

Hello and happy #kidlitartpostcard day! Today is raining 🌧️ See more work on muakata.com And my contact is [email protected]

It's #kidlitartpostcard day! I'm an author and illustrator of books for kids. I'm keen to illustrate smart, quirky stories (and have a few of my own). ★ Here's more of my work: www.twofishillustration.com/my-work ➽ I'm rep'd by @jenrofe.bsky.social of @andreabrownlit.bsky.social.

Hello #kidlitartpostcard ! I am Charlene Chua & I illustrate for kids. 🌟Interested in new book projects + other kids-related projects 🌟 Portfolio - charlenechua.com#kidlitartpostcardRep' by Tracy Marchini Literary #kidlitart #kidlit #illustration

My wife and I just finished Tolkien's delightful "Farmer Giles of Ham" together. As you'd expect of Tolkien, it's beautifully written, a great adventure, and surprisingly funny. I really do love our time reading aloud to each other.

#ooze #childrenspoetry #poem

I discovered Kyota Ko through his entertaining and deeply insightful social media posts about Japanese culture and history, and now I'm listening to the audiobook recording where he reads his book "Folk Tales of Japan." It's excellent (as is his reading) and full of fascinating lore and history.

Inspired by incredible children in my Reception class who want to know everything - free from the shame of not knowing. Some of their questions are very hard to answer! #soul #ooze #poetrycommunity #WritingCommunity #poems4kids #teaching #eyfs #wonder

This is Filippo Bernardi, born in 1872 on my grandfather's side of the family. A poet & a priest, he published 8 books of poetry. This is a roundabout way of saying that it's not my fault that I ended up writing poetry. Like Michael Corleone in The Godfather, I simply inherited the family business.

My recent tour of klezmer music got me thinking of Ukraine, immigration, and people's family stories, which meant I found myself thinking of this poem written by Joshua Seigal, which starts in Odessa. It's a remarkable piece.

I've fallen into a klezmer rabbit hole. After last night and this morning's forays with David Krakauer (including his collaboration w/Kronos Quartet), I find myself listening to "Tanz! With Dave Tarras and the Musiker Brothers" And it all started b/c I'm reading "Thistlefoot" by Gennarose Nethercott

The #wordoftheweek from @thetoypress.bsky.social is "Ooze," and how can you NOT have fun writing that into a poem? Here's mine. #poetry #poetrycommunity #kidlit

This morning's musical adventure is a fascinating blend of klezmer jazz and hip hop. I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like it before, but I know I'll be listening to it again and again.

This evening I'm sipping tea, reading post-Spanish Civil War poet Jaime Gil de Biedma, and listening to Edith Piaf. So, if you're wondering just HOW pretentious I'm behaving at the moment...it's the MOST pretentious.

The snow is starting to thaw here in Oklahoma, but this week's poetry and writing prompt are still pretty chilly, so throw on your scarf and gloves and give it a read. #poetry #kidlit #poetrycommunity shaunmjex.wordpress.com/2026/02/01/b...