Wordsworth! Save Sacramento Oak Trees!

Poor Wordsworth.  There’s no rest for a mouse poet who writes poems to save trees. I sent him to  the Sacramento County Supervisors Office when I heard about a group going in to save the majestic oaks trees that are being destroyed to make room for swimming pools and other home improvements. I hope Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! makes a difference.

Wordsworth was thrilled to be in this photo with Mr. James Schbert, Senior Landscape Architect for the County and Mr. Howard Schmidt, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Susan Peters. Way to go, Wordsworth.

The Bulldozer

 

    there was a place I sat and wrote

    to music played in my concert grove.

 

        branches rubbed against branches,

        coconuts dropped to the ground.

        vines snaked and squeaked their way

        seeking the hot noon sun.

 

        frilly fronds danced the wind,

        lacy limbs brushed their leaves.

        sparrows, mynahs spattered notes

        low c’s, high c’s and in-between.

       

        it was a place for violins, cellos,

        trombones, flutes, and  piccolos, too.

        Oh, what music to my ears.

        Then the monster came.

       

        gachump!

        gachump!

        gachump!

 

      he gobbled up notes

      oh, what a beast.

      he chomped and crushed,

      grunted and groaned,

      belched and gobbled

      everything in sight.

 

      oh, what a monster,

      oh what a beast

      to eat my trees.

      to eat my trees.

 

Wordsworth fell asleep thinking, “Gachump, Gachump.”

from Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! by frances kakugawa Watermark Publishing

Read Full Post »

Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! Reviewed By Nancy Arcayna

Wordsworth and I made the Hawaii newspaper today:

Honolulu Star/Advertiser

February 9, 2013

“Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!” by Frances H. Kakugawa (Watermark Publishing, $10.95), tells the tale of Wordsworth, a small Hawaii mouse, and a few of his friends who use poetry in their attempts save a koa tree grove.

Wordsworth is troubled when he finds a load of fallen trees on a truck bed and a bulldozer ready to plow down the last remaining tree, the one where he and his best friend, Emily, had carved their initials. As the tiny friends struggle to make a difference and preserve the forest, one of Wordsworth’s poems becomes a rallying point as two groups of adult mice debate the trees’ importance.

The friends find their “Save This Tree” poems taped to pine, mango and coconut trees. Young children might get lost in the words, but the message is endearing.

Tree in a Box kits, which can be purchased at www.bookshawaii.net for $14, include seeds to start a milo tree (a type of tree from the hibiscus family, similar to hau) along with a “Wordsworth” book.The activity of planting a tree may make the environmentally friendly message clearer for younger readers.

Colorful illustrations by Andrew J. Catanzariti bring the tale to life.

Write an ode to your favorite tree . Have a favorite tree that inspires you to write poetry? Watermark Publishing and Hawaii-born author Frances Kakugawa invite keiki in grades K-12 to participate in the “Wordsworth the Poet Poe-TREE Contest.” To enter the contest, kids are invited to follow the example of Wordsworth and write a poem that celebrates their favorite tree. Six prize packages — two per grade division: K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 — will be awarded. Each package includes a copy of the three Wordsworth series books, a child’s gardening tool kit and Koa Legacy Tree from the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative donated by Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods. Download the entry form at bookshawaii.net and click on News and Events. By March 1, send entries marked “ATTN: Wordsworth’s Poe-TREE Contest” via email to wordsworth@bookshawaii.net or to Watermark Publishing, 1088 Bishop St. Suite 310, Hono?lulu, HI?96813. Winners will be notified April 15.

–

Read Full Post »

Wordsworth the Poet’s Face Book site

From : Wordsworth the Poet  

Hello Everyone,

Have you visited my Facebook site?  I know you go to Frances’ site but please visit me at

http://www.facebook.com/WordsworthThePoet

My new book Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! is still in China and should be arriving soon.

The good news is, my loyal fans are already planting trees. Readers are invited to plant a Wordsworth tree in this book so  Tammy planted a Wordsworth tree almost a year ago when she heard about my new book. Look at her Ohi’a tree with all the Lehua blossoms. I have  an album with all the Wordsworth trees. My dream is to have a Wordsworth tree in all 50 states and even in other countries. So please spread the word.

Tammy Aoki Antonio

The exciting news today is this: Frances and I are going to plant a very special Koa tree on the Big Island. It will be in a very special place, once owned by King Kamehameha I.  So we will have a tree planting ceremony on Oct 23rd.  There will even be a photographer present so I’ll post some photos later. I got some information for you below about that special place.

This once pristine tropical forest was the personal property of King Kamehameha I – the first King of Hawaii. Sadly, the land was cleared nearly a century ago to make room for farming and ranching. Fortunately, some of the old growth koa treess till reside on the property. HLH is utilizing these trees as the seed source for all Legacy Trees in an effort to return this tropical forest to its former glory.

Koa wood is very pricey and I know Frances jokes that the only koa thing she owns is a koa bookmark. So how could I afford this tree? Our publisher bought the tree to honor my book. Wow, I bet even Mickey Mouse doesn’t have a tree with his name on it. Hey, Mickey Mouse, do you have your own facebook, too? Oops. Frances just nudged me to remind me to be humble.

I’ll be in touch from Hawaii…Aloha,

wordsworth the poet

Read Full Post »

A Green Thumb

Turning Capelli Green

My thumb turns light green, barely noticeable when it comes to gardening, but guess what? I was using it in the wrong places.  These past few weeks, my thumb turned brilliant green, it almost jaded  the sun. Well, I’m exaggerating a few layers of green.

One of my joys is having my hair done by Tom at Capelli on El Camino. We have great conversations on literature, movies, politics, current events and on life itself. Insert a few naughty jokes. Oh, yes, he does good hair, too. And he has my books on his shelf.

This past Christmas, I befriended a young mother from Hawaii who was here alone with her infant son Loa, who needed life-saving surgery at one of our hospitals. When Tom heard this, he unplugged his miniature Christmas tree and said, “Here, take this to the baby.”  I did, and Loa had Christmas in ICU into the new year.

Back to Capelli,  I usually go before my appointed time because I enjoy their never-ending coffee pot. It’s strange sometime, how it will take years for my senses to become aware of my surroundings. Two weeks ago, I noticed the Styrofoam cups I’ve been using for years.

It suddenly clicked. Styrofoam. Unhealthy to our bodies. They fill our landfills, our oceans, dangerously affect our natural environment. Besides, I wondered the dollars spent on Styrofoam cups by Capelli to bring comfort to their clients.

Since the pen is my best friend, I wrote the following poem, framed it in a green frame and left it near the coffee pot. This week, there were no Styrofoam. I drank out of my own mug. And no one tarred and feathered me out of Capelli.  Capelli  is now  green.

      Join me in keeping Capelli green.

      Bring your own signature cup

      To end Styrofoam clogging

      Rivers, coral reefs and Planet Earth.

     Let’s keep Capelli green,

    Sipping  java, brewed to taste

    While magic  appears

    Under Capelli hands.

You are welcomed to use this poem to keep another part of our world greener than it was yesterday.

Read Full Post »