Today’s letter feels like it belongs to me—or perhaps to the name my grandfather gave me, Kamakshi, after the goddess of Kanchipuram. As I explored “K” words for this day’s post, memories of one of my favorite childhood reads, What Katy Did, fluttered back to me like a katydid’s song. This post, like those pages, celebrates the joy of imagination and memory wrapped in the wonder of words

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To Kibitz With Katydids

Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt asks us to try our hand at writing our own poem about a remembered, cherished landscape. It could be our grandmother’s backyard, our schoolyard basketball court, or a tiny strip of woods near the railroad tracks. At some point in the poem, we should include language or phrasing that would be unusual in normal, spoken speech – like a rhyme, or syntax that feels old-fashioned or high-toned.

King Jackfruit

It was a child’s wild wonderland of delight—
kempt at times, but wild the most—
where the grand, knurly jackfruit ruled the land with knightly might,
and the pink hibiscus crowned itself kinglet and grand-host.
The breeze spoke softly in tongues of sap and sun,
while shadows danced where daylight had just spun.
Where water ran through hand-dug channels into rivers of imagining,
and paper boats bore us on voyages grand;
where fruitlets fell, now and again, with a tender kerplunk,
and the long-forgotten jackfruit, ripened,
came crashing down with a sovereign thunk.
Where our leafy forts served kickshaw feasts for guests unseen,
and laughter echoed through the trees between.
Where kinglets and katydids, in the overgrown grasses
(taller than ever a child might stand),
did kibitz and flitter in sunlit masses—
there we wandered, barefoot, unbidden, unplanned,
until dusk put the kibosh, forever out of kilter with our plans.

And now, in another yard, another place,
among pines and roses, I walk with glee;
though no jackfruit falls here with thunder or grace,
yet some small spark of that child abides in me.

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Keywords for Kibitzers

• Katydid: a green insect known for its nighttime chirping
• Kerplunk: a sudden, heavy, muffled splash or thud
• Kickshaw: a fancy but insubstantial object or dish
• Kibitz: to chat or offer casual comments
• Kibosh: something that stops or ends something
• Kempt: neat, tidy, well-kept
• Kinglet: a very small songbird
• Kilter: balance or proper order
• Knurly: twisted, gnarled, rough in texture

Books for Kids and Kings

• Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (8-12): A heartfelt novel in verse about a Syrian-American boy navigating middle school bullying, football tryouts, family pressures, and the unexpected responsibility of helping a newly arrived refugee peer.
• Kersplash! A Cloud Bursts by Jessica Kulekjian/illus. Zoe Si (Ages 5-8): A lyrical science picture book in which a cloud narrates its own journey through the water cycle—bringing rain, thunder, lightning, and a rainbow to life.
• The Kid With Big, Big Ideas by Britney Winn Lee/illus. Jacob Souva (Ages 4-7): A vibrant, affirming picture book about a nonbinary child whose big, bold ideas are often brushed aside—until Gram helps them find the confidence to speak up for what kids need and deserve. Lee’s rhythmic, rhyming text pairs beautifully with Souva’s energetic, expressive artwork to celebrate imagination, advocacy, and the power of being heard.
• Kiki Kicks by Jane Yolen & Ariel Stemple/illus. John Ledda (Ages 4-8): A playful picture book blending rhyme and narrative as Kiki learns karate from her mom, building strength, confidence, and calm while standing up to school bullies.
• King of the Neuro-Verse by Idris Goodwin (YA/teens): A dynamic verse novel about a Black teen with ADHD in 1990s summer school who uses rap and rhythm to navigate challenges, find his voice, and compete for the title of Cypher King.

Another book that I want to include, while not a poetry/novel-in-verse book, is The Know-It-All by A. J. Jacobs. I am dipping into it once in a while, when the mood strikes me to get to it (which is pretty often), and it is brilliant!! Do check it out.

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, do you have a remembered, cherished landscape from your childhood? Do tell. Also, which word would you use in a conversation, or kibitz with? Which of these books are you going to add to your list?

I am linking up to A-Z, Blogchatter, UBC, NaPoWriMo.

And you can find all my A-Z posts (this year and previous years’ as well) here:

A to Z Challenge Posts