Poetry Friday & Poem #79 - Stay Awhile

Today is a beautiful Poetry Friday, with so much to share.  First, I feel fortunate to give you this poem by Emily Hoock of Pinehurst Elementary in Lakeview, NY.  Emily is second grade, and she is lucky to have Becky Carlson as her teacher.  Becky says, "I put a community journal next to our nature area (tadpoles, nests, butterflies, etc.).  The kids love writing in it, and one student wrote a very touching poem about one of our butterflies that died."   Thank you to Emily for allowing us to feel what you felt when you wrote these words:

Butterfly

Nice warm creature

In the wind

On a flower

~whoosh~

The butterfly is dead

All alone in heaven

In Mother Nature's heart

by Emily Hoock

Grade 2

Teacher Becky continues, "One of my favorite things we do in writing is poetry centers.  Georgia Heard's book, Awakening the Heart, has lots of great poetry center ideas.  We spend the first week of our poetry unit doing centers to explore different aspects of poetry.  The kids listen to poetry, search for beautiful language in books, play with words, paint their favorite poetry image, and make observations and comparisons with items from nature.  These centers really spark the students' enthusiasm for writing poetry."

Thank you, Becky and Emily, for your willingness to inspire us here today.  I invite you to leave Emily a comment on her poem.

For the past few weeks, my Poetry Friday poems have been all about poems.  Last week's poem was inspired by kitten Ashley (who gets a home today) with "Here, Poem!"  The week before, I posted a poem about poems talking together, "Poems Talk".  And the week before that brought "Science is Like Writing".  Today this month-long tradition continues.

Yesterday's mailbox held a treat...a galley copy of Lee Bennett Hopkins' Dizzy Dinosaurs which happily includes my poem, "Bathtime".  Below is a sneak peek into this funny book. Illustrator Barry Gott said it was "a hoot to paint", and it's a hoot to read too.  Thank you, Lee, for this opportunity.

Preview from Dizzy Dinosaurs: Silly Dino Poems

a HarperCollins I Can Read! book coming in Spring 2011

Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins & illustrated by Barry Gott 

(Thank you, Barry, for permission to share this artwork.)

Today's Poetry Friday is hosted by Stacey and Ruth over at Two Writing Teachers.  Mosey on over there for a taste of all things poetic in the children's literature blogosphere.

If you read here regularly, I would be grateful if you would share The Poem Farm's address with any friends, teachers, college professors, or families who you think would be interested.  I am trying to spread the word and am appreciative of any help.

Happy Poetry Friday!

(Please click on COMMENTS below to share a thought.)