Students - I've said this before, but sometimes poems are like dreams. They come from all kinds of places, a swirly twirl of memories and moments and now and then. As far as I can figure, this poem came from several places:
my mother and mother-in-law, both wonderful grandmas
the fact that I ate Mexican food (veggie fajitas) for lunch yesterday
a recent conversation with a friend about her son's Spanish class
Monday's dinner conversation about being an exchange student
our children's exceptionally strong and beautiful hugs
If you are a person who is fortunate enough to speak two or more languages, you might want to try whirling them together into one poem...just like a recipe with a bit of salt and a bit of sweet! (Chocolate covered pretzels, anyone?) I do not speak Spanish, but I do know a few Spanish words, and tucking them into this poem gave it a warmer more intimate feeling. The more languages and words we know, the more possibilities we hold in our fingers.
Here is a bilingual Spanish/English book for all of us. If you live in the southern hemisphere, let it help you kick off summer. If you live in the northern hemisphere, may it remind you of warmer days. These poems in both languages are full of bright and joyful imagery.
Here is a bilingual Spanish/English book for all of us. If you live in the southern hemisphere, let it help you kick off summer. If you live in the northern hemisphere, may it remind you of warmer days. These poems in both languages are full of bright and joyful imagery.
Words are the writers' tools, and today I have pledged to save two words - kexy (brittle, withered) and namelings (persons bearing the same name) - over at Save the Words, a very neat website referred to me by my librarian friend Gayle Kerman over at Country Parkway Elementary in Williamsville, NY. Readers can adopt words-on-their-way-out-of-use, promising to help to bring them back to life through spoken and written language. As a 40-year-old Amy, I have many namelings!
Please let me know if you adopt a word. They need us.
Please let me know if you adopt a word. They need us.
(Please click on COMMENTS below to share a thought.)
Ha, I picked "kexy" too, when I signed up a while ago, but I have to admit -- I forgot what it meant and I haven't been using it. Thanks for the reminder. I think I will be able to remember "nameling" without any trouble :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your daily poems. They are creative and inspiring. I am a hibernating poet (the poetry is hibernating, not me) and a homeschooling mom.
ReplyDeleteAs you explained where today's poem came from, it sounded like trying to piece together all the origins of a dream you may have had. It's always interesting to try to understand why our brains think the way they do, especially when it manifests itself in unusual or unexpected ways.
Thank you again.
Jennifer
Tabatha, I love that we're "co-parenting" KEXY. Once I'm using those two words, I may adopt another. A.
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Jennifer, I agree - it's fascinating to backtrack and try to figure out where our thoughts and little creations come from. I adore that journey.
Welcome to you and your child(ren)! I am glad that you enjoy it here and hope most of all that your hibernating poet finds its way into the sunlight. There's nothing like writing with your own children. A.