Poetry Friday is Here - and a Healing Poem Too

is here today!

Goodbye

Photo by Amy LV

Students - This poem is for anyone who needs it.  I was not sure whether to write about the bowl of gorgeous tomatoes on our table or about all of the people I know who are somehow suffering right now, suffering with different sadnesses.  I needed to write about the second thing, about how helpful it can be to find other people who have been through what we are going through, no matter what our struggles may be.  

Whenever I need help with a hard time, I always turn to family and poems, friends and books.  I try to be a helpful friend, too, and sometimes I am...and sometimes, without meaning to, I say the wrong things. When that happens, I can only try again. That is all any one of us can do, our very best, every day, knowing the path is sometimes steep but that kind others have gone before.

Sometimes, even if you are not going through a tough time yourself, you feel what others are feeling.  You, too, can write about those feelings.  It helps.  

Language-wise, you will notice that this poem has some rhymes and some repetition too.  What do you notice about the rhyme?  What do you notice about the repetition?

Now...let's celebrate!  It is Poetry Friday, and once every few months, I am allowed to host the guests.  All through today, I will update this space with news from the Kidlitosphere: original poems and ideas, classroom stories and new books, favorite poems and found treasures.  All are invited to leave links to poetry posts in the comments, and I will add them below .  

If you have not visited my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, lately, I have the present pleasure of hosting poet and novelist, Irene Latham and her notebooks.  There's even a giveaway of Irene's beautiful book, DEAR WANDERING WILDEBEEST.

Welcome, welcome, welcome!  And enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!  I am grateful that you are my Someones.

xo, 

Amy

The Roundup!

Over at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme, Matt Forrest shares news about a new adult anthology of which he's a part.

At TeacherDance, Linda celebrates the Cybils' judge announcements along with a memory of a small lovely moment of summer.

Douglas offers an original poem about gravity, taken from the newly published GUYS READ: TRUE STORIES, edited by Jon Scieszka. Find this poem at the Florian Cafe.

It's Homecoming season and Laura's daughter's going to her first high school dance. Should she wear a dress or push the envelope and go in a tux? At Author Amok, Laura's post about HS dances and challenging norms features Sue Ellen Thompson's poem "The Paper Dress."

Bridget at wee words for wee ones has an original poem, "Real Estate on the Web," about the importance of truth in advertising when selling a "home."

At Susan Taylor Brown, Susan is in with an original poem, "Celebrate With Me," which is modeled on a Lucile Clifton poem and has become her personal anthem.

Inspired by Renee's poem at No Water River last week, Laura does something she rarely does: shares a poem written for a family member.  You can read her poem for Maddie at Writing the World for Kids.

Heidi also shares a poem for a family member, a poem about her son and sleep, over at My Juicy Little Universe.

Tabatha brings us an uplifting butterfly theme today at The Opposite of Indifference.

At Michelle's Today's Little Ditty, Liana Mahoney is visiting Limerick Alley with a toad and some great news.

Margaret's post at Reflections on the Teche is an invitation to Carol's Summer Serenity Gallery and an offering of her original poem, "Deception Pass."

Mary Lee offers us "Autumn" by Linda Pastan over at A Year of Reading.

 At Keri Recommends, Keri is in with Joyce Sutphen's "First Words" and with some words for our poetry community too.

Jama joins in with a little birthday party for Cornelius Bear over at Alphabet Soup. Enjoy the poems and cookies, and bring Cornelius some warm wishes.

At The Logonauts, Katie teaches poetry and geography with her favorite J. Patrick Lewis poem about latitude and longitude.

At Reading, Teaching, Learning, Holly also celebrates Carol's Summer Serenity Gallery and shares her original poem, "City of a Hundred Spires."

Over at Random Noodling, Diane offers "Almost," the last of her Sketchbook Project poems. At Kurious Kitty, for Talk Like a Pirate Day, she shares "The Parrot" by James Merrill.

Carol's post, at Beyond LiteracyLink, revolves around these last bits of summer serenity with a photograph taken by her daughter and a poem by Helen Hunt Jackson.

After a long break, Liz is happy to be back at the Poetry Friday table with a poem about tomatoes.  Find it at Elizabeth Steinglass.

At Penny Parker Klostermann, Penny shares Episode 2 of A GREAT Nephew & a GREAT Aunt at my blog today.

Violet offers her found poem titled "Paul Simon Reunion" at Violet Nesdoly/poems.

Karen is having breakfast with Billy Collins today at Karen Edmisten.

Over at Dori Reads, Doraine shares one of her favorite Lucille Clifton poems, "blessing the boats."

At Hope is the Word, Amy shares Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life" along with some thoughts about her family's discussion and study.

At Musings, Joyce shares a visit with poet, storyteller, and national treasure, Ashley Bryan.

JoAnn begins a new series of posts about creativity with a sympathetic note to herself and anyone else who might need it. Today's post at Teaching Authors includes a wonderful Ted Kooser poem about creativity.

Anastasia offers VOICES FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON by J. Patrick Lewis and George Ella Lyon over at Booktalking.

At Buildingsroman, Little Willow shares Lucy Frank's poem, "Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling."

Tanita shares Christine De Luca's "The Morning After" at [fiction, instead of lies].

At Poetry for Kids Joy, Joy is counting acorns with an original poem you might wish to act out.

Ramona offers Julia Kasdorf's "What I Learned from My Mother" at Pleasures from the Page.

Ruth, at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town, is in with "The Yellow Dress," by Amy Beeder.

At Check It Out, Jone announces the Cybils Poetry Panelists and Judges and also points us toward Carol's Summer Serenity Gallery.

Tricia offers two James Stevenson poems over at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Crystal is trying to slow down, and in doing so, she shares an original poem titled "A Lesson From My Dog" at Reading Through Life.

At Gathering Books, Fats is in with Walt Whitman and "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer."

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