Each Seed - Finding Poem Ideas by Looking Around

 

Money Plant

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Yesterday I wasn't sure what to write about (not an uncommon event).  I thought I might write about walking with my dogs, Cali and Sage.  I thought I might write about how sometimes life surprises you.  Then I looked around, and I saw the stalk of money plant I'd picked a few weeks ago.  Sometimes people call this plant silver dollars.  Its Latin name is Lunaria annua, or yearly moon.  It is also called honesty.  I love it.

Looking at the coins, I got to thinking about how many plants toss seeds around.  I adore blowing dandelions, opening milkweed pods, ripping burdocks apart, and collecting acorns.  'Just picked these up by the mailbox in September. They're brown now.

Handful of Acorns

Photo by Amy LV

When I sat down to write yesterday, I just loved the idea of plants throwing seeds (like snowballs) at each other.  It makes them seem so playful.  But they're like parents too, those plants, saying "Farewell" to their wee ones.

Part of this poem - the first part - is just a description, telling about what is happening.  Then, halfway through it switches to a mask voice, the voice of mother plant bidding adieu.  You can do this in your writing too.  Start by describing something...then, make it talk!

And if you don't have a writing idea right away, just look around.  Write about something you see right in front of your face, something you might usually just walk right by.

"Maple Mother" from 2010 is what I would consider a cousin poem to today's verse.  One of the fun things about writing many many poems is that I find themes that tickle my fancy again and again.  "Money Plant" from 2012 is another cousin in this family.

You can watch me open the money plant seedpods below if you'd like.  I think that they are incredibly beautiful.

If you are a classroom of readers that is interested in some money plant seeds for planting, please just let me know in the comments, and I will be able to mail some money plant seeds to a few classrooms of young writers.

Congratulations to Kristie Miner! You have won the fabulous book and notebook offered as a giveaway by Angela Stockman of the Western New York Writer's Studio over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks!  Please send me your snail mail address so that your gifts can wing their way to you.  And everyone - please know - I welcome you and your students to share your notebooks in that space as well.  The more the merrier!  Any boys or men out there with notebooks to share?  We could use a few more of those.

Tricia is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at The Miss Rumphius Effect.  Please fly on over to her place to discover all of the poetic goodies our friends are offering up today.

Please share a comment below if you wish.