Welcome to my National Poetry Month project for 2017! Students - Each day of April 2017, I will close my eyes, and I will reach into my box of 64 Crayola crayons.
Aerial View of Crayola Box
Photo by Georgia LV
Each day I will choose a crayon (without looking), pulling this crayon out of the box. This daily selected crayon will in some way inspire the poem for the next day. Each day of this month, I will choose a new crayon, thinking and writing about one color every day for a total of 30 poems inspired by colors.
As of April 2, it happened that my poems took a turn to all be from the point of view of a child living in an apartment building. So, you'll notice this thread running through the month of colors. I'd not planned this...it was a writing surprise.
I welcome any classrooms of poets who wish to share class poems (class poems only please) related to each day's color (the one I choose or your own). Please post your class poem or photograph of any class crayon poem goodness to our Writing the Rainbow Padlet HERE. (If you have never posted on a Padlet, it is very easy. Just double click on the red background, and a box will appear. Write in this box, and upload any poemcrayon sharings you wish.)
Here is a list of this month's Writing the Rainbow Poems so far:
And now...today's crayon. Melon!
Melon Smiles
by Amy LV
Students - When I drew Melon yesterday, I right away thought of melon fruits. And of course I thought about cantaloupe because of their beautiful orange insides. Who better than Miss Johnson from April 6 to celebrate fruits with my new fictional friend? She can grow some goodies on her fire escape, but not something as large as cantaloupes. Of COURSE she goes to the farmers market.
Now, there was never a plan for a farmers market. Never a plan for a melon. Or even for Miss Johnson. Each of these were revealed through the crayon color of the day. Stay open. One never knows what's in there.
If you are Writing the Rainbow with me, perhaps your color for today might connect to a food or even to another poem you wrote earlier this month. Or even to a poem written by a friend. As I always say, sometimes a poem needs a friend poem, and now my April 6 poem has a friend of its own
Colors can take us anywhere. And if you'd like to join in with your own poem at our Writing the Rainbow Padlet, please do! It is growing and simply full of color and delight.
And please don't miss the links to all kinds of Poetry Month goodness up there in my upper left sidebar. Happy fourteenth day of National Poetry Month!
Wise Doraine is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Dori Reads. Visit her place this week to read her "unsettling" memory poem (it brought back a memory of my own) and to check out the giveaway, as well as to treat yourself to our roundup.
Please share a comment below if you wish.
I love that your poems are finding each other! Thanks for another colorful NPM treat!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear of writing surprises and a narrative thread emerging. :) Yum, melons! Nice to see Miss Johnson in today's poem.
ReplyDeleteI'm so enjoying your crayon series, Amy. I find myself anticipating each day's post as I imagine the Victorians did with serialized fiction. Can't wait to see what happens next! And I pre-ordered Read! Read! Read! So excited!! XX Christie https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/blog/
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to see Miss Johnson again. I loved her in April 6 (although I didn't comment), especially when she took your hand to show her veggies, exactly the thing that a retired school teacher would do, right? Melon smiles, I'm ready to see some of those this summer. Thanks for including your links to all the color poems in your post each time.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice: "Stay open. One never knows what's in there."
ReplyDeleteLove the melon smiles.
ReplyDeleteI love that you surprise us with your poems and that you often surprise yourself, Amy. There is a smile in the melon slices, in many ways.
ReplyDeleteSweet. Everyone should have a Miss Johnson in their life. They are the very special people we always remember.
ReplyDeleteMelon smiles! Such a delicious color.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for some melon smiles this summer! I love the writing surprises you are discovering and sharing along the way.
ReplyDeleteI love how your poems are finding each other.
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