Greetings, Poetry Friends!
It has been almost four years since I have shared a video series, and with this new year, it feels like time again. I welcome you to ten little Friday visits we'll call Coaxing Poems. This week and next we will focus mostly on discovering ideas for poems, inside the libraries that are us. As the weeks roll on, we will talk a bit about possibilities for setting up poems and sculpting language like clay.
Below this video visit, you will find the poems I share within it.
This poem about my Great Aunt Kay came to me when I held my palms up toward the sky and let my inner invisible librarian place a topic in my hands.
An Aunt Kay Sweater
Drawing by Amy LV
And this poem idea, about a cloud friend, arrived the same way!
New Cloud Friend
Drawing by Amy LV
Students - You will notice that these poems do not rhyme - none of the poems I will share during Coaxing Poems will rhyme. But notice the short lines. Notice the words. Notice the space. Pay attention to what is description and what is feeling. Feel free to try out what you notice, breaking up your own lines to slow a reader down, repeating words, and helping your readers sense...and feel...your words.
Marcie is hosting this week's Poetry Friday over at Marcie Flinchum Atkins with her 2024 word and plans for great adventures in the year ahead. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.
Have fun in the stacks of your inner library, coaxers!
xo,
Amy
ps - Educator Friends, I am trying to think of a way to celebrate this series when it is complete. If you have any ideas for this, please let me know in the comments. Thank you!
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Your poems are so full of love and joy...more so when we know the genesis of them. I have an Aunt Kay. Her name is Auntie Barb. And, I love her with the kind of love your poem shows.
ReplyDeleteYay for a new Amy LV video series!!! Go you and Gratitude. xo
ReplyDeleteSo excited to continue to learn from you through this series, Amy. Inspirational! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, Amy! I look forward to doing the lessons each week!
ReplyDeleteI am actually watching your video in a library. I plan to use your videos to jump start my poetry this new year. In the past 5 months I have only written one poem that has not been composed during a monthly poetry group.
ReplyDeletePure inspiration, Amy! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI'm beaming...I'm a library! What a joyful discovery! Thank you for showing me. I don't have ideas for where to share your video series, but I will ask my kindergarten-teacher-sister. She has loved bringing poetry into her classroom each morning. There must be some kind of resource-sharing space for this kind of poetry goodness!
ReplyDeleteI chose a book and a chickadee flew out--so much fun writing with you today!
ReplyDeleteWhen I held out my hands, the Christmas tree lights asked to become a poem. Thanks for a new video series! So much fun to write along with you!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about this series! Will be sharing it with my teachers in my "Stall Stories" (newsletter I put in the bathrooms) in February!
ReplyDeleteI love your first video and will be thinking of myself as a library full of books. Thanks, Amy, I'm always inspired by your blog and perspective. I'm looking forward to what's to come on your videos.
ReplyDeleteI love the image of us as librarians, Amy. Looking forward to your whole series! You've also reminded me of a quote from Matt Haig: “Librarians have knowledge. They guide you to the right books. The right worlds. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines.”
ReplyDeleteYour poems hit that melt-away spot inside and make you feel full and special. Thanks Amy, for inviting us into our libraries inside–what a marvelous well of ideas!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amy! I love these videos and will be incorporating them into our Poetry Unit! Looking forward to learning from you again and sharing some of my students' poems very soon!
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