A Candle No One Else Can See

(This is my final post for 2012 - Happy New Year!)

Candles
by Amy LV

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Today's poem, like Monday's poem, is a metaphor poem.  We know that people don't really have candles inside of them like in the drawing above, yet there is an invisible light that each of us carry...a light that we work to keep lit.  We all know people who seem to glow, people who make us feel warmer and more loved when we are in their presence.  Sometimes I will be shopping at a store, and the cashier will be so kind that I'll leave the store whistling!  So again, today's poem is about seeing something as something else, seeing a warm love as a candle's light.

Today's poem is also a bit of a bossy poem, it's written directly to a reader, giving instructions on how to take care of your candle.  If you believe something very deeply, you might decide to write a poem about it and tell your reader a little life secret as I have tried to do here.

This week, I have two happy writing announcements.  The first is that I received an F&G of FOREST HAS A SONG, and I could not feel more grateful. Students, 'F&G' stands for 'folded and gathered,' and in the publishing industry, that's just code for an unbound book.  For the first time, I can see the size and look of FOREST...and I am tickled.

F&G of FOREST

Photo by Amy LV

The second piece of poetry news is that I am a new member of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children Committee.  This means that I will have the good fortune to read many poetry books and have a voice in the next winner of this NCTE award.  It also means that I'll have more opportunities work with Mary Lee Hahn, also new to the committee.  It will be wonderful to meet great people, read oodles of poem books, and learn more and more.

Here are Peter, Paul, and Mary with Light One Candle, a reminder for all of us.

Thank you to Tabatha for organizing such a lovely Winter Poem Swap.  I was paired up with Joy Acey and found it to be joyful fun!

Over at my juicy little universe, Heidi Mordhorst is lighting the Kidlitosphere with today's Poetry Friday roundup.  May your world feel a bit brighter today because of the poems you find on your path.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

Like The Poem Farm on Facebook for more poems, articles, and poemquotes!

Orion - Finding Peace in Nature

Friends

by Amy LV

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Whenever I look up at the sky and see Orion, I feel better about everything in the world.  For me, knowing a constellation, and recognizing it like a good friend brings a lot of happiness and peace.  One day, maybe soon, I will learn more constellations.

This poem is about a group of stars in the sky - a quiet group of stars.  It doesn't really hold my hand, and it doesn't really stare at me or whisper.  But I imagine that it does, and I imagine that Orion is a real person that does things a real person would do.  In poetry, we call this giving of human qualities or feelings or actions to non-human things personification.  Personification is a technique I use often when writing poems because in my mind, everything has feelings just like I do.

This is a poem I have had for years, and every several months, I bring it out and fiddle with it a bit more.  The poem probably isn't finished, but today felt like a good day to share it with you.  Do you have any old poems that you revisit from time to time?  Do you have favorite mountains or trees or constellations or anything else in the natural world that bring you happiness and peace?

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.
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our dove - a poem about healing

Dove Ornament, 1976

Photo by Amy LV

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Today's poem is a metaphor poem.  This means that while it is about one thing, it is also about another thing.  In one way, this poem is about an injured dove and some wise children who care for it.  But if you read the poem again, holding it to the light differently, you may see that it is also about all pain and healing, especially the sadness we feel in the loss of so many children and grown-ups in Newtown, CT.

I write poems to help me understand things, and while I will never understand what happened in Newton, I believe that the power of kindness is very strong. We do heal each other with love, and when we see someone suffering...we can make the world more gentle through our own kindness.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.
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Look Up - Nature Wonderings

Out My Window on 90E in NY
(Look closely or click-enlarge to see the geese!)

Photo by Amy LV

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Did you ever just look up at the sky and wonder about what you see? I marvel at migrating birds.  They are so strong, so capable, traveling many many miles, knowing just where to go.  Yesterday, as I drove two hours home from a school, many Vs of geese flew over my car.  I just kept thinking about them and their journey, wondering if they ever wished to spell words in sky.

This poem is written directly to a reader, asking direct questions and giving a little bit of advice at the end.  The idea came from a fleeting thought, now made into a small poem with a bit of time.  It's my way of honoring some Thruway beauty I was offered less than 24 hours ago.

If geese are not passing over your head today, there are other wonders to see. And here are some geese for you too...

This week you can also find me over at Jone MacCulloch's Check it Out blog with an interview on Wednesday and a poem from The Poem Farm stash today.  Thank you so much, Jone, for having me over to play!

To learn more about why geese fly in a V, visit the Library of Congress Everyday Mysteries page.

Jama Rattigan is hosting this week's Poetry Friday party, so head on over to Jama's Alphabet Soup.  As is always the case at Jama's place, you'll be fed in body and spirit.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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Stealing and Sharing - Passing it On

 Our Joke

by Amy LV

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Sometimes I plan to end a poem one way, but the poem decides to end itself another way. Writing today's verse, I planned to end with just a lonely waiting nose, no Grandpa.  The poem was going to have a sad ending.  But then the ending changed.  Partly because of difficulty with rhyme and partly because of the circle of families, I decided to bring this Grandpa tradition into the new generation.

If you are wondering whether today's poem is true for my own life, it is not. Both of my grandfathers died before I was two years old, and as my parents are both only children I do not have aunts or uncles or therefore, cousins.  So today's poemfacts are true for me, but the feeling of missing someone and wanting to keep that someone alive is very true.

This is a poem written in quatrains, and it has some near rhymes.  Notice that the second and fourth lines of each stanza end with words that have similarities in sound, but only one of the three pairs is a true rhyme.  Can you find it?

What do you long for?  What will you pass on?  Therein lies poetry.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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Wherever You Are & Spark 18!

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Today's poem was my inspiration piece for Amy Souza as part of our collaboration for Spark 18.  I sent her the poem, and then she had 10 days to respond artistically to the words.  Look below!

Untitled

acrylic, pen, and collage on board and paper, played around with digitally

by Amy Souza

Isn't this a cool painting? I like to think that the poem holds a kernel of forgiveness, and the joyful colors in Amy's painting offer this same feeling.

Today's poem is written in quatrains, meaning there are four lines in each stanza.  Often I will write a poem in one big block, and only afterward realize that it should be broken up into quatrains.  You can do that in your writing too. Just get the words down, and then afterward...fly above the poem and see what shape it wishes to be!

Here is our Georgia, a long time ago, feeding one of abandoned kittens we found along our road.  Yes, this really did happen to us and so today's poem really is to a stranger who abandoned kittens... 

Georgia Feeding Kittens Many Years Ago

by Amy LV

You can see the inspiration artwork that Amy sent to me and read my poem response in Friday's post. 

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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Quilt Map & Spark 18!

Untitled

acrylic, some pencil, and collage on board. 8" x 8"

by Amy Souza

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Once again, I have had the fun of participating in SPARK, brainchild of Amy Souza.  In this round, Spark 18, I happened to be paired up (again, yay!) with artist Amy Souza herself.  Ten days ago, she sent me a digital file with the above painting, and it was my job to write a poem (it could have been anything) inspired by her piece.  Now, on day 10, I am allowed to share it!   Many other Spark participants (82 this round) are also sharing their collaborations and will be posting the to the Spark website throughout the week.

Spark is a refreshing and invigorating community event here on the Internet, because it presses a writer or an artist to go in a new direction than he or she might have otherwise.  When I first looked at this painting, I fell in love with the colors...then I found a chameleon.  Later, I saw a quilt.  Then, one morning the rhyme patches/matches took hold in my head and Amy's image combined with my wordplay brought "Quilt Map" to life.

Here are the words I chose very carefully for this poem:  stitches, swatches, matching, patches, snuggle, batches, stacks, watch, sew, grow, map, flannel, patterns, lap, wore, tore, seas, snatches, quilted, land.  Do you notice anything special about any of them?  

Oh, how I adore shopping at the word store...where everything is free!

This poem is written in quatrains, except for the last stanza which I wanted to stretch out a little bit.  If you listen to me reading it, you will hear how the last two lines have a bit more of a pause in there...because those lines are the most important part.

This time of year always makes me think of making things: cookies, decorations, dinners for many, gifts! What do you like to make?  Have you ever written about something you made?  Have you ever made a poem as a gift?  Trust me - people like it.

You can see that her very vibrant work made me think of a quilt!

You can see all of my past SPARK collaborations here, and on Monday in this space, look for Amy Souza's artwork inspired by my poem, "Wherever You Are -."

If you have not yet visited Sharing Our Notebooks to read about Mary Lee Hahn's notebooks, she's still there with a a wonderful post and a giveaway too.

Robyn is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Read, Write, Howl!  Stop on by her place to learn the poetry news in the Kidlitosphere today.  You can also visit Robyn at her very cool etsy shop, artsyletters.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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Building Nests, Making Metaphors

An Artist
by Amy LV

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

I received a lovely note from Musician and English Professor Gart Westerhout who "has a regular habit of doing what might be called a cold singing of poems, in other words singing the poem before even having read it." Below you can enjoy Gart, who runs a community theater ((osugimusicaltheatre.com) in Japan, singing "Robin." 

Students - Robins won't be back to Holland, NY for a while, but that doesn't keep me from thinking about them.  Around our house, trees are getting browner and browner before the world will (soon) turn white.  We'll all stay hunkered down for a many months, feeding the fire with wood and ourselves with chili and crusty bread.  And then...many months from now...we will once again see that little red chest of a hopping robin, pulling spring up from the south in her beak.

Today's poem is not about something I can see outside right now, but it is about something I can see in my heart's eye.  One of the great gifts of poetry is that through the lines of a poem, we can relive our best moments and resee our favorite people and times.  The robin may not be in our yard...but I can still keep her close.  Can you think of something that is not happening right now, maybe something from a long time ago, something you would like to hold onto?  Close your eyes and try.  You can hold that thought, that place, that person...with a poem.

You may have noticed that today's poem compares a robin to an artist.  Making a comparison in a poem like this is called a metaphor, and if you read and listen carefully, you will find metaphors everywhere.  Life and writing is made more interesting when we can learn to see things as other things, when we can tie different experiences together in magical and unexpected ways.

Did you notice the repeating line in this poem?  It just appears twice, but it's there.  

For any of you wondering about the title of "Robin," this is a case where the title gives a reader a wee bit of information than the poem.  The poem does not actually name the type of bird at all, though careful readers would probably guess from one particular clue.  Which one?

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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Snipping Snowflakes

Hope's Window
Photo by Amy LV

Students - Snipping paper snowflakes is one of the simple pleasures of life!  If you live in a snowy place, it is a way to bring snow inside.  If you live in a place with no snow, it is an easy way to create some.  Last week, when my daughter Hope was sick, she cut lots and lots of snowflakes out of red, green, and white paper.  You can see some of them above, in our living room windows.

If you're interested in knowing how I snipped this poem out, take a peek into my notebook below.  You'll see that I first started writing about fog and clouds and my notes turned to something I saw last night, raindrops on a twig.  Then, looking at the window, I began writing about Hope and her snipping...

Click to enlarge image.

...and then I began poem-ing!  One thing that helped me write today was something I did last night.  Before bed, I read aloud many many poems from J. Patrick Lewis's new IF YOU WERE A CHOCOLATE MUSTACHE.  Falling asleep with the rhythms of our Children's Poet Laureate in my head was a wonderful thing to do, and it is something I highly recommend.  Read ALOUD the work you admire, and those rhythms will sink into you.

Click to enlarge image.

If you have ever wondered about snowflakes all being different from each other, visit Wonderopolis to read all about the chances of that happening.

To learn about how to make paper snowflakes, visit Martha Stewart or High Hopes.

Over at Design Sponge, you can read a great tutorial about making doily snowflake garlands.

And at Spoonful, you can find a recipe for sweet tortilla snowflakes.  We will make these today!

There may be no snow in Holland, NY right now...but we can make our own!

Available through Amazon

I am so happy to have Mary Lee Hahn as a guest over at Sharing Our Notebooks this week.  If you have not yet visited her notebook, please don't miss it!

And for those of you who knew that I was away for a bit, I am now back to posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  It is good to be home!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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One Day...Poetry Friday!

Welcome to Poetry Friday!  

If you are an oldie...I welcome you.

If you are newbie...I welcome you.

Everyone...pull up a chair.

Today is Poetry Friday.

Foil Boat

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Today's poem is true-as-can-be for me, except it is about my children, not my own childhood.  If I could live one day again, it would be very difficult to choose which one to revisit.  But this one summer day, folding tiny shiny boats with my children up in our creek, would definitely be on my list.  Which memories would be on your list?

Today's poem tells a memory from my life, not a fancy memory of a big birthday cake or an exciting trip, but a memory when Hope, Georgia, Henry, and I just spent time together enjoying something little...a lot. 

Here is another foil-inspired poem from the archives, this one in a how-to form. If you make something out of foil and write a poem about it, please send me a picture and your poem.  I'd love to share a whole foil-y post of goodness.  It's so interesting to see how one topic can inspire many poems.

Today I am grateful to host today's Poetry Friday roundup and also to host Mary Lee Hahn (Poetry Friday goddess) over at Sharing Our Notebooks.  Peek inside Mary Lee's notebook, learn about her process, and throw your name in the hat to win a new notebook!

And now....the round up!  I will be in throughout the day, linking to twinkling treasures throughout the Kidlitosphere.  Please leave a one-line description of your post with your link in the comments if you would be so kind. Thank you, and Happy Poetry Friday to all!

Morning

At Father Goose, Charles Ghigna shares a whimsical original poem, "Wild Weather."

Joy Acey joins us from Poetry for Kids Joy with a video of her poem "Keys," from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY.

Over at No Water River, Renee LaTulippe introduces a new post series, POETRY IS..., this week with poet Darlene Gifford (who sees poetry as a treasure hunt.)

Robyn Hood Black is in at Read, Write, Howl with a wintry Longfellow poem and thanks to a special writer friend.

At A Teaching Life, Tara brings us a poem which reminds her of the good old days.

Linda Baie shares an original poem about (sigh) her pending move at TeacherDance.

At his "baseball poetry outpost" -  The Hardball Times - Ed DeCaria offers an original poem about Marvin Miller.

Matt Goodfellow has an original poem about an ancient tree at Poems and things! and another original poem about a Posh Witch.

Inspired by Hummingbird Lily, Susan Taylor Brown is again ready to write and share an original poem about this small friend.

Tabatha shares poetic epitaphs at The Opposite of Indifference.

Over at Author Amok, Laura Shovan kicks off her new poetry/antique postcard project with a poem about a postcard from 1908.

Welcome to newbie Steve Peterson joining us for the first time from Inside the Dog with his first-ever prose poem about metaphors...and more.

Sharing poems written by her 8th grade daughter's classmates, Heidi Mordhorst shares some of their "postcards about New York City" at My Juicy Little Universe.

At Growing Wild, Liz Steinglass offers an original acrostic poem about a giraffe.

Laura Purdie Salas is in with Four Poetry Things for a Friday: one of her favorite poetry how-to books, an award shout-out, a poetry giveaway, and a thanku poem over at Writing the World for Kids.

Mary Lee Hahn's post at A Year of Reading will redirect you to her peanut poem at Jama's Alphabet Soup and a peek into her writer's notebook to see how that poem was born at Sharing Our Notebooks.

Newbie Margaret shares an original ekphrasatic poem today at Reflections on the Teche, a tribute to a work of art by her artistic father.

Over at Teaching Young Writers, Betsy offers an original poem about a bag that is no longer just a bag.

Irene Latham shares a peek into Cybils nominee JULIE ANDREWS' TREASURY FOR ALL SEASONS... and a few of her favorite things at Live Your Poem....

Over Random Noodling Diane Mayr talks about Ekphastic Tanka, Kurious Kitty shares "The James Bond Movie," Kurious K's Kwotes' P.F. quote is by Charles Simic, and The Write Sisters has an old poem called "To the Terrestrial Globe."

Jama  is going nuts for the last time this month with a heaping platter of peanut butter madness by Linda Baie,Cathy Ballou Mealey, Betsy Hubbard, Mary Lee Hahn, Renee LaTulippe and J. Patrick Lewis at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

Matt Forrest Essenwine has just had four poems published by the folks at YARN and shares the news at Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme.

At There's No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town, Ruth offers us Jacqueline Osherow's poem, "Window Seat: Providence to New York City."

At Booktalking, Anastasia Suen is reading Jane Yolen's HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS?

Karen Edmisten brings us a poem by Jack Gilbert at Karen Edmisten: The Blog with the Shockingly Clever Title.

Sylvia Vardell shares clips from the NCTE Vegas pink poets at Poetry for Children and offers a poem by Guadalupe Garcia McCall at The Poetry Friday Anthology.

Over at Violet Nesdoly/poems, Violet shares a light piece wherein she explores what you can do with a bathtub.

Iphigene is posting today at GatheringBooks with an original poem titled "The Sailor's Certainty."

At Wild Rose Reader, Elaine Magliaro has an original animal mask poem about termites and a short video of her granddaughter walking around her yard in her new brown boots.

Bridget Magee shares "Puppy Welcome," an original poem about her dog who has no sense of time, at wee words for wee ones.

At All About the Books with Janet Squires, Janet talks about is BIG TALK: POEMS FOR FOUR VOICES by Paul Fleischman with illustrations by Beppe Giacobbe.

At MotherReader, Pam is sharing a music video, "Some Nights," with poetry in its lyrics.

Jeannine Atkins shares a post about Leslea Newman's verse novel OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD at Views from a Window Seat.

JoAnn Early Macken offers her original weather poem, "Missing Hue," at her blog.

At On Point, Lorie Ann Grover shares her original haiku, "Sentinel."

At Check It Out, Jone interviews more CYBILS poetry panelists.

Carlie joins us from Twinking Along with "Ripe Visit," an original, free-verse poem about a juicy, warm vacation.

Amy discusses author Alan Katz's work and inspiration for writing at Mrs. Merrill's Book Break.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

Like The Poem Farm on Facebook for more poems, articles, and poemquotes!

What do the Fish Think?

Fish Tank

by Georgia LV

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Waiting in the doctor's waiting room the other day, I kept looking at the aquarium.  It was late at night, but their tank light made it seem bright as day underwater.  I could not help wondering what the fish were thinking, wondering if they were looking at me.  I am actually still wondering about this.

You will notice that this poem does not rhyme.  It's just a little collection of thoughts in three stanzas, from the point of view of fishes. Poets call this kind of poem a mask poem, or persona poem, because when I wrote it, it was as if I was wearing the mask of fish and speaking as I imagine they might speak.  You can find many more mask poems like this one (several rhyme) under the tab above, POEMS BY TECHNIQUE.  Just look under "mask poems."

When you walk around and do the normal things of your life, try wondering what different animals and objects may be thinking.  Do we know the real thoughts of hawks and spoons?  Of course not! But we can imagine all we wish....

I plan to return to a more regular schedule here soon, hopefully next week!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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I'll Never....in Las Vegas for NCTE12

I'll Never Have a Lion for a Pet

Photo by Amy LV

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Today's poem started in a funny way.  The other day I got thinking about knitting a sweater for a starfish and how difficult it would be for a starfish to wear a sweater.  How would she put it on?  This is a funny problem, and one I will never solve.  That whole idea made me think about the many things that I will never do, and the result is this list poem.  (Tip: Hang onto those funny thoughts that cross your mind.  You never know when you will need them!)

Today's poem is dedicated to Moira and her classmates in Ann Marie Corgill's second grade class at Cherokee Bend Elementary School in Mountain Brook, Alabama.  Yesterday, Moira posted a beautiful poem about her class to her Kidblog, celebrating their caring and loving community.  Ann Marie is my roommate this week at NCTE, and I was lucky enough to hear her read Moira's poem.  When I realized that my poem was about friendship, I knew it was for "the Corgill kids."

Ann Marie Corgill is the author of one of my favorite professional books, OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.  If you are a primary teacher, you will not want to miss this gem!

Available through Stenhouse

Keep watching this space for poetry by Moira and her classmates.  Soon they will write a Poetry Peek for The Poem Farm, and I am already looking forward to that day.

Greetings from NCTE12!  It is such fun to be here in Las Vegas this week, learning from inspiring and wise souls.  Last evening, Natalie Merchant serenaded us with her beautiful album, LEAVE YOUR SLEEP, classic children's poems set to music.  It was simply enchanting, and I highly recommend the CD.  You can check out the book trailer below.  I cannot wait to get my hands on this one - it just came out a couple of days ago...

In case you did not see it on The Poem Farm Facebook page, Kate Messner and Joanne Levy are coordinating KidLitCares, a relief effort for victims of Hurricane Sandy, and I have offered two books and a Skype visit as an auction item.  Please visit here for my offering and here for all of the offerings, from Skype visits to signed books to manuscript critiques.  All money goes to help those who need a little assistance in the wake of Sandy.

It is an honor to be a peanut-butter-loving-visitor to Jama Rattigan's blog today, Jama's Alphabet Soup.  Today I join Irene Latham, Douglas Florian, and Charles Waters in sharing a peanut butter poem for National Peanut Butter Month.   My poem, is about something else I'll never do, and it is perfect for this week. I packed peanut butter and homemade raspberry jam into my suitcase for breakfasts in Vegas!

I am still away...working on a new project this month, but I have truly missed Poetry Friday, so I will try to continue Friday posts.

Anastasia is hosting today's Poetry Friday over at Booktalking.  Visit her space to find out about everything happening around poetry town this week.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

Like The Poem Farm on Facebook for more poems, articles, and poemquotes!

Can You Spot the Differences?

If you are a new visitor to The Poem Farm, via NCTE or elsewhere, I welcome you!  This blog began back in 2010, when I decided to write and post a new children's poem and mini lesson each day for a year. It was such fun that I continued on posting regularly, usually 3 poems and lessons per week. The archives of The Poem Farm are searchable (above) by both technique and topic, and I welcome students and teachers to share their own work too.

Thank you for visiting!

-Amy

Mark & Hope...Years Ago

Photo by Amy LV

Students - I found this old poem today, and I at first was going to just share it with you.  Then, reading it over and over again, I realized, "I can make this better."  It's an old poem, maybe from 2002, and seeing it ten years later gave me some perspective.

Below you can read the poem both ways, and then talk with a partner about what you notice is different.  Which do you think is better?  It is important for writers to revisit our work, to always ask, "How can I make this better?"  Maybe I will revise this poem again in 2022!

2002

2012

Today's poem is about a place I love.  I often write about favorite places because when you write about a favorite place, you get to keep that place with you forever...in words.  This is really just a little list poem about some of my favorite things at the shore, and I wanted the poem to have a little of a back and forth feeling, just like the tide.  Did you notice that the first two and last two lines of this poem are the same?  It's a circle poem!

I am still away...working on a new project this month, but I wanted to swing by with a little poem that is making me smile at this chilly time of year.  Here in WNY, the snowflakes are just starting to fly, just a wee bit, and this makes me think of the shore.

If you will be at NCTE this week, please know do visit our Poetry Panel, full of Poetry Friday friends, as we celebrate Poetry Friday and THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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I, TOO, AM AMERICA - Book Giveaway!

Update as of Monday, November 13, 2012...

Linda of TeacherDance is the winner of the book - I, TOO, AM AMERICA.

Congratulations to you, Linda!

"As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal somebody else."

Maya Angelou

If you are looking for a way to help teachers and children whose classrooms and libraries have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy, please consider this donating to Literacy Lifeboats, an initiative with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project to help replace classroom libraries, easels, rugs, and all manner of things that help children connect with books, worlds, and healing words.  Join Naomi Shihab Nye, Tomie DePaola, Lucy Calkins, Lois Lowry, Avi, and many of your other favorite authors who are helping rebuild classrooms and libraries.  Click here for more information, and please pass this along.  Thank you!

Available through Amazon

I am away from this blog for the month, tapping away on a few lessons for a new grade 2 poetry unit of study with Stephanie Parsons and Lucy Calkins. Still, today I would like to offer a giveaway of this gorgeous book, I, TOO, AM AMERICA, the beautiful Langston Hughes poem illustrated by three-time Caldecott Honor Recipient Bryan Collier.  This book comes to us from Jane Bell at B is for Books in Orchard Park, NY and has been signed on the title page by Bryan Collier.

Election Day is over.  May our country work and grow in the way of peace.

Here are a couple of poems to think about from The Poem Farm archives.

War
Worlds Apart
Hope
Two Boys

Please just leave a comment on today's post to be eligible to win a copy of this important book.  I will draw a winning name on Saturday and will announce the winner here and on The Poem Farm Facebook page!

Thank you, Jane, for your generous book donation!

If you will be at NCTE next week, please come to our Saturday poetry panel about where poems come from.  There will be many Poetry Friends there...and I can't wait!

Ed DeCaria is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Think Kid, Think!  Stop by to see his cool Poetry Friday table of wonders...

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

Like The Poem Farm on Facebook for more poems, articles, and poemquotes!

Tick...Tock...Still Away...

I am still away and will be for most of this month as I help out a little with the forthcoming Heinemann Firsthand Grade 2 Poetry Unit of Study by Lucy Calkins and Stephanie Parsons.  A big fan of the original book, I feel honored to have a small hand in this new version.

In the meantime, Happy Daylight Savings Time!  Here is a poem from the archives about this unusual (and sometimes confusing) time of year.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

Like The Poem Farm on Facebook for more poems, articles, and poemquotes!

Still Writing...But Not Here!

....Writing....Writing....Writing....
by Amy LV

Dear Readers,

I am taking at least two weeks away from The Poem Farm in order to work on a different writing project.  I will be back soon, but possibly not until December. In the meantime, I will continue to post links at The Poem Farm Facebook page as I happily work on this new project.

If you are here to find poems, you can search by topic if you click the TOPIC tab above.  To find poems by technique, just click the TECHNIQUE tab.  Also, the POETRY PEEKS are always full of goodness, so this would be a wonderful time to catch up with the beautiful work that so many teachers have shared with us.

If you are a second grade teacher with a writing workshop and a love for poetry, and if you are interested in possibly helping with this new project...please send an e-mail to amy at amylv dot com.

I will let you know when posts will resume.

Thank you so much.  See you soon!

Warmly,

Amy

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

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Witch Decisions - Mask Poetry for Halloween

Vacuum...or Broom?

by Amy LV

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Today - Halloween - is a dress-up day, so I decided to dress up as a witch!  You might recognize this as a mask poem, a poem when the poet writes pretending to be someone else.  To write these lines, I sat with my notebook and began imagining problems a young witch might have.  Modern witches, like modern teenagers, may feel confused about when to use new technology. Should a witch use an app to write a spell or should she count on traditional magic?  Should she wear black jeans or a black dress?  For today's poem, I allowed my witch to stay a bit old fashioned.

For today, you might wish to write in the voice of someone else.  Pretend you are wearing a mask (maybe the one you will wear for Halloween tonight) and write in that voice.  Or write in the voice of an animal you know or an object sitting right near you right now.  What does that crayon being think about?  What struggles does a mermaid wish?  What does a rat wonder?

Usually I write poems longhand, in black pen or pencil into my notebook (also old fashioned, some might suggest).  And then, once I have crossed out and fiddled for some time, I type a poem up.  Below you can see the way I first typed this little poem.  Originally, it was in quatrains with the rhyming (or near rhyming) words at the ends of every other line.  Later, I decided to break the lines up a bit differently, to honor certain pauses...and the poem ended up as you see it above.  The rhymes, however, still match a quatrain pattern.

Witch Transportation

It cannot fly too high (the cord).

It sucks up every cloud.

It scares my own black cat.

It's heavy.  And it's loud.

Other witches cackle when

they see my shadow on the moon.

And so this Halloween I'll trade

my shiny vacuum for a broom.

When I was a little girl, some of my favorite books were the Dorrie the Little Witch books by Patricia Coombs.  If you don't know those great stories, you can read about them here at Vintage Kids' Books.  And from what I see here, it seems that several of the Dorrie titles have been reprinted.  Yay!

For older Halloween poems here at The Poem Farm, click on over to Pumpkin or Taking Stock.

If you did not read yesterday's post with Dee Michel (Eve Merriam's son), please be sure to stop by and see his magnificent edible books and hear about his childhood!

Here are some witch jokes for you!  Happy Halloween!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

Like The Poem Farm on Facebook for more poems, articles, and poemquotes!