Students - Happy March to you...the month that is said to "come in like a lion and out like a lamb." This March roared in with a new Candlewick Press book filled with poems selected by Irene Latham and Charles Waters and illustrated by Olivia Sua, and I feel lucky to have today's poem included in the collection. The book is titled IF I COULD CHOOSE A BEST DAY: POEMS OF POSSIBILITY, and on Monday many of us read our poems in a happy Zoom room with The Writing Barn. It was a treat to see Ms. Corgill's students and Mrs. Harvey's students there too!
The most famous IF poem I know is titled "If," and it is by Rudyard Kipling. It is also a list poem, and you can read it here at The Poetry Foundation.
I write about finding poems ideas by wondering WHAT IF in my book POEMS ARE TEACHERS: HOW STUDYING POETRY STRENGTHENS WRITING IN ALL GENRES, a book filled with poems by adults, young people, filled with lessons and ideas. We all spend time in our minds wondering What would happen if....? and today or this week, perhaps you will choose to follow your own IFs in your writing. (It's also a great way to plan your dreams and future.)
May your week be filled with possibility, my friends!
xo,
Amy
I missed the reading because of a friend's mother's funeral, so I am so glad you are sharing your poem today. I love learning the names of birds. My favorite is prothonotary warbler, but I rarely see them. I am currently keeping tabs on our wood duck house. We have a hen who is laying daily now.
ReplyDeleteI adore your poem “Finch, Robin, Jay.” Something about your writing always brings a sense of inner peace and hope.
ReplyDeleteLove your poem! So comforting and life affirming. Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about a spring afterschool workshop called "Bird Is the Word" and you're pushing me over the edge in the best possible way, Amy! Congrats to you and all in the IFfiest book ever!
ReplyDeleteKnowing the names of neighbourhood birds makes the contact more personal, as it does with people. I love knowing the names of my garden's feathered fly-in visitors. Amy, your poem speaks to this sense of acknowledgement with delightful clarity.
ReplyDeleteAmy, this is precious, and in my very limited bird watching experience, I have already found it to be true. Especially, "You will feel big and small at once" Very nice!
ReplyDeleteIt works for trees, too. I started teaching my niece to identify trees during the week I spent last summer in NYC with my brother's family. Recently she told my brother that she wants to be a botanist when she grows up. **swoon**
ReplyDeleteThere is alot of power in learning a name...once you know a name, it's less "other" and more of a friend. Love it.
ReplyDeleteAmen to what Linda just said, and to all you said in this poem! I love it. xo
ReplyDeleteI adore your poem Amy-- and completely agree with its sentiment! I've been trying to learn common bird noises in my area, and it's definitely made the the outdoors even more joyous.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your poem here, Amy! You are always so inspiring. Enjoyed seeing you on Zoom.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed hearing you read your beautiful poem. xo
ReplyDelete"Your heart will grin/your mind will clear" — perfect.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I love your Finch, Robin, Jay poem and it's true that such a small act can reward you in so many ways. Thank you!
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