Mittens and Friends and Metaphors

Woolen Mitten

Photo  (and Mitten) by Amy LV

(Sound Cloud is giving me troubles...audio to follow)

Students - I am not sure if this poem is finished yet, but I still wanted to share it with you. I often struggle to know when a poem is finished, and again this week I thought of this quote:

"A poem is never finished, only abandoned."  - Paul Valery

It is difficult to know when a poem is ready to share, and this one may still be at my workbench, but I do like the idea.  It came to me as I was driving somewhere earlier this week. I started to think about looking for mittens, how difficult it is  to find a match sometimes.  And then I thought about how good friends are like that too; soul mates a gift.

What I like most about this poem is how the whole text is about one thing - finding mittens - and then, at the end, it turns.  At the end, a reader might realize that the mitten-finding part is really a metaphor, or a comparison, to finding a friend.  There should be a bit of a feeling of surprise here, and surprise always makes me happy when I read a poem.  I like thinking about all of my mitten-friends too....

You may wish to consider this in a poem you are writing.  Are you surprising yourself or your reader?  Might you wish to?  How?

This poem is a free verse poem with no special meter or rhyme.  I read it many times to myself to see if it sounded right to my ear, and I made many many changes.

This week I am so happy to have artist and writer Kateri Ewing at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.  Please swing by her post to be inspired by Kateri's art notebooks.  You may win two notebooks if I draw your commenting name!

Teachers and Parents - If you share my concerns about what is currently happening in education, you might be interested in a copy of Barry Lane's new CD - MORE THAN A NUMBER.  This CD is full of Barry's songs such as: "I Write the Tests", and "Superficialunrealisticrigorisatrocious" written by Paul Hankins and Barry.  I wrote the lyrics to "More Than a Number," and I'm selling the CD's for $10 to benefit the Opt Out movement.  If you are interested in a CD, please private message me through The Poem Farm Facebook page or send me an e-mail (see contact button above).

Renee LaTulippe is our fabulous hostess of this week's Poetry Friday party.  Visit her beautiful No Water River to take a dip into poetry-land today.

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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Perfect Seashells & Slideshow

Conch
Photo by Amy LV

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

Students - I have been writing lots in my notebook lately, and when this happens...everything seems to quilt itself together.  Last week in the PARADE magazine of THE BUFFALO NEWS, I read this article by Connie Schultz about her mother's seashells.  Then, writing later in my notebook, I got thinking about listening.  My mother always used to tell me that her mom was the best listener ever, that there are a lot of great talkers but not so many great listeners. I want to become a better listener.  

Later still, somehow, I just got this picture in my head of a big person picking up smaller people, holding them up and listening to the stories they told.  And that mind-picture did not want to go away!

People are like seashells in that way, don't you think?  The world is magic when we slow ourselves down enough to notice.

Have you ever just had a picture pop into your head?  The next time that happens, say to yourself, "I am going to write about that!" of "I think I may just draw that!"  The picture might be trying to tell you or teach you something.

Speaking of pictures, a couple of weeks ago, I shared More Than a Number, my first song with Barry Lane. Today I offer you a slideshow to go along with it.  This is our anthem to children during these days of excessive testing - every child is more than a number.  If you like the song, please pass it on! 

Thank you to everybody who shared photographs of their beautiful children with us.  While we were unable to use every one, we loved them all.

Tabatha is hosting today's Poetry Friday feast over at The Opposite of Indifference.  Stop and smell the poems!

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!

Poetry Friday & More Than a Number

Welcome!

Poetry Friday is here today!

Painting by Georgia VanDerwater 

(2005)

Click on the orange arrow button to hear Barry sing!
(If you cannot see this graphic for any reason, just click here for the song.)

Sometimes a poem wants to be written.  That is how I feel about this one.  A couple of weeks ago, my friend Barry Lane (who wrote the only professional book I own that has lost its cover from use) and I began writing a couple of songs together via e-mail, SoundCloud, and iPhones.  It has been a true joy.

There are many tests and graphs and numbers flying around education-land these days, but we believe that the minds and souls of children rise above all numbers.  Children always have, are now, and always will be more than data.

Students - Write what you believe!  Write about what you know matters.  Write the song that keeps on singing in your heart.  If you don't, who will?

Teachers and Parents and other Grownups - If you like our song, we would be very grateful for you to share and encourage your friends and colleagues to do so on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.  Feel free to link here or to the SoundCloud site, and please stay tuned for our forthcoming YouTube slideshow.

For the YouTube slideshow of MORE THAN A NUMBER, Barry Lane and I seek donations of joyful photos of children engaged in play, creation, exploration, joy, learning - immersion in activities of the child's own initiative... We need about 50 photos, and the slideshow will be a multicultural mix of beautiful children in love with life. If you are willing to share (only) one beautiful photo (landscape or easily croppable to landscape) of your child, please send it to me at amy at amylv dot com with a note of permission that we may use it in a YouTube slideshow of this song. Once we receive photos, we will choose which ones to use based on the mix of activities and children. Thank you so much for considering this request.


News as of Saturday:  I have a new post up at Sharing Our Notebooks.  Fourth Grader Grace McCormick shares her notebooks this week, and I am offering a giveaway of Ralph Fletcher's A WRITER'S NOTEBOOK for commenters.  Thank you!

Today's Poetry Friday Menu! 
If there seems to be a lag in posting during the day, please know it is because it is raining in Holland NY and this interferes with our internet service.  I will catch up between the raindrops!

Over at Crackles of Speech, Steven Withrow shares his original poem titled Once You've Wandered from Under Your Yellow Cabana, so perfect for this very hot week in Western New York.

At TeacherDance, Linda introduces us to Miss Beatrice Blossom and also to the child who still lives inside of Linda.  Warning: you will wish to have hollyhocks!

Charles Ghigna has two new poems to share this week.  At Bald Ego, you can read his serious poem inspired by his son's forest fire painting.  And at Snickers, Charles has posted a lighter poem inspired by one of his son's carvings.

Renee LaTulippe is in at No Water River with one of her famous poetry videos and snickerviews - this time with guest poet Joe Mohr and his poem "Flybrows."

It's good to have Ed DeCaria back at Think Kid, Think! with his original poem about that ol' summertime warning.  I, too, remember hearing all moms say,"Wait 30 minutes after eating before you swim!"

At The Drift Record, Julie Larios has "a link to a poem about a great, wide, beautiful wonderful something, plus a little commentary about getting to know it."  Such an important reminder!

Jama Rattigan has a rap by our own Father Goose, Charles Ghigna over at Alphabet Soup.  Or is it a wrap?  Stop on by for lunch, and you will find out!

Visit Robyn Hood Black at Read, Write, Howl for warm and beautiful Wordsworth "wren-dition" along with a related haiku, photograph, and artwork. Happy 28th anniversary to Robyn and her man-wren!

At Writing the World for Kids, Laura Purdie Salas has two posts for us today.  She, too, is sharing More Than a Number (thank you, Laura!) and for 15 Words or Less Thursday, her regular generous offering and comments includes a so-summertime photograph.

Liz Steinglass treats us to summer haiku and a reminder of the power of imagery in few syllables over at Growing Wild.

Over at The Opposite of Indifference, Tabatha has doctors on her mind as she heads off to Johns Hopkins for a post-op visit with her son.  This post is going straight to my doctor sister, and I send good thoughts to Tabatha and family.

Kerry Aradhya shares Kenn Nesbitt's funny poem about dancing Daniel at Picture Books and Pirouettes.

At Live, Love, Laugh, Irene Latham has posted an Elizabeth Bishop poem about "the state with the prettiest name" along with some of her own Florida memories. And off she goes now - safe travels, Irene!

Find Marjorie Evasco's lovely poem comparing writing poetry to folding origami at The Write Sisters.

Doraine Bennett shares two duck poems - one funny and one serious - along with two duck videos, over at Dori Reads. Quack!

At Paper Tigers, Marjorie tells about Wendy Morton and The Elder Project, someone and something so very beautiful that I cannot wait to read more about.

Over at My Juicy Little Universe, Heidi Mordhorst shares 9-year-old Duncan's true haiku, "Jack Frost's Reign" along with the rubric was used to score it.  Duncan - Have you ever been to the Buffalo, NY area?  Ol' Jack reigns here for months, just the way you write it!

Violet Nesdoly shares a texture-and-fabric-rich personal poem about changing her wardrobe to get ready for summer.  So true!

At Teaching Authors, April Halprin Wayland interviews poet David L. Harrison (who shares a writing exercise!) and offers a chance to win an autographed copy of his book COWBOYS.

Jone offers a refreshing list poem about summer break at Check It Out.

Joining us from this week's All Write Conference in Warsaw, Indiana, Mary Lee Hahn, from A Year of Reading, shares an original poem with a structure inspired by one of Ralph Fletcher's poems.

Over at the Florian Cafe, Douglas Florian offers a blues poem about the recession, and the one good thing that is remains.

Elaine Magliaro joyfully cools us all down at Wild Rose Reader with her poem Cool Pool.

At GottaBook, Greg Pincus shares an original poem today.  No whining!

Like Mary Lee, Maria at Teaching in the 21st Century also shares a "Good Old Days" poem, inspired by Ralph Fletcher's session at All Write.

Janet Squires highlights J.Patrick Lewis's book EDGAR ALLAN POE'S PIE: MATH PUZZLERS IN CLASSIC POEMS over at All About the Books.

Over at Mainely Write, Donna shares an original poem inspired by some recent conversations she has had about life's blessings.

Fats Suela offers two poems about the immigrant experience, one by Margaret Atwood, and one by Daljit Nagra, over at Gathering Books.

Diane Mayr has three poetry posts up today!  At Random Noodling, she shares two poems with an interesting use of space.  At Kurious Kitty's Kurio Kabinet, she shares a summer poem for June 21.  And over at Kurious K's Kwotes, she offers a quote about writing by Pamela Ross.

Betsy Hubbard from Teaching Young Writers was at the All Write conference in Indiana this week too, and her poems for today were inspired by that time...even a poem about the "Good Old Days!"

At On Point, Lorie Ann Grover shares an original haiku and photograph, and at readertotz, she has posted a favorite Lewis Carroll poem.  Soup's on!

If you have a poetry dish to share today, please just leave a note in the comments, and I will check in throughout the day to add your delicious link!

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!