Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Day Before The First Day of Spring

March 19, 2011 19th Slice of Life

As I have been writing with a poetry group of middle school students, I have an audience that is supportive & that I want to please, but also it's important to model different areas of poetry. Students have personal choice in this group, & try on different poetry 'hats' to seek one they love to wear & that they feel they are good at. I copy the poems so that we can see the poem while the author reads it, & so each of us, at the end of the group, have quite a lot of poems to re-read, to savor, & these are by their classmates! We also share poems by published writers where I am often amazed at the breadth & depth of what they find to bring to the group, & at what they like. It's a lovely experience each year. However, this year I do not have my own classroom anymore, & another teacher has shared some of his students so that I can have a group again. I am grateful! This week we have been examining the rhythm of poetry.

My poem for the Monday meeting:

The Day Before The First Day of Spring

I want

I want

More warmth than a hot bath

gives me

More color than seed catalogs

show me

More light than Edison invented

for me

I want Spring!

I want

I want

Fewer clothes than Winter

allows me

Fewer curtains closing the outdoors

from me

Fewer colds requiring tissues

around me

I want Spring!

6 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed your poem. I loved your use of repetition: I want; more, fewer. Your details were original, I especially liked "more light than Edison invented" and "fewer curtains closing the outdoors'.

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  2. Yes, I agree with Nora - the repetition of "I want" hints at the tentativeness of these early days in spring. And I like the images you chose to present in your wants.

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  3. Repetition of "I want" is great...describes my feelings exactly. Green is popping up.

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  4. I read this out loud with my kids. Now they are marching up to the bathtub chanting "I want Spring! I want Spring!" Thanks!

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  5. I want more teachers like you who open the door to young poets and invite them right in! Does that count for anything.?

    Bonnie

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  6. If your group is on a volunteer basis for the students I'm impressed that there is enough to form such a group. I can honestly say I would never have join such group as a middle schooler. Now my daughter on the other hand-a definite yes.

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