Thursday, April 30, 2020

Poetry Friday - Finding Connections

  Liz Steinglass here at her blog hosts today on our first Poetry Friday in May! It's May Day perhaps the beginning of some better times. Liz has begun her May by airing her first author video, sharing poems from her wonderful book, SoccerVerse!  Thanks for hosting, Liz!


            There was much to sadden us in April, but also much to celebrate with so many writing poetry in April. I hope you all have read at least a few of the poems written and shared. The Progressive Poem hosted by Margaret Simon is complete, well, almost. Someone needs to create a title and it needs a bit of punctuation finished, though Amy LV did some. You will love that final line added by Michelle Kogan shared here! Not only did she write the final line, she sang the entire poem accompanied by her banjo! Wow!


        On the Poetry Friday before April 1st, I shared a poem about 'Scraps', my days changing because of this challenging time we now are living, finding it hard to settle down and the things, though nice, that were taking my time, though I moved often from piece to piece without a concentrated focus on any. My April did change that, my challenge to take those small wooden tree circles and create a poem and sketch from each. I did it and they helped me spend long and comforting hours writing and doing art. They certainly weren't all perfect, but they created a month-long capturing of strange April, what Shakespeare foretold and now I agree was "the cruelest month". I am glad I found such a challenge. You can read the list of my blog posts, including the kind of poems and the topic of each one up above. 

         And, this Pandemic time pushes me on. In my search for reading about other past Pandemics, I found the book that I'd read a few years ago about cholera:  The Ghost MapThe Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, by Steven Johnson.  I'd forgotten it and now feel its connection profoundly. 
         In the time of the 1850s in London, the city had grown to enormous proportions, and the leaders were facing some of the biggest challenges ever faced when groups of people moved together. There were just too many people and too much waste to deal with. Some of you may know the background of this time in history, the time when most scientists thought it was the miasmatic air that caused cholera and other diseases. The experience of those contracting cholera was horrifying. but no more than what those with Covid19 flu are experiencing right now!  

          And I found this poem by Linda Pastan. It isn't easy to comment about people passing, but Linda Pastan does just that, about a time, perhaps in her own life, when saying goodbye was happening too often. And it feels like a connection from this past to our own now. I am heartbroken for those who have died during this time, and those who are struggling with many personal challenges. I'm trying to help where I can, hoping all who read this are staying healthy and helping if you can, also. 

Departures by Linda Pastan


They seemed to all take off
at once: Aunt Grace
whose kidneys closed shop;
Cousin Rose who fed sugar
to diabetes;
               the rest is HERE


Poetry Month - Day Thirty - Did I Learn Anything?




It's April's End. 

            

         Remember to check out the list of what everyone is doing at Jama Rattigan's blog: Jama's Alphabet Soup.


          And check on the Water Poem Project where every day, a poet is sharing a prompt connected to water, hosted and created by Laura Shovan!


Plus! Check each day for the added line to the Progressive Poem, created by Irene Latham, now hosted by Margaret Simon! The link is above and the graphic to the right!
  This time, the ending line is not only written, but it's sung by Michelle Kogan accompanied by her banjo! It's wonderful! Find it HERE!







         A leap with the theme of CIRCLES for poetry month, poems & small sketches. I am looking forward to reading everyone's posts. I'm sure I will love each one, knowing they're done during a time we've not lived before. I am worried about so many, those close and those far, my community, too. 



April 1 - haiku
April 2 - cinquain
April 3 - a couplet
April 4 - limerick
April 5 - a kyrielle
April 6 - a skinny
April 7 - quatrain

April 8 - tanka
April 9 - a prose poem
April 10 - free verse
April 11 -  acrostic
April 12 - free verse
April 13 - a nonet
April 14 - haiku
April 15 -  lune
April 16 - sonnet
April 17 - free verse
April 18 - silly verse 

April 19 - couplets
April 20 - free verse
April 21 - a skinny
April 22 - a prose poem

April 23 - cherita

April 24 - free verse
April 25 - mixed-up rhyme
April 26 - mixed-up rhyme
April 27 - mixed-up rhyme

April 28 - a cinquain

April 29 - mixed-up rhyme

           It's been quite a journey, this April. I am hopeful for our future, taking it slow, but looking for glimmers of good things for our world coming. Best wishes for continuing good health to you all! 




Did I Learn Anything? 

A circle expands with the human spirit.
when we gather
in circles of giving, healing, and talking,
around the kitchen table or a campfire,
sitting with a group in prayer,
offering aid with our words,
often on the internet.
Twain wrote, a circle 
is a round straight line 
with a hole in the middle.
And then I know that
troubled, we can find ourselves 
running in circles,
hoping that we will soon come full circle
to a solution.
We circle the wagons in our beliefs,
stuck in a vicious circle.
But it might only be an example of 
circular reasoning which forces us 
back into running in circles.
In that time, stops along the way bring
celebrations, satisfaction, resolution.
And we discover grief, too.

That is the circle of life.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Poetry Month - Day Twenty-Nine - Not As Fun As Halloween




It's April. It's Poetry Month!  

            

         Remember to check out the list of what everyone is doing at Jama Rattigan's blog: Jama's Alphabet Soup.


          And check on the Water Poem Project where every day, a poet is sharing a prompt connected to water, hosted and created by Laura Shovan!


Plus! Check each day for the added line to the Progressive Poem, created by Irene Latham, now hosted by Margaret Simon! The link is above and the graphic to the right!
  







         A leap with the theme of CIRCLES for poetry month, poems & small sketches. I am looking forward to reading everyone's posts. I'm sure I will love each one, knowing they're done during a time we've not lived before. I am worried about so many, those close and those far, my community, too. 


Best wishes for continuing good health to you all!


April 1 - haiku
April 2 - cinquain
April 3 - a couplet
April 4 - limerick
April 5 - a kyrielle
April 6 - a skinny
April 7 - quatrain

April 8 - tanka
April 9 - a prose poem
April 10 - free verse
April 11 -  acrostic
April 12 - free verse
April 13 - a nonet
April 14 - haiku
April 15 -  lune
April 16 - sonnet
April 17 - free verse
April 18 - silly verse 

April 19 - couplets
April 20 - free verse
April 21 - a skinny
April 22 - a prose poem

April 23 - cherita

April 24 - free verse
April 25 - mixed-up rhyme
April 26 - mixed-up rhyme

April 27 - mixed-up rhyme

April 28 - a cinquain

           There is a backstory to this poem. Early in these weeks, I called and made an order to a local bakery, then went to stand in line at their window to pick it up. We were already social distancing and wearing masks. Closest to me was a little girl and her mother. That little girl began singing and all I could do was applaud. I couldn't show her I was smiling, it was not like other times when I could be close and begin talking to her, asking if that's a favorite song, etc. It was a new kind of encounter.





Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Poetry Month - Day Twenty-Eight




It's April. It's Poetry Month!  

            

         Remember to check out the list of what everyone is doing at Jama Rattigan's blog: Jama's Alphabet Soup.


          And check on the Water Poem Project where every day, a poet is sharing a prompt connected to water, hosted and created by Laura Shovan!


Plus! Check each day for the added line to the Progressive Poem, created by Irene Latham, now hosted by Margaret Simon! The link is above and the graphic to the right!
  







         A leap with the theme of CIRCLES for poetry month, poems & small sketches. I am looking forward to reading everyone's posts. I'm sure I will love each one, knowing they're done during a time we've not lived before. I am worried about so many, those close and those far, my community, too. 


Best wishes for continuing good health to you all!


April 1 - haiku
April 2 - cinquain
April 3 - a couplet
April 4 - limerick
April 5 - a kyrielle
April 6 - a skinny
April 7 - quatrain

April 8 - tanka
April 9 - a prose poem
April 10 - free verse
April 11 -  acrostic
April 12 - free verse
April 13 - a nonet
April 14 - haiku
April 15 -  lune
April 16 - sonnet
April 17 - free verse
April 18 - silly verse 

April 19 - couplets
April 20 - free verse
April 21 - a skinny
April 22 - a prose poem

April 23 - cherita

April 24 - free verse
April 25 - mixed-up rhyme
April 26 - mixed-up rhyme

April 27 - mixed-up rhyme

            I'm sad to say that I goofed on this poem. I didn't follow all the cinquain rules which are syllable counts of 2, 4, 6, 8, 2. Adelaide Crapsey would by insulted! But, I wanted that final word 'together' and just forgot it didn't work! Also, I didn't have the space to write out the lines completely. You can find the poem as it should look below. Ah, rules, may they sometimes be broken!




In This Time

happy
poetry hangs 
underneath umbrellas
grateful to discover you all
together


Monday, April 27, 2020

Poetry Month - Day Twenty-Seven




It's April. It's Poetry Month!  

            

         Remember to check out the list of what everyone is doing at Jama Rattigan's blog: Jama's Alphabet Soup.


          And check on the Water Poem Project where every day, a poet is sharing a prompt connected to water, hosted and created by Laura Shovan!


Plus! Check each day for the added line to the Progressive Poem, created by Irene Latham, now hosted by Margaret Simon! The link is above and the graphic to the right!
  







         A leap with the theme of CIRCLES for poetry month, poems & small sketches. I am looking forward to reading everyone's posts. I'm sure I will love each one, knowing they're done during a time we've not lived before. I am worried about so many, those close and those far, my community, too. 


Best wishes for continuing good health to you all!


April 1 - haiku
April 2 - cinquain
April 3 - a couplet
April 4 - limerick
April 5 - a kyrielle
April 6 - a skinny
April 7 - quatrain

April 8 - tanka
April 9 - a prose poem
April 10 - free verse
April 11 -  acrostic
April 12 - free verse
April 13 - a nonet
April 14 - haiku
April 15 -  lune
April 16 - sonnet
April 17 - free verse
April 18 - silly verse 

April 19 - couplets
April 20 - free verse
April 21 - a skinny
April 22 - a prose poem

April 23 - cherita

April 24 - free verse
April 25 - mixed-up rhyme
April 26 - mixed-up rhyme





Those Little Things

Forgive me, Knobs, I have neglected
the need I have for you each day
to work the oven, door and car,
the volume of my radio,
when drying clothes,
to light the light,
or turning off that light
at night.
I’m grateful now that I remember
knobs that turn and snap and click
for making days
run double-quick.



Monday Reading - Carrying On


              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites.  Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!
          Share with the hashtag #IMWAYR

        Thinking of all of you during this challenging time, hope you are doing well and finding joy in your lives every day. This continuing challenge is so hard for everyone. I'm trying to help where I can by supporting those who are virtually closed, still offering carry-out, etc. 


             This is the final Monday post in April, poetry month. Although I've written a post every day for a poetry challenge, I have not shared any poetry books. There are so many I love and you can find many on this new list from NCTE, the 2020 notable poetry list from the School Library Journal.

             Today, I'm sharing a brand new book from Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and an older book from Kate Coombs. 



           Amy's book, Read! Read! Read!, came out a few years ago. I returned to read it again after reading this brand new one, all about writing. Some people narrow the definitions of 'reading' or 'writing', looking at these processes as single acts, but not Amy. Luckily for readers of all ages, and especially now that teachers and students are doing their studies screen to screen, Amy has written a book full of poems that feel like a basket of fruit, all different, but yes, all fruit (writing). 

          The poem before the title page becomes the invitation to take the alphabet, "a puzzle –/full of mystery/full of glory", to mix "endless worlds/from 26". Through every page, the writing process lives in Amy's metaphors. You can discover building blocks in "Timeline" where "Writing a sentence/is building a tower"; and gardening in "Anything Can Grow" that tells "When I plant a writing seed/anything can grow".  Clever choices from start to finish take every reader on the journey in writing from that opening alphabet, through creating ideas to having patience to the final celebration of a pen, "And when he reads, the boy can see/the pen has set his stories free." 
            For all the teachers creating online lessons for this next and final month of the year, this book to share will remind students of the joy of the writing process, poem by poem, all the days through to a celebrated final product. The imaginative final poem, "Truth", leaves an invitation for everyone to open a door: "Everything has a door./We write our way in./We do./Each word is a key./It is." 
          With pages full of a diversity of children, and occasionally animals and adults, Ryan O' Rourke makes magic in his illustrations with Amy's poems. There are those building blocks of words, a tree filled from which to choose "Ideas (like Peaches"), and a fabulous double-page spread of an octopus, a notebook and pencil for each tentacle! That poem and page itself inspires a writing time for "If I were. . ." Thanks to Amy and Ryan for a new writing book that will be a joy to have in every classroom!


        I read and reviewed this book when it came out a few years ago. Now I've read several articles about the stress and anxiety in children with their online way of doing school and I want to remind everyone about this wonderfully lovely book of mindful ways to "BE". Although teachers can no longer take their students out into the world, they can share these words with them to encourage students to get outside, perhaps even in imagination: "I see myself/by the ocean, toes touching sand,/fingers finding a shell/at the edge of blue water./Where is your quiet place?" My review is here!

           I believe I just found my favorite book of the year. It's wordless, filled with so beautiful a story you will want to look and look, then start all over again. The multi-page intro before the title page starts the journey. Don't miss Henry Cole's note at the end. I'm just sad that everyone is not at their schools now. You will know what I mean when you read this story. Enjoy, savor, and get this book before the next school year!

What I'm Reading: I haven't finished either of these, but am enjoying them: an ARC from Candleswick Press/Walker Books titled Nevertell by Katharine Orton and one from my #MustReadin2020 list, Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy - The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters.