Book Spine Poems - Exploring Our Books for Meaning - #21

     The March Slice of Life Challenge is hosted by Stacey and Ruth at their blog,

Two Writing Teachers.

Travis Jonker, at 100 Scope Notes,  continues his quest for book spine poems which he'll share during April - poetry month.  Check out the blog and see what you can create.  Here's mine!


Beware!  If you want to do it with your class, be prepared to have books all over the place, fun but messy.


It's the first day of spring, so my poem reflects the joy that it brings!

The Post Most Challenging - # 20

     The March Slice of Life Challenge is hosted by Stacey and Ruth at their blog,

Two Writing Teachers.

      This is a most challenging post.  I feel I need to tell, but it isn’t easy.  I want those of you who have become my blogging friends to know why I never write about my husband of forty-seven years. 

Since 2008 we’ve lived with a disease called Parkinson’s.  Except for a new medicine regime, it didn’t affect our lives very much.  We read, we studied; we found a good doctor and joined a support group.  My husband was retired so we didn’t have to worry about work complications.  We did as much traveling as possible, like taking our grandson on wonderful trips, appropriate to his age.  Some of you might remember that I wrote last summer about our trip to Sanibel Island.  As my husband swam several times a week, and we both walked for exercise, and that helped his health.  I was given the chance to move out of the classroom and become a literacy coach part time.  Life seemed fine. 

       But it wasn’t really.  I’ve become a Caregiver.  And I’ve slowly lost parts of my husband as the days pass by.   

It's Monday What I'm Reading-Mostly Slices of Life! - #19

Reading Wrap-Up is my 19th slice with Stacey and Ruth at the Two Writing Teachers March SOLC  

You can hook up with this kitlit meme: It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA at teach mentor texts, thanks to Jen and Kellee!  Please visit to find out what others are reading!

  It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys, a variety of reviews to find even more books for your TBR list. 

Reading Wrap-Up is my 19th slice with Stacey and Ruth at the Two Writing Teachers March SOLC  

You can hook up with this kitlit meme: It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA at teach mentor texts, thanks to Jen and Kellee!  Please visit to find out what others are reading!

  It's Monday! What are you Reading? is another meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys, a variety of reviews to find even more books for your TBR list. 

What I’ve read this week:

Here is just a snippet of my reading this week, no published books, but lots of beautiful writing!  It’s a privilege to be a reader on this journey in March.  Thanks to everyone.

warm spring winds drift in

What is it within that expects the list to be checked off one by one like little tin soldiers in a line simply because it exists, has been written, decided?

One piece of evidence I have of growth as a writer is that I’ve developed some systems to sustain my writing. 

“Oh, do come right in, come into my house!/ We’ll have a great time,” Said fox to the grouse.

Just as we got around the corner the front wheel came off and started down down the road, going down the oncoming lane.  Usually this is no problem but that Saturday morning there were five cars on the street. 

“Undecor”- wish I could make it come out in those squiggly letters, it was much more eye-catching that way. It made me think of the messy house waiting for all the Saturday chores, plus countless chores ignored throughout these days of reading, commenting, slicing to get done.

I wonder if they are truly aware that their neighbors are suffering, hungry and crying out for help. Yet, no one seems to really be hearing them.

What a scary day. We don't have any details about what happened. We do know that it was a precautionary lock down requested by the sheriff and that no one was in real danger. PHEW! Never a dull moment. 

Down by the harbour area we were lured into Murphy’s Pub by strains of traditional Irish music played by a duo aptly named ‘Shenanigans’ They lured us like the legendary sirens.  

Adoro a mi papi.  Es simpático, responsable, chistoso y cariñoso (a su manera).

At this time of year where I live, the snow shovels, ice scrapers and down coats are still in use. On Easter, it is usually freezing, even snowy and little girls wear sweaters with their spring dresses at church.

the river slows

to a lazy roll

the storm passed

lays dormant

Slice 18 - Keeping Busy

       The March Slice of Life Challenge is hosted by Stacey and Ruth at their blog, Two Writing Teachers.

          In the Newbery medal winning book Moon Over Manifest Clare Vanderpool writes:  “Memories were like sunshine.  They warmed you up and left a pleasant glow, but you couldn’t hold them.”  I want to hold the last week’s memories, but know they will fade, like the sunshine no longer warms us when the clouds arrive and the temperature drops.

Vacuum- check

Duster - check

paper towels – check

spray cleaner – check

powdered cleanser – check

       And from the musical, Flower Drum Song, the words by Rodgers and Hammerstein flow:

Sunday, sweet Sunday,

With nothing to do,

Lazy and lovely,

My one day with you.

      Obviously, from the list above, you know that the song doesn’t quite work for me today.  My son, daughter-in-law and grandson, who moved to another state last year, have been here for a week, grandson Carter’s spring break.  We lived close to them for many years before this move and still miss them.  They left early this morning, and so, despite the song, I’m still not sure I can have a lazy Sunday.  I need to keep busy so I won’t miss them so much. 

     When I’m sad, I find exercise helps.  Later today in this warm weather undoubtedly we will go for a walk, but cleaning helps, too.  There is something good and distracting when tackling a task and then finishing it. 

My Poetry Madness Poem - Slice 17

    The March Slice of Life Challenge is with Ruth and Stacey at the Two Writing Teachers blog 

As I wrote earlier this week, I participated with 63 other Poets on the internet in a kind of Ode to the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, where we wrote children's poems for Ed DeCaria's Madness! 2012 (Kids' Poetry. Under Pressure.)

Visit the webpage. Look at the results of the pairings, and read all the wonderful poems that were written.  We were each given a word as a prompt, where we had to write a maximum of 8 lines that included the word at least once.  My word was paternity. I've been reading about more the emphasis being made on non-fiction writing so immediately thought I would write a non-fiction poem, hence the work about penguins (a favorite paternal story).
 I competed against a published writer extraordinaire named Donna Martin and lost by just a few votes.  I am rather proud that the day's voting was back and forth with our poems’ votes, and thought both were good.  The interesting part that sometimes happened with the pairings is that unbeknownst to each other, some, like Donna and me, wrote poems that were quite similar in content; ours were both about animals and the way they behave.  What serendipity!

Here is my poem, and here is the link to Donna’s.  Her word was prowl.

Paternity Patience 

The emperor penguin does not ignore


His given chore,  of perilous paternity.


He stands and waits.  He waits and stands.


It seems for all eternity.
 


While the momma empress swims for need


And gobbles feed, expressing her maternity.


She glides and dives; she dives and glides.


It appears with taciturnity.

 Keep watching.  The next 16 pairings happen soon!

photo credit: Martha de Jong-Lantink via photopin cc