Earth Day #Pathways #NPM #NaPoWriMo #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryFriday

It’s Poetry Friday! Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche is our hostess for this the fourth Friday of National Poetry Month. She’s also got the latest line in our KidLit Progressive Poem, which is heading into the final week.

But first…it’s Earth Day! My all-time favorite Earth Day poem for students is from our friend, Mary Lee Hahn. I’ll be sharing it with my Kindergarten poets next week when we return from April Vacation.

And…

During the month of April, I will write or revisit poem-ish pieces inspired by my frequent walks in the natural world. Trails, paths, signs, and views always intrigue and inspire me. I have left my challenge open so that the poems may take any form — haiku, free verse, borrowed line, blackout — and who knows which direction they will go in or how often they will appear.

Open Window

Open window
Uniting inside and out
 
Flowing rivers soothe restless sleepers
Dawn’s chorus gently nudging them awake
Joyful swing set squeals
Reminding busy adults to play
Mulch’s perfume drifts in
Signaling rebirth of the earth
Green glimpses send hope to the soul
 
At last the window is open

A peek at my process

Today’s poem isn’t so much about a walk, but letting nature indoors. At long last we are finally able to leave our windows open in the evening. The rushing Assabet River lulls us to sleep and joins with the dawn chorus to awaken us.

And lastly…

This month, members of the Poetry Friday family are participating in the 10th annual Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem originally organized by author/poet, Irene Latham. Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche took over two years ago as the organizer. Many members of the #PoetryFriday family have signed up to provide a line for the 2022 poem. Today, in addition to hosting, PF, Margaret takes the wheel with the Progressive Poem. Participants are borrowing lines from literature and songs. I was thrilled to provide line 19, which I borrowed from The Keeper of Wild Words. I hope you’ll join us to see how the poem winds its way home. Here’s the full itinerary for the poem.

2022 Progressive Poem Itinerary:

April 1 Irene at Live Your Poem
2 Donna Smith at Mainly Write
3 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
4 Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading
5 Buffy at Buffy Silverman
6 Linda at A Word Edgewise
7 Kim Johnson at Common Threads
8 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
9 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
11 Janet Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
12 Jone at Jone Rush MacCulloch
13 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe
14 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
15 Carol Labuzzetta @ The Apples in my Orchard
16 Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
17 Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken Town
18 Patricia at Reverie
19 Christie at Wondering and Wandering
20 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
21 Kevin at Dog Trax
22 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
23 Leigh Anne at A Day in the Life
24 Marcie Atkins
25 Marilyn Garcia
26 JoAnn Early Macken
27 Janice at Salt City Verse
28 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
29 Karen Eastlund at Karen’s Got a Blog
30 Michelle Kogan Painting, Illustration, & Writing

9 thoughts on “Earth Day #Pathways #NPM #NaPoWriMo #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryFriday

  1. Thanks for opening the window Christie and letting outdoors in. Spring is here today in Virginia but your poem makes it cheerier.Is it okay to add D’s poem to the Poetrylicious Gallery and your nature poem above also?

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  2. Christie, what a lovely peace-filled post today. I love Mary Lee’s poem. “Earth you are ____” will be a great mentor for your kindergarteners (and me too, I think). I love the walk you took in your sleeping with the winder open. It reminds me of a poem I read yesterday about imagine walking instead of counting sheep when you are trying to go to sleep. http://www.ethicalela.com/when-you-need-a-break-go-to-a-place-of-comfort/#comment-56230 Your open window seems like it might do the trick though–the mulchy smell, the river sounds, lovely.

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  3. Mary Lee’s poem feels so right for your young writers, Christie. And your poem could have been at my house this week – windows (finally) open. Though it’s chillier today, the sun finally appeared, so “windows open”. “Green glimpses send hope”, too.

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