Rainy Day #PoetryFriday

It’s Poetry Friday! Laura Purdie Salas is our hostess this week. You’ll find our poetic celebration on her blog, Small Reads for Brighter Days. (Love the new site name, Laura!) Laura has an update on her #20for20 project, writing in 20 different places. I can’t wait to see where she’s writing next!

This week I want to introduce you to a new poet. His name is Hunter and he is in my Kindergarten class. Hunter has what I believe is an old soul, the soul of a poet. In addition to loving all things nature, he adores writing. (We are soul mates!) As you can imagine, I am nurturing the writer and poet in him. He loves to write stories, including a 30-page version of the Ninjabread Man, and is beginning to get a real feel for poetry.

Today I gave my whole class a writing challenge. We had finished up our current unit of study and weren’t quite ready to launch the next. It’s a dreary rainy day here, so I gave each child a copy of this photo.

I was curious where each child would go with it. They were told they could either write about the photo, literally, or see where the image or mood took their imagination. Here’s where Hunter’s went.

To honor his work, I chose an image which I think is the perfect accompaniment to his final words. Here is my take on his poem, Rainy Day.

I can hardly wait to see what he writes next!

Many thanks for hosting this week, Laura. Now let’s bring on the poetry!

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Drowning #PoetryFriday

It’s Poetry Friday! This week our hostess is Jone Rush MacCulloch, who is throwing our little party over on her blog, Deo Writer.  You’ll find her latest poetry swap arrivals and a giveaway for an inspirational journal which looks rather interesting.

I’m halfway through a stretch of two very challenging weeks at school — data cycle #2, report cards, parent conferences, etc… Thank goodness for several writing communities, of which I am a part of. Writing, while not always pretty or cheerful, is keeping me sane. Words tumbled onto the pages of my notebook at bedtime last night. They put themselves in the form of a list, so a list poem of sorts was born.

I just need to get through next week, and then all will be well.

Many thanks for hosting this week, Jone. Now let’s bring on the poetry!

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Tiny Treasures #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday, all! We travel down under, once again, this time to visit Kat Apel. Kat has hosting duties on her blog this week. You may journey to it here! Kat, who I was thrilled to chat (all too briefly) with at NCTE this fall, has an update on not only the fire situation in Australia, but the amazing fundraising efforts of the kidlit community there.

Poetry swap postcards received as of January 22. I know others are on their way!

Tiny treasures, in the form of poetry postcards, have been drifting like twinkly snowflakes into my mailbox over the last few weeks. They are, as others have said, a welcome change from tax-related documents, bills, and junk mail. How little personal mail we receive throughout the year. So grateful for opportunities to communicate on another level with others. Many thanks to folks like Jone, Tabatha, and others, who organize such exchanges. So good for the soul! My offerings are on their way to you as we speak, dear friends.

Many thanks for hosting this week, Kat. Now let’s bring on the poetry!

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Swap treasures in the mail! #PoetryFriday

Happy Poetry Friday, everyone! I’m back after a bit of a hiatus while the school year finished up. Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect is our hostess this week, and she’s showcasing some sweet summer souvenirs!

On the very first morning of my summer vacation from school, our mail carrier delivered a delightful package from poetry swap-mate Brenda Harsham, who blogs at Friendly Fairy Tales. It was bursting with color, ladybugs, and a friendship theme. What a way to begin the season!

the best friends appear when you need them like ladybugs — Brenda Harsham

I adore ladybugs (how did she know?), so I will treasure her creative offering. I also chuckled when I saw Brenda’s return address on the envelope and realized we live SO CLOSE to one another and I know exactly where she lives! Let’s meet some day, Brenda!

And then, a few days later, this arrived.

The True Definition of Vernal Pool
Vernal pools, could just as easily be called poke puddles, observation opportunities or wonders water. These pools typically fill when kindergarteners are indoors missing the outdoors due to seasonal weather. If you’re fortunate, Mrs. Wyman will bridge the gap between vernal pools and lessons with jackets, boots, journals, pencils and a wander plan. Hands will get muddy, wonders will arise, research will begin. Poems about frogs, leaves crustaceans and life cycles will be written. These pools will continue to lure insiders out-of-doors whenever there are learners near a Massachusetts woods and Mrs. Wyman to lead them. — Linda Mitchell

Wow. I’m not going to lie. This left me in a puddle of the-school-year-just-ended-and-I’m-a-bit-of-an-emotional-wreck tears. Some of you know of my fondness for vernal pools. Ok. Let’s be honest. It’s an obsession! I write about them often, in both poetry and prose. Linda Mitchell (we ARE going to meet IRL one day, Linda!), who blogs at A Word Edgewise, followed along faithfully during the month of April, as I wrote a poem a day about vernal pools as part of poet/author Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s 1 Subject 30 Ways challenge. My journey began here.  Linda had never heard of vernal pools and…well… “poems are teachers,” as Amy’s book is so aptly titled. Now Linda knows all about them! And her card will be treasured along with Brenda’s.

Many thanks to Tabatha Yeatts, who brilliantly coordinated this summer poetry swap!

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I hope you’ll join Tricia and the rest of us for some summer Poetry Friday fun here!