Let Your Heart Be Captured

Small White Pine

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Today I encourage you to find something that captures your heart! This small white pine in our front yard captured my heart yesterday, and so I took its picture as it bravely stood in our first snow of the season.

What to do? First, find something to capture your heart. You can do this by going for a little walk anywhere - inside or outside. What matters is the that you look. Look for something to love. Tuck this loved idea into a pocket of your heart, and bring it to your writing place. Then, think about why one of this captured your heart, and write about it. Somehow, today, the idea of quietly sharing breath with a small tree rose to my heart's surface.

Did you notice that I repeat many words in today's poem: snow, silent, quiet, small... Repeated words can provide comfort to readers. I know they do so for me.

Anastasia is the host of this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Small Poems with a poem about a first snow coinciding with her first poem sale. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

I wish you joy...and many heart-capturings...this December!

xo,

Amy

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Go Backward or Forward in Time

Cottage

Photo by Amy LV

Students - We all know many characters from stories and books. Usually these stories and books take place during one small part of those characters' lives. Today's poem imagines Goldilocks (did you figure out it was her?) as an older woman, thinking about her past, apologizing to Baby Bear...now also an older man. I loved imagining this scene, decades later, back in the cottage. A reckoning. Baby Bear could have thrown her out, made her feel guilty, anything. But today, in today's little poem, he chose to forgive her. Now I am thinking about writing a poem about Baby Bear's later life. Why might he understand the importance of forgiveness so well?

You might wish to try this. Choose a character from a story or book or nursery rhyme or song you know. Now imagine one of those characters at a moment in a different time of their life. What might they do? What might they say? What feelings might they have or need to work through?

This weekend I am at the National Council of Teachers of English convention and happy to be meeting up with friends old and new. If you are a teacher and also there, please stop to say hi. 

Irene is the host of this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Live Your Poem with a love-filled post for a new poetry column spearheaded by David Harrison, a graphic novel for beginning readers by Vikram Madam, and Irene-insight about "the last poem in a collection of poems." Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

Here's to forgiveness, a gentle value I continue to work on inside of myself...

xo,

Amy

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Celebrate a Nature First

First Snow of Winter 2023/2024, Holland, NY

Photo by Mark LV

Students - We had our first snow of the winter this week...and it was such a magical surprise. Even when we know the snow is coming to Western New York, we are still charmed and surprised by the fresh, frolicking flakes. And as always, I found myself amazed and struggling to believe that each flake is unique. But indeed they are...just like each of us!

Today I share a very short poem celebrating a nature first: first snow. Can you think of some nature firsts, either in your life or in the life of any natural creature or plant or weather or sky object?

• the first time you saw a certain bird
• the first time you saw a certain (not birdy) animal
• The first time you learned about or recognized a plant or flower or tree
• the first time you had a particular nature adventure
• a first feeling in nature
• a first type of weather in a long time
• the first time an animal did something  

Firsts are worth celebrating, even little firsts, maybe especially little firsts. We are accustomed to celebrating big games and birthdays, but so many of our days are filled with small, magical firsts. Earlier this fall, I was happy to pick up my first red maple leaf of this year, pressing it into my notebook and remembering all of the others I have collected over the years. Remember that you need not write poetry in your own voice. If I were to write about picking up the first red maple leaf, I could write as me...or the leaf...or the tree...or something else. That's where some of the fun is.

Regarding line 5 of this poem, did you figure out that the love notes are snowflakes? Poets try to use language in surprising ways, and while I have heard of snow being compared to lace, I have not yet heard of it being compared to small love notes before. They do feel like beautiful love notes to me.

If you write a first poem, I would love to read it.

In other writing news, I am happy to share that my musician and English professor friend Gart Westerhout has turned another one of my poems into a delightful song with him singing and playing piano. If you would like to hear it, it is part of the post of "Doors," a poem from two weeks ago. So now, that post includes a poem inspired by art that inspired a song. We all do need each other in this world.

For part of this week and next, I am fortunate enough to be writing with the primary poets of Alden Primary School in Alden, NY. Thank you teachers, students, and administrators - I am still thinking about some of the poems I read today.

Buffy is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Buffy Silverman with a beautiful poem about a maple leaf's dance recital and a first snow celebration of her latest book, ON A FLAKE FLYING DAY: WATCHING WINTER'S WONDERS. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

Watch for nature firsts this week remembering that you look for is what you will find... If you write a nature first poem, I would love to read it.

xo,

Amy

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Imagine a Conversation

Sumacs

Photo by Amy LV

Sunset

Photo by Georgia VanDerwater

Students - Today's poem idea popped into my head sometime over the past few days, probably because the sumacs are so stunningly orange and red and because Halloween is on my mind. Somehow the idea of two orange nature friends dressing up as each other just made me smile.

It is playful to invent conversations between people, animals, or objects, and when we do this, we explore new and different writing territories. Consider taking a walk outside. Which two outside beings or objects might you imagine talking with each other? What might they say? Try making a little list and see where it brings you.

Remember, you do not always have to keep your mind on a leash. It is important to let your mind run in the field of ideas or at the idea park...with all of those other ideas.

Below is one of my first published poems, many years ago in LADYBUG magazine, and again several years later in BABYBUG. I will never stop feeling thankful for seeing the many different ways that talented illustrators bring my small words to life.

It was again a joy and an honor to visit Wyckoff, NJ this week, to work with wise and kind teachers and to think about writing together. Thank you, Wyckoff friends, for teaching me as always and for the good laughs. See you in January!

Carol is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at The Apples in My Orchard with a celebration of bats for this International Bat Week. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

Tonight I hope to carve a pumpkin beside a bonfire. I wish cozy to you and yours...

xo,

Amy

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Write from Art

Corridor in the Asylum

by Vincent van Gogh

Students - Today's poem is, once again, an ekphrastic poem...a poem about art. Over the past two weeks, I have so enjoyed writing with students at Alden Intermediate School in Alden, NY. One of the pieces I selected when writing with fourth graders was this van Gogh hallway above. It clearly made me think about choices and how one choices leads to another and another.

Art is a magnificent doorway to writing, and so many things count as art. Look around. Maybe you see wallpaper with an interesting design or a mug with a drawing on it. Perhaps the fiery tree outside your window looks like a statue or your new kitten (you know if I am talking to you!) reminds you of a painting.

We can always have many poems brewing in our minds. I am working on another one inspired by a word J. shared this week - "bright."

Writing this poem, I most enjoyed the rolling repetition of the words doors, doorway, doorknob. I kept reading aloud as I wrote and do highly recommend this.

Update on November 3, 2024 - My musician and English professor friend Gart Westerhout has turned this poem into a song. Below you can hear his composition with him singing and playing piano. So now we see a painting turned into a poem turned into a song!

Thank you again to everyone at Alden Intermediate for my warm and welcoming days with you. I very much enjoyed reading your words.

Bridget is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup today at wee words for wee ones a happy birthday celebration! Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

Wishing you interesting hallways and doorways...

xo,

Amy

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Listen to Your Secret Self

Mushrooms in Strykersville Cemetery, Strykersville, NY.

Photo by Amy LV

Students - I wrote today's poem from a photograph taken earlier in the week, on a walk through a cemetery near my home. And where did this poem come from? I don't know. I have read poems about mushrooms being quiet, and truthfully, this poem just arrived. I wrote a line, read it out loud to myself, and listened to my secret self to know and write the next line. I recommend this. Listen to your secret self as you write. We each have a secret self, and it can be a good friend to us as we create poetry or other art, but secret selves can get lost in the hullabaloo of life if we don't make time for them.  (I protect my secret self by giving it quiet time and by not watching violence or spending too much time consuming media.)

One thing to notice about this poem is its long lines. I considered breaking it up into shorter lines as I often do, considered adding more punctuation. But I decided not to do either of these things, because, as I read the poem aloud, I enjoyed its breathless, quick feeling, as if the speaker is telling the listener an important secret that must be told right away. I rather like how the lines all run together even though I may decide to change this one day in the future. This poem gives a bit of advice, something you might enjoy offering in a poem sometime.

Know this: your poems are yours. You can write them one way today and change them tomorrow if you wish. Your mind is a wide meadow filled with endless surprises, and you may write these poems in whichever way brings you the most joy.

I am happy to share that my friend Gart has once again made music to go with last week's poem. You can hear his joyful voice of Fox HERE, as I have added it to the post. Thank you, Gart!

Thank you to the students, teachers, and administration of Alden Intermediate School in Alden, NY for welcoming me to your school so warmly this week. I loved speaking to and writing with the third and fourth grade students and look forward to more time wiht fourth grade and also fifth grade next week. I am still thinking about the student poems I read over the past two days, reminded once again how young people write so deeply, clearly, and honestly.

Catherine is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup today at Reading to the Core with a celebration of Irene Latham's newest book, THE MUSEUM ON THE MOON and an original poem to go with it. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

xo,

Amy

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Sing Someone Else's Song

Our Blazing Hill

Photo by Amy LV

Some of you may remember my talented friend, musician and English professor Gart Westerhout from his music here last spring. Every once in a while, Gart turns one of my poems into a song, and he did so with this poem. Thank you to Gart who always finds the perfect voice for each of my poems.

Students - Our hill is exquisite this week! I have been drinking in the colors and bottling it up in my mind for the white and windy winter days ahead. Today's poem grew from me imagining a fox wishing to match its fur to autumn leaves...and this wish becoming true. Tossing and turning in bed last night, I got myself up and scribbled this poem in all of its messy glory. 

Scribbly Draft

Photo by Amy LV

Today I offer you a new writing idea. Write a song. It does not need to have a tune; it can be a poem in another's voice that feels songlike. You might choose an animal or a person or an object. Pretend to be this other and write in this other's voice. I did not intend to write a fox song, but the repetition of "I am Fox. I'm fire." made me think that this felt more song than poem. Try some repetition in your own song if that sounds interesting to you.

And go for it. Cross out like crazy. Let your poem lead you!

If you are looking for poems in others' voices, check out master poet Joyce Sidman's SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN or my first book, FOREST HAS A SONG.

Matt is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup today at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme with a celebration of his latest book. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

Wishing you song...and a friend like my orange Claude, who looks exactly like this now at 7:41 on this Friday morning.

Claude, a Sleepy Muse

Photo by Amy LV

xo,

Amy

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