Friday, June 18, 2010

Poetry Friday & Poem #79 - Stay Awhile



Today is a beautiful Poetry Friday, with so much to share.  First, I feel fortunate to give you this poem by Emily Hoock of Pinehurst Elementary in Lakeview, NY.  Emily is second grade, and she is lucky to have Becky Carlson as her teacher.  Becky says, "I put a community journal next to our nature area (tadpoles, nests, butterflies, etc.).  The kids love writing in it, and one student wrote a very touching poem about one of our butterflies that died."   Thank you to Emily for allowing us to feel what you felt when you wrote these words:

Butterfly

Nice warm creature
In the wind
On a flower
~whoosh~
The butterfly is dead
All alone in heaven
In Mother Nature's heart

by Emily Hoock
Grade 2

Teacher Becky continues, "One of my favorite things we do in writing is poetry centers.  Georgia Heard's book, Awakening the Heart, has lots of great poetry center ideas.  We spend the first week of our poetry unit doing centers to explore different aspects of poetry.  The kids listen to poetry, search for beautiful language in books, play with words, paint their favorite poetry image, and make observations and comparisons with items from nature.  These centers really spark the students' enthusiasm for writing poetry."

Thank you, Becky and Emily, for your willingness to inspire us here today.  I invite you to leave Emily a comment on her poem.

For the past few weeks, my Poetry Friday poems have been all about poems.  Last week's poem was inspired by kitten Ashley (who gets a home today) with "Here, Poem!"  The week before, I posted a poem about poems talking together, "Poems Talk".  And the week before that brought "Science is Like Writing".  Today this month-long tradition continues.


Yesterday's mailbox held a treat...a galley copy of Lee Bennett Hopkins' Dizzy Dinosaurs which happily includes my poem, "Bathtime".  Below is a sneak peek into this funny book. Illustrator Barry Gott said it was "a hoot to paint", and it's a hoot to read too.  Thank you, Lee, for this opportunity.

Preview from Dizzy Dinosaurs: Silly Dino Poems
a HarperCollins I Can Read! book coming in Spring 2011
Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins & illustrated by Barry Gott 
(Thank you, Barry, for permission to share this artwork.)

Today's Poetry Friday is hosted by Stacey and Ruth over at Two Writing Teachers.  Mosey on over there for a taste of all things poetic in the children's literature blogosphere.

If you read here regularly, I would be grateful if you would share The Poem Farm's address with any friends, teachers, college professors, or families who you think would be interested.  I am trying to spread the word and am appreciative of any help.

Happy Poetry Friday!

(Please click on COMMENTS below to share a thought.)

17 comments:

  1. Amy,
    I love the bathtime poem. Congratulations! I am wondering, is this wonderful challenge you have given yourself of writing a poem every day making it easier for you to be writing a poem everyday? Congrats again on your publication! You are a wonderful writer and teacher and I am very happy for you.
    Deb

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  2. Thanks for the sneak peek at Dizzy Dinosaurs and congrats! I liked Becky's comments about the value of poetry centers. She sounds like an amazing teacher.

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  3. Love the bathtub poem... congratulations on publication!

    Also love the poem about a poem. How true that poetry is there to wipe your eyes, lend a laugh, and get you through life's storms.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Toby, Deborah, Laura, and Alison,

    Wow! You are all early birds (though I know you're in Germany Alison!) What fun to find you here for Poetry Friday breakfast. Thank you for your congrats on DIZZY.

    You know, Deb, it is much easier to write a poem every day than a poem every once in a while. It's taught me that everything we say about writing workshop is true...with lots of time comes comfort and more risk-taking too. Not every poem is great, but there's no doubt that one will grow from the ground of each day.

    I feel very lucky to work with teachers like Becky. What a gift she has given Emily and her other students to know that poetry is there for us in the showers as well as for the picnics.

    Happy Poetry Friday!

    A.

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  6. Wow, there's so much here! Congratulations on the poem in Silly Dinos, which sounds like a great book. I love the community poetry book at the nature corner. Love Emily's three lines that lead to that heart-rending "whoosh." And Amy your "Do not fear/my shape and style." Yes.

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  7. Huzzah Huzzah (for your publication)!!
    Three Cheers Three Cheers (for your dedication)!!
    Love It Love It (for your poem-poem tradition)!!


    ...okay, that was going to be some kind of poem, but I would have to spend all day here tweaking it to get it right and I'd really rather go do some more PF visits!

    Good Bye Good Bye (until #80)!!

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  8. Amy! Happy Poetry Friday...what a fantastic blog you have! I just read this post and my goodness, shivers went through me with little Emily Hoock's poem, Butterfly. Emily, this is just so touching!!

    I thank you SO much for your support of Kelly Light's ripple efforts and for purchasing my watercolor! I'm so happy to know it will go to a lovely home..if you could send me your address, I will ship it right away to you - just email me via shirley@gabbyandco.com.

    Thanks again, Amy..it's wonderful to see such positive energy out there in this big blogland...thank you again. Hope we can help as many birds and wildlife as possible!

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  9. Oh my goodness, and super duper congratulations for your poem in Dizzy Dinosaurs! WOW, and of course I am just gushing over the illustrations...how great they turned out..fantastic!!

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  10. Dear Jeannine, Mary Lee, and Shirley,

    Thank you for commenting to Emily and for your kind words to me too. What a fun place to hang out on a Friday...here's a virtual glass of iced tea!

    Jeannine - I am so enjoying BORROWED NAMES. Beautiful!

    Mary Lee - you are hilarious and generous. What more could one want in a friend?

    Tomorrow, Shirley, I'll link to ripple and to your site too. We can't wait to receive your beautiful pelican painting.

    A.

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  11. Hi Amy LV ;)

    Thank you for your visit and message about my picture ;)

    I will send you it on monday ;)

    Have a nice day !

    Cathy

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  12. Love your "dino" poem. Really delightful. I can't wait till this book is published!

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  13. Amy, big congrats on your publication in Hopkin's book!!! What a wonderful poem!

    Thanks for sharing Emily's poem. It is good to read the future poets.

    Thanks to Becky for sneak peek inside a poetry center activities.

    Laura Evans
    all things poetry

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  14. Cathy,
    I can't wait! Tomorrow I will link to your blog from here, sharing your contribution to Ripple. Thank you again.
    A.
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    Elaine and Laura,

    Lee's dinosaur book is really funny, and Barry Gott's dinosaurs have zany-cute expressions too. Thank you for coming by and for your continued kindnesses...I think of you on these crazy 1am blogging nights!

    A.

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  15. Yea for Emily! What a great poem.

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  16. Amy LV, thanks for these 3 lovely poems. Emily's is wonderful, so heartfelt!

    And I love your poem about a poem. It captures everything I feel about poetry.

    Love the bathtime poem--I just got my ARC yesterday but haven't had time to read the entire book yet! Yours is so fun!

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  17. Laura,
    Thank you for your note! Your name poem is so funny - it's very clever and Barry's illustration with that messed up name tag cracked me up too. What a cool collection!
    A.

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