Friday, May 20, 2016

Free Verse & Making Up Our Own Holidays


Tractor One
Photo by Amy LV

Tractor Two
Photo by Amy LV

Tractor Three
Photo by Amy LV




Students - Today's poem is about yesterday here on the road of The Poem Farm. There were many tractors out and about, and they looked so happy and full of energy, just tilling up the land once more.  Here on our road, when the tractors are out, you can sometimes see people standing by the road watching.  I like to imagine what they are thinking about.

This is a free verse poem, though it does have one rhyme right at the very end.  This is something I do sometimes when writing free verse, just bring things together with a rhyme at the closing.  I enjoyed playing with the images here and also with the sounds of the words.

Today's poem is about a made-up holiday, the day when the tractors come out. As I type these words, I realize that this idea of making up holidays reminds me of a favorite book, Byrd Baylor's I'M IN CHARGE OF CELEBRATIONS.


We each are in charge of our own celebrations, and if you wish, you might even think about a special day that feels like a holiday...but is not actually on the calendar.  Go ahead - write a poem about it.  If you're not sure how to begin, feel free to borrow my words -- "There is one day..."

Over at Sharing Our Notebooks, it is a joy to welcome teacher Katie Liseo and her adventurous student notebookers with a very inspiring post and giveaway of Aimee Buckher's NOTEBOOK KNOW-HOW.  Laura Shovan's fabulous post is also still up and the giveaway still open - visit behind the scenes of THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY HERE.

Margaret is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Reflections on the Teche.  Enjoy her persona poem and family story as she writes to the beat of her nephew Jack's drum!  Too, dive into all kinds of poetry offerings, today and every Poetry Friday.  All are always welcome!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

10 comments:

  1. What an excellent holiday to celebrate! Here's to the tractors coming out!

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  2. I celebrate my own favorite holiday every year--March 4th, which I think of as March Forth, the true beginning of spring and the time to come out of hibernation and forge ahead. Happy celebrating!

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  3. This poem makes me think of Washington County and our farm up there. It's tractor season now, for sure. I need to talk to you soon about hosting a writing workshop for teachers there, Amy.

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  4. Love that "make your own holiday" prompt, Amy! "Awaken earth" is a great way to put it.

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  5. Love the tractor pics, especially the blue one with the red trailer and the gorgeous blue sky behind. Great way to create one's own holiday, with the prompt "There is one day..." I love Byrd Baylor's book!

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  6. Oh Amy, you've brought back a memory I didn't know I had anymore. You're so right, there is a time when the tractors appear, time for farmers to work. What a lovely celebration that so many of our city kids don't know about.

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  7. We had some tractors that must have snuck out early because I saw corn up in a field last weekend! Three inches already and it's not even June!!

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  8. Makes me remember the scent of freshly tilled earth and fertilizer. :-)

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  9. I am also attracted to tractors. I keep wanting to stop and take pictures. In our area, the tractors mean fall and sugarcane harvesting. I must write a poem about this today. Thanks for the inspiration!

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