Friday, September 13, 2019

What Do You Wonder About?


I Wonder About This Piece of Glass
Photo by Amy LV




Students - I do like to wonder. And last week a welder did tell me about this wonder of his. I have wondered about how machines work...but never about the machines that make the machines. I always wonder about food in grocery carts and know that if I worked in a shop, I would likely make up stories in my head about all of the shoppers.  

If you do not have your own notebook, know that one great reason to keep one is to gather snips and snaps of conversation. A writer never knows what will come in handy later, so best to gather lots of words. I love the idea and the sound of these words -- the machines that make the machines.

What do you wonder about?  If you wish, feel free to take the line I like to wonder about... and run with it.  See where it takes you. You may choose not to keep the line in your final writing, but it may fly you somewhere surprising. Often when I write, I am not looking for a final product but rather a gust of idea-wind to take me on a little flight of fancy thought.

Note that today's poem is free verse. It does not rhyme (except for that ending) and is rather conversational. I wanted the poem to sound as if I was musing in my head and enjoyed repeating the word wonder many times throughout.

This week I wish you all spoken keys of possibility...

Today you will find Laura hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Writing the World for Kids. Visit her site for this week's offerings as well as a joyful celebration and fun, autumnal giveaway of Laura's latest book -- SNACK, SNOOZE, SKEDADDLE (Lerner/Milbrook). Please know that we gather each Friday, sharing poems and poemlove, and all are always welcome.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

12 comments:

  1. I make up stories sometimes about those people and their carts of ? Love that you asked the welder about his wonder. It would make an interesting question to ask everyone. These are the questions I asked my students so they could begin their chosen units of study, their 'wonderings'! Thanks, Amy

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  2. When I drive places I wonder who lives in all the houses and what they do and where they go and what they think. I'd like to have a radio show where I interview people who aren't famous.

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  3. I wonder about all sorts of things! Lately, I've been wondering about the billions of stars and planets in the night sky. Could there be another "Earth" somewhere far beyond our own?

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  4. What an enchanting poem Amy, it reminds me of Mary Oliver and how her poems where so matter-of-fact conversational, and the last few lines remind me of Dr. Seuss. Love your line about how one drinks so much milk, still smiling from that–thanks Amy! ;)

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  5. I love your wonderings and wanderings, Amy! I wonder about people's grocery carts, too. :) I also wonder about what my dog is thinking and why my cat hates the dog so much. I wonder about the first person who was brave enough to defy bees and collect honey, or who first thought that eating an oyster was a good idea. I wonder if there's really such a thing as "too much chocolate." I think not. I wonder what the world would be like if everyone, everywhere, in every corner of the planet, paused for a few minutes of poetry every Friday. :)

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  6. Wow! This is great. I feel like my job in the technology world is a professional wonder-er. Looking at the world, the tech that's out there and wondering what's going to happen. I love to collect the wonderings of others and use that as fuel for my stories. Whether stories about science fiction, or stories about real world people/places. Wondering is a key skill for storytelling.

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  7. Wondering, imagining, dreaming. And poetry. I often wonder (and marvel) at how you find the world around you such a treasure trove of possibility for poetry, learning and light.
    Janet F.

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  8. I recently spoke with a high school student who attends my church. I asked him about school. It turns out he is studying welding and will be a certified welder when he graduates. Wow! I want to try to keep building him up each time I see him. This poem's content is perfect for that. We never know where we'll get our next conversation starter! Thank you!

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  9. I wonder about people. I think it's a universal thing to do. But I'm not very good about talking to strangers. I read somewhere that it's healthy to hold conversations with strangers.

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  10. Wonder--as both a noun and a verb--is one of my very favorite words. And I think most writers (like you) whose work I love must wonder constantly. Love your poem:>)

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  11. I'm with laurasalas. I love all the definitions of wonder, especially the concept of finding wonder in everything, including your wonderful poem!

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