Friday, October 29, 2021

Many Colors in One

 

Gray Boy Tuck
Photo by Amy LV



Students - One thing that's true about color is that there is not just ONE red or ONE yellow or ONE gray...there are many. And this is true of our cat Tuck. He is every gray of the gray rainbow, and in today's poem, I try to list a few of those grays. 

A color can be an emotion or a sound or a feeling or a sight, and I know that I can think of many more grays for Tuck. When I do, I might come back and revise this poem. I do plan to keep listing more grays in my notebook. I think I will take myself on a gray treasure hunt through my life this week.

Endings are interesting for writers. At first this poem just ended with "rainstorm in May," but I wanted to add a touch of surprise, a touch of humor...and truth. Tuck has some gorgeous green eyes nestled in all of his gray fur.

I encourage you to try this exploration of color in writing. Choose one color and list as many KINDS of that color as you can stretch yourself to think of. You may come up with some expected ones (green as grass) but try to come up with some that maybe no one has thought of before. Then, see if you are interested in using your list...or even one kind of color from your list and grow a writing idea or piece of art from it.

Here is my favorite book about particular colors. It is out of print now, but if you can find it at the library, do!


And here are a few more photographs of this very snuggly boy. I wish that you could reach through your computer screen to pet him. (And so does he!)

Tuck at Work
Photo by Amy LV

Sleeping Stripes
Photo by Amy LV

Baby Tuck
Photo by Hope or Amy LV?

Linda is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at TeacherDance with the delights of Halloween and a poem about a carved pumpkin I would like to meet...Jill O'Lantern! Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.


12 comments:

  1. Oh, gray cats are my favorite. I don't know why. We've had George I, George II and his brother Ira--surname Gershwin. Right now, Ira remains with us, a very old gentleman who loves to sleep against my back at night. Old lady enjoys her heated back support pillow...and old cat enjoying a snuggle. Win-win!

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  2. I love this, and the exploration of color is such a great challenge for kids! (Or grownups.)

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  3. What an adorable kitty! I love all the "grays" in your poem. Thank you for a terrific writing prompt. xo

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  4. I think Byrd Baylor may be one of my favorite writers, Amy. I'm glad to see her book here, love her sweet approach to life in every book! And your "Gray Boy Tuck" - mix of grays with that surprise you added, wonderful! Today, they say, is National Cat Day, so you've really celebrated that! Have a lovely weekend!

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  5. That ending!
    Give Tuck a cuddle from me (Winnie, too)!!

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  6. Look at that precious little Tuck-kitty! This is another wonderful mentor text for my young writers. Around Mother's Day I read "I Love you the Purplest" and my students write a color poem about their mothers. I lvoe your list of the rainbow of grays. "dandelion fluffies" is my favorite.

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  7. Dang, that's an adorable cat! Nice poetry workshop idea, too, the rainbow of grays (or pinks or blues). You are always providing curriculum, aren't you!? This will come in handy soon...we got the bill for the early retirement and think we can swing it!

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  8. Love this Amy! You capture gray with so many senses! I want to try this myself and will copy your poem to use as a mentor text. Thank you!!!

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  9. Love how you link color and emotion in this poem and how your lesson talks about color’s relationships to sound, sight and feeling. Tuck is adorable. Our tabby Lily has more brown tones. I listened to the poem on SoundCloud and heard that pause before the surprise ending!

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  10. I love the idea of a 'rainbow of gray'. What a cute cat Tucker is.

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  11. Tuck is very handsome in his greyness, and I love the surprise of your ending!

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  12. I love all the grays of Tuck. You are right, there are so many shades of the same color - so many meanings. It reminds me of the time I got my first 64 box of Crayola crayons. Such a gift. Before that, I didn't realize orange wasn't just orange. You expand the crayon box even more in thinking about the process for you poem. Thanks, Amy.

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