24 HOURS Day #1 - Old Barns

Welcome to Day 1 of 24 HOURS. For my 2023 National Poetry Month Project, I will share a new daily poem about 1 hour in 1 day in the life of an old barn. I will write 24 hourly poems, 1 for each hour of a spring day, beginning with midnight and ending right before the following midnight. Because April has 30 days, I will write and tuck 6 additional poems into the month, likely 2 at the beginning, 2 in the middle somewhere, and 2 at the end.

I invite anyone who wishes to join me in this challenge too. To do so, simply:

1. Choose a place or a person, an animal or an object you could imagine writing 30 poems about, someone or something you could imagine following and writing about through an imaginary day.

2. If you wish, download the hourly log and note page below to keep track of poem ideas as you have them through the month. You may do this project on your own, with a friend or two, or with your whole class, each person selecting different hours.

HOURLY LOG FOR 24 HOURS

NOTE PAGE FOR 24 HOURS

(Teachers - Please print or make a copy so students can access these.)

3. Write a new poem each day of April 2023. You might write in order of the hours (I probably will), or you might choose to write your hourly poems in a mixed-up order and place them in order at month's
end. If you miss a day, do not worry. Just come on back to your project when you can. Even if you write only a handful of poems around your subject, it will be worth it. And know that I will share some poem writing ideas along the way. 

4. Teachers and writers, if you wish to share any 24 HOURS subjects or poems, please do so on social media with the hashtag #24Hours. Teachers, if you have permission from parents and only first names on student poems, I will share those topics and poems here in a Google Slides presentation.

And now for Day 1!

Students - Today's poem is a bit of an advice poem. It is one person talking to another, sharing a tip for life about a ride in the country. Such poems feel personal to me, and I like to draw a reader in in this way. You might wish to try writing a poem of advice to introduce your subject to your own readers. 

I also included some clear, solid adjectives: big tractors, wooly sheep, small secrets. My favorite poems are filled with the real stuff of life, things we can touch and smell and hold. Throughout this month, I will work to include more and more such objects and simple adjectives that describe them.

Thank you for joining me on the first day of this 24 HOURS journey!

To learn about more National Poetry Month projects and all kinds of April goodness, visit Jama Rattigan at Jama's Alphabet Soup where Jama has generously gathered this coming month's happenings. Happy National Poetry Month!

xo,

Amy

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