Go Backward or Forward in Time

Cottage

Photo by Amy LV

Students - We all know many characters from stories and books. Usually these stories and books take place during one small part of those characters' lives. Today's poem imagines Goldilocks (did you figure out it was her?) as an older woman, thinking about her past, apologizing to Baby Bear...now also an older man. I loved imagining this scene, decades later, back in the cottage. A reckoning. Baby Bear could have thrown her out, made her feel guilty, anything. But today, in today's little poem, he chose to forgive her. Now I am thinking about writing a poem about Baby Bear's later life. Why might he understand the importance of forgiveness so well?

You might wish to try this. Choose a character from a story or book or nursery rhyme or song you know. Now imagine one of those characters at a moment in a different time of their life. What might they do? What might they say? What feelings might they have or need to work through?

This weekend I am at the National Council of Teachers of English convention and happy to be meeting up with friends old and new. If you are a teacher and also there, please stop to say hi. 

Irene is the host of this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Live Your Poem with a love-filled post for a new poetry column spearheaded by David Harrison, a graphic novel for beginning readers by Vikram Madam, and Irene-insight about "the last poem in a collection of poems." Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

Here's to forgiveness, a gentle value I continue to work on inside of myself...

xo,

Amy

Please share a comment below if you wish.

Know that your comment will only appear after I approve it.

If you are under 13 years old, please only comment 

with a parent or as part of a group with your teacher.