The Poem Farm Pasture
Photo by Amy LV
Students - Each morning that I walk around our back pasture, a mama bluebird darts from this house you see above. She does not want me to know about or to disturb her babies. Earlier in the season, she would fly as close to my head as possible, trying to frighten me away. I wish she knew that I will never harm her or her children.
Today's poem is simply about a daily moment in my life during this season. It is important for me to go outside and to do things - to experience the small majesties of the seasons and to pay close attention to what I see and think. Sometimes children ask about why I do not have a television or video games, and my best answer is because I know how short life is, I know how addictive such things are, and I wish to save any little brain and heart and soul space for the people and animals and things that mean the most to me.
Writing about bluebirds today made me think about a poem from my new book, WITH MY HANDS: POEMS ABOUT MAKING THINGS (Clarion, 2018). If you are looking for something interesting to do this summer, make something with your own hands. You are capable of so much.
Teachers - If you are interested in resources for sharing this book, Erika Thulin Dawes from School Library Journal has written an extensive and beautiful post full of resources HERE.
From WITH MY HANDS
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Today is the final Poetry Peek for the 2017 - 2018, school year, and I feel fortunate to welcome Stephanie Jeppson's fifth grade poets from Crossroads Elementary School in Riverbank, California. These students created this presentation all on their own, and I am grateful to them for publishing it here! Welcome!
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These students' poetry, books, and presentation inspire me to think about all kinds of poems and too, about the magic that happens when we work together. Thank you very much to Teacher Stephanie Jeppson and to these poets and makers for joining us today as we lean into a summer filled with words and love.
Last week I welcomed Teacher Dana Kofitsas and her third graders with their collection of lovely, thoughtful poems. If you did not see these, please do so HERE. A joy!
Karen is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Karen Edmisten with two beautiful poem offerings. Each week many of us gather together, sharing poems, books, and poetry ideas all at one blog. All are always welcome to visit, comment, and post, and you can always find the host of the week in the left sidebar here or at any participating blog.
And now, I say goodbye for a bit as The Poem Farm will be on vacation this summer - vacation at home.
I plan to paint these bluebird houses built by the hands of a young 4-Her named Dylan.
And now, I say goodbye for a bit as The Poem Farm will be on vacation this summer - vacation at home.
I plan to paint these bluebird houses built by the hands of a young 4-Her named Dylan.
I plan to spend good writing time in my new/old little camper named Betsy.
And I plan to pick berries, feed hummingbirds, make jam, knit, move plants around, and to organize many of the poems here at The Poem Farm. I will not be sharing new poems, but hopefully I will have things in a bit more of an organized fashion by the time I return on Friday, August 31.
Happy summer to all, dear friends!
xo,
Amy
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