Enchanted by a Candle - Writing from an Object

Warmed by Light

by Amy LV

Students - I missed you last week!  For Thanksgiving, our family visited my sister's family in Vermont where we ate lots of turkey and laughed and hugged.  Last Poetry Friday we were making the long drive back home to Holland, NY, and while I thought about Poetry Friday, I did not join in.

Today, my mind turns to candles.  It is winter, and one of my most favorite things to do during winter is to light candles.  I love to watch the flames and love to cup my hands around the glowing light, love to stare and wonder and allow my thoughts to travel about.

Candles are a part of many religious and spiritual traditions, perhaps because the warm light of a candle offers hope in the cold - we can cook with flame, and we can see by it; our bodies and our dreams are warmed and rekindled.

I adore words that go with candles too: fiery, glow, warm, kindle, flame, golden, heat, yellow, light.

Today I wrote about an object I care about.  This is always a great way to begin a piece of writing.  Think of an object you care about.  I suggest choosing something non-commercial, something different than a video game or a phone.  Close your eyes and travel around your life looking at simple joys, at things that connect you to family members or traditions or rituals or stories.  Consider making a list of words in your notebook that go along with your cared-for object, and if you wish, you might write a poem using one or more of your words.

Much much gratitude to you for your overwhelming and beautiful response to my "Welcome" post celebrating the work of Stitch Buffalo two weeks ago.  I continue to send birds and pouches and bracelet cuffs to many happy people, and the people at Stitch are tremendously grateful for your support.

I am thankful and honored to to host author and illustrator Peter Catalanotto over at Sharing Our Notebooks this month.  Please stop by and look at the notebooks of this prolific creator!  Peter has generously offered two signed books for giveaways to commenters on this post as well.

Buffy is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Buffy's Blog.  Please visit her place to find this week's gathering of poetry lovers and all of their links.  Know that all people are always welcome to visit, follow links, and share their own!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

A Candle No One Else Can See

(This is my final post for 2012 - Happy New Year!)

Candles
by Amy LV

 

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Today's poem, like Monday's poem, is a metaphor poem.  We know that people don't really have candles inside of them like in the drawing above, yet there is an invisible light that each of us carry...a light that we work to keep lit.  We all know people who seem to glow, people who make us feel warmer and more loved when we are in their presence.  Sometimes I will be shopping at a store, and the cashier will be so kind that I'll leave the store whistling!  So again, today's poem is about seeing something as something else, seeing a warm love as a candle's light.

Today's poem is also a bit of a bossy poem, it's written directly to a reader, giving instructions on how to take care of your candle.  If you believe something very deeply, you might decide to write a poem about it and tell your reader a little life secret as I have tried to do here.

This week, I have two happy writing announcements.  The first is that I received an F&G of FOREST HAS A SONG, and I could not feel more grateful. Students, 'F&G' stands for 'folded and gathered,' and in the publishing industry, that's just code for an unbound book.  For the first time, I can see the size and look of FOREST...and I am tickled.

F&G of FOREST

Photo by Amy LV

The second piece of poetry news is that I am a new member of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children Committee.  This means that I will have the good fortune to read many poetry books and have a voice in the next winner of this NCTE award.  It also means that I'll have more opportunities work with Mary Lee Hahn, also new to the committee.  It will be wonderful to meet great people, read oodles of poem books, and learn more and more.

Here are Peter, Paul, and Mary with Light One Candle, a reminder for all of us.

Thank you to Tabatha for organizing such a lovely Winter Poem Swap.  I was paired up with Joy Acey and found it to be joyful fun!

Over at my juicy little universe, Heidi Mordhorst is lighting the Kidlitosphere with today's Poetry Friday roundup.  May your world feel a bit brighter today because of the poems you find on your path.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

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