Gingerbread Doves: Funny Family Stories Make Good Poems

December 23, 2016

The Poem Farm is taking an internet-free holiday through the New Year!
Many joyous wishes to you and yours during this time of light.
Peace,
Amy

Two Girls Decorate Gingerbread Doves at Grandma's House

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Today's poem sprouted from something that happened last weekend.  I don't even need to tell you what happened because the poem and the photograph above tell the whole story.  We had such a good time at my mom's house, and you can see our two girls happily decorating.

When I began writing toward this poem, my first words were inspired by the red tin of cookies sitting on our coffee table.  

Tiny Gingerbread Cookies

Photo by Amy LV

I began writing about cookies whispering to me. Then I imagined that these cookies were the great-grandchildren of the famed Gingerbread Boy of storybook lore.  And then I remembered last weekend.  I remembered the giggles we all had over the two styles of cookie that our girls decorated together: one style by one sister, one by the other.

Gingerbread Cookies of All Kinds

(Can You Find the Shark?)

Photo by Amy LV

Pay attention to when you laugh.  In laughter, in family giggles, in guffaws and snorts...we discover the joyous poems of our lives.  I wish you so so many good laughs this winter season!

If you, like I, enjoy discovering old and wonderful picture books, don't miss THE BEDSPREAD by Sylvia Fair.  Our youngest daughter's nursery school teacher recommended it to us as she had two daughters who were very different from each other...and we do too!  Writing today's poem brought me back to this old favorite.

Read More About this Book Here

Tabatha is hosting today's Poetry Friday party over at The Opposite of Indifference.  Join her, and all of us, in finding goodness in poetry and life all week long.  Everyone is always invited to Poetry Friday, and the tea is always on.

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If you are under 13 years old, please comment only with a parent 

or as part of a group with your teacher and class.

Decorating - Short and Sweet

Our Table

Photo by Amy LV

Students - If you came to visit on Friday and I was not here, I am sorry!  We had sickness in the house and that came first.  Writing is close to the top, but family is at the top.  

Today's poem is about something I am spending lots of time doing lately - baking and eating cookies.  We giggled last night as a friend kept finding broken cookies (hee hee, not really finding) and dipping them into frosting like chips in dip.  And we laughed at the way we decorated some cookies all fancy and some all crazy.  There is something about cut out cookies that just sings celebration.  Here, in the photo above, are some cookies for you, made just last night!

This is a pretty short poem, and I woke up with the first stanza in my head. That doesn't happen often, but once in a while, a wee line will just visit, and if I'm quick, I write it down.  Writing is like that.  Sometimes you have to squeeze your brain like a sponge, and sometimes a line comes up and taps you on the shoulder.  The secret, I think, is being ready for either: the squeezing or the tapping.

Through the end of 2015, I'm so happy to host Tanny McGregor over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.  Please stop by and check out her amazing notebooks, and feel free to comment to win a copy of one of her books.

While I am a few days late to the Poetry Friday party, please know that Diane is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at Random Noodling. Noodle on over to Diane's cozy home on the web and find out what's happening poetry-wise all around the Kidlitosphere this week.

Please share a comment below if you wish.