Taking Stock & SPARK 17

Murphy Fix

by Diane Mayr

 

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

Students - This is the second time this week that I've written from a photograph.  On Wednesday, I wrote from that wonderful barn roof near my home, and now this!  Today's poem was inspired by Poetry Friday writer and artist Diane Mayr's photograph above, MURPHY'S FIX, and both are a part of SPARK 17, a project I take part in regularly, a project generously hosted by Amy Souza here.  Anyone is welcome to participate.  Simply read and learn about it, and you can sign up for SPARK 18 with a chance to swap your own writing, music, or art with someone else.

I lived with Diane's photo in my head for a few days before I decided what poem to write.  The colors and variety of candies just got to me, and every once in a while I would see them in my head.  

Should the poem be about candy wrappers stuffed in my car pockets and coat pockets and on this very desk?  No. Should the poem be about how I can chew a whole pack of gum in less than an hour and not even feel badly about it?  No. The poem should be about Halloween night, every Halloween night....when my sister Heidi and I would spread our candy out and trade and laugh and eat the hours away.

You may be wondering why this poem is about a boy and a girl when my personal memory is about two girls.  Well...I wanted to make the poem about a brother and a sister...and so I did.  I have nephews and a son and love including both genders in poems when I can.

Today's poem is partly a list poem.  You can see that there are places that are simply lists of candy names.  I am quite sure that I did this because this week I just kept reading Kenn Nesbitt's book I'VE SEEN MY KITCHEN SINK, and I giggled at the list of foods in his poem, My Special Diet. I also thought about Jack Prelutsky's Bleezer's Ice Cream and Shel Silverstein's Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout, both poems with food-filled lists.  It's quite fun to make a list of rhyming foods, and it's not too difficult.  Try it sometime, even just in your notebook.  Real foods OR make-believe foods.

When I asked Diane Mayr about the photograph above, she replied, "It's just candy for a funeral lunch.  In honor of the departed mother of a dear friend.  (Cross my heart and hope to die, it's the truth.)  I just took a photo of the candy before it was put into a bowl.  I cropped and manipulated the photo a little." 

Don't you think it's the most vibrant and wild candy picture?  I loved writing from it.

It's not Halloween today. I know! But a writer can write and an artist can create about any thing at any time.  Yes!

Teachers - You might wish to try a modified SPARK project in your own class, or with a class across the hall!  If you do, please let me know.  I'd love to feature it here.

Congratulations to all of the 2012 Cybils judges, especially the ones for poetry. You can see a complete list here (full of many names you know and love)...and follow their tweets and updates as the books come rolling in.  Please send your nominations between October 1 - October 15.

This week over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, I am so happy to welcome Barry Lane.  Teachers - Barry has offered a generous giveaway of two of his books about writing and a CD, and the drawing will take place on September 30.  

This week, I have finally linked all of the wonderful Poetry Peeks from this blog into one index.  If you are looking for some inspiration, student mentor poems, or ideas for ways to bring more poetry into your classroom, don't miss this new index.  You will permanently find it in the tabs up top.

I had to smile when I saw Renee's Poetry Friday roundup today over at No Water River.  She's hosting us with candy.  Quinkidink!  Head on over to enjoy all of the goodies she has spread before us.

Addition:  This afternoon I received a special poem from a second grader, and it warranted its own Poetry Friday post.  Click here to read it!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

To find a poem by topic, click here. To find a poem by technique, click here.

Like The Poem Farm on Facebook for more poems, articles, and poemquotes!

Fear and Poems about Changing Your Mind

Understanding

by Amy LV

Students - have you ever felt afraid of something, faced your fears, and then realized that the scary thing was not so bad after all? There have been many times in my life when I have felt sure of something and then later changed my mind. Today's poem is a changing-your-mind poem, telling the story of fear changing to wonder.

If you find yourself looking at a blank page of your notebook today, consider writing about a time when you changed your mind, when you realized something new, when you gave someone or something a second change. Such moments of realization and change are good seeds for writing.

You may notice that each stanza of "Fear" has three lines and that the first line of each stanza is short, only two syllables. I enjoy playing with patterns and sometimes even borrowing patterns from other poems I love. You can try that too. Choose a poem that you like and then ask yourself:  How long is this poem? How does the rhyme work? How does the repetition work? How can I take one of these ideas and make it my own?

My husband's biology class has just added a new friend, a ball python who doesn't have a name yet. And a warm box in our basement is currently home to three little chicks (Georgia named one Petronella, after a character in GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES! VOICES FROM A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE.) It's animal season around here!

As-Yet Nameless Ball Python
(about 3 weeks old)

Photo by Mark VanDerwater

On Valentine's Day, the winners of the 2011 CYBILS were announced. In the poetry category, Paul B. Janeczko won for REQUIEM: POEMS OF THE TEREZIN GHETTO, a haunting and beautiful book, a book to make each of us more human. It was an honor to be a first round judge for this year's CYBILS, and I offer many congratulations to Paul.  Visit the CYBILS website to read about winners in all categories.

Shop Indie Bookstores

And now for a bit of personal happy news! I am extremely grateful that Boyds Mills Press will publish my collection of reading poems for children! More news when I have it...what fun to dream of illustrators...

Myra is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Gathering Books. Fill your arms and pockets with gathered poems and words, and many good wishes for a lovely weekend!

'Like' The Poem Farm Facebook Page for regular updates of all things poetry!

(Please click on POST A COMMENT below to share a thought.)

Raking - Poems about Seasonal Stuff

Leaves

Photo by Amy LV

Sometimes poems simply grow from what is in the air and weather and all around. And what is all around here in Holland, NY this mid-October week is LEAVES!

Students - this poem is just about something that I have done and see my children do. What is a normal seasonal something that you do? That someone else does? Try describing it in a poem-form. You may have noticed (how could you not?) that I repeated the word "rake" many many times. If you have ever raked leaves, you will know why I did so.

Over at my newest blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, naturalist Mark Baldwin shares how he holds onto images and the natural world through nature journaling. I welcome you to join this new classroom-friendly site as it continues to grow with many voices in the field of writing and art. And if you'd be willing to share it along with a friend, I'd be so grateful too!

Today's Poetry Friday roundup is over at Fomograms with david elzey. Enjoy today's offerings of words and love.

Oh! Please don't forget to nominate poetry books for the Cybils! There is only one day left - nominations close tomorrow, and then we begin reading and making the short list!

Happy lovely fall! (And happy raking...)

(Please click on POST A COMMENT below to share a thought.)

White Fields & Notebooks

Little Notebook

Notebook Entry from March 24, 2010

Lately I've been thinking a lot about writer's notebooks. A month ago, I began a new blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, partly to inspire me to get back into more notebook writing. Well, it's working.

We had a busy week this week with a new batch of foster kitties to "home" and a new manuscript to revise. So, last night I wasn't sure what to to choose to write about. With notebooks on the brain, it didn't take long to think, "I'll just reread one of my old notebooks and find an idea."

That said, I walked to my big old desk with this little old cherry notebook, opened a page, and found the bit of entry you see above. The poem comes almost directly from this entry, "...walking in the white fields with my pen, uncertain of what I will find."

So if you've ever wondered, "Why keep a notebook?" Here's why. You never know what's stuffed in there that you might need later. One day's idle thought is another day's inspiration.  Try it.  Just open your notebook today, flip through, and choose a line that sounds neat.  Then, make something bigger out of it.

The last two lines in this poem come from Natalie Goldberg's WRITING DOWN THE BONES. She writes, "Writers live twice. They go along with their regular life, are as fast as anyone in the grocery store, crossing the street, getting dressed for work in the morning. But there's another part of them that they have been training. The one that lives everything a second time. That sits down and sees their life again and goes over it. Looks at the texture and detail."  This idea of "Writers live twice," is one that rings deeply in me.

Shop Indie Bookstores

Please note that the nominations for the Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) including poetry books, are open for another week! Please check out the Cybils website if you haven't yet done so and take a peek at the already-nominated poetry books here.  As a judge for this year, I look forward to reading these books and helping to usher some of them to the short list.

Mary Ann is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Great Kid Books. Thank you, Mary Ann.

Meow!

Penny, Pumpkin, & Juniper
Photo by Henry LV

(Please click on POST A COMMENT below to share a thought.)

Just Like I Used To Do...

Memories

by Amy LV

Students - lately I have been focusing more on writing regularly in my notebook. It may because of all of the peeks I've been taking into others' notebooks at my new blog, Sharing Our Notebooks. It may because I'm digging into Julia Cameron's book FINDING WATER: THE ART OF PERSEVERANCE. But no matter the reason, I'm so glad to be nestling into fresh pages this fall.

Yesterday I was diddling along in my book, writing about the quiet morning, the colors outside my window, and the steam-patterns rising from my mug of tea. I always allow myself to change directions, switch ideas at any time, let the writing find its path, and that's just what I was doing. At once I was writing about a memory I've told you before.

Years ago, when Mark and I lived in the suburbs, we had some sweet girl-neighbors. One day they came by to swing their dolls in our blue hammock...but they had their dolls hidden in plastic bags so no one would see that they still liked dolls. Well, I still like dolls. And I like my daughters' dolls too, even though none of us play with them so much any more. Dolls, like so many other things, feel alive to me.

So during yesterday's writing time, I imagined one small interaction between a girl (Me? My daughter? My old neighbor girl?) and her doll, a little snatch of pretend-time. In it, I saw me as a little girl and my daughters as grown-ups, my mother as a child, and me as a grandma. We girl-women in my family all used to play dolls, but so suddenly it seems that things change. Just yesterday I was putting plastic ice skates on my Ginny doll. And now...I'm a real mom! Strange.

In Jamie Lee Curtis's book WHEN I WAS LITTLE: A FOUR YEAR OLD'S MEMOIR OF HER YOUTH, the narrator talks about things she "used to do." What did you "used to do"? Try making a list of all of the things you used to do...and all of the things you do now. Choose one thing and write, write, write. Don't think too hard; just follow the line of your pencil.

Shop Indie Bookstores

Dar Williams illustrates a feeling of change very well for me in her song, one of my favorite songs, "When I Was A Boy."

One way which I feel very privileged to be spending some of my autumnwinter time is as a first round poetry judge for the 2011 CYBILS. The CYBILS are the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards, and nominations for every category begin tomorrow, October 1 and go through October 15. To learn more about the CYBILS, visit here.

Happy Poetry Friday to all! Sara is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Read Write Believe.

(Please click on POST A COMMENT below to share a thought.)

Poetry Friday & #192 - Write Your Poem

This is #19 in my series of poems about poems!

Teachers - today you will notice that I have linked to each of The Poem Farm's previous Classroom Poetry Peeks in the right hand column of this blog, right after my most recent poetry posts.  A Poetry Peek is a field trip to a classroom, an opportunity to learn how one poetry-loving teacher and class wrap their arms around each other in a big fat poetry hug.  Next week we welcome a fourth grade class in this Poetry Friday spot.  But until then, please know that this will be a growing location in the right hand column, a place you can visit to find ways to thread poetry through your hours and days of teaching.  Do be sure to scroll past my poems for the classroom visits.  As always, I invite you to join this growing list of classrooms who have welcomed such a peek!  (If you tried to click through the Peeks this morning and realized they were mislinked, I am sorry!  Thank you to Sallye in Texas for bringing this to my attention.  All is well now.)

Carol is hosting this week's Poetry Friday over at Carol's Corner.  Tumble on over for a romp in words throughout the Kidlitosphere.  If you scroll back a post at Carol's blog, you can learn about the upcoming CYBILS awards too.  Don't miss the latest nominations for the CYBILS poetry award.  (I am excited to report that SHARING THE SEASONS by Lee Bennett Hopkins has already been nominated.) If you would like to nominate a book in any category, just read the nomination rules.  You have until October 15.

If you would like to know more about Poetry Friday, check out the recent archives and upcoming schedule over at Kidlitosphere Central.

(Please click on COMMENTS below to share a thought.)