My Friend - My Poem Writing Year #120

Mark

Photo by Elizabeth Pellette

In one of his online newsletters, Eric Carle explains why he writes about small animals in so many of his books.  When I was a small boy, my father would take me on walks across meadows and through woods.  We would lift a stone or peel back the bark of a tree and show me the living things that scurried about.  He'd tell me about the life cycles of this or that small creature and then he would carefully put the little creature back into its home.  I think in my books I honor my father by writing about small living things.

Similarly, today's poem is in honor of my husband Mark, who has taught our family and so many others (see yesterday's blog post from Sprucelands Summer Camp) about nature.  Happy 15th anniversary, honey!

Jane Yolen's delightful and fun-to-read book, MY FATHER KNOWS THE NAMES OF THINGS, celebrates her late husband, a man who knew names of everything and shared this love and knowledge with his family.

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Students - writing is a way to honor someone you love.  Words last, and words help us figure out what we think about our lives.  You might want to try this sometime.  Think of a person you would like to hold up with your words.  And then write.  Just like these three examples, you don't even have to name the person in your piece.  (It can be a secret!)

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My Poem Writing Year #112 - Jewels

Treasure

Photo by Amy LV 

This is a poem for my friend Rachel in Oregon, the best rock hound and rock teacher ever!  Whenever I find neat rocks outdoors or go to a rock show, I think of her.   Rachel has been sharing a "poem-of-the-letter" with her cousin, including a poem in each letter she sends.  These come from her students, and some are even writing poetry this summer "to share with Miss S's cousin".  The power of publishing is strong indeed!

 Rachel's Rock Coffee Table

Photo by Rachel Sudul

When I was a young girl, I used to think about rocks a lot.  In fact, I wondered what they talked about when I wasn't sitting by the creek's edge, listening.  Rocks are full of stories, some which we can discover through study and some which will always remain mysteries.

Students - This poem is what Georgia Heard (author of AWAKENING THE HEART and many other fabulous books) might call an "observation poem", or poem where the poet looks at something closely and allows a poem to grow from this looking and noticing.  In a way, this is what scientists do too, look and study and wonder and admire.

Here are two rock books to love.  These are not poetry books full of all different poems, but each is a gorgeous poem-turned-book.  If you have a favorite rock book, would you please share its title in the comments?

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