Wizard at the Fair - Writing Observations as Memories

Artist Jerry Ward at the Erie County Fair

August 7, 2014

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Yesterday, as I watched Jerry Ward carve this bust of Don Quixote, I was transported to a new place inside of myself.  A man appeared from inside of a tree trunk, and it was magical!  Sawdust smells tickled my nose, and I sat mesmerized by this chainsaw artist.  I knew that I would write a poem about my feeling because some moments in our lives just call out to us, "I am a poem!  I am a poem!" and this was one of them.

After Jerry finished carving the bust, he turned to the audience - sitting on big logs - and told us that he releases figures from wood.  When I began to write, this Don Quixote came to life in my poem, happy to be free after many so many years.

My first draft of today's free verse poem was in the present tense: "I sit/watching/the Wizard of Wood..." But as I wrote, I realized that poem would work better in the past tense.  Sometimes when people think about their memories, they think about years and long ago.  But memories are falling around us like twinkling raindrops...every single minute.  You can take something that happened to you today - and write about it in the past tense voice, as if it happened long before.  

What has happened to you today already?  What might happen in the next few hours?  If you live your life paying attention to everything, you will see how a now-happening might just be a poem in the making.  Open your eyes!  Open your ears!  What do you find?

Jerry Ward's Don Quixote at the Erie County Fair

August 7, 2014

Photo by Amy LV

To see more of Jerry Ward's artwork, visit his website here and read about how "Wood is mystical."

Mary Lee is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at A Year of Reading.  Do not miss the poem she shares with us today.  You, too, might "snort your morning tea!"

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Moon Memory - Real Pretend Poems

Wyoming County Fair - August 15, 2013

Photo by Amy LV

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

Students - Today's offering is one of those "this just happened to me" poems. Well, sort of.  I mean, we did spend last evening at the fair.  That part is true. And I did see the moon.  (See it in the photograph?)  While I didn't ride the Tilt-a-Whirl, I did think about Moon on our car trip home, I wondered  about her looking down on the Wyoming County Fair.  Does she ever wish she could ride the Tilt-a-Whirl?

In my first drafts of this poem, Moon never does come down to Earth; she stays longing up there in the sky.  But then I thought a thought that many writers think. WHAT IF?  What if Moon DID ride the Tilt-a-Whirl?  And what if I sat beside her?  Such a happy thought for me...

This is something a writer can always do.  We can take real memories and write half-real and half-pretend. 

George Welgemoed is in this week with two more of his wonderful Poemdesigns.  You can see the complete collection here, and clicking on each image will enlarge it.  Thank you, George, for sharing your ability to so fantastically combine words with images and fonts.  

Cathy Mere is sharing her DIGITAL or PAPER notebook question and exploration at Sharing Our Notebooks. Stop by to learn about all kinds of notebook apps and learn what Cathy has discovered about these and about herself too.  There is also an app giveaway, many thanks to Cathy.

Lisa is hosting today's Poetry Friday at Steps and Staircases.  Stop on by to find out what is happening poetry-wise in the KidLitosphere today.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

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My Project - My Poem Writing Year #138

Georgia, Knitter & Needle Felter Extraordinaire

Photo by Amy LV

Two Blue Ribbons & Off to the NYS State Fair!

Photo by Amy LV

This week is the Wyoming County Fair in Pike, NY.  For the past few years, Hope, Georgia, and Henry have been involved with 4-H, and it has been such a hearty and natural learning experience for them.  We love this just-right fair, with its animals and homemade exhibits, its treats and classic fair rides.

This year, Henry entered his first exhibits as a Cloverbud, earning many participation ribbons.  And both Hope and Georgia won several blue ribbons and have entries going on to the NY State Fair.  It is so exciting to make a project and then visit the fair, wondering, just wondering how you did.  Thank you to the leaders and all who make this lovely fair possible...the children will never forget these days.

Students - I got this poem idea from a feeling that I watched my daughter experience as she kept on walking through the 4-H building to see how her hats had fared in judging.  Sometimes we can find writing ideas in the experience of others, just watching and listening very carefully to what they say and do.

Over the next week, through Tuesday, August 24, we will be in Oregon, and a house and animal sitter will live here at Heart Rock Farm.  Internet access will be questionable on our travels, but I will do my best to keep up.  Please know that if a poem does not appear one day (or two...or three...), they will all catch up at the end.

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