Hello, friends! I have just returned from a long trip away from home, visiting a few schools and feeling very lucky. Thank you to all at Sicomac Elementary School and Washington Elementary School in Wyckoff, NJ for your warm welcome this week as I had the opportunity to visit and write with first and second graders. It was wonderful to be in your schools again. Now, though, I am back home for the summer, gardening, making jam, reading, knitting, writing in my shed named Gratitude and planning school visits for next year.
Florence Conolly Dreyer
Students - Today's poem sprouted from the beginning of a poem I wrote a few weeks ago while visiting a school. Again and again I am reminded of the helpfulness of a notebook for the gathering of ideas. Just as we gather ingredients in cupboard and refrigerator before preparing a meal, we can gather words and memories, wonderings and facts into our notebooks before preparing a piece of writing. Every piece of writing need not be a finished piece of writing. Rather, any piece of writing can inspire another. So those little jottings count and matter!
It is interesting to write about food and the memories that come with food. HERE you can watch an old video I made in Betsy the Writing Camper. It teaches how to make a food timeline to inspire memories. There are 71 other such videos at my YouTube channel.
The picture you see above of my grama was likely taken around 1920. I did not know her then but am fortunate to have an old family scrapbook with many treasured photographs like this one. The lemon memory comes from around 60 years after this photograph was taken.
And now for our special guest!
Earlier this month, I mentioned my happy visit to Cayuga Heights Elementary School in Depew, NY. Librarian Tonya Bulas introduced her students to my books in so many beautiful ways, and I will share those soon. But today it is an honor to highlight one special poet, nine-year-old Angelina, who I was fortunate enough to meet during a grade two and three writing workshop. She had brought her notebook to our session, allowed me to read some of her fine poems, and was willing to share them with you here. Thank you to Poet Angelina! And thank you to Librarian Tonya Bulas. Such educators make the good world go round.
Please enjoy Angelina's poems below, and take inspiration for your own!
Angelina and Amy
Cayuga Heights Elementary, Depew, NY
May 2023
Photo by Librarian Tonya Bulas
All About Me: I am Angelina. I am deaf, Puerto Rican, Italian, but we'll talk about that later. My hobbies are: playing on the new swing my dad got for me, playing soccer, monkey in the middle, etc. I am 9 years old and I will be a future poet. I am Puerto Rican and Italian. I almost always get good grades in school. I have lots of friends. My mom is a teacher for disabled kids like me! (She does not teach me.) I go to Cayuga Heights Elementary School. My dad is a person who used to be a guy who made movies but now he talks to college kids. That is all about me!
Angelina's Notebook
Photo by Librarian Tonya Bulas
Puffball by Angelina
Photo by Librarian Tonya Bulas
Puffball
by Angelina
Little little puffball.
So big, so small.
It's cute.
What is it?
It's a little puffball.
So big.
So small.
What is it?
It's a little puffball!
Snakes by Angelina
Photo by Librarian Tonya Bulas
Snakes
by Angelina
They're slippery, slimy,
slithering around, and
when they hiss they
make a horrible sound.
Often found in the
desert, they eat bugs
for dessert! They can
be 3 feet long,
and when it hisses,
it sings its deadly song.
Waves by Angelina
Photo by Librarian Tonya Bulas
Waves
by Angelina
Watching the waves wash away
it is beautiful
Always calming me down when
I'm angry
Very relaxing when I dip my toes
in the water
Escaping reality and life when
I go and watch the water
So...perfect...
Angelina is a poet today, and I agree that she is likely to be a poet in the future as well. Thank you again, Angelina, for generously joining us all today at The Poem Farm.
Patricia is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Reverie with a most loving anniversary cento celebrating 40 years of marraige with her husband. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.
xo,
Amy
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