Give Some Free Advice...in a Poem

Students - Today I enjoyed writing another poem about the moon. Irene, as you will see below, is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup and invited us all to write moon poems. Writing is funny - sometimes I love choosing my own subject, and sometimes I love being assigned a topic to write about. If you're ever not sure what to write, try asking someone to give you an assignment. You can even give yourself an assignment by filling a jar or bowl with little slips of paper, each with a different writng topic. When uncertain, choose a slip!

Sometimes I do lay awake at night, thinking all kinds of thoughts. Today's poem is a reminder to me - and to all - that Old Moon will always listen. How lovely to imagine our thoughts as future moonlight. This is also an advice poem, offering advice for what to do when one cannot sleep. Might you offer advice for something you have experienced or even simply imagined?

One last thing to think about: as you write, read your poem aloud. Often, to write a new line, I read aloud what I have written so far. Then...the next line almost writes itself.

Irene is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup today at Live Your Poem with a moon celebration to welcome her forthcoming book THE MUSEUM ON THE MOON: THE CURIOUS OBJECTS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE. Each Friday, all are invited to share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship in this open and welcoming poetry community.

May your wishes all turn to moonlight on this eve of a new July.

xo,

Amy

ps - Did you notice that today's poem is all one sentence. Go back and look. It is!

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Momentary Longings, Feeder Birds, & a Poetry Peek

View from Study Window

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Did you ever have a flash of, "Oh...I wish...!"  I sure have.  Sometimes a thought - maybe an impossible, magical thought - will enter my mind, a thought like, "Oh...I wish those feeder birds could come in and eat with me!"  The thought may come and go quickly, within seconds, replaced with a practical thought such as, "I should clear the table."

Well, today I would like to suggest that paying attention to fleeting, magical thoughts or momentary longings is a fine way to find writing ideas.  Listen to the thoughts that sneak in between some of your usual thoughts.  Allow an flash of insight or a quick wish to plant a seed in your mind and in your notebook, growing into a poem or a story or a painting.

The photograph you see atop this post is one that I took through my study window just last week.  I live in Holland, NY, a snowy place in wintertime, and this is what I see each day when I sit at my desk.  My husband feeds the birds to help them get through cold days, and I feel lucky to watch them eat.  But yes, sometimes I do wish to have them as indoor guests.

I shared this photo with my friend, Principal Anthony Morey, of Wealthy Elementary School in East Grand Rapids, Michigan.  And he shared it with the students of his school, inviting them to write from what they saw.  Last year I was fortunate enough to meet these students (you may remember when I wrote about the visit HERE), and so I was excited to think about them writing from this bird picture.

This school will soon have a visit from Laura Purdie Salas, and the children have been studying her work.  One neat thing that Laura offers on her blog each Thursday is an invitation to write what she calls "15 Words or Less Poems."  Readers are welcomed to view a photo on her blog, to write a brief poem (15 words or less), and to share it in the comments.  You can see this week's invitation at Laura's blog, Writing the World for Kids,  HERE.

Well, guess what?  A few students from Mrs. Bishop's second grade class at Wealthy Elementary looked at my bird photograph, and they wrote 15 words or less poems of their own to share with all of us.  I would like to thank these writers, their teacher Mrs. Bishop, their principal Mr. Morey, and Laura Purdie Salas for combining beautiful energies to bring these poems to us today.  Enjoy!

View from Study Window

Photo by Amy LV

Bird Feeders 

There is a bird feeder outside

Hanging from a tree

So calm

No sound

Whispering breeze

by Skyler T.

The Post

A post stands

In the winter cold

Waiting for birds

Come to me birds

by Lillie A.

Bird Seed 

Peck, peck, peck

I am pecking for seeds

I wanted seeds

Mmmm, Mmmm

Yum!

I love seeds

by Nava T.

Much gratitude to these young writers for sharing your words with us.  I so appreciate the way each of these poems takes a different perspective: Careful description, writing as the feeder, writing as a small bird.

This month I am tickled to host tremendous science writer Melissa Stewart at Sharing Our Notebooks.  If you have not yet done so, please do not miss her post and generous sharing of her own notebooks, process, and a poem that she wrote when she visited a wetlands with some students from Wealthy Elementary school recently.

Today's Poetry Friday roundup is living with Keri at Keri Recommends.  Join her for a thoughtful reflection on creativity and to discover many poetrylove posts sprinkled all around the Kidlitosphere this week.

Please share a comment below if you wish.