Hi! - A Greeting from a Wolf Spiderling

One Little Voice

by Amy LV

Students - Earlier one evening this week, my husband called me outside to see a mother wolf spider covered in babies.  I had never seen this before, and I find myself thinking about it over and over.  When I saw her, I half wanted to run away and half wanted to pick her up.  So I compromised,  bent down, and looked closely.  I was unable to get a photograph in time, but I have one in my head that I can go back and revisit when I'm feeling wolf spidery.

Of course this led me to want to read more about wolf spiders, and I found myself amazed by their eight eyes and by the mothers' devotion to their babies.  When I sat to write, it makes complete sense that this is what I wrote.  I can't stop thinking about it?

It is important to look at fascinating things when people invite you to do so. Even if you're not in the mood.  Get up.  Go look.  Store away what you see in your mind.  You might write about it someday.

If you would like read a little bit more about wolf spiders and see a photograph of a wolf spider mom with her babies, visit KidZone, and if you'd like to see even more photographs, there are many at Google Images.

Diane is hosting today's Poetry Friday party of summer here at Random Noodling. All are always welcome to this weekly celebration of poems and poets and words and friendship!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

If you are under 13 years old, please comment only with a parent 

or as part of a group with your teacher and class.

Wallow in Wonder Day 11 - Are Debit Cards and Credit Cards the Same?

Welcome to Day 11 of Wallow in Wonder!  For my 2016 National Poetry Month project, I will celebrate learning and writing from learning, writing poems from each daily Wonder at Wonderopolis.  As I did with my Dictionary Hike in 2012, I am looking to surprise myself with new inspiration daily.  This year, such inspiration will show up in my inbox each morning.  I will print it and carry each Wonderopolis Wonder around all day...and in the afternoon or evening, I will write and post the poem for the next day.  

I invite anyone who wishes to take this challenge too.  Just read today's wonder over at Wonderopolis, and write a poem inspired by it for tomorrow.  Share it tomorrow at your own site, and if you wish to link in my comments for others to find (or share your poem there), please feel free to do so tomorrow, the day after the Wonder is published at Wonderopolis.  If you would like to share any ways you have used Wallow in Wonder or your own site (safe for children only please), please link to the #WallowInWonder padlet.

My April Poems Thus Far

April 1 - So Suddenly - a poem inspired by Wonder #1659 

April 2 - Thankful Journal - a poem inspired by Wonder #1660

April 3 - The Storm Chaser - a poem inspired by Wonder #779

April 4 - A Jar of Glitter - a poem inspired by Wonder #641

April 5 - To Make Compost - a poem inspired by Wonder #1661

April 6 - Deciding Now - a poem inspired by Wonder #1662

April 7 - Hummingbird's Secret - a poem inspired by Wonder #1663

April 8 - Limits - a poem inspired by Wonder #1664

April 9 - Sundogs - a poem inspired by Wonder #1665

April 10 - Perspective - a poem inspired by Wonder #128

And now for Day 11!

Wonder #115 - from April 10, 2016

Imagining

by Amy LV

Students - Taking on a project such as this month's Wallow in Wonder project places me in a situation of what I call "forced inspiration."  I must be inspired by the daily article, even when I'm not at first.  

Jotting in my notebook about credit cards and debit cards was a far cry from inspiring for me, but then I got to thinking about all kinds of money exchange, about bartering, even about how animals exchange services with each other such as bees pollinating flowers and flowers giving bees food in return.  I imagined this girl in love with ancient coins, wanting money to stay real, desperately wanting not everything to go the way of plastic and e-commerce...invisible money.

This is a good lesson for writers, "Get inspired even when you're not."  It is possible for any of us to find a way to be interested in something; we simply have to find the right key.  In your lives, as in mine, you will be faced with situations when you are asked or choose to write about something you may not feel immediately inspired by.

Don't just say, "Eh, I don't feel like it."

Find a way in.  Find the key.

This is the second poem in a three-poem run of free verse.  I'll be back with another free verse poem tomorrow.

You can read another poem inspired by Wonder #115 if you visit Wonder Lead Ambassador, literacy advocate, teacher, and writer Paul Hankins at his Wonder Ground blog where he, too, is writing daily poems from Wonderopolis wonders.  He and I are in this together daily and some other writers are joining in on the fun sometimes too. All are welcome to wonder through poems with us.

The winner of Friday's giveaway of 3 Barry Lane cds is Sabrina!   Please send me an e-mail to amy at amylv dot com with your snail mail address, and I will send it along to Barry.  Thank you, Barry!

I am so happy to host middle school teacher and librarian Stefanie Cole and her students from Ontario, Canada to Sharing Our Notebooks this month.  Do not miss this post; it is full of notebook inspiration, a video clip, and a great book giveaway from Stefanie.

Happy Day 11 of National Poetry Month 2016!  

Please share a comment below if you wish.