A Candle No One Else Can See

(This is my final post for 2012 - Happy New Year!)

Candles
by Amy LV

 

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

Students - Today's poem, like Monday's poem, is a metaphor poem.  We know that people don't really have candles inside of them like in the drawing above, yet there is an invisible light that each of us carry...a light that we work to keep lit.  We all know people who seem to glow, people who make us feel warmer and more loved when we are in their presence.  Sometimes I will be shopping at a store, and the cashier will be so kind that I'll leave the store whistling!  So again, today's poem is about seeing something as something else, seeing a warm love as a candle's light.

Today's poem is also a bit of a bossy poem, it's written directly to a reader, giving instructions on how to take care of your candle.  If you believe something very deeply, you might decide to write a poem about it and tell your reader a little life secret as I have tried to do here.

This week, I have two happy writing announcements.  The first is that I received an F&G of FOREST HAS A SONG, and I could not feel more grateful. Students, 'F&G' stands for 'folded and gathered,' and in the publishing industry, that's just code for an unbound book.  For the first time, I can see the size and look of FOREST...and I am tickled.

F&G of FOREST

Photo by Amy LV

The second piece of poetry news is that I am a new member of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children Committee.  This means that I will have the good fortune to read many poetry books and have a voice in the next winner of this NCTE award.  It also means that I'll have more opportunities work with Mary Lee Hahn, also new to the committee.  It will be wonderful to meet great people, read oodles of poem books, and learn more and more.

Here are Peter, Paul, and Mary with Light One Candle, a reminder for all of us.

Thank you to Tabatha for organizing such a lovely Winter Poem Swap.  I was paired up with Joy Acey and found it to be joyful fun!

Over at my juicy little universe, Heidi Mordhorst is lighting the Kidlitosphere with today's Poetry Friday roundup.  May your world feel a bit brighter today because of the poems you find on your path.

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