Write a Love Song to Something

A Spring Joy

Photo by Amy LV

Students - There are so many things to love in the world! Today I love my little packets of seeds. I find it quite incredible that each one of the little seeds will grow into a big flower that can attract bees and butterflies, grow its own seeds, and inspire humans to paint and love it.

We spend a lot of time on computers and other devices these days, and today I encourage your writing selves to fall in love with not-digital things. You, too, may wish to write a love poem to one of the objects or beings you love. Maybe a plant. Maybe an animal. Maybe an art supply. Maybe a cloud. Only you can know and decide.

As writers, our interests beyond writing give us ideas and a reason to love life. And so now, I am turning off my computer and phone and heading out into the rain.

Michelle is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at More Art for All with a beautiful original painting titled Red-winged Blackbird at Montrose Point along with two poems inspired by it. 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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If you are under 13 years old, please only comment 

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A Magical Power...Meow!

Claude in His Tunnel

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Our newest cat Claude is a chatty and loving little soul. Every once in a while he will just walk around the house calling for his pal Winnie. For today's poem, I just imagined that I had the magical power I've always wished for: the ability to understand animals. (But just for one day...)

Today's poem is a story poem which quickly jumps into the realm of fiction yet was inspired by my meow-y young fuzzface. 

If you're looking for a writing idea, you might allow yourself to muse about a magical power you would love to have. You might write it as a story of living with this power, as I have. Or you might write a list of all of the things you would do with this power. I think I might be able to write a lot of these poems.

If you don't feel like having a magical power, perhaps you would like to simply write about a wish that you have had, you have now, or that someone else has or once had. Real...or imagined. You, my friend, are the writer.

And remember. If you ever aren't sure of how to title a poem, you can always name it after the spot where it takes place.

Right now I am happily in Denver, Colorado, teaching two sessions about poetry at the CCIRA 2023 conference. I feel so fortunate to be here, back amongst thoughtful educators and old friends.

Carol is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Beyond Literacy Link with a postcard swap share. Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship

Meow! I love you!

xo,

Amy

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Know that your comment will only appear after I approve it.

If you are under 13 years old, please only comment 

with a parent or as part of a group with your teacher.

Surprises, Decisions, & Changes

 

Debby and Cooper, December 2, 2021

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Sometimes we are surprised by something wonderful! This happened for my mother yesterday. After losing her beloved Max in October, Max of the (JOHN AND BETSY poems), she was not sure she would ever want another dog.

Then...Cooper showed up. My sister and I are convinced that Max sent Cooper to her. And also convinced that Max is teaching Cooper to be a very excellent (and very housetrained) puppy, even from the great beyond.

Have you ever been surprised by something wonderful? Or have you ever changed your mind about something you felt sure about? Has your heart ever had to make a big decision? My mom had many mixed feelings about getting a new dog. She was a bit afraid that she might not love him as much as she loved Max, a little nervous about taking on such a big project, and still sad for her loss. But she is an overflowing-with-love person, and so of course Cooper, with Max's help, found her.

If you aren't sure what to write about this week, consider writing about a surprise or a big decision or a change of heart. This could be based on a true story from your life, from someone else's life, or it could be complete fiction. You might even include voices in your poem as I did, using the real words you imagine or remember someone would say or think.

Michelle is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at Michelle Kogan with a celebration of "holidaze" through joyful, hopeful, poetry and art. Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.

xo,

Amy

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.

Let's Make Some Valentines!

Thumbprint Hearts
by Amy LV

Students - Happy almost Valentine's Day!  I do love this holiday of tiny cards and tiny stickers and hearts made out of every kind of sweet imaginable, so today I thought I would write about candy.  I had two bags of candy, poured each out, and took this picture.  This picture was to be my writing inspiration.

Inspiring or Uninspiring?

Photo by Amy LV

But beware the best laid plans!  My brain did not want to write about these candies.  My brain wandered.  And my eyes wandered too.

My eyes wandered around the room and around the floor where something under the table caught my eye.

Who Keeps Art Supplies on the Floor?

Photo by Amy LV

Yes, it was a stamp pad.  Upside down.  Just sitting there.  Suddenly, I was overcome with a desire to make fat thumbprint hearts.  Sounds strange? Well, it's true. My forthcoming book, WITH MY HANDS, includes a bit of fingerprint art, and so I guess that fingerprints must be on my mind. 

I pressed my own thumb on ink and paper (see above), and I wrote today's poem.

Writing does not always follow a straight path, that's for sure!  Remember this as you write.  Keep your mind open for the surprises. Even a mess on the floor might invite a page or two.

This week, don't miss checking out SCHOOL PEOPLE, the new anthology by Lee Bennett Hopkins.  

Available from Your Local Book Shop

I loved writing about a wonderful nurse for this collection, and Robyn Hood Black, who wrote about a kind lunch lady shares all about the book with an interview of Lee and a book giveaway today at Life on the Deckle Edge.

At Sharing Our Notebooks, third grade teacher Dina Bolan and her writers from Alexander Hamilton Elementary School in Glen Rock, New Jersey share their nonfiction notebook entries.  Please leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a lovely new notebook.  

Sally is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at sallymurphy.com.au with some fun terse verse. Each week, we gather our posts together at one blog, so if you visit Sally this week...you will be introduced to many new poets and blogs and books.  

Happy Valentine's Day!

xo

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.

Come One! Come All! Poetry Friday is Here!

Welcome to this Week's

Party!

I am so glad you are here.  If you are new to Poetry Friday, you can learn more about it at Renée's place, No Water River.  In short, Poetry Friday is a big ol' weekly poetry party, and all are invited.  Welcome.  

Finding Murray

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Did you ever notice how something bad happening can help you see something good that was there the whole time?  I have noticed this, and yesterday, after seeing many signs for a LOST DOG, that very noticing and feeling crept into the ink of my pen, into the ink of my veins.

I started writing today's poem with the lines, "The good thing/about a bad thing..." and then just followed the words.  I did not plan at all to include the dog in the poem, did not plan at all to break the meter and rhythm of the poem at the end. But then...

• The dog showed up.
• The meter and rhythm broke at the end.
• I liked both of these surprises.

I believe it can be helpful to begin a piece of writing with a plan.  But I also believe it can be just as helpful to let the plan go, let the dog in, listen the broken meter and see how it matches the meter of your heart.

Why a broken meter?  Well, would you be counting meter if your lost dog just came home?  Me neither!

Find home, Murray...find home...

We have a winner of Cynthia Grady's beautiful book I LAY MY STITCHES DOWN: POEMS OF AMERICAN SLAVERY over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.  If you left a comment, it could be you!  Very shortly I'll have a new post over there, and I always welcome new notebookers to share in that space...please just let me know if you are be interested.

Below you will find links to all kinds of Poetry Friday goodness happening around the Kidlitosphere.  If you'd like to link in, I thank you!  And to all...may the posts you visit and read fill your hearts with joy and your pockets with laughter.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Day 24 - National Poetry Month 2015 - Sing That Poem!

Happy National Poetry Month!

Welcome to Day 24 of this Year's Poem Farm Project!

Find the Complete April 2015 Poem and Song List Here

First, I would like to welcome all old and new friends to The Poem Farm this April. Spring is a busy time on all farms, and this one is no exception.  Each April, many poets and bloggers take on special poetry projects, and I'm doing so too.  You can learn all about Sing That Poem! and how to play on my April 1st post, where you will also find the list of the whole month's poems and tunes as I write and share them.  If you'd like to print out a matching game page for yourself, you can find one here, and during April 2015, you'll be able to see the song list right over there in the left hand sidebar.

Yesterday's poem was I Want You to Know This before My Party.  Here is the tune that goes along with it, below. Did you figure it out?

And here, below, is today's poem.  Look at the song list in the sidebar or on your matching form to see if you can puzzle out which tune matches this one.

Snake Love

by Amy LV

Students - So, here is a little hint.  Today's song is has a serious and pretty tune.  At least I think it does. And for most of the serious and pretty tunes of this month, I have wanted to write serious and pretty words. See Blue Soul (Blowin' in the Wind), There is a Poem (You are my Sunshine), Red Kite (This Land is Your Land),and Still (Amazing Grace) if you have not been following along, and you will see what I mean.

Yesterday, though, I chose the tune for today - a serious and pretty tune - and I wanted to write something not serious or pretty to go with it. I just wanted to play with the juxtaposition of serious and silly at the same time.

With my poemsong At Night (On Top of Old Smokey), I did a bit the opposite. On Top of Old Smokey is a silly song, but my poemsong for that day is more on the comtemplative side.  Today's poem has a serious tune, but the words are silly.  It is fun to mix things up in both writing and life, don't you think?

I wrote much of today's poemsong in my car, as I have been doing a lot of driving lately.  I sang and drove and drove and sang, writing nothing until I arrived home - tune and words stuck in my head.  Then it was writing-revising time.  Once again, I needed to do a little bit of research, and that's where National Geographic came in handy.  You might like reading more about rattlesnakes there too.

As we have just one week of Sing That Poem left, I have also posted an extra hint for the remaining poemsongs on Twitter today, for anyone who has not been playing all month.  

In non-rattlesnake news, it is a sincere pleasure to welcome teacher Debbie Feasel and her second grade writers from Plank Road South Elementary in Webster, NY today.  In the slide show below, you will discover how she and her students colorfully play with line breaks and revision as they write their own poems.

Thank you very much to Debbie and her young writers for joining and sharing with us.  I have a feeling that I will be pulling out my colored pencils today for my own writing.

At One Deep Drawer, Kortney Garrision is offering a giveaway this week of my book, FOREST HAS A SONG. Simply leave a comment on today's post by Wednesday, and you will be entered to win.

Today Renée is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup at No Water River!  All are welcome to the weekly Poetry Friday roundups, a place where anyone who loves poetry can gather, see what others are sharing and share a poetry idea or poem too.  And today you are in luck because our host Renée will teach you all about Poetry Friday, just in time for this last Friday of National Poetry Month. We're here celebrating poems all year long, not only in April, and we hope you will visit us and find and offer all manner of poems for pockets and souls.

Please share a comment below if you wish.