Try an Object-Inspired-Advice Poem

Spring Bulbs Peeking Up!
Photo by Amy LV

Students - I have this little basket pot of spring bulbs growing in my study window, and each hour they seem to peek up just a bit more. When the sun was shining so prettily on them the other day, I just had to take their picture. Later, I decided to write this small poem inspired by the bulbs. Remember this, you can always take or sketch pictures for someday-writing-inspiration. You need not always sit down and think of an idea on the spot. Like squirrels gathering acorns for winter, we can prepare ourselves for our writing times by filling our cheeks with thoughts, impressions, and wonderings.

Today's poem gives a little bit of advice and a hope for the reader. And it was inspired by the needs of a plant. This has me wondering what other things in and around me might hvae advice or hopes tucked inside of them. Maybe this old chair wants to tell people to be sure to make time to rest. And perhaps my warm socks and sturdy boots would advise me to stop and think about the places I have been. Or maybe they would tell me to keep going, keep seeking. It is possible they would wish me good journeys.

If you are looking for something to try this week, consider choosing an object or animal or natural living thing to inspire you. Look around you right now. Make a list of the most interesting or inspiring things that catch your eye at this moment (looking out of the window or into your mind's eye is allowed of course!) 

Now, sketch (or photograph if you wish) this thing. Listen to it and to yourself, "What advice or hope would this object or animal offer to me?" Make a list if you wish, thinking about these questions:

• What advice would this object give to me?
• What hope might this object have for people?
• If this could talk, what might it teach me?
• What does things object want me to know and understand?

Allow what you learn to find its way to the page and to your own object-inspired-advice-poem. You may choose to write this poem in your own voice as I did, or you may choose to write it in the voice of the object or animal itself. If I had done this, I might have written something like, I am a plant./I need these things...

Elisabeth is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at Unexpected Intersections with a lovely acrostic that flows so naturally from line to line. If you are mostly familiar with acrostic poems that stop severely at the end of each line, do not miss her words about F-E-B-R-U-A-R-Y. Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.

We have a lot of snow where I live, but I will still tilt my face up to the sky for a bit today. I wish you sun rays on your face as well.

xo,

Amy

Afternoon Update: The bulbs are blooming! The bulbs are blooming! Just LOOK at these tiny irises.

Blooming Bulbs

Photo by Amy LV

Spring Close Up

Photo by Amy LV

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Gran Teatre del Liceu

Plants Love Music

by Amy LV

amylvpoemfarm · Gran Teatre Del Liceo - a poem by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Students - This week found me enchanted by this true story, a concert for houseplants at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain. You may read about it at NPR. When I watch the concert, when I think about the musicians filling this hall, when I think about plants listening to a quartet, when I think about the plants carrying this music in their leaves and stems and roots to the homes of healthcare workers, I choke up.

This is beautiful and whimsical and necessary to me, and I thank the musicians of the Gran Teatre del Liceu for the idea, the work, the concert. When I listen, I choke up.

We can always write about the news. We can always write about what moves us deeply.

Enjoy this Concert for Plants!

Karen is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at Karen's Got a Blog! with a sweet Father's Day memory about a Norwegian nursery rhyme and a beautiful Norwegian poem too. We invite everybody to join in each Friday as we share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship. Check out my left sidebar to learn where to find this poetry goodness each week of the year.

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milkweed...and monarchs

Milkweed
Photo by Amy LV

I will add an audio recording this evening.

Students - I find milkweed to be one of the most beautiful plants in our yard's fall landscape. When I see a full pod of wishes, I sometimes blow them into air, making wishes for strangers. And I know that these seeds will plant themselves, growing food for monarch caterpillars come spring.

In the above photograph and below video, taken a couple of weeks ago, you can see a milkweed pod in our pasture. Notice how the seeds are holding on. But in just a few more gusts of wind...off they'll go, planting themselves in new dirt homes.

You probably noticed that I had some fun playing with the spacing of the words in this poem. I wanted to mirror the feeling of milkweed wish movement.

And why no capitals? Well, I'm not sure about that. Somehow this poem felt softer to me without capitals and punctuation, I suppose.

If you are interested in learning more about milkweed and how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service harvests milkweed seeds to plant for monarch butterflies, visit HERE. Among other things, you will see a wonderful photograph of milkweed seeds all tight in the pod...that is the milkweed-stage I always think looks fish-like.

If you'd like to see summer milkweed plants in our front garden and read a poem about monarchs and how we love to see them passing through, HERE you go.

Michelle is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at at Today's Little Ditty with a hearty welcome to the 2017-2018 edition of THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY! We invite everybody to join in each Friday as we share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship. Check out my left sidebar to learn where to find this poetry goodness every week.

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.