Long Live the Kunimasu with Poem #263

A couple of days ago, I turned on my phone to see that Yahoo had an article up about the kunimasu, a Japanese salmon believed extinct for the past 70 years.  But lo and behold!  A team of researchers has just found many of them in Lake Saiko, near Mount Fuji.  These fish are not extinct at all, and they kept their secret for seven decades.  I am very happy for the kunimasu and for us.

I began drafting this poem on Thursday, in front of a group of third and fourth grade students at Country Parkway Elementary in Williamsville, NY.  These students were writing free verse poems, and after we talked about and read free verse for a bit, I modeled thinking and drafting on this chart.

Chart from December 16, 2010 

by Amy LV

It's clear to see that today's poem did not end up in free verse after all.  Maybe I shall try another kunimasu poem, a free verse one.  If I do, I think it will be from the fishes' perspective.

It was exciting to see the variety of poetry students wrote last Thursday, on all topics from authors to new ice cream flavors to the importance of wearing hats.  One girl wrote from the point of view of a whale, referring to us as "humans."  I may have an opportunity to share some of these students' poems here, and some of them may be turned into dance and song by high school students.  Some interpretations may be performed on an evening in April with former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser!

(Please click on COMMENTS below to share a thought.)