Celebrate Secondhand Objects

Everything Thrifted

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Every bit of clothing you see in the photo above was owned by someone (or someones) before me. The hat belonged to my former and now deceased English Professor Julia Walker, the silk scarf came from a thrift store about a year ago, and I just purchased the blue corduroy jacket with its velvet cuffs and collar earlier this week. Yay for old clothing owned once by others! My good friend Katie has a motto - "Secondhand first," a motto I believe is very wise. Not only do we save money when we buy used, we also preserve stories and protect the planet by conserving resources. So...if you have ever wondered about thrifting, please know that I am 100% Team Thrift, celebrating the preservation of stories and resources.

Today's poem is about one thrifted item, my "new" blue coat. When I saw it hanging on the rack this week, I knew it would be mine next. And I do so love imagining the memories and stories and songs that used jackets and scarves and shirts and skirt hold from their former owner (owners?)

Do you own an article of clothing or a toy or another object that was once owned by someone else? What is this object? What memories do you believe it still might hold? You may wish to pretend that this object is talking to you, sharing memories of its past. Do these memories make you laugh? Cry? Write about what you imagine, what you wonder, what you think, what you believe.

It is environmentally sound and poetic to buy used. Be like my friend Katie. Remember her words, "Secondhand first." You help the planet...and you can imagine some good stories too.

If you're interested, here is my messy, crossed-out draft for today's poem. Celebrate the discovery of the just-right word! It takes time, dear friends, time. 

Glorious Messy Draft

Click to Enlarge

Photo by Amy LV

Thank you to Tricia for hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at The Miss Rumphius Effect with a celebration of typewriters (and inspiration for me to pull out my old orange typewriter!) 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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L is for LIVELY & L is for LEE!

LIVELY

Photo by Amy LV

Happy Birthday!
by Amy LV

Happy birthday to Lee Bennett Hopkins!

Students - Today's poem is a celebratory poem for the birthday of my teacher and friend.  Throughout history, people have written verses and sung songs to commemorate special days.  That's what I have done today, written to celebrate!  In time, I hope to put a tune to this little poem, to make it a birthday song.

Lee Bennett Hopkins, interviewed yesterday at Poetry For Children, holds the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS record for the most children's poetry anthologies.  If there were a record for the most poets nurtured, he would win that as well.  Generous as usual, Lee offered to answer a few questions about his work today.

How did poetry first come into your life?

Poetry came into my life when I began teaching elementary school in Fair Lawn, NJ, in 1960.  Using verse with reluctant readers became magical. Poems are usually short, vocabulary simple, and often more could be said and felt within 8 or 10 or 12 lines of poetry than sometimes an entire novel could convey.

As the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS holder for number of children's poetry anthologies, what do you consider when putting together an anthology such as your latest, NASTY BUGS?

The first consideration was to give readers a look at true problems various bugs can bring into our lives.  Then, I had to research the many, many types of bugs, narrowing the list down to include bugs children would be familiar with...head lice, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, et. al.

NASTY BUGS was a delight to compile. Not only are the poems diverse, but they pack a lot of scientific information within them.  Another wonderful aspect of NASTY BUGS is that every poem is new to readers: none had been published before.

What makes you fall in love with a poem?

I fall in love with poems that make me say aloud: "Oooh" or "Ah".  It is the oooh/ah factor that causes me to know a poem is truly great.

Do you have any advice for child writers?

Read.  Read lots of poems.  After your fill of silly and humorous, steer to more serious works.  Light verse is fine...but it is light -- it gets boring after a while. Read poems that say something to you, have meaning in your life.

One question that Lee is often asked is, "Why poetry?"  Here is his answer, reprinted with permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Why Poetry?

by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Why poetry?

Why?

Why sunsets?

Why trees?

Why birds?

Why seas?

Why you?

Why me?

Why friends?

Why families?

Why laugh?

Why cry?

Why hello?

Why good-bye?

Why poetry?

That's why!

Happy happy birthday, Lee!  Thank you for all you have done for poetry and for children and for poets. Many thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group for donating 2 copies of NASTY BUGS for today's giveaway.  Please just leave a comment on today's post by Sunday at 11:59pm, and you may win a copy of this book.  There will be two winners!  

Available through Amazon

Anastasia is hosting today's Poetry Friday over at Booktalking.  Head on over to read all of today's goodies... It's April and the buffet table is full!

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