A Color for My Teacher

Please note that on Poetry Friday August 23 we will celebrate the life of Lee Bennett Hopkins here at The Poem Farm. At Jone MacCulloch's great suggestion, I invite everyone who wishes to write and share a poem inspired by or including a line from a LBH poem. Tag with #DearOneLBH. Thank you. xo, Amy

Cotton on Linen

Photo by Amy LV

Sky Over Barn Over Thistles

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Poetry Great Lee Bennett Hopkins died yesterday after living a rich, beautiful, word-filled, generous life.  I am thankful to call him my teacher as he was teacher to so many.  And while I grieve and mourn today, my work is to continue to write the best I can...the way Lee taught me to do.

As I told my children last night, when you wish to learn something deeply, seek a mentor. And my wish for you is that you will be as fortunate as I was in finding one so giving, so funny, so wise.

One day when you are filled with tears, remember that you can turn tears into words. It helps a little.  I liked stitching these stitches today, finding the thistles, looking for words and remembering.

Please read about and celebrate Lee's life here at his website and here in yesterday's news.  Read one of his books!  And suddenly, you may find yourself reading 120 of his books!  (Did you know he is in the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS for having edited the most poetry anthologies for children?) 

Lee Bennett Hopkins

1938 - 2019

Photo by Charles Egita

May he rest in peace and poetry.

xx

Molly is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Nix the comfort zone with a post about writing from titles and two lovely poems with the same title - Lost in the Milky Way. Please know that we gather each Friday, sharing poems and poemlove, and all are always welcome.

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.

Firepaw and Charlie - a Friendship Poem

Charlie

Photo by Elizabeth Pellette

Firepaw
Photo by Amy LV

Students - This is a true poem.  Firepaw is really our cat.  And Charlie was really our neighbor cat.  They loved each other.  When Charlie died earlier this year, I wished that Firepaw could understand English, even if just for a moment.  I wanted so dearly to explain that Charlie was gone, would not be coming back.  When I see Firepaw waiting down by the mailbox these days, I wish I could help him understand.

We all have feelings that come up again and again, good feelings, sad feelings, confused feelings, lonely feelings, surprising feelings.  We might talk about our feelings and wishes with other people, or we might want to keep them to ourselves. Writing is a way to help make sense of these things, to see them on the page, and both celebrate inside and heal our hearts too.

Firepaw still does have his sister, Pickles.  She is another one of our cats.  They love each other too...so Firepaw is not alone.  But we still miss Charlie.

In news this week, I have been very busy at my other blog.  A bit less than two weeks ago, Kimberley Moran from iWrite in Maine suggested that I host a Summer Edition of ideas at Sharing Our Notebooks. Well, 43 entries of crowdsourcing later, the collection of ideas is beautiful and rich, and I welcome your voice too! You can read about the project here and check out the list of ideas here. Teachers, be sure to check out the bookmarks in the Sharing Our Notebooks sidebar too.  So many wonderful ideas for summer!  I am truly grateful to host this collection and cannot wait to see where it goes.

Margaret is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Reflections on the Teche.  Visit her online home to learn about all of the delicious poetry goodies around the Kidlitosphere today.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

Frosty Heart & Happy News

Thor & Me, 1971
Photo by George or Debby Ludwig

Students - Today's poem is a love poem, a remembering love poem.  I wrote it because of an event and a conversation from this week: some dear friends are missing their dog who was hit by a car, and I had a talk with a young man about the dog he loved and still misses.  Even after loss, love lives on inside of us, and sometimes writing a poem or reading a poem can help us hold onto and remember a loving time.  Let poems be there for you, all the time, in the reading and in the writing.

When I think of old pets, like Thor in the picture above, I think of Miller Williams' poem, Animals.  Each new and loved animal begins a new chapter in my life.

And now, a little bit of happy news!  Each year, the Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) are announced on Valentine's Day, with one winner in each category chosen from several nominees.  I am honored to share that my book with Robbin Gourley, FOREST HAS A SONG, was chosen as the 2013 Cybils poetry winner.  

Much gratitude to Laura Purdie Salas for the nomination, and to the judges for your kind words and for believing in our book.  My husband woke me up this morning, laptop in hand, to tell me tell me that FOREST had won!

Round One Judges:

Ed deCaria, Think, Kid, Think!

Kelly Fineman, Writing and Ruminating

Jone MacCulloch, Check It Out

Anastasia Suen, Poet! Poet!

Sylvia Vardell, Poetry for Children

April Halprin Wayland, Teaching Authors

Bridget Wilson, What is Bridget Reading?

Round Two Judges:

Linda Baie, TeacherDance

Matt Esenwine, Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme

Renee La Tulippe, No Water River

Julie Larios, The Drift Record

Irene Latham, Live Your Poem

Linda is hosting today's special Valentine's Day Poetry Friday over at TeacherDance.  Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Poetry Friday both...may your whole weekend be full of love.  xo

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