Hat - Poem #21 for April 2014 Poetry Project

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Learn about this, my April 2014 Poetry Project, HERE!

Hat

Photo by Amy LV

Students - I want to hug the hat atop this post.  It is one of my favorite photos of the whole month so far, likely because it makes me think about my husband's grandfather, a man I adored.  Grandpa VanDerwater wore a small blue summer hat (which Mark now sometimes wears), and so I have a soft spot for small blue mens' hats.

I considered the idea of this poem for a while.  For a time (in my head only and earlier yesterday), this poem was going to be about the wise hat of the thrift store, to whom other objects go for advice.  But upon further consideration, I didn't want the wise object to be a man's hat - why wouldn't it be a woman's hat? - so I got back to the drawing board.

That's when Joe appeared.

Why?  Well, I think he came from one of my old favorite David McCord (I adore David McCord) poems, "Joe" - a poem about a squirrel that frequently visits a bird feeder.  And of course I know a couple of special Joes with whom we spent Easter.  And Joe is just such a friendly and solid name. The hat FELT like a Joe hat.

Today's poem is written in quatrains, or four line, rhymed stanzas.  Usually, I rhyme only the second and fourth lines of quatrains (sometimes the first and third too, but often not), so this was especially fun and challenging.

You can see below where I listed rhyming words to help me find four decent ones per each of the four stanzas.  If I was not able to find four rhymes that made sense (tip, because...), then I simply chose another word and rewrote.

Hat - Draft Page Spread #1 

Photo by Amy LV

Once again, my final revisions last night came after recording.  It seemed all good to me, but when I recorded, the second stanza was simply off.  Time to rewrite again.

Writers like rewriting.  Rewriting is fun and fascinating.  Oh, and infuriating. And wonderful. 

Please share a comment below if you wish.

The Owl in the Door - Magic Everywhere!

Third Floor Women's Restroom Door

Webster Central Schools District Office

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Here's a funny little story for you.  So, this past Tuesday I was leading a workshop for wonderful third grade teachers in Webster, NY.  The middle school and district office building is one and the same, and it has beautiful wooden doors.  Leaving the women's restroom on the third floor, I was struck by this marvelous owl you see above in wood grain.  You do see it, don't you?

Well, I decided I needed to take her picture.  But there was a little problem. Another woman was in the restroom.  What would she think?  Who takes pictures in restrooms?  

There was no choice.  I took out my phone/camera and snapped a few photos, mumbling excuses to the woman at the sink, "Um, I'm just taking a picture of this door.  I know it's a little weird."  I didn't explain about the owl; after all, she was busy washing her hands.  I just took the picture.

I heard her voice, "Oh, no. It's not weird."  I wondered if she was backing away slowly, wishing was not trapped in a restroom with a strange door photographer.  She was kind, but I hurried out, tucking my phone safely in my pocket until Wednesday evening when I looked at it again.  Still an owl!  So glad I took the photo.  So glad I took the risk.

Today's poem is written in quatrains, four line stanzas.  I often write in quatrains, did so last week.  But this week's poem was a bit more of a challenge, because instead of just rhyming the second and fourth lines of each stanza, I also rhymed the first and third lines.  I have been thinking about rhyming like this for some time, and this week was that time.  You might wish to look at the poem and find the rhyming words.  Sometimes people mark such rhymes with circles or colors, to see the pattern.  We call this pattern an ABAB pattern because just like in ABAB, the lines alternate in sound.

Sometimes a poem has more cross-outs in part of it than it has words.  Such was the case with the last stanza of this verse.  I simply could not decide how to end it. Finally, I did!  

Many congratulations to Joyce Sidman for her newest reason to celebrate her newest book, WHAT THE HEART KNOWS: CHANTS, CHARMS, AND BLESSINGS.  This book just won the prestigious Claudia Lewis Award, given by Bank Street College for "the best poetry book of the year."  You absolutely, cross my heart, want this book in your collection.  

Indie Bound

Renee is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at No Water River.  Swim over to her beautiful place and enjoy all of the poetic joy in the Kidlitosphere this week! 

Please share a comment below if you wish.

Dollhouse - Play is Real

A Peek Into Our Dollhouse

Photo by Amy LV

Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - Did you ever have a day when you sat down to write and had no idea what to write?  I sure have.  Sometimes it feels so scary, as if there are no ideas left in the world...or as if all of the good ones have been used by someone else.  But you know what?  This is never true.  Poet Maya Angelou said, "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."   And this is completely true.  Creativity is like love.

So, even when that "I don't know what to write" feeling sets in, I write.  Today I looked around and just picked something I saw - the little girls in bed in our dollhouse.  This dollhouse is so big that it cannot fit through most doorways in our home, so it will forever live in the living room, even when our children are all grown up.  If you were to visit us, you could play with it!

Can you see that this whole poem is written in quatrains?  Almost.  One part is not.  Why do you think I made that decision?

I am tickled that Nicole Gulotta has chosen my poem "Apple Pockets" for her guest post over at Jama's Alphabet Soup.  She has paired the poem with a delicious-looking recipe for apple muffins which I plan to make this weekend...yum!

This week's Poetry Friday roundup is over at Tabatha's place, The Opposite of Indifference. Along with a lovely poem and this week's poem menu, Tabatha is planting seeds for Poetry Month, such a welcome winter idea!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

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