LIVE!
Happy National Poetry Month! This April 2014, I will be writing and posting a new THRIFT STORE poem, live, each day. You'll see the drafts as they grow, my thoughts about writing a collection, revisions, and planning. My hope is that by month's end, I will have a collection of poems worth revising and someday, worth submitting as a book.
Each day I will tell you how long the poemdraft took me to write, and most days the I will have written it the day before. (Disclaimer - Due to travel and work, there may be a few variations in actual writing time.) I do this for me, for a month of writing fun, and also with a hope that it may be interesting to a few classrooms of young writers. I welcome your comments and invite you to join me in taking one topic to explore for several days.
AMVETS in Depew, NY
Photo by Amy LV
Students - Here are my drafts from yesterday. This poemdraft took about one hour to write, from 2:45pm - 3:42pm on Monday, March 31, 2014. I began by sitting on my living room couch with a copy of X.J. Kennedy's THE BEASTS OF BETHLEHEM (1992), illustrated by Michael McCurdy.
Truthfully, I was a wee bit nervous on the eve of National Poetry Month, having committed to such a public project on a topic that matters dearly to me. But I took refuge in Kennedy's poem - "Mouse" - relying heavily on its rhyme scheme and meter to get me started. If you study his poem, you will see where mine differs, and you will find the two lines of my poem that only have seven syllables instead of eight. What do you notice about the way the lines of today's verse rhyme?
You may also notice that the second stanza of today's poem is simply a list. If you have FOREST HAS A SONG, you will be able to find a couple of other poems with such embedded lists. I like them.
Ready to Write (Note My Thrift Store Quilt)
Photo by Amy LV
Draft #1 Page #1
Photo by Amy LV
Draft #1 Page #2
Photo by Amy LV
As you look at my drafts throughout this month, you will notice that I have little habits, things I do over and over again. I have writing routines that help me focus. Here are a few of them:
1. I cross out. A LOT.
2. I often write the alphabet to help me find rhyming words that make sense.
3. I write all over the place, and it's pretty messy.
Some of you may be wondering why or how I chose this topic? Well, I am a thrift store shopper. On any given day, half of what I am wearing comes from a thrift store. Much of my furniture was purchased at thrift stores. I love the stories and the mysteries and the hunt of shopping in thrift stores...not to mention the prices!
One of my favorite books is THOSE SHOES, by Maribeth Boelts, a book that celebrates thrift store shopping.
And just this winter, I had the experience of asking a six-year-old girl where she had gotten her beautiful vintage Barbie doll. She would not tell me. When she walked away, her teacher explained that this girl was embarrassed because her grandma had purchased the Barbie doll at a thrift store. She did not want her classmates to know, and so kept quiet when I asked. Later, when I shared with the class how I had built a great shoe collection thanks to my obsession with thrift stores, the young girl, all smiles, whispered in my ear, "That's where my doll came from!"
No one should feel embarrassed about shopping at thrift stores. Thrift stores are fantastic! So I choose to make them my April project. Yay for reusing wonderful things! Yay for saving money! Yay for stories!
Yesterday, I visited two thrift stores, taking many photographs to get me through at least the next week. It was fun to look with this new eye, as usually my thrift store time is spent simply shopping. Yesterday I looked for possibile poems, not just possible deals.
But, of course, I found some deals too.
New Old Plates, New Old Book, New Old Gloves - All Mine
Photo by Amy LV
To find all kinds of poetry happenings in the Kidlitosphere this month, visit Jama's cozy home on the web, Jama's Alphabet Soup. She has a list!
Happy happy National Poetry Month! May you find poems under your feet and in your heart, all month long.
Please share a comment below if you wish.
