Poem for a Good Human

Graduate and Good Human

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Happy graduation to so many of you! And happy graduation to our son Henry who graduates from both high school and community college this week. This poem is dedicated to him. If you admire someone you can always write a poem for this person as a tribute. Doing so helps us appreciate those we care for, and too, the poems can be sweet gifts.

Usually I write more here about Friday poems, but during this time (through Mid-June 2020), I am instead sharing weekday writing videos for students and teachers at Keeping a Notebook and will crosspost here on Fridays.

Carol is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Beyond Literacy Link with a sneak peek at her lovely Nature Nurtures 2020 Gallery. As for Poetry Friday, we invite everybody to join in each Friday as we share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship. Check out my left sidebar to learn where to find this poetry goodness each week of the year.

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Read Seasons in Sunflowers...Poem #210

 August

Photo by Amy LV

 September

Photo by Amy LV

Driving around a couple of days ago, I saw this drooping sunflower.  I felt sad when I remembered its glory just two months before.  Then I felt happy, thinking about ten months from now, when all of its sunflower babies will be standing tall, some nearby and some far away.

Students - This poem is simply a description, a word picture, of one sunflower at two times in its life.  You probably noticed that this poem is divided into two stanzas, and each one takes place during a different month. In this poem, I wished to snap a wordshot of how a sunflower's head position changes over time.

Something about words here too: while this poem does not rhyme at the ends of its lines, you will hear that the first stanza rhymes some internal vowels: gazes, straight, and face.  In the second stanza, you hear more repetition of sounds: seeds, deeply, and weep.

A writer thinks much like being a scientist.  Look closely.  Quiet down.  Observe.  Today on the playground or later at home, stare at things.  Let one image capture you like a prisoner, and do not look away.  If you are reading this in writing workshop now, walk over to the window or take a walk outside.  Be wowed by an image.  Then write your description, as finely and truly as you are able.

As always, I would love to read any student poems that grow from your visits here.  Teachers, please leave a note in the comments if you are willing to share student work on a Poetry Peek Friday!

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My Poem Writing Year #191 - This Windmill

On my way home from school in Hilton, NY last evening, I drove through the High Sheldon Wind Farm on Route 77.  Each time I drive this route, my eyes are drawn upward and around, marveling at these whirling dervishes so quietly making electricity.  I am awed by the humans who think of such things and curious about the inner workings of such machines.

Students - this poem is simply descriptive.  I have looked at these wind turbines many times, and I think of them as big metal flowers, as spinning wheels for air.  Last night I sought to paint a playful picture of this movement with words, to compare one windmill to a spinning wheel and to a large flower.  You might try this.  Look at something carefully, and through the words of your poem, describe what you see, compare what you see to something else.

I enjoyed writing this poem because it is a science-y topic, a fascinating world of alternative energy.  Poetry can happily grow from our nonfiction interests, so if you are a person who loves space or animals or learning about the Civil War, consider allowing these interests and fact-fascinations to inspire your poetry and writing.

You may have noticed that certain words in this poem begin with the same sounds - the 'm' sounds in 'massive metal flower' and the 'w' sounds in 'whisking winds' were not accidents.  Rather, I tried many different words until I found ones which began with the same sounds.  This is called alliteration, or repeating of initial sounds of words, and one way that I revise my poetry is by rereading to ask myself, "Might I change a word to strengthen the alliteration of this line?"

If you would like to learn more about how windmills work, you can see an animation showing how wind turbines spin air into power at The US Department of Energy or read even more at Horizon Wind Energy.

Tomorrow is Poetry Friday, and in celebration of this new school year off to a healthy start, I will be linking along the right-hand side to The Poem Farm's previous Poetry Peeks.  Next week, we welcome teacher and author Lynda Sentz from Cloverbank Elementary in Hamburg, NY and her fourth graders for yet another peek inside one classroom's celebration of poetry.

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