Poetry Friday 6/22

It's Poetry Friday. Isn't that great? This week's round-up is hosted by painter-poet, Michelle at Moreart4all. She has a review of a new book I am in love with, Bayou Song, by our Poetry Friday friend, Margaret Simon. I cannot wait until everyone sees this gorgeous book!

This week was one of those weeks, you know?

It's summer--I'm having fun with some paper crafting and at the ice-cream place with my kids. I've stayed up late watching stupid TV and been reading books. 

But, I've also gotten caught up in the news cycle and too much social media. I found myself stressing out over a work in progress...and it's only the beginning of my assigned time to recharge my inner batteries. Hoo Boy!

It's time to breathe and find some balance. We creatives can take on more emotion than the average bear sometimes.

So, I gave myself a joy assignment.

*Remember the last time you felt joy?

*Do something that brings you joy

*Find joy

This poem brings me joy. 

Read
breathe
relax
repeat

Words are Birds

BY FRANCISCO X. ALARCÓN

words

are birds

that arrive

with books

and spring

they

love

clouds

the wind

and trees

page from my paper-craft journal
can you guess what my first written word was?

some words

are messengers

that come

from far away

from distant lands

for them

there are

no borders

only stars

moon and sun

some words

are familiar

like canaries

others are exotic

like the quetzal bird

some can stand

the cold

others migrate

with the sun

to the south

some words

die

caged—

they're difficult

to translate

and others

build nests

have chicks

warm them

feed them

teach them

how to fly

and one day

they go away

in flocks

the letters

on this page

are the prints

they leave

by the sea

Francisco X. Alarcon, "Words are Birds" from Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems. Copyright © 1997 by Francisco X. Alarcon.  Reprinted by permission of Lee & Low Books.

Source: Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems (Lee & Low Books, 1997)

PS: I didn't know that 6/23 is National Pink Day....but Sandra Boyton did and it makes me giggle.

Poetry Friday June 15, 2018

Thank you, Karen Edmisten for hosting this week's poetry round-up. I'm enjoying summertime poetry!

My summer schedule gave me a chance to visit @justonemorepage to hear Kate Messner speak about reading, writing and her newest book, Breakout.

Messner, Kate. Breakout. New York. Bloomsbury. 2018. print.

Breakout is a novel in documents based on a real-life prison-break at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Donnemara, New York in 2015. 

What does, Breakout, have to do with poetry? 

Kate described writing several versions of a Breakout manuscript. Her challenge was telling a story of the prison-break for kids from many perspectives. Poetry offers ways of doing that. The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson is a perfect example of how possible poetry makes such a challenge.

At one point,  Breakout was a manuscript entirely in verse. In her talk, Kate described the puzzle-solving of how to tell a story...and it had to be a different way that included lots and lots of stuff the way a kid would do. She shared pictures of massive hand-made looking spreadsheets. But, when it came down to it, the story drove the method of telling...and the published book we see today is not in verse.

Poetry remains, however. One of the main characters, Elidee, is a new kid in town. She's also a poet. She brings not only her love of reading poetry of famous poets such as Nikki Giovanni and Jaqueline Woodson to the story but also some of her writing. It's a wonderful way of allowing poetry to shine in a book for kids without the book being "a" poetry book. I love it.

Below is a page in Elidee's voice in which she uses a Nikki Giovanni poem as a mentor text. There are many of these throughout the book.

Learning from Nikki Giovanni p. 27

The current version of Breakout makes for a perfect genre-bending middle-grade adventure-mystery with non-fiction elements novel in documents. As a librarian for kids....I'm thrilled with the wide audience Breakout meets.

But wait....there's more for writers too!

Kate published a 23 blog post series about the writing of Breakout. The posts match 23 days all of Upstate New York was looking for the escapees and living in fear of two murderers on the lamb in the woods of the Adirondacks. One of her posts focuses on Elidee's poetry She writes lullabies for where she's from and where she's arrived. 

Furthermore, each of Kate's 23 posts includes a writing assignment, an invitation to write or revise. These 23 posts are like a mini writer's course. I highly recommend reading them.

I'm now enjoying some of my summertime writing lullabies for where I am from and where I live now. Someday, I'll share. 

How about you? Do you have a lullaby for a place? What would it sound like?

Poetry Friday June 8th

Good Poetry Friday to you,

Today is the last day of school for this Teacher Librarian. And...

I
am
pooped.

Friday is not really an ending but more of a rest stop before continuing on this journey in library. I really needed this rest stop to shake out my limbs. Of course, I'll play a little too...my focus for this year of writing.

This past week, a social media post from poet Jeanine Atkins caught my eye. 

From Jeanine Atkins Facebook Page 6/2/18

Isn't Jeanine's invitation to reflect simply wonderful? Her simple question gave me some lovely writing moments this week and I am grateful.

Her question took me to some reading too. This month's featured poet at The Poetry Foundation is a colleague of Jeanine and also a favorite poet of mine. She writes about an early wonder in this poem.

I was struck at how precious a young person's wonder is to protect. This summer I will refresh my energy for that task.

Turtle Came to See Me

BY MARGARITA ENGLE

The first story I ever write

is a bright crayon picture

of a dancing tree, the branches

tossed by island wind.

I draw myself standing beside the tree,

with a colorful parrot soaring above me,

and a magical turtle clasped in my hand,

and two yellow wings fluttering

on the proud shoulders of my ruffled

Cuban rumba dancer's

fancy dress.

(read the rest at The Poetry Foundation)

Our friend Keisha is hosting this week's poetry round-up at Whispers from the Ridge. I love Keisha's reminders of the spiritual elements of poetry and invitations to respond to wonder. I often write in response to a visit to Keisha's Ridge. I hope you will too.