SAT Prep

Photo Credit: Thistle by Brenda Lowry

Good Poetry Friday,

It's so nice to welcome the last Friday of this month. What busy-ness we've been up to in these power packed weeks. 

I'm celebrating a continuation of a Thursday morning writing practice that started with Laura Purdie Salas'. 15 Words or Less. Weekly, Laura would post a photo and ask readers to draft a poem of 15 words or less to share in the comment section. 

Throughout the day more and more poets would jot poems and commenters could respond with positive critique. Great community and poem building fun was had by all.

Alas, Laura has become so busy with authorship that she lovingly ended 15 Words or Less on her blog. 

However, Margaret Simon has brought this favorite wake-up writing of mine back with, This Photo Wants to be a Poem, Thursday mornings on her blog, Reflections on the Teche. Hooray!

I sure was happy to play with Thistle by Brenda Lowry.

SAT Test Prep

If thistle is to
sea anemone

as bee is to
clown fish

What can
anyone learn
from this?

(c) Linda Mitchell

Before I pop over to Karen Edminsten's blog who's hosting Poetry Friday this week (thank you, Karen!) I want to put a bug in your ear about David L. Harrison's new book, Dark at Night: Poems of Nocturnal Animals (Word Song 2020). I reviewed it here yesterday, and Word Song is generously offering a book to a randomly selected commenter on my review post.  It's a wonderful picture book poem collection. Take a peek and put your name in the hat! 

After Dark: Poems About Nocturnal Animals

Good Morning,

How are you feeling? Did you sleep well last night? Did you feel refreshed upon waking?

Great!  Now it's time for some nocturnal animal friends to sleep, refresh and re-energize. They have been out ALL night in our world on their shift.

After Dark: Poems About Nocturnal Animals by David L. Harrison (Word Song 2020) has made its way into our world. Hooray!

Just as loving grown-ups read these 21 poems to sleepy humans before bedtime...our animal counterparts are waking up for their night of ...

bouncing

hunting

storing

howling

fighting

lurking

digging

grinning

sitting

eating

teasing

flying

sniffing

flexing

prowling

laying

surviving

trilling

sliming

chirping

texting

escaping

If you think this all seems just like a classroom of youngsters. I'd agree! Even though plenty of poems focus on adult animals, Harrison includes young wolf  pups, scorpion larvae, skunk kits, and even hermit crab eggs. These are easy connections for young listeners to make as they themselves are growing.

Adults will enjoy sharing these poems with young people in their lives. This one is my personal favorite:

Insect Texting by David Harrison

Insect Texting
(Common Eastern Firefly)

Firefly flashes
polka dot the lawn.
Blinker off...
Blinker on.
Looking for a mate
before they're all gone.
Blinker off...
Blinker on.

Firefly females
watch from the grass,
checking each flash
as suitors pass.

Checking how bright,
how long it lasts,
firefly females
watch from the grass.

Firefly flashes
polka dot the lawn,
might find a mate
before they're all gone.
Blinker off...
Blinker on.

(c) David L. Harrison

A lovely note to the "hardworking staff and volunteers at the Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital," by the illustrator led me to their website where I enjoyed peeking at the marvelous work humans are doing to preserve wildlife in our world.

https://lindsaywildlife.org/hospital-2/

Intrigued? Want to know more about this book or add it to your to-be-read pile? Super! Publisher Word Song will send a copy of After Dark to a randomly selected commenter of today's post. Thanks for reading...and your curiosity about nocturnal animals. The giveaway ends Sunday 2/1/2020.

More places you can learn about After Dark:

New Year Cento

Happy Poetry Friday,

When reading Dictionary for a Better World by Irene Latham and Charles Waters (Carolrhoda Books February 4, 2020) I learned that a cento poem is a poem comprised of lines from other poems by other poets. 

I thought, ooooh! I want to try that. Since I so recently received a bunch of New Year's postcards from our Postcard Exchange, thanks to Jone McCullough, I started there.

lines of poets re-typed and cut for arrangement....a cento in progress

New Year Cento

Bold Dreams bursting from the sky
the glitter
in unexpected places

Just enough
winterberry
for snow to fall

Windows of life
open for our thoughts to inspire
a snow day

Stacks of books, rivers
words on waves
wishing

Imagine that
in the poetry
through the new year

Lines of poetry by poets in order of appearance

1. Kimberly Hutmacher
2. Diane Mayr
3. Molly Hogan

4. Christie Wyman
5. Robert Erdman
6. Kay McGriff

7. Carol Varsalona
8. Margaret Simon
9. Christie Wyman

10. Kay McGriff
11. Jone McCullough
12. Christie Wyman


13. Robyn Hood Black
14. Molly Hogan
15. Kay McGriff


Hop over to Library Matters for the rest of this week's poetry goodness. And, pick up a copy of Dictionary for a Better World. It's an amazing book. I have so much more to write about it....soon.

Re-cycled Book Page Valentines

Happy Valentines Day

If ever there was a day for poery, this is it! 

Our dear Linda Baie is hosting today's round-up. She's requested some sugary love. Skip the calories and read to your sweet-tooth's content at Teacher Dance .

I'm crazy for collaging. I can pinpoint the moment I knew I wanted to start. It was after reading Euka Holm's book about Fannie Lou Hamer and then seeing Ms. Holmes present at a Virginia Association of School Librarian's Conference. My fingers just wanted to get into some paper and glue.

I've been collaging for a couple of years and I've learned lots. One of the things I've learned is that my creations aren't quite the way I want them to look...YET. So, I keep trying techniques, poking around pinterest and youtube and having fun.

How to Make a Valentine

Find some paper
and some glue
grab some magic markers too.
Fold the paper
Cut points and curves
Don't let the scissor
wreck your nerves.
Paste little hearts
atop bigger ones.
Write a name
You're nearly done
Spell L-O-V-E
deliver clandestinely.
Congratulations
Aren't you fine?
You've just made
a valentine.

(c) Linda Mitchell -- thanks to Laura Shovan's 8th annual February Poetry Project 

Valentine notes made from weeded library books by Linda

A cherita to go along with recycled book love notes.

Once upon a time

With strong spines, fresh leaves
stories flowered, petals bloomed

Open, close, open, close
sun, moon, wind, laughter
weed pile, shears, new life...Valentine

(c) Linda Mitchell

First Friday Terza Rima Challenge

Hello Friday, Hello Poetry!

Writing the World for Kids hosts our round-up today. Do pop in and see all the fun offerings Laura has collected.


We SWAGGERS responded to a challenge to write a Terza Rima.
Oh, my.

                                                                                                     I started out...

Then....

Ugh! iambic pentameter?

A desperate plea for help...

Dear SWAGGERS,
I'm no good at this.
Help!
               Sincerely,
               Linda


Dear Linda,
Go rogue!
                         
Your friend, Molly

                                                                                    ps: Heidi tutors
                                                                                    pps: Margaret made hers work with MagNOliAS
                                                                                    ppps: I think Catherine might go rogue, too!

Go Rogue, Linda!

I want to write the perfect  terza rima

It’s tough corralling words that move around
I can’t heard them into just one stanza

I  need a dog to chase the good lines down
to bark my drafts within a shearing pen
So I can gather wool to knit some nouns

Knit red, purl blue rhymes every now and then
Needles one and two click upon my lap
A purple poem grows, and I shout AMEN!

Then quickly run back to my dear free verse--
lest this dire terza rima get worse

But then I overhear, duh-DUH-duh-DUH

and...

(c) Linda Mitchell -- who really wishes she had a pen name today

More responses to the terza rima challenge by SWAGGERS

• Catherine  Reading to the Core
• Molly Nix the Comfort Zone
• Heidi  My Juicy Little Universe
• Margaret  Reflections on the Teche

Spiritual Thursday: Seasonal Bliss

"At ease, Linda. At ease," 2020 encourages.

Photo by Linda

Spiritual Thursday is hosted today by Beyond Literacy 

Thank you, Carol, for your inspiration of Seasonal Bliss.