Posts
Hello Poets,
Except for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere...we are sweating away in my part of the world. I'm grateful that it's not as extreme for me as friends in the UK or the midwest USA. How are you all holding up?
This past week instances of poetry found me. I love it when that happens!
The poetry offered felt like it was delivered to me personally. A little prescription for my ears and brain that help me understand the world.
The first instance was a four-and-a-half-minute spot on the CBS Sunday Morning Show.
 |
https://youtu.be/vo8U2nR91Qw |
Like a majority of Americans, I am unfamiliar with military life, soldiering, and war. Yet, war has come for us these days--at least on three continents. I'm grateful to John Duffy for using poetry to paint pictures of even what is terrible.
The second instance was when listening to this 24-minute Scholastic podcast (free)
 |
| https://scholasticreads.fireside.fm/134 |
Representative John Lewis passed away just over a year ago. He too was in combat with a different enemy and different wounds from survival. One of the great stories of his life was the friendship he formed with young Tybre Faw who read Lewis' favorite poem, Invictus, at his friend's funeral. Author Andrea Davis Pinkney captured that friendship in a picture book that I am going to make sure my students have access to.
 |
| https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51642/invictus |
I'm reminded of the phrase, "such a time as this." Sometimes we make history and sometimes history makes us. In either case, those that can distill the experience into understanding for others are heroes. I am grateful for poetry that aims to prevent us from making mistakes of the past.
This past week, Ethical ELA had some awesome poetry prompts that I will be taking to my lesson planning time. This Japanese form, introduced by poet-teacher Mo Daley, inspired the newest poem on Star's padlet.
I hope you have a great week and poetry finds you.
Thank you, A(nother) Year of Reading, for hosting this week's round-up!
Thank you for sharing this Linda! I like Invictus, especially that last lines. We are the masters of our fate, captain of our soul. Wow! Powerful words! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I love the idea of poetry finding me. I need more poetry, which is why I'm back at Poetry Friday this week. I enjoyed listening to John Duffy and hearing him read his poem. Next on my listen-to list is the podcast link about John Lewis and the new picture book. Well done keeping up with your lovely STAR poems too. I like the sound of "star by star so close."
ReplyDeleteYour post is resonating with the song that Ruth shared -- "Every mile matters." I can't wait to watch and listen to the poems that found you this week. And I love the star poem you found. That first line is especially fantastic!! And a "thesis in constellations." Swoon!
ReplyDelete"I am the captain of my fate/ I am the master of my soul" Stunning poem and lines that I will think about all day.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing all this goodness and inspiration, Linda!
ReplyDeleteLinda, your star poem is full of interest from the half-page design to each word. Poetry found you in different ways this week and I reaped the benefits. I am almost ready to send my post into the universe.
ReplyDeleteYou are the star of your padlet, Linda.🤩 It's beautiful. Imagine writing a thesis in constellations. Gorgeous! I also loved Sketching Summer in Spring. And with Vincent Van Gogh. That ending...💛
ReplyDeleteLinda, your post prompts me to reflect on the fact that war/conflict is fought on a range of issues and in many different ways. The very concept of war is complex. They occur at both a local and global level. Thank you for sparking my mind. I am glad poetry found you. You have kindly passed it on. By the way, I responded to your provocation about the possibility of 'sharing' poetry on a digital platform. Sounds like fun to me...
ReplyDeleteThank you for all these resources, Linda! Your star poem is lovely, although I don't like the idea that summer has begun "wrapping up!"
ReplyDeleteI'm finding it so interesting that poetry can be used to describe war, alzheimer's, love, terror, hate, death, and joy. It is such a versatile medium for writing about things that cause deep emotions in humans. Hopefully, by reading these works we start to understand the human condition better. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm having a hard time listening to the news these days, but poetry always speaks to me. Your star padlet is shaping into something beautiful. It impresses me how well you have kept it up.
ReplyDeleteMmm... love your first line "Half a page turn past July" - and the reminder that "sometimes history makes us." Feels good to know that summer days include poetry surprises everywhere. Thank you!
ReplyDelete