I Gave My Friend a Feather

Hooray for Friday!

I've been book fair-ing all week including a huge community night on Thursday. It's been fun. I aim to get outside and soak up some sunshine and fresh air to charge my batteries starting now!

Ruth is our generous host for this week's round-up of poetry goodness. I've always loved the title of her blog, There is no such thing as a God-Forsaken Town. I'll bet it has a great origin story.

The poem below is for Ruth. I'm intrigued with her selection of 'feather' as her O-L-W for 2023. I so enjoy it when she shares how it shows up for her. And, I especially love when she shares those experiences with us.

WORD has a new poem. This one is inspired by an Ethical ELA prompt to write side-by-side American and Didactic cinquains.
https://padlet.com/mitchellhubeimom/word-bwfgg0bqmjhf62fd/wish/2570115920 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

A Safe School

Hello Poets,

I am grateful for Eid. I am not Muslim. However, many of my students and their families are. My district has provided a holiday that allows them to celebrate today. I will use today to rest and catch up from busy spring activities -- maybe even weed my front walk which is growing toward jungle!

This morning, I took time to enjoy the poetry prompt at Ethical ELA. Poet, Darius, provided our prompt. His invitation was just what I needed this morning.

https://www.ethicalela.com/house-in-the-sky/

Yesterday, in the last period before dismissal, I had a negative interaction with some students. One student, in particular, was hateful. Since then, I've wondered what circumstances she has lived through to make her like that. What could I have done differently to provide a path for her to be at peace and ready to be a student engaged in learning? Sometimes, I am just baffled at all that I don't know...but wish I did.  This draft is for her. 

Draft. Linda Mitchell 4/21/23

Please pop over to Karen Edmistin's wonderful blog where she is hosting our round-up today. I so enjoy the poetry she finds and curates for herself and then shares with us. She is a good teacher. 

Whee! Poetry Month Fun

Wheeee! Isn't Poetry Month fun?

Students at school are enjoying Poetry Tasting. Students select a menu that reviews figurative language (that they should know for upcoming state tests). Then my library partner and I serve poems and hot tea (one lump of sugar or two?) while listening to gentle music. Students read the poems from beginning to end and find the highlighted lines to identify the figurative language while commenting on what that language brings to the poem.

The walls of my school are also decked out with 'Poetry on the Walls,' Thank you, Tabatha.

Metaphor dice are at the ready in my library's maker station for even more poetry fun. 

Poetry Pandemonium (in its fifth year!) is off to a great start too! Students in the National Junior Honor Society selected poems from the big stash of poems I've been collecting since last April to compete against each other. The competition is not between the poem or poets--but rather the figurative language elements (again, review for upcoming testing never hurts).

This week, two Poetry Friday poet poems were matched up in a competition between repetition and rhyme. Students were asked to read each poem and vote for the figurative language they enjoyed the most.

Our first winner was, 'The Perfect Place,' by Janice Scully.

In between celebrations, I keep poeming. A recent Ethical ELA prompt asked poets to create poems similar to a nonet...but using only prime numbers. Remember, a prime number is a whole number greater than one whose only factors are one and itself. It's pretty fun.

But, wait--there's more! Our own Jone Rush MacCulloch is not only hosting our round-up today but has been teaching future teachers. She asked students to make poetry videos as an assignment. Imagine my delight when I listened to a poem of mine set to a video with music! So much fun. 

https://youtu.be/deg_ALVjaGk

Thanks, Jone. What a poetry boost!

Finally, there's a new poem on the padlet. WORD and I are rocking and rolling this month! https://padlet.com/mitchellhubeimom/word-bwfgg0bqmjhf62fd/wish/2553718398

Progressive Poem Day 9

Good Morning and Happy Easter!

The Progressive Poem winds through these parts today. Thank you to all that came before. You set up a beautiful story. I'm so glad to join with a line.

Days 1-8

Suddenly everything fell into place

like raindrops hitting soil and sinking in.

When morning first poked me, I'd wished it away

my mind in the mist, muddled, confused.

Was this a dream, or reality, rousing my response?

The sun surged, urging me to join in its rising,

Rising like a crystal ball reflecting on morning dew.

I yawn and s-t-r-e-t-c-h, ready to explore the day.

Day 9

My feet pull me outside and into the garden.

Denise Krebs at Dare to Care has the next line. See all the poets for this year's Progressive Poem at Another Year of Reading.

Sharing my Word Hoard

Hello!

I am out traveling this week. Yippee!

For Poetry Month I am sharing words from my 2023 word hoard. My one little word for 2023 is WORD. I took on this challenge with a bit of trepidation. But now, WORD and I are having a great time.

This month, I'm sharing words from the hoard that I've been collecting these past winter months. I've snail-mailed words to many of you--addresses gleaned from old poetry swaps and ARC shares and whatever I could find in my archives. If you did not get one, it was not intentional. I might not have your newest snail mail address--or remember where I squirreled it away. My poetry life is fun...and possibly the least organized compartment of my life. Gotta get on that!

If you would like a WORD, please e-mail me (mitchell(dot)hubeimom@gmail(dot)com. I'll happily pop a WORD into the mail to you. 

Jump on over to our friend Margaret for some extra sprinkles of poetry goodness at Reflections on the Teche.

Keep enjoying Poetry Month!