Freewater {10}

 

It is April, and I am joining many others in celebrating National Poetry Month by reading, writing, sharing, and celebrating poetry each day this month. I have chosen to combine my love of reading with my love of writing. I will be writing poems using all things bookish--from titles to quotes to characters. So, come turn the page and write a little poetry with me.

Today's poem is a backout poem using a page from the book Freewater by Amina Luqman Dawson, the winner of this year's Newbery Modal and a Coretta Scott King Award. 

Although I not finished with the book yet, it is an amazing read, and I understand why it has shiny stickers on its cover.

I think I just may have another poem come from this book before the month is over.

paper and ink 

held each key 

to reveal the edge of

the still morning air

Check out the Kidlit Progressive Poem, which is being organized by Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche. A different poet adds a line each day for the month of April. You can find the poem's trail below.

April 1 Mary Lee Hahn, Another Year of Reading
April 2 Heidi Mordhorst, My Juicy Little Universe
April 3 Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 4 Buffy Silverman
April 5 Rose Cappelli, Imagine the Possibilities
April 6 Donna Smith, Mainely Write
April 7 Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche
April 8 Leigh Anne, A Day in the Life
April 9 Linda Mitchell, A Word Edgewise
April 10 Denise Krebs, Dare to Care
April 11 Emma Roller, Penguins and Poems
April 12 Dave Roller, Leap Of Dave 
April 13 Irene Latham Live You Poem 
April 14 Janice Scully, Salt City Verse
April 15 Jone Rush MacCulloch
April 16 Linda Baie TeacherDance
April 17 Carol Varsalona, Beyond Literacy Link
April 18 Marcie Atkins
April 19 Carol Labuzzetta at The Apples in My Orchard 
April 20 Cathy Hutter, Poeturescapes
April 21 Sarah Grace Tuttle at Sarah Grace Tuttle’s Blog, 
April 22 Marilyn Garcia
April 23 Catherine at Reading to the Core
April 24 Janet Fagal, hosted by Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 25 Ruth, There is no Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town
April 26 Patricia J. Franz, Reverie
April 27 Theresa Gaughan, Theresa’s Teaching Tidbits
April 28 Karin Fisher-Golton, Still in Awe Blog
April 29 Karen Eastlund, Karen’s Got a Blog
April 30 Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, and Writing

With Determination - A Blackout Poem

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter - thank you Margaret Simon - to find more poems written by our blogging community.

My students are in the middle of a perseverance unit.  Each student is reading a biography and will write a literary essay on how their person persevered or overcame obstacles.

I wrote two essays about Wilma Rudolph to use as mentor texts.  I thought these essays would be a great way to create a Blackout Poem.  Here is how I created it.

First, I read through the essay looking for words or phrases that when pieced together, created something thoughtful or profound.  I learned the hard way to circle with a pencil first, and then block the words I wanted to use with a marker.  (I actually did this three times before I got it right!)  After blocking the words, I blacked out the remaining text with the marker, leaving my poem.

Determination

helped her to persevere

she had to fight back--somehow

With determination 

a new life was beginning

With determination 

she didn't let anything 

stand in her way

With determination

she overcame

to persevere