Poetry challenge #9 - Book Spine Poem

To celebrate National Poetry Month, I have been attempting to write a poem each day in the month of April.  I have been successful for nine days - only missing two when I was so behind with my obligations.  Even though my "behindness" hasn't improved, I still find time to write!

This week has been one of those weeks - temperatures up, days of sunshine, days of rain with indoor recess, two weeks before testing, inconsistent schedule - you know, that end-of-the-school-year-is-almost-here kind of week!

Today while I was straightening up my classroom library, I decided to make a book spine poem that reflected the end of this week.  I don't think of my students as fourth grade nothings, but we are having a difficult time staying focused.  We are all trying to hang in there for the next few weeks.

Tales of a fourth grade nothing,

the underdogs,

among the brave

holding fast

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for letting me come along for the ride on this poetry playground.  It is much more fun when you are writing, sharing, and learning together. For more poetry fun, check out these blogs from Linda, Margaret, Michelle, Julianne, and Cathy.

Poetry Challenge #8 - One

Today I found an unexpected comment on my very first post.  I am still processing the story and will write more about it on Tuesday for my Slice of Life.  But, I was so taken by this story that I needed to write...had to write.  Yesterday I tried a Fib poem, and that structure seemed to fit today also.

one
year
one post
one comment
two new connections
inexplicably intertwined
by sharing writing with someone I have never known

For more on this story of unexpected connections, please come back Tuesday.

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for letting me come along for the ride on this poetry playground.  It is much more fun when you are writing, sharing, and learning together.  For more poetry fun, check out these blogs from Linda, Margaret, Michelle, Julianne, and Cathy.

Poetry Challenge #7 - Moonlight

Margaret and Julianne have both written Fibonacci poems this month.  Today I decided to try one.  A Fibonacci poem is based on a series of numbers where the next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it.  For example, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...

The

moon

rises

a crescent

casting night shadows 

playing hide-and-seek with the clouds

as I sleepily wait for my dreams to say goodnight.

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for letting me come along for the ride on this poetry playground.  It is much more fun when you are writing, sharing, and learning together.  For more poetry fun, check out these blogs from Linda, Margaret, Michelle, Julianne, and Cathy.

Poetry Challenge #6 - In Time-out

Read more slices at
Two Writing Teachers 

This month I am challenging myself to write a poem a day.  This has been one of those weeks where I am being suffocated from the demands of this profession I dearly love.  The end of the year pace seems to be going a little too quickly for me and I just can't seem to get caught up.  I know I need to take a step back (and maybe use the word "no") and try to get back to a sense of equilibrium.  I have tried to reduce my time on social media in order to do this...not easy!  So I decided to put myself in time-out.  

I have enjoyed playing with poetry this month, but today's poem was very quick and definitely a rough draft!  

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for letting me come along for the ride on this poetry playground.  It is much more fun when you are writing, sharing, and learning together. For more poetry fun, check out these blogs from Linda, Margaret, Michelle, Julianne, and Cathy.

In Time-out

I put myself

in time-out today

not enough work

too much play

Piles are high

upon my desk

students reply

what a mess

Data to analyze

tests to grade

papers to proof

plans to be made

So, no more writing

or reading too

I'm in time-out

Ive got work to do!

Poetry Challenge #5 - I Celebrate Spring

Each Saturday  Ruth Ayres invites us to share and celebrate events from our week. Looking for small celebrations has certainly improved my outlook on my life. For that, I am certainly grateful to Ruth and to all of you who choose to celebrate with us.

Now that the March Slice of Life Challenge is over, one would think that my weekly Saturday celebration is back to normal.  But no - this month I have challenged myself to write a poem a day.  So, my celebration this week is in the form of a poem.  I am not a poet, I am a teacher, but I must write in order to teach.  

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for letting me come along for the ride on this poetry adventure.  It becomes a richer experience when you are writing, sharing, and learning together.  For more poetry fun, check out these blogs from Linda, Margaret, Michelle, Julianne, and Cathy.

Today I am trying the technique called anaphora which according to Margaret Simon is the repetition of a word or a group of words at the beginning of successive phrases.

I Celebrate Spring

I celebrate the feel of sunny days, warming my face, my heart, my soul

I celebrate the explosion of magnolia buds, watching life burst open

I celebrate the sound of rain, knowing my world will be much greener tomorrow

I celebrate the laughter of my students, releasing their winter blues

I celebrate the birth of spring, awaiting to explore new life.

Poetry Challenge #4 - Night Pilot

This is National Poetry Month.  Yesterday I tried my first riddle-ku.  I have to admit, this was so much fun!

This week we had a visitor in our school and this morning our principal had a picture of this visitor in our weekly newsletter.  When I saw the picture, I just knew I had to do this again.

A pilot by night

Sending high-pitched signals by

Echolocation

A bat!

Yes, these little guys were flying around in our gym.  Our principal caught them and set them free outside.

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for letting me come along for the ride on this poetry adventure.  It is much more fun when you are writing, sharing, and learning together.  

For more poetry fun, check out these blogs from Linda, Margaret, Michelle, Julianne, and Cathy.

Poetry Challenge #3 - Riddle-ku

I am celebrating National Poetry Month by writing a poem every day.  I am not a poet, I am a teacher of writing.  Therefore, I must write so I can teach.

Today I am trying a riddle-ku which has the traditional 5-7-5 syllable count, but is written from the point of view of an object or animal.  The reader tries to guess "what" has written the poem.  Laura Purdie Salas is writing a riddle-ku a day for the month of April.  Check out her site to get ideas and resources for teaching riddle-kus

Getting to the point

while collecting the remnants

of your words to come

A Pencil Sharpener

Poetry Challenge #2 - Poetic License

I am not a poet, but I am challenging myself for the month of April to write a poem a day.  Please consider joining me and many others for National Poetry Month.

This poem is about the freedom of writing poetry.  Not having to follow the rules.  Having a license to be a poet.

Poetic License

No

subjects

predicates

punctuation

capital letters

run-on sentences

exclamatory

interrogatory

declarative

imperative

why bother

poetic

license

Yes!

Poetry Challenge #1 - Mixed Messages

Yesterday as I was reading Cathy's slice on Merely Day By Day, she said she was moving from the Slice of Life March Challenge to the poem-a-day challenge for April. No, I do not claim to be a poet, but I would like to REACH out and expand my writing territories.  I have accepted the challenge - thanks Cathy!

This first poem I wrote a year ago on spring break (hopefully this still counts!) In one day's time we went from sunny to snow to a thunderstorm.  It was certainly a day of mixed messages.

Mixed Messages

Early morning

before the sun

peaks its head from the covers of darkness

birds chirp

assuring me that spring is on its way.

Morning light

shines on the day

as snowflakes start to fall

like balls of cotton

reminding me that winter is not over.

Nightfall comes

turning out the light of the day

thunder and lightning

flashing in Morse Code

sending me mixed messages of...

spring.