Book Spine Poem {4}

 

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.

When I am shelving books in my classroom library, I can't help but stack and play with titles to create poems. Today I share a book spine poem.

The Sound of Your Voice

From You to Me

Shouting at the Rain

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere

Let's Pretend We Never Met

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

Soft Landing - A Book Spine Poem #SOL23

Anyone who participates in the Slice of Life Challenge learns very quickly just how important writing communities are to their growth and confidence as a writer. Knowing that someone has read our words motivates us to continue. With that, I try very hard to comment on different blogs each day as well as supporting those bloggers I already know. Keeping up with this can be very difficult as it takes a lot of time.

I belong to another writing community called Teach Write, and each month we have a challenge where we write together on Zoom and then share that writing. Last night was our writing party where the theme was "Spring into Micro Writing." 

Because many of us are already participating in the slice of the life challenge, we decided to keep it simple. We could choose any type of small writing from 6-word memoirs to two-sentence stories or to poetry. Check out Cathy Hutter's 6-word movie plots! They are amazing!

I decided to open up two boxes of books that I have at home and write a book spine poem. This isn't as easy as it may appear because I always need a word or two to make it say what I want. But I kept to the rules and "wrote" this poem.

Parachutes

everlost

under the broken sky

divided we fall

ten thousand tries

unbroken

a soft place to land.

This is also a fun writing activity to do with students of all ages. If you don't want them to "rearrange" your classroom library, here are two alternatives to try.

1. Type out a list of titles and let them write from the list. You can even make several different lists so students to have some variety in which to choose titles. 
2. Type out a list but cut the titles apart so they can rearrange them in different orders to create their poems.

However you decide to organize it, students will enjoy this fun creative way of "writing" poems.

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. 

Book Spine Poem #SOL22

We are reaching the end of  March, a time when ideas seem to come a little less frequently and when I struggle to write a story that engages me, let alone engaging a reader.

This is the time when a spine poem comes to the rescue. I love perusing my book shelves, running my fingers along the spines, and  looking for titles that capture my attention and vie for a spot in a stack.

I have written spine poems six years out of the nine years I have participated in the challenge. Two years I was so desperate for a slice, I used spine poems twice!

Here is this year's offering.

Can you see me?

beyond the bright sea,

under the broken sky,

just under the clouds,

shouting at the rain--

the simple art of flying.

  

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 

share a slice of life during the month of March.  

Waiting for Normal #SOL21

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we share a slice of life every single day in the month of March. 

Book spine poetry is always a favorite slice for me. Sifting through book titles on my shelves while capturing a moment in time is a fun challenge. Here are my previous years:  2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

Today's poem comes from the announcement from our governor that he will be lifting some of our restrictions. I know many of us are waiting for normal to return.

Small Steps
piecing me together
brave new girl
waiting for normal.

Hope, Book Spine Poetry #SOL20

all we have left

a drop of hope

piecing me together

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay hopeful.

Please join Two Writing Teachers and the annual Slice of Life March Challenge.

Book Spine Poetry #SOL19

I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Annual March Slice of Life Story Challenge.  

I typically spend Sunday afternoons in my classroom, finishing up last minute items on my to-do list. This past Sunday I spent some time in my classroom straightening up the classroom library. I always enjoy tucking away out-of-place books, putting them on the right gene shelf and deciding which books should face out. Many times, I know who just finished reading that book, and who wants this book next.

But working in the library and handling titles in the month of March means....

Book Spine Poetry!

a snicker of magic

a tangle of knots

woven

the entirely true story

of an unbelievable fib

life, after

autumn's kiss

frosted kisses

let's pretend we never met

over the moon

chasing space

connect the stars

hello, universe

Book Spine Poetry #sol18

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we share a slice of life every single day in the month of March

We are getting to the end, and today I was worried. I had no idea what I was going to write about.  Nothing was becoming an inspiration, a muse, an idea, a slice.  

Then I remembered I had not used one of my I-really-don't-have-anything-to-write-about-so-I-will-write-a-spine-poem slice.

I quickly searched through my box of books beside my bed, arranged, and rearranged until this "masterpiece" was created...and my slice was written!

The book thief

jumped in

between the lines...

Gone!

PD Book Spine Poetry #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

I love creating book spine poetry, looking through my shelves, arranging and rearranging titles.  One year I wrote book spine haiku for an even greater challenge.  

This month, Diane at Newtreemom created a book spine poem using professional books.  I have been on spring break this week, so my poem had to wait until I was ready to could get back to my classroom to see what titles I could add to my book stash at home.  

Here are my creations using professional books - one for writing and one for reading.

Write beside them

day by day

bringing life to words

after the end

the journey is everything

Book love

igniting a passion for reading

kids deserve it

Spine Poetry ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Need an idea for a quick slice?  Then look no further than your book shelf.  Why not create a little spine poetry?

What is it?  Spine poetry is created by using the titles of books - their spines.

How do I do it?  I look through my shelves and find books that have similar ideas.  I also look for verbs and phrases.  After I pulled several out, I move them around until something resonates with me.  

Here are a few of my latest creations.  (I like All We Have is Now so much, it ended up being in two of them.)  

Warning:  this can become quite addicting!

hidden figures

lost in the sun

keeping safe the stars

paper wishes 

dash

all we have is now

get happy

the world from up here

took

pieces of why

all we have is now

Book Spine Poem...Again

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

Once again I find myself sitting at my computer without a slice.  

No words.

Zip.  Nada

Wordlessness seems to have found me a lot this month.  I am not sure why because many people would say that I usually do not a have problem finding words.

I just finished making labels for some new books for my library.  As I sat here and looked at the stack titles on my finding room table, a poem just suddenly appeared.

Hmm...I have a slice.

the only girl in school

finding the worm

some kind of courage

Now

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

I started my spring break with a shopping trip with my daughter Megan.  We spent a lot of time at Barnes and Noble, yet I only came home with two books.  After I added them to my TBR stack, pile, shelf...or whatever else you want to call it, I realized this would be a perfect day to try some book spine poetry.

After pulling and shifting, and shifting and pulling, I found one.  I think it is a message that I sometimes need to hear on a daily basis.

all the bright places

finding serendipity

all we have is now

Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in finding those brighter places that we tend to forget that all we really have is the now.  Today.  

Make it a great one!

Bloggers note:  I intended for this to be a haiku.  I thought it was until I typed the titles and realized the first line actually had 6 syllables.  Darn!

Small Steps - Book Spine 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. 

When I was in a child, especially in high school, I wrote poetry.  I think sometimes poetry and that age group seem to be a perfect fit - lots of emotions!

As an adult, writing poetry seems to be harder for me.  Putting my thoughts and emotions into words is not as simple as it seems.  Putting my words out there for others to read takes courage.  Many people like Margaret, Elsie, and Linda to name just a few, make it look so easy.  Taking this challenge is a small step for me.

 Today I tried a book spine poem.  It just happened to also capture my feelings about this challenge.

courage for beginners

as simple as it seems

it only looks easy

small steps

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.