#100DayProject

 

This 100 day project is not going to happen in 100 days, but creation takes time. Especially at the end of a school year!

Here are two of  the latest in my collection of snippet poems.

Progressive Poem 2022

 

I am the latest stop on the Progressive Poem journey - and what a journey it has been! When I saw this year's poem was inspired by lines from novels and books and songs, I knew the book I wanted to use, yet I was worried it wouldn't fit in with the poem. This week, I skimmed, reread, and marked parts of the book, hoping one of them would work. And I think it does.

My interpretation of the poem is that we are all on a journey, which sometimes takes us to unexpected places--even when we don't want an adventure. When I listen and heed the call, I begin to dance and dream and discover that the whole world is a place of beauty, but through this experience I also learn the value of  home.

I took a line from one of the last chapters of Tuck Everlasting and adapted it as we head back home and think about how our own journey changes us. We change by the lessons we learn and the people we meet along the way. I also thought about the wonderful life journey of Margaret's father as he begins to find his way "home."

Here is the current poem with my line added at the end.

Where they were going, there were no maps.

   Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today.

Take the adventure, heed the call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes!

   We have to go back. I forgot something.

But it’s spring, and the world is puddle-wonderful,

so we’ll whistle and dance and set off on our way.

Come with me, and you’ll be in a land of pure imagination.

Wherever you go, take your hopes, pack your dreams, and never forget –

 it is on our journeys that discoveries are made.

And then it was time for singing.

Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain, paint with all the colors of the wind, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky?

Suddenly, they stopped and realized they weren’t the only ones singing.

Listen, a chattering of monkeys! Let’s smell the dawn 
and taste the moonlight, we’ll watch it all spread out before us.
 
The moon is slicing through the sky. We whisper to the tree, 
tap on the trunk, imagine it feeling our sound.
 
Clouds of blue-winged swallows, rain from up the mountains,

Green growing all around, and the cool splash of the fountain.

If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden,

a bright, secret, quiet place, and rather sad; 
 and they stepped out into the middle of it.

Their minds’ libraries and lightning bugs led them on.

The darkwood sings, the elderhist blooms, the sky lightens; listen and you will find your way home.

The night sky would soon be painted, stars gleaming overhead, a beautiful wild curtain closing on the day.

Mud and dusk, nettles and sky – time to cycle home in the dark. 

There are no wrong roads to anywhere

lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove.

Standing at the fence of the cottage, 
    I hear the new note in the voices of the birds.

I added more white space in hopes that it would be the first line in the final stanza as we wrap up this week. If this doesn't work, feel free to change it. Take it from here, Marcie!

The source list:

1. The Imaginaries: Little Scraps of Larger Stories, by Emily Winfield Martin

2. The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
3. The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
4. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
5. inspired by “[in Just-]” by E. E. Cummings
6. “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
7. Maybe by Kobi Yamada
8. Sarah, Plain, and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
9. inspired by Disney songs “A Whole New World” from Aladdin and “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas
10. The Other Way to Listen by Byrd Baylor
11. adapted from Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman
12. adapted from The Magical Imperfect by Chris Baron
13. adapted from On the Same Day in March by Marilyn Singer
14. adapted from a line in Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
15. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
16. Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
17. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
18. Kate DiCamillo’s The Beatryce Prophecy
19. The Keeper of Wild Words by Brooke Smith
20. Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
21. ThePhantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
22. Dance Me to the End of Love by Leonard Cohen
23. adapted from Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Power is a Desperate Kiss #MetaphorDice

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It is National Poetry Month, and I am joining many others in writing, reading, sharing, and celebrating poetry (occasionally) this month. I am participating in a challenge with my Time to Write writing group where we are trying a different form every day inspired by a fun word of the day. 

This week, Teach Write hosted a poetry writing night, where we gathered together to write and share our poetry. Today's poem was a found poem inspired by the word create.

I played with my metaphor dice and choose these words from my roll to create my found poem.

Power is a desperate kiss,

which is to say, sometimes

we cling a little too long

to that which doesn't last,

sometimes making us heady,

and wanting more,

only to be left

holding regrets from a 

brief moment in time.

Join the poetry round-up with Margaret at Reflections on the Teche.

It's the Small Things

I am joining Two Writing Teachers today and sharing a small piece of my day.

Three times a grading period, we have a list of root words that we study. Pre-pandemic, I always began the lesson by giving them a root, having them turn and talk and find words with the root in them. Next, as a class, we choose three words to define. We act like word detectives and study the meanings of the three words and use those meanings to determine the meaning of the root. 

Simple procedure that gets them thinking and playing with words - one of my favorite things to do!

Like many things these last two years, this procedure had to change. No turn and talk with partners nor with small groups due to COVID restrictions and mandates. 

Today for the first time since March of 2020, we played with words in small groups. At first it seemed so foreign to all of us because we had been spread out across the room all year. But there was a buzz throughout the room.

Today, they were playing. They were engaged. They were learning.

And this teacher was smiling once again.

#100DayProject Found Poetry

Thank you Poetry Friday crew for always being so welcoming. I float in and out of this gathering, and I appreciate the kindness extended when I do return. This week's round-up is hosted by Janice at Salt City Verse.

My poetry project for this month has been rocky. But for good and exciting reasons. I have been nominated for two different teacher of the year awards these past few weeks, and I have been working on getting that material together. Exciting but the stress has left me little time for writing.

I also began a #100DayProject to dedicate a short amount of time each day to create. One of my favorite ways to create is through found poetry using words from magazines. In the past, I have written them on black construction paper and then put the words back into my stash. With this project, I finally bought a sketchbook, and I am gluing them in it. 

Today I share with you numbers 4-6. Click here to see 1-3.

I hope to get back into my monthly project this weekend - I have some catching up to do.

#100DayProject -Time to Create

 

After finishing the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge, you would think I would take some time off. from publishing every day. 

But no. 

It is April and that means National Poetry Month. My goal is to write a poem everyday for the month with my Teach Write group. 

I have already extended myself some grace because I have had some projects that I need to get finished, so my poem writing has gotten off to a very slow start.

I have also started a #100DayProject where I am focusing on one small creativity project for just a short amount of time each day. You would think my poetry project would work for this too.

But no.

I have a large collection of words that I have cut out from magazines. I love taking these words and creating short found poems. There is something very therapeutic about running my hands through all of these words and arranging them to create something fun or beautiful.

In the past, I have used black paper construction paper as a "canvas" and then put the words back after I took a picture. I wanted to start collecting my poems, so I bought a large sketch book where I am gluing them. I like what I have done so far, and I like that I have a "published" book of found poems.

Today, I share my first three pages.

I am joining Two Writing Teachers today and sharing a small piece of my day.

Joys from A to Z #SOSMagic

A flower blossoms for its own joy.

[Oscar Wilde]

An ABC list of my joys. 

all baked goods made from scratch

bubble bath at the end of a long day

cherry pie day - warm of course
Dr. Teals sleep lotion
Ethan - my skateboarder and rocker

Friday night pizza

green - as in kiwi, olive, and shamrock

hot summer days in the pool with my sister

iced tea, freshly brewed on a hot summer day

July 27th celebrating 32 years of marriage

knowing my children are safe and happy

Lincoln High School friends - my EJDs

Megan - my teacher and basketball coach

notebooks filled with words

outrageous collections of pens

porch time on fall evenings

quilts made from scraps

reading my endless pile of books.

sending positive notes home to parents

time with my amazing colleagues

under the blankets on winter nights

very warm fires on very cold days

writing and capturing small moments of my day

x-tra light in my days

yesterdays, where memories are kept

Z-z-z-z (a good night's sleep)

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

Life's Ditty #NationalPoetryMonth

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It is National Poetry Month, and I am joining many others in writing, reading, sharing, and celebrating poetry every day (hopefully) this month. I am participating in a challenge with my Time to Write writing group where we are trying a different form every day inspired by a fun word of the day. Welcome to my Journey with Poetry and Words.

Today's form is a limerick and the word was scatterbrain. I'm not sure what scatterbrain has to do with this poem, but the silliness was what came to mind. 

There once was girl from the city
who danced though life with a ditty.
With rhythm and rhyme
time after time,
she thought she was always quite witty!

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 journey below.

April 1 Irene at Live Your Poem
2 Donna Smith at Mainly Write
3 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core

Poetic License #NationalPoetryMonth

 

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It is National Poetry Month, and I am joining many others in writing, reading, sharing, and celebrating poetry every day (hopefully) this month. I am participating in a challenge with my Time to Write writing group where we are trying a different form every day inspired by a fun word of the day. Welcome to my "Journey with Poetry and Words".

Today's poem is a nonet, which is a nine-line poem with a decreasing syllable count and the word was "rules". When I am writing, I love being a rule-breaker! And that is where my mind went. In order for this to work, you have to read line four ramble + ing. See, breaking the rules already today!

Rule-Breaker

Breaking the rules of language or style

to get a desired effect:

a one-sentence paragraph

a rambling run-on or

a well-place fragment.

My writer's rights.

Poetic

license?

YES!

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. The poem's journey begins with Irene.

April 1 Irene at Live Your Poem

I am also linking up with the Poetry Friday bunch and Heidi has the round-up.

Write What Matters #SOL22

 My thoughts are not what I expected for today. I thought I would be spent and exhausted, and my ideas dried up. After writing and posting and commenting for thirty-one days, that easily happens.

But it didn't this time.

After spending the month looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary and mundane tasks of the day, I have my writing life back. I woke up this morning and was still looking for stories and thinking about how I could serve that up in a slice. When I realized I didn't need an idea for today, I was a little disappointed. A part of me doesn't want the month to end.

I haven't felt this in a very long time.

After listening to Tom Romano on Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher's video, I took his book, Write What Matters off the shelf and began rereading it. The first line in the book says, "Writing matters to me."

There were many days during this challenge where I was disappointed. I began to question my ability to write. Was I not interesting or engaging enough? Did I rely too much on the different forms and not enough on story? Did I publish too late? Is this life stage not what people want to read about?

I never did find the answers to these questions, and that is ok. What I did learn this month is what Romano says, "writing matters to ME." 

And that's what I needed to learn this time around. This challenge is for me. 

Thank you to those of you who took the time to read and comment on my posts this month. I truly appreciate you. And a big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating this space and this time to write what matters.

I plan to continue my writing journey thought the month of April as I dabble in poetry in several places. I hope you will join me.

Just a Little Note #SOL22

Each grading period we are asked to write three positive notes home to parents. We keep a spreadsheet marking who has received a card to ensure that we reach as many kids possible. This is one of those things that I always put off until the last minute, and I don't know why. It's not that I don't like to do it, but it is just one more thing on the never-ending teacher to-do list.

Tonight as I made my weekly trip to Wal-Mart, I saw a student walking in as I was going to check out. A center aisle separated us, but I made sure that she saw me and heard me say hello. As we passed each other, I saw her run up to her dad and say, "Dad, that's..." 

I didn't hear what she said because I was in a hurry to check out and beat the rain that was coming. As I walked up to my self-checkout, I turned around, and her dad was standing behind me.

"I'm sorry, but I just wanted to thank you for the kind words you wrote about Hannah."

"You are welcome. She is a gifted writer, and I enjoy reading her writing. I just wanted you to know how talented she is and how much I enjoy having her in class. I meant every word I wrote."

We finished our conversation, and I left with a smile on my face, joy in my heart, and another reminder of the power of our words.

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

The Lumberjack #SOL22

In our neighborhood we don't gather much with neighbors. We give the neighborly wave as we come and go down the dead-end street, but it takes a summer storm, an ambulance, or an outdoor project to round us up.

Or cutting a tree down. 

This month one neighbor had a tree taken down due to electric lines. They had a crew from a big local company that was too big for the job as many of them sat in our yard and watched. After the job was finished, we all gathered around and chatted about who was getting the firewood and complained about what a terrible job they did cleaning up the mess and the damage caused to the neighbor's house.

The following week another neighbor had a tree cut down from a different trimmer. As the second tree was coming down, my husband says, "I think we should take the persimmon trees down. Do you think I should ask him if he will do it?"

"Whatever you think."

The second day comes, and my husband says, "Do you think we should take those persimmon trees down?"

"Whatever you want to do."

The next thing I know he is out there talking to the man, and the trees are coming down.

He is a one-man show today. He has been trimming trees all his life, and he knows what he is doing. Dressed in his Carhartt bibs and lumberjack red plaid shirt and cigarette dangling from his mouth, he quickly hops in the bucket truck, zips up and begins to trim the top limbs lickety-split. 

There is a pine tree on one side and a peach tree on the other; there is no room for error. He wraps a rope around the upper section of the tree and makes a cut. That piece of wood hit the ground like a dart hitting a bullseye. Precision at its finest.

Our neighbors came out and stood with us as we watched him cut that tree and drop those pieces like he was laying a baby in its crib. Not once missing his mark.

Less than an hour later all three trees were down, and one of the neighbors said, "I know tree trimming has some science behind it, but this...now this is a work of art."

 

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.  

Spring is in the Air #SOSMagic

 

I am not a lover of spring. 

I don't like the unpredictable weather. I don't like the time change. And I don't like my pale skin and pastel colors typically associated with spring.

But I do love the scents of spring. I made a list in my notebook of the scents I associate with spring and this poem is a result.

Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the air

as an April shower

passes through

leaving everything

clean and fresh.

Spring is in the air

as the farmers 

till the sleepy soil and

awaken the

underground life

from its winter's rest.

Spring is in the air

as the lilacs

open and the 

peonies welcome

their tiny houseguests.

Spring is in the air

as the first blades of grass

are meticulously cut

and wild onions

grow with exuberance.

Spring is in the air

as overnight

the world dresses

in its deep, verdant green.

Spring is in the air.

Feel it.

Breathe it.

Become intoxicated

by the scented gifts it brings.

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

Winning the Battle with Straw Wrappers #SOL22

Several times a week I purchase a drink at a drive-through restaurant. Lately, I have been fighting with straw wrappers. 

Our McDonald's has been using plastic wrappers instead of paper ones. I fight to tear and tear and rip and rip just to get to the straw. But it doesn't work.

I try hitting them against the console or my lap in hopes that the straw will poke through the top. But it doesn't work.

I usually end up using my teeth to tear the wrapper, which is not too smart because many times I get a piece of plastic left in my mouth, or I am driving while trying to just unwrap my darn straw. I have been losing the battle with the wrappers and have become so frustrated...

until today.

It was today that I realized about an inch and half down the straw, there is a tiny little slit -- a tiny start used to take off the top of the wrapper. Just. Like. That!

BINGO! I have conquered the wrapper!

  

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we 
share a slice of life during the month of March. #SOL22

Two-Sentence Hallmark Movie #SOL22

Back in February, my Time to Write writing group participated in a writing challenge. We were to create a two-sentence Hallmark Christmas movie. Here are two of mine that aren't really Christmas and with a few revisions. This was so much fun!

Lily hides quietly in the romance section of the public library, looking through the tiny space between the Virgin River books when her cerulean eyes lock with his green ones. Two chapters later they find themselves within the pages of their own novella.

Twinkling and glistening, the snow falls from the sky as Chris and Sabrina walk hand in hand toward her car. As a single snowflake lands softly on her glossed lip, he draws his finger down the snow-covered window, whispers, "Look, a diamond in the snow," and hears her gasp as he places a ring on her finger--the end to a perfect night.

  

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

Weekly Reflection #SOL22

The first time I saw the Friday reflection was in Michelle Haseltine's #100 Days of Notebooking Facebook group.  I have noticed several slices using this same format to think about and reflect on their week. This would be a good practice to start. I was reminded of this idea by Juliette, my writing friend from Ghana.

5 things that made me smile:

• daffodils (that haven't bloomed in years) blooming in the landscape
• a Monday positive message from a colleague
• a new lesson that went better than expected
• NCAA March Madness
• Coach Eck (my daughter) speaking and honoring her 8th grade players and my former students

4 words to describe my week

• chilly-rainy-dreary
• late-night
• colorful
• steady

3 plans for the weekend

• playing cards with family
• reading What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie
• watching basketball games

2 things I learned this week

• a student was purposely causing a computer glitch on a test
• Penny Kittle ad Kelly Gallagher have started their videos again

1 goal for the weekend

• limit my time spent on school work

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

Rusted Treasure #SOL22

his memories of
a nineteen-sixty-one scout--
a rusted treasure

   

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

Right Now #SOL22

It's been a good day, but a long day. So when you need a quick slice, you go with inspiration from others. 

Right now I am...

waiting to soak in the tub.
thinking how glad I am that I stayed late and finished up planning for Friday.
loving that it was jeans and flannel shirt day at school.
hoping that I can get eight hours of sleep tonight because there are no basketball games to watch.
anticipating watching basketball games tomorrow night.
knowing that I will be tired again on Friday morning.
regretting that it has been days since I have written in my notebook.

wanting the rain to stop and the sun to reappear.

wishing you beautiful signs of spring.

Thank you Terje for this idea today!

  

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

Diary of a Plant #SOL22

Dear Diary,

It is hard to believe that I am fifteen years old. That's pretty old for a plant, especially in the conditions where I live. Kids poking with me pencils, putting staples in my dirt, pulling on my leaves, and asking, "Is this plant real?" 

Of course I am real!

I have been with her since the beginning - her first year as a teacher. I have sat on three different desks but always in the same left-hand corner. The familiarity of the space is comforting and safe. I have grown and grown over the years. So much that regular trims have been a part of my existence. Too much growth and I start to droop over the sides. 

Gravity and old age tend to do that, you know.

One spring in my second home, she left me for a week and forgot to water me. My leaves started to turn brown, and I was all dried up. I really didn't think I was going to make it.

But she always comes back. I guess this is what humans call loyalty. I like loyalty. 

Two years ago she took me home. I heard something about her not being able to go back to school, and she didn't have anywhere else to take me. I didn't really like that. I was left in a room with not enough light. As much I don't like kids pulling on me, I sure did miss those little stinkers.

I later learned that they closed the school for the remainder of the school year. 

Recently, I began to lose my leaves again. I'm not really sure what was happening. There was so much space in our classroom because everything was spread out, and I couldn't see the kids because something was covering their smiles. I felt so alone and wanted to give up. Maybe I was tired. I don't know.

One day, she trimmed me back until I had almost nothing left, added some more dirt, and continued to water me. I really didn't know what was going on, but I trusted her. 

Then something happened inside of me. Hiding down deep in the dirt I found an inner strength. I began growing, and I felt hope for the first time in a long time. 

I have some new leaves showing off their finest green, just like the kids showing off their smiles now. I have learned that sometimes we go through hard times. Times we have no control over. 

But when we have someone in our lives who loves us unconditionally, believes in us, and is loyal, we find a strength that we didn't know we had.  

I think I am going to make it. I am lucky to still be sitting here in my yellow dress on the corner of her desk just waiting for someone to ask, 

"Hey, is that plant real?"

Love,
Me

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