Inside the month
I found the challenge.
Inside the challenge
I found the discipline.
Inside the discipline
I found the joy.
Inside the joy
I found the poems.
Inside the poems
I found my world.
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
HAPPY NATIONAL POETRY MONTH 2010!!
All 30 of my NaPoMo poems are
here.
Franki sent a link to this book trailer and challenged me to try writing a Newspaper Blackout Poem. Every poem-a-day writer needs a cheerleader as thoughtful as mine!
raise chickens
raise
chicken dinner
homegrown chickens
chickens
chickens
sprouting chicks
in the coop
nonviolent
rehabilitation
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Now YOU try it.
Post it and send your link.
I'm CERTAIN you can do a better job.
I'll be the springboard to your brilliance.
I have no problem with that role.
Go for it.
Go get your marker
and the newspaper
and make art by process of elimination.
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
You
are
the King
Ingumpa*
of the Fib Poem
Form: Royal Ingumpa, indeed!
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
*A word verification nonsense "word" that here means one who is exalted, high-ranking, elevated, superior, lofty, eminent, prestigious, illustrious, distinguished, and/or esteemed. It is often used to describe a person whose invention (in this case,
the Fib) has its own
Wikipedia page. For the origin of Ingumpa, please see the first comment of
this post.
Dedicated to Franki
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Balance.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is this poem about?
2. Do I need to read it again?
3. Who is speaking? What is the evidence in the poem for your answer?
4. What is being compared or described? Explain.
5. To what senses does the poem appeal? Elaborate.
6. Does this poem make you laugh, or does it make you cry?
7. What does this poem remind you of?
8. What characteristic of the genre of poetry alerts you as a reader that this is a poem?
9. If you were to put this poem to music, what would it sound like? If you were to illustrate it, what colors would you use?
10.What questions do you have for the author?
* * * * * * *
The back story: Franki and I were discussing what we had ready for the blog this week. I confessed to have hit a wall with the poem-a-day challenge. She suggested I write a one-word poem. We Googled it. We found Slavitt's poem. There is such a thing. (Who knew?) I was amused and inspired.
The discussion questions are the ones I use with my fourth graders as they get ready to answer questions on the state tests about poetry. I thought they worked quite well with this poem.
WHERE I'M FROM
I'm from the smell of chlorine
and the heat of sun-baked cement by the pool.
I'm from cherry tomatoes eaten warm off the plant
and zinnias, marigolds, and petunias.
I'm from goatheads and hailstones,
blizzards and dust storms.
I'm from "Punkin' " and "Sugar Plum"
and "You are my special angel."
I'm from Lawrence Welk and Glenn Miller,
Ed Sullivan and Johnny Cash.
I'm from Lubbers Lounge Lu Lu
and Thanksgiving ham and broiled spareribs.
I'm from wide horizons
and big skies,
and I'm from a small town
and narrow opportunities.
I've traveled far.
I've kept it all inside my heart.
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Here's a reprint of a bunch of the Kidlitosphere (and other assorted) NaPoMo projects that I'm following (or at least trying valiantly to follow):
Gregory K. is once again hosting
30 Poets/30 Days with previously unpublished poems by favorite children's authors.
Tricia Stohr-Hunt is interviewing 30 children's poets, beginning with Mary Ann Hoberman, the US Children's Poet Laureate. The
Poetry Makers list is stellar!
At
A Wrung Sponge, Andromeda is writing a "haiga" (photo and haiku) each day. Her photography is simply stunning. The haikus are amazing, too!
Kelly Fineman at
Writing and Ruminating will continue the Building a Poetry Collection series she began last year -- selecting a poem a day in a kind of personal Poetry Tag (see Sylvia Vardell's version below) and providing analysis. I call this The University of Kelly Fineman because I learn so much in each post!
Sylvia Vardell is inviting poets to
play Poetry Tag. She will invite poets to "play" along by offering a poem for readers to enjoy, then she will "tag" a poet who shares her/his own poem THAT IS CONNECTED to the previous poem in SOME way—by a theme, word, idea, tone-- and offers a sentence or two explaining that connection. What a creative idea!
This week, I gave my students the option to write their responses to their nightly reading in haikus instead of sentences. I thought I'd give it a try.
So few facts are known;
what we "know," we speculate.
Still fascinating.
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Did I tell you about my students' National Poetry Month project? When they heard I was going to write a poem a day, one girl said, "We should write a poem a day about the people in our class."
And that's what we've done every day since April 5. We've written poems for about 10 of our classmates so far. (that's almost 200 poems!!!) On the day we write poems for
them, they write a poem for
me. I wish I could share some of the beautiful poems they've written, but most often, the recipient's name is part of the poem.
I gave my students the instructions for writing yesterday's
"If-You-Were" Metaphor Poems, but we haven't had a chance to talk about how they work or for the students to see my examples. Today during his free time after testing, one of my students wrote these poems for a friend who LOVES The Lightning Thief:
If you were the lightning bolt
and I was the clouds
I'd let you streak
under me.
If you were a god
and I was a demigod
I'd let you shine
above me.
Whoa. Did that knock your socks off like it did mine?!?!?
Here's my poem for today:
SOUNDS OF TESTING
Silence.
Uncharacteristic silence.
Focused silence.
Pages turning.
Pencils scratching.
Erasers rubbing.
Birds singing in the trees outside the window.
Roofers pounding on the condos next door.
Children screaming from the playground.
Silence of working.
Silent cheer of finishing.
Almost silent rustling of waiting.
Waiting...
Finishing...
TIME'S UP!
YAY!
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Back in January, Father Goose (Charles Ghigna), introduced a new poetry form: the "If-You-Were" Poem. He explains the form in this post, saying,
"Here's a fun verse form that everyone can write! I created this simple 4-line format many years ago to help introduce students and teachers to metaphor. It's exciting to see how quickly it catches on!
Instructions:
Think of a person you like.
Compare that person to some thing (inanimate object).
Now compare yourself to some thing associated with the first object."
I'm asking my students to try this form this week, so I thought I better see how it goes so I can give them some insider tips. Here are my attempts:
If you were the pencil
and I were the answer,
we'd find each other
like the dance finds the dancer.
If you were the wonder
and I were the thought,
we'd play hooky in springtime
and never get caught!
If you were the butterfly
and I were the net,
I'd watch without catching
and have no regrets.
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Jama Rattigan, at jama rattigan's alphabet soup, is hosting a potluck for National Poetry Month. Here's how she describes her yummy project:
"I've set the table, chilled the wine, hired a string quartet (don't worry, some jazz musicians will be joining us later), and am ready to enjoy a month's worth of poems written by some of the wonderful folks I've met through Poetry Friday.
I've been hooked on PF ever since I first started blogging in 2007. Every week, I look forward to seeing what beautiful, inspiring, funny, or thought provoking poems these friends will post. Whether they've written the poems themselves, or have chosen the work of others, I'm grateful for the momentary glimpse into their emotional lives.
I thought inviting them to the alphabet soup kitchen for a potluck would be the perfect way to celebrate National Poetry Month. I asked each to share an original poem and a favorite recipe, and they all, without hesitation, enthusiastically agreed (further evidence of their overall awesomeness). They came through for me in a big way, even sharing recipe photos. Friends, this is going to be a supremely delicious month -- a bountiful, nourishing feast for body, mind, and spirit!"
Today, it's
MY turn to share the spotlight! Head on over to alphabet soup and enjoy a helping of apple crisp. Thanks, Jama, for inviting me to your feast! It's an honor to sit at your table with
the other (real) poets!
I never intended for my students to write a poem a day with me, but one student's idea took hold: we're writing a poem a day about each other.
Each day, we draw a name and everyone writes a poem about that person. That person writes a poem about me.
At the end of the year, we'll have a book of poems about all the members of the class. A collection of memories. Handmade heartfelt gifts to each other.
I've taught a few short forms so far: 15 Words or Less, Haiku, Limerick, Acrostic, Chain, and Free Verse. 6 forms; 6 tools in their poetry-writing toolbox. Today, after a discussion of line breaks in Free Verse, one student asked if he had to write in the form I taught. "Of course not!" I replied. "Pick the form that works for what you want to say!" And that student went off and wrote a fabulous acrostic that captured the essence of his friend.
Here's a new form for me, and one I might teach my students -- the Definito.
Heidi Mordhorst invented this form back in November. It has 10 lines in 3 stanzas -- 4 lines, 4 lines, and 2 lines, ending in the word being defined.
I had blood drawn today, which is a tricky proposition since only one arm can be used, and the key vein in that arm endured chemotherapy 12 years (YAY!) ago. Only the best phlebotomists are successful drawing blood from me. Today's phlebotomist was a real pro, and this poem is his definition of what makes a true phlebotomist.
It's about the needle
and it's about the tourniquet.
It's about the alcohol
and it's about the tap-tap-tap on the vein.
It's the difference between
drawing blood as a PART of your job
and drawing blood
AS your job.
Stick-meister:
Phlebotomist.
Be careful when
indulging in
extravagant
self
pity.
The Universe
is more than glad
to give a new
per-
spective.
A hole in your
hot water tank...
now there's a REAL
life
worry.
photo and poem by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
I played with rhythm today.
Seemed appropriate since the hot water tank played with the rhythm of my LIFE.
Second grader came up to me
on the playground yesterday,
"Teacher, Teacher! There are so many Xs in the sky!"
I looked up,
and there were two immense contrails
making a huge X in the sky.
And then I turned and saw another...and another...and another...
five Xs in the blue spring sky.
I asked him how he thought they got there
and he said something about airplanes,
but I said I thought a leprechaun put them there
(X marks the spot for treasure)
and he ran off yelling about Xs
and treasure
and I was the rich one.
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
I wrote about this
yesterday in haiku form. Today's poem is actually the text of an email to a friend telling the whole story. Because she loved it so much (especially the last line), I decided to make it into its own poem.
Here's a reprint of a bunch of the Kidlitosphere (and other assorted) NaPoMo projects that I'm following:
Gregory K. is once again hosting
30 Poets/30 Days with previously unpublished poems by favorite children's authors.
Tricia Stohr-Hunt is interviewing 30 children's poets, beginning with Mary Ann Hoberman, the US Children's Poet Laureate. The
Poetry Makers list is stellar!
At
A Wrung Sponge, Andromeda is writing a "haiga" (photo and haiku) each day. Her photography is simply stunning. The haikus are amazing, too!
Kelly Fineman at
Writing and Ruminating will continue the Building a Poetry Collection series she began last year -- selecting a poem a day in a kind of personal Poetry Tag (see Sylvia Vardell's version below) and providing analysis. I call this The University of Kelly Fineman because I learn so much in each post!
Sylvia Vardell is inviting poets to
play Poetry Tag. She will invite poets to "play" along by offering a poem for readers to enjoy, then she will "tag" a poet who share
Teacher, Teacher! Look!
There's lots of Xs in the sky!
How did they get there?!?
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Metaphors are wiley creatures,
Usually only found by teachers.
Today one let us glimpse its glory:
"All I'm saying is your life's a story."
by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010
Background:
My fourth graders are reading along as I read aloud 43 Old Cemetery Road, Book One: Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise. (I reviewed it
here.) If you know the "Regarding the..." series by the Klise sisters, you have an idea what this book is like -- told entirely through letters, newspaper pages, documents, etc.
Back bulletin board in our classroom:
Currently devoted to similes, metaphors, and idioms written on sentence strips along with a hodge-podge collection of common and uncommon homophones and homographs written on index cards.
Blurted out yesterday during read aloud:
"I think I hear a metaphor!"
The passage containing the metaphor:
"All I'm saying is that your life is a story, and that you are the main character of that story. Is your story a comedy or a tragedy? Is it dull? Or is is a compelling, spine-tingling drama? My point, Iggy, is simply that each of us is the author of his or her own life. So if you're telling me that you've changed, I'm pleased at your authorship."
Back in March, I wrote this Samantha Bennett (That Workshop Book) quote in my writer's notebook:
"When we are thoughtful about the way the day begins and ends, so much more is possible in the middle."
I can't remember where I saw it --
Creative Literacy?
Authentic Learner? The blog of someone who was/is reading it in a group or for a class. I wrote it down because I've struggled all my livelong career with the routines at both ends of the school day -- especially the end. So many days end in a whirlwind rush that leaves me exhausted and crabby. I'm constantly working to calm the end of the day down. I've got read aloud tucked in at the very end of the day now, and I like ending our day with our knees pulled together in a tight circle as we share our thoughts around the book we're reading together.
At any rate, operating on the principle that sometimes all it takes to be a poem is short lines, I wrote the quote this way:
When we are thoughtful
about the way the day
begins
and
ends,
so much more is possible
in the middle.
I'm not sure what made me read it from the bottom up. Maybe it's because I've been so fascinated recently with Marilyn Singer's poems in
Mirror, Mirror. It made a little bit of sense read bottom to top, so I played around with it and got these two poems. They're a bit clunky, but it was a thrill to even come close on such a complicated form!
In the middle
so much more is possible.
Ending
and
beginning
a day is
when we are thoughtful.
When we are thoughtful,
a day is
beginning
and
ending
so much. More is possible
in the middle.
By: Mary Lee,
on 4/30/2010
YES!!! I love this one and the photo. So glad to be along for the ride this month. You did a fabulous month of poetry!
Mary Lee,
This is so true, perfect for today! I feel the same way; thank you for expressing it perfectly - we did it, and I feel I made a new friend along the path. Congratulations!
A.
Ahhhhh. LOVE this. Thank you for a month of poems and insights and joy.
You capture the idea that we can discover our journey through poetry. So true.
A perfect poem to end National Poetry Month 2010, Mary. I've enjoyed reading your poems this month.
Mary Lee,
Way to finish off National Poetry Month 2010! Great poem. Congratulations!!!
Fabulous poem to cap off the month. I bow down to your resolve and commitment. I don't know that I could write a poem a day that I'd be willing to share!
I'm going to miss these posts.
Wow, what a PERFECT poem! Congrats on meeting your challenge. Enjoyed all your poems this month. :) Thank you!! *hands over golden cupcake trophy*
We've discovered a lot of seeds this month, too. Hoping they take root.
Love it, Mary Lee! That's wonderful.
Kudos, Mary Lee!
You have been amazing this month, ML, and an inspiration to us all. Congrats on making it every day! :)
Mary Lee,
I just read through all of your poems this month. What a delight!
What an amazing feat to complete so many poems! Kudos to you!
Laura Evans
Thank you all for your kind words. It's been a great ride this month and it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without readers along the way!
What a great poem to end the month. I love the photo. So: what will you do now that you have formed a practice of writing a pome a day?
What a great poem to end the month. I love the photo. So: what will you do now that you have formed a practice of writing a pome a day?
What a perfect ending to a truly wonderful month of poems. Thanks (and congrats on finishing, too).
Better say nothing than nothing to the purpose. ........................................