Poetry Friday - Wisdom from Long Ago

created by Linda Mitchell

It's Poetry Friday, and Buffy Silverman is hosting HERE on her blog, sharing a "tale of a tail" that will maybe alarm, but certainly entertain! 

     I finished Poetry Month, wrote 29 poems and shared one by another poet, about the sweetest reflection about a mother. I am pleased with some, believe others filled the day, but perhaps are forgettable. That's okay, and I enjoyed having the challenge every day. It certainly made me look at words and then, look again! I also congratulate those who entertained me all the month with beautiful poetry of their own. AND, every morning I had the pleasure of rising and looking immediately for the next lines of the Progressive Poem. Thank you all for that amazing creation, and thank you  Margaret, for keeping us going and organized! Happy May!

       I don't have my copies yet, but I also wish to congratulate Carol LaBuzzetta for her kindness, creativity, and tireless work in bringing this new anthology to the world! I'm proud to have a couple of poems in it and look forward to reading everyone else's! 

        With so many conflicts in our world today, and there are many, it's a pleasure to go back in years to find wisdom from another time. Though many of us worry about countries at war, protests far and near, and political strife, seeing a poem I found in an anthology from 1896 tells me that challenging conflicts happened then, too. I know some of history and I'm not surprised, but when I looked through the poems, their heartfelt look at people and seasons and animals, like today, felt nice. Life happened then as it is happening now. I wish everyone were safe and I imagine most wished that we could be as this poet wrote with such hope! The author appears to be anonymous, no name given anywhere in the book.

        The book was donated to the used bookstore where I work, is very old and falling apart. I have it wrapped in some newspaper to keep it intact and from flaking pieces everywhere!

 

title page

                       

opposite of the title page
The Statue of Liberty was unveiled on October 28, 1886, ten years
earlier than when this book was published.

Enjoy this first week of May, everyone!

April - Poetry Month - 2024, Day Thirty, For Our Future

   Happy End to Poetry Month!

        It's the finale for April! I've done my best to take the advice from the poet who has given so much to help us all, including students and teachers, write poetry. I'll be moving from A to Z, obviously needing to combine a few to make it all come out to 30. FYI—Sometimes, Paul Janeczko offers a prompt to write a poem that begins with the specific alphabet letter instead of a poem type. It will be fun to be open to writing in all kinds of ways!

       You can find the path to the Progressive Poem over to the right! Simply click on the graphic!

        As you can see above, the 26 letters of the Alphabet and the words that begin with them have been covered. I have been finding a few memories to write about, but this final day, I'm thinking of the future for all of us, considering our current world so filled with conflict! 

Bridge Stock photos by Vecteezy

Untitled

 

Wishing bridge building

between ideas

could be as beautiful

as capturing a chasm

with steel!

Linda Baie ©  

It's Monday - Some Terrific Books!

            

        Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow! 

          Here's what happened in my reading last week! It was a busy week, so I have fewer books, but each one will be a great one for certain people. I enjoyed them all!

         From the intro to this book on Goodreads: "When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into, Jarrett was worried: Wouldn't it be depressing, to be around kids facing such a serious struggle? Wouldn't it be grim?" 

        Jarrett Kroscoczka turns the early worries about being chosen to be on the crew for this special summer camp week into days he will always cherish, friendships that have stayed for a lot of years, and the memory of a few kids who blessed him by being who they were, in spite of serious illness. Allowing us readers to get to know those kids and to know his counselor buddies, how the whole camp felt like someone had found the best place in the world was a wonderful experience for me, too. Just knowing that volunteers make camps like this happen for those who in need made me re-read it yesterday, to be sure I didn't miss anything. I hope you who are reading this review won't miss reading it either!

      I enjoyed Krosoczka's visuals of the night scenes, which were full of fun activities for everyone, and the expressions, mostly happy, sometimes alarmed or sad, on both the kids' and the counselor's faces. As the week continued, faces became more relaxed and happy nearly always, until the goodbyes. 

         It's 1942, this time in occupied Paris and 12-year-old Miriam lives with her parents in the quarters set aside by the Nazis for Jewish people. Her father has been arrested and they know very little. Miriam (Miri) is shy and doesn't like going to stand in line for the small bits of food available but she does. This one time, nearly home, a roundup has started, and Miri cannot make it home but is pushed onto a bus with her neighbor and her young child, Nora. Right before, very near to her home, she hears a loud noise, thinking it a shot, thinking it was her mother killed. Then, on the bus, the neighbor begs Miri to take Nora when they get off, and run! That is the beginning of the story, filled with tension and worry, filled with a 12-year-old who must be cautious, learn who to trust, adults and then, roommates in a Catholic boarding school run by nuns. It is summer, and not all the kids are there, but two are, and one seems to look at Miri with mistrust. She knows to be so careful. There is much more to this story, a nearby castle, with both history and a way to get across the River Cher to a safer area of France. Imagining such a life for a young one is not unrealistic for that time. Many children had to act, to help others and to save themselves. This Miriam learned about courage during this time, along with some helpers, and some magic, too. Kmberly Brubaker Bradley make an interesting choice in this story, one I liked reading yet in creating something about such a perilous and tragic time for those persecuted, I'm unsure if the magic doesn't make less of the true stories of those who continually fought and took life-threatening chances to save people, young and old.

April - Poetry Month - 2024, Day Twenty-Nine, Finding Memories

  Happy Poetry Month!

        I'm taking the advice from the poet who has given so much to help us all, including students and teachers, write poetry. I'll be moving from A to Z, obviously needing to combine a few to make it all come out to 30. FYI—Sometimes, Paul Janeczko offers a prompt to write a poem that begins with the specific alphabet letter instead of a poem type. It will be fun to be open to writing in all kinds of ways!

       You can find the path to the Progressive Poem over to the right! Simply click on the graphic!

        As you can see above, the 26 letters of the Alphabet and the words that begin with them have been covered. These final days I decided to find a few memories to write about, this time preparing for summer time!

Day 29 - Last Day Teaching

 

           It was both hard and easy to retire from teaching. I loved my work, but I knew it was time for other things and, like every year, time for a break! This poem is for my students at the end of every year and me, too, at the end.

Last photo of my desk!

Outta Here!

 

Goodbye pencils

and lined paper,

friends at recess,

game creators.

Farewell teachers, 

homework’s done.

Time to leap into our summers-

filled with fun.

 

 

Linda Baie ©  

 

April - Poetry Month - Day 28 - Finding Memories

 Happy Poetry Month!

        I'm taking the advice from the poet who has given so much to help us all, including students and teachers, write poetry. I'll be moving from A to Z, obviously needing to combine a few to make it all come out to 30. FYI—Sometimes, Paul Janeczko offers a prompt to write a poem that begins with the specific alphabet letter instead of a poem type. It will be fun to be open to writing in all kinds of ways!

       You can find the path to the Progressive Poem over to the right! Simply click on the graphic!

        As you can see above, the 26 letters of the Alphabet and words that begin with them have been covered. These final days I decided to find a few memories to write about, preparing for summer time!

Day 28 - Long ago when I taught first grade, a parent came walking in with her girl, my student, kind of hiding behind her mother. Today, many kids wear ball caps and now, looking back, I wish there had been one for her. Her older sister and a friend pretended to be beauticians and practiced cutting hair, on the little sister. No picture today. I'll leave it to your imagination. (It took a long time for the hair to grow out!)

Pretending

 

Sissy loved 

playing beautician.

It took months

for my bangs 

to grow back.

Mama cried.

 

Linda Baie ©