Live Today

 

and dVerse Poets

Little Poems of My Day

        1.
You blew in,
no one knew
you knocked down towering trees
yet we could see through
we gawked and we shook
as you boomed and flashed
your transparent drops
began to cloud
and crash
against the glass
as we strained
our eyes burned...
another tree
at each turn
then as quick as you came
you blew away
to us a minute interuption
but to the trees
a forever fallen memory.

          2.
I see small sways
and your drops
come my way
and winds
blow you down
while my dogwood
holds on
to what?
the ground?
to life?
roots straining against you
tight.
While you
get washed,
lay down
won't stop
will grow
even taller
tomorrow
greener, stronger
while my little dogwood
struggles towering over
you, a green carpet below her
she struggles
you look weak
you will get cut
but you will go on
living
easily

     3.
We say
live today
we say
let go
we say
be present
we say
go forward
we say
we say
we say
but when
everyday
is like
today
we stay
stuck
and I
say
go do

Imagine

the waterfall wrapped itself around my ankles
as its spray lifted over my head and I was misted
smile stretching hands over head
I stand in a back bend welcoming the wet



Can you see this poem? I have a vivid image and hope that I am doing this right now as I am exploring the woods on a nature adventure.

Come slice with us slicers over at the Two Writing Teachers blog with Stacey and Ruth!

Earth's Rhythm

Alone and brittle
the last leaf to fall
a tumbling tempo
a breakable ball.

Winter memories
replaced with blooms
puddles pinked
by sunset hues.

Summer sand
a stinging splash
long days to come
storms will pass.

Life sings a song
seasons hum
my heart beats
earth's rhythmic drum.



Today I am double linking...Slice of Life and dVerse open link night.
This poem finally came together today. It has been played with for weeks, months maybe and was never quite right. A poem is never really done, but it felt complete today.

I AM

I saw this image on Facebook today as I was scrolling after a long last day of school. It reminded me of a poem I wrote during March SOLC. I love the beach and water so much and thought this was a great pairing of words, image and statement--
I AM.

Here is a revisit to the poem. You should write your own.

I Am

I am a list maker
I am a sun seeker
I am a sand lover
I am a spring waiter
I am a snow runner
I am a bird watcher
I am a kid hugger
I am a star wisher
I am a heart chaser
I am a story maker
I am a only I am

I Think in Poems is my new blog I started to house my poetry. I hope you will visit and support as much as you have at Teaching Young Writers.

Join the Slice of Life over at Two Writing Teacher with Stacey and Ruth

Think...Snail

Kind of feeling like everyone might be feeling a little like this...or maybe at some point in your life you have. Such a busy time, busy thoughts, busy...busy. What more is there to say.

Two Writing Teachers Stacey and Ruth host the Slice of Life!

Slowing down my thinking

as words swirl in and pool

I drown in thoughts and feel their drag

as under currents pull

I will them to surrender

I wish them not to stay

I fight against erosion

but words don’t wash away

Their waves roll in like thunder

Though silent unto you

Like beating drums inside me

Vibration can’t undo

No fibers can divide them

No sun to dry them out

No better way to spite them

than better words to sprout

CHALK-A-BRATION 2013

Today is CHALK-A-BRATION and Slice of Life! Two things that put an instant grin on my face. :)

 If you can't chalk today and want to link later this week I will still add you to the post. On Poetry Friday, unless the weather is uncooperative, I will be chalking again and link back to this post for blogosphere friends to see.

 My students will be doing their chalking during the day so I will update this post as the day goes on, comment on other chalkers and add their links.

Here are my a-brations to chalk about:

 I love the shadow on this one. Below the chalk is the typed version of this quote from Osho's book, Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously. There were no line breaks in the text of the book but I broke it up to fit my canvas.

"A poet lives through the heart and, by and by, in the heart he starts listening to the sounds of the unknown." ~Osho



Here is a notebook peek into my chalk poem:

 Wet pavement put a damper, literally, on my chalking all of April. It was a clear beautiful weekend until it started raining AGAIN! But, got my chalk done and only had to endure a little sprinkle.

I wipe my head clean

erase the stain

paint the moment

and write the day

~Betsy Hubbard

MY STUDENT'S CHALKING

Drum roll...finally...here is my class and their chalk-a-bration poem with pictures and words!

BLOG LINK CHALKING

Linda from TeacherDance improvised her chalk today using an app (smart idea). Here is her poem about the appreciation of bees.

All the way from Singapore some first graders from The Learning Adventures of Grade 1AC chalked some Haikus. Check out their hard work and beautiful chalky words.

Mary Lee joined in to share a poem about Oak Pollen, quite clever she is. Take a peek here.

Robin, at Teaching Tomorrow's Leaders chalked with her students today...with a very nice improvisation on the canvas! She also added her own poetic words, that are well, chalk-tastic, you'll see what I mean. 

Cathy at  Merely Day by Day also had a chalky share about capturing moments, it is a beauty.

AND...now Ms. Mere's students add their poems to the mix and there is a lot to celebrate when it comes to their poems! 

Mrs. Frazier's first graders from Ohio got their hands dusty with some great chalketry. Check out their awesome work here!

Ms. Mac's emerging writers share their experience and their chalk. You have to see these little ones working and writing, great stuff.

Slice of Life is hosted by Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers.

I Think in Poems

Two Writing Teachers
Go get some inspiration.








I almost always get ideas when I am in the car for slices, poems, school work, student next steps all those things that swirl in our heads. Maybe it is the scenary. I have a beautiful drive. Maybe it is me trying to block out the, "he's touching me...she's poking me" that is inevitable in my tiny Matrix.

My point. I realized today that when I am in writing mode I begin to think in poems. I was asked what I was thinking the other day and I wrote what I was thinking...it was a poem. Unintentional. I am now writing poems without intention, hmmm, I think that might be the best kind.
People (not a lot mind you), in the blog world have said, "you should publish your poems." I can't say I have no desire to do this but my poems are for me and obviously the people I share them with here. However the idea of publishing is sort of exotic isn't it? It is like that thing that you can't touch because it might go extinct or get damaged if you mess with it. I wonder if I got published if I would feel my poems like I feel them when I just write them for me. I wonder.
Then as I pondered this thought, I wondered, what would the name of my book be? Immediate answer, I THINK IN POEMS. I love the title of my non-existent book. It is me.
Then I realized that every title has to have a poem that goes with it, well, at least I think it should.
So, I wrote two versions of my title poem.

I think in poems

They swirl

They spring

I think in poems

Words brought

Words bring

A sense of wonder

Will, I weep

I think in poems

In slumber deep

I think in poems

In slumber deep

I think in poems

They swirl

And bring

A sense of wonder

Will

I weep

I think in poems

Words to keep.

I kind of think there is a better version somewhere out there that combines these two sets of words in a better way. But for now, this is what I got. Happy poetry month. 

We have had so much rain I haven't been able to chalk. Maybe this week...fingers crossed. However, I do hope you will chalk a poem with me on April 30th here and link it so others may enjoy your CHALK-A-BRATION too.

What, what did you say, you want to know what CHALK-A-BRATION is...click here!

Sixty Degrees and A Little Chalk

Every year on the first school day of 60 degree weather following winter I take coatless kids outside to play with chalk and bubbles. Literally, we stop what we are doing, I announce it is 60 degrees, kids cheer, I cheer and we pack up the equipment and go. It is always a blast and I always look forward to that day. Seeing the faces of so many happy bubble popping, blowing, chalking happiness.

I would like to invite all you slicers out there to join me and my students on April 30th for the second year of Chalk-A-Bration. It is an event anyone can join as long as there is chalk involved. Chalk a poem, drawing, anything appropriate and link it here at Teaching Young Writers! For more info see last years post with the details here! I hope to see you there and your chalky love. :)

A Summer Dream

After a week off I am now dreaming about summer. I care deeply about my students and enjoy watching them bloom in the springtime but I am really looking forward to the mental break. Every time I am in a summer dream this is what I picture. It is so calm. So clear. So peaceful. I am dreaming of serenity today. 

Sunlight fades into

warm shadows.

My fingers dance in earth’s lake laced breath

as sand mists against my legs

and I sink in the endless dune.

In a squint

my smile breathes

as the orange pink light waves to me.

A moment.

I pause and watch the last sliver slip

and darkness takes the day.

There, I crouch

at my altar

laying vows

committed to myself.

Thank you Stacey for acknowledging me in the call for slices today.

A Notebook Poetry Slice

I went on a hunt in my notebook today. I found this entry from January. I decided to take it, change the tone a bit but use a few of the lines.

flowing white

princess bright

from dark to light

our hearts ignite

show me the way

to the vaporizing fires

and may love burn on

in our lives forever

The host on this lovely Poetry Friday in March is Mary Lee at A Year of Reading.

And...Why not slice up a poem for today's Slice of Life Challenge with Stacey and Ruth at Two Writing Teachers.