Poem #30--Looking Inside (and Poetry Friday)

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!!

The round up this week is at Great Kid Books.

All 30 of my NaPoMo poems are here.

Poem #29--Newspaper Blackout Poem

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!

He makes it look easy, no?

Here's my feeble attempt:

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.

Poem #28--Book Spine Poem

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Poem #27--A Limerick for the Poem-A-Day Writers

You've written a poem a day!

Every day you found something to say

in a poem or verse,

for better or worse.

To each of you: HIP HIP HOORAY!

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Poem #26--A Fib For Gregory K.

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.

Poem #25--A One-Word Poem

Dedicated to Franki

(and with apologies to David R. Slavitt)

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.

Poem #24--Coffee House Sonnet

When at the coffee shop we both do sit

and sip dark roast or other blended drink

we open books and read for just a bit

which turns into an hour in a blink.

Around us others read from their books or

they stare with blank looks at computer screens.

To study here is not so much a chore

and bonus points are scored for the caffeine.

But only so much there can we get done:

the groc'ries, laundry, cleaning still do wait.

We must make time on Saturday for fun

and yet not so much that we run too late.

All things in their own time and their own place.

Work hard, have fun, but keep a steady pace.

Poem #23--Where I'm From Poem (and Poetry Friday)

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

The Poetry Friday Roundup today is at Picture Book of the Day with Anastasia Suen.

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!

Jone MacCulloch shares Thirty Days, Thirty Students, Thirty Poems: original poems by students.

Jama Rattigan is posting original poems & favorite recipes by some of the Poetry Friday regulars.

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!

Laura at Author Amok is highlighting the poets laureate of all 50 states this month...well, all the ones that have a poet laureate... Fun Fun!

Laura Salas is posting a children's poem per day from a poetry book she loves.

Lee Wind is publishing many new Teen voices during April for National Poetry Month. GLBTQ Teen Poetry.

Bud the Teacher gives a picture prompt every day during April and invites readers to post the poem it inspires in the comments of his blog.

ORIGINAL POEM-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Checks these blogs daily for new original poems by the following people:

Susan Taylor Brown

Jone MacCulloch

Elizabeth Moore

April Halprin Wayland

Liz Scanlon

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

If I missed your project, please let me know and I'll add it to my list!

Poem #22--Did Someone Say Only 30 More Days?

Overheard at Spinning Class

or

The Last Six Weeks of School

(or both)

Hold that load!

Don't touch that knob!

You've got one more chance

to push yourself to a nine!

Everything that's left in your tank?

Give it now!

Stay strong!

Go for it!

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Poem #21--Haiku Response to Literature

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.

I'm listening to Bill Bryson read his book, Shakespeare: The World As Stage:

So few facts are known;

what we "know," we speculate.

Still fascinating.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Poem #20 Lightning Thief Metaphor Poems (and a testing poem)

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

Poem #19--"If-You-Were" Metaphor Poems

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

Apple Crisp is on the Menu Today at the Alphabet Soup Kitchen

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!

Poem #18 Sunday Night Teacher Haiku

Sunday inertia

last week. This week: momentum

means completed list.

State Test Simile Poem

My students are

as confident as racehorses

in the starting gate.

Our teacher is

as nervous as a donut

in the teacher's lounge.

My students are

as sharp as a box of

#2 pencils.

Our teacher is

as hardworking as a house painter

with a one-inch brush.

On Wednesday afternoon,

we'll all be

as relieved as a gymnast

who sticks the landing.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

BONUS: NEW SIMILE BOOK IS AS PERFECT AS THE PETALS ON A PETUNIA!

Muddy As A Duck Puddle and Other American Similes

by Laurie Lawlor

illustrated by Ethan Long

Holiday House, 2010

review copy provided by the publisher

This book has it all -- it's an ABC book of 26 uniquely American similes, and there's an explanation for each one in the back of the book, including the part of the country from which it hails!

Here are a few from the book that can be used to describe an elementary school before the state tests: Our testing coordinators are "Busy as a stump-tailed cow in fly-time" trying to find spaces and translators and cds for all of the ELLs in our building -- students who speak Twi, Farsi, Arabic, Spanish, Korean, Bengali, and Russian. Our teachers are as "Jittery as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs." We really, really need to meet AYP this year. No matter the outcome of the tests, we all believe that our students are just as "Fine as frog hair." These state tests are but ONE isolated measure of our students' growth this year, and no matter what the tests say, we know to the core of our collective being that our students have grown in their learning, understanding and knowledge this year. (Plus, we're not finished teaching after this week, so the learning will continue!!)

Poem #16--Google Search Story Poem

Children learn
to write poetry
the same way they learn
to ride a bike:
follow the rules,
break the rules,
get silly and have some fun.

by Mary Lee Hahn, using Google Search Stories, copyright 2010

A big shout-out to Gregory K. at GottaBook for introducing us to the way-cool fun of Google Search Stories, and another one to Elizabeth at Tiny Reader for the inspiration to use it for my poem-a-day challenge. The perfect diversion for the middle of the month slump!

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast this week.

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!

Jone MacCulloch shares Thirty Days, Thirty Students, Thirty Poems: original poems by students.

Jama Rattigan is posting original poems & favorite recipes by some of the Poetry Friday regulars.

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!

Laura at Author Amok is highlighting the poets laureate of all 50 states this month...well, all the ones that have a poet laureate... Fun Fun!

Laura Salas is posting a children's poem per day from a poetry book she loves.

Lee Wind is publishing many new Teen voices during April for National Poetry Month. GLBTQ Teen Poetry.

Bud the Teacher gives a picture prompt every day during April and invites readers to post the poem it inspires in the comments of his blog.

ORIGINAL POEM-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Checks these blogs daily for new original poems by the following people:

Susan Taylor Brown

Jone MacCulloch

Elizabeth Moore

April Halprin Wayland

Liz Scanlon

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

If I missed your project, please let me know and I'll add it to my list!

Which of the Top Hundred Have YOU Read?

Reading is breathing.

We couldn't live without it.

We've got books in our veins

and stories in our souls.

Our life work is to

make readers,

coach readers,

cheer readers,

tempt readers,

help readers,

guide readers,

read alongside readers.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Thanks to Teacherninja for this great meme!

So...which of Betsy Bird’s Top 100 Children’s Novels have you read? The titles of the books Mary Lee's read are blue. The ones Franki's read are red. The ones we've BOTH read are purple.

100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret -- Selznik (2007)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)

Poem #14--After the Concert

From across the gym,

I see my student pick up

his friend's little brother

and start swinging him

around and around.

I step towards them

to intervene

but

change directions

and head to the door.

I'm off the clock.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

Poem #13--Definito

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.

Poem #12--On the Way Home From School

On the way home from school

I drove past

a very recent car accident.

Pieces of bumper

were scattered

in the intersection.

A bicycle lay on its side

but the cyclist seemed

in better condition than

the driver of the

mangled car.

Emergency vehicles were not there yet

but lots of people were

milling about.

I drove slowly past

thinking about how quickly

a life can change.

Thinking about driving home

to my college dorm

after a day of student teaching.

Driving the

bright green

Chevy Monza

my dad named Kermit.

Working on memorizing a poem

as I drove.

Deliberately

pausing

at the 4-way stop at the top of the hill.

Stopping before the last line of the poem.

Saying out loud,

"I have wasted my life" *

and looking up to see

the other car

running through the stop

smashing my driver's side door

changing my life

in

an

instant.

I no longer memorize poetry

while I drive.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010

* Dang. I can't find (or remember) the poem I was trying to memorize. Seems like it had the word Minnesota in it, and the speaker was lounging in a hammock. Sound familiar? I'll keep looking...

I FOUND IT!!!

Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota

Over my head, I see the bronze butterfly,
Asleep on the black trunk,
blowing like a leaf in green shadow.
Down the ravine behind the empty house,
The cowbells follow one another
Into the distances of the afternoon.
To my right,
In a field of sunlight between two pines,
The droppings of last year's horses
Blaze up into golden stones.
I lean back, as the evening darkens and comes on.
A chicken hawk floats over, looking for home.
I have wasted my life.

James Wright