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Friday, April 17, 2009

Poetry Friday -- Choices


TREE
by Jane Hirschfield


It is foolish
to let a young redwood
grow next to a house.



(the rest of the poem is here and the round up this week is at Becky's Book Reviews



It is foolish
to let the weeds of Achievement Tests
overrun the garden of good teaching.

It is foolish
to expect the Titanic American Economy
to turn around in a space of time no wider than the Potomac River.

It is foolish
to try to convince a cat
to let his "staff" sleep until the alarm goes off in the morning.



Do you have any foolishness you'd like to share this week?


On a completely different topic:
Would you like to host Poetry Friday on your blog? The temporary round up schedule is temporarily going to remain in the sidebar here. Pick a Friday in May, June, July, or August and leave your choice in the comments. I've got dibs on July 24 -- Christmas in July. 

14 comments:

  1. Becky Laney has the round up for July 17.

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  2. I love Jane Hirschfield and this poem confirms it.

    Good luck battling those testing weeds. . .

    I can host June 5th, if you need me.

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  3. Great poem and photo!

    I'd be happy to host on July 10th, if it's open. :)

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  4. Mary Lee,
    This is a beautiful, beautiful poem. Today I bring breakfast for fifty people at school, then copy answer sheets for the district benchmark tests, then make an eighty mile round trip through rain and rush hour traffic to my son's basketball scrimmage …

    Thanks for helping me remember to focus on the things that matter.

    I'd be glad to host another round of Poetry Friday. Just let me know when you need me.
    Carol

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  5. I would love to host in late August as long as it does not have to be my poem.

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  6. May I host the first week of May? That'd be...May 1.

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  7. Ha I have such a cat. She purrs in my ear at 3 am and starts chewing the books above my head by 4. What makes her think I will miss the alarm?

    It is foolish to
    put your work desk
    under the window
    in front of the weeping cherry
    in April.

    I will host Friday Poetr
    in August though,
    when only the crickets
    threaten sanity.

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  8. Or Friday Poetry,
    whatever.

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  9. Anonymous11:06 AM

    I love your version of the poem!

    I can host May 8 at Picture Book of the Day.

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  10. Cute foolishness poetry and wicked awesome pic of the tree!
    I'd be happy to host May 15 or May 29!

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  11. Could host June 12 if it's available.

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  12. Anonymous3:48 PM

    That tree is beautiful! And I love that poem as well as your foolishness.

    It is foolish
    to expect the flowers to grow
    if you do not put them in the ground.

    I'm willing to host a Poetry Friday whenever. Free free to stick me in an empty spot if you need me. It doesn't matter when.

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  13. I, too, am a Hirschfield fan. Thanks for posting this.

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  14. It is foolish
    to consider mopping the kitchen floor
    on a snowy day
    in a house with two teenage boys
    and two teenage dogs.

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