Slice of Life and NPM Day 15: Something(s) Poetic

 

A certain gap of six days

appears in my poetic sharings. 

And so today I bring you

six favorite books of poetry 

from my bookshelves

for days ten through fifteen.

My quick version 

of poetry month catch-up.

 

Day 10: all the small poems and fourteen more by Valerie Worth with pictures by Natalie Babbitt - I bought multiple copies of this book for my classroom library over the years since my copy often disappeared. No worries, teachers love it when poetry books go walkabout, especially if they're being read.

Day 11 - What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms & Blessings by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski - So many poems to love in this slim volume with a red bookmark: "Come Happiness," "How To Find A Poem,"and "Starting Now."

Day 12 - Sketches from a Spy Tree by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, illustrated by Andrew Glass - Pink sticky notes mark the pages of favorite poems: "Bubblegum in Braces," "It Must Be September,"and "Tasting."

Day 13 - Mural On Second Avenue and Other City Poems by Lilian Moore, illustrated by Roma Karas - Green sticky notes mark the spot for favorite poems in this book filled with poems to love: "Forsythia Bush," "Winter Dark", and "The Tree on the Corner."

Day 14 - The Great Frog Race and Other Poems by Kristine O'Connell George with pictures by Kate Kiesler - This book, covered with laminate and a P on the cover indicating its spot in the classroom library, includes these favorites: "Spring Wind" (perfect for teaching personification), "Garden Hose," and "Winter Swing." Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems is another favorite book on my shelf by Kristine O'Connell George.

 Day 15 - Night Garden: Poems from the World of Dreams by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by Julie Paschkis - I adore this entire book (inscribed "Sweet dreams," by Janet) but especially "The Ones They Loved the Most," and "Turnip Cake," a treat I loved when I lived in Hong Kong.

 

Whew! And that catches me up to tax day and the middle of April. Isn't it great that National Poetry Month falls during this dreaded month of reckoning when everyone needs a puff of poetry to lighten their mood?

NPM Day 9: Something Poetic

Every time I walk, I snap pictures of trees. Here are just a few examples from recent weeks:

I decided that these pictures needed a poem. I went to the Poetry Foundation, where I discovered the  concrete poem, "Whenever You See a Tree" by Padma Venkatraman. The poem ends with these words:

Next time

you see

a tree

think

how

much

hope

it holds

 

Click here to see the entire poem. 

 

Something poetic" every day is my commitment for NPM this year. 

I'll spotlight a favorite poem or book or poet or share a quote I love. 

Maybe I'll even stretch myself and occasionally write an original poem.   

NPM Day 8: Something Poetic - Tricube Time

I composed a tricube about my March visit with the Utah grands: 3 stanzas, 3 lines in each stanza and 3 syllables in each line! And just for fun, I added three pics to each stanza!

 Utah Joy 

 

Teddy's trick

Pancake king

Puzzle pal

 

 

 

 Ruthie poses

Bunny joins

story time

 

Froggy jumps

Lily croaks

Look at me

- Ramona Behnke

"Something poetic" every day is my commitment for NPM this year. 

I'll spotlight a favorite poem or book or poet or share a quote I love. 

Maybe I'll even stretch myself and occasionally write an original poem.   

NPM Day 7: Something Poetic - #HFGather

On April 1st, I attended a National Poetry Month Celebration,  #HFGather (that "HF" stands for Highlights Foundation, btw), with a delightful group of poets on a Zoom call, The evening was hosted by Irene Latham and Charles Waters. Irene mentioned the gathering on her blog last week with this shout-out: 

"I LOVED hanging out with Poetry Peeps during #HFGather earlier this week. What a great way to get the month of poetry-lovin' started!"

The event showcased a new poetry collection for children, If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility, selected by Irene Latham and Charles Waters. Three poets who contributed to the collection were invited guests of Irene and Charles on the Zoom call: Lacresha Berry, JaNay Brown, and Jolene Gutiérrez. Each of them read their poem from the collection, followed by poetry tips for the listeners.

Here are some tips I gleaned from the poets:

"My heart beats in poetry."

"I put myself in places with an open heart."

"Get kids out in nature."

"Poetry levels the playing field." 

"Grant Snider's Poetry Comics is a fun way to share poems with students." 

"Poems are word paintings."

I'm not sure who said what because I was scrawling on my March desk calendar page, unable to find my writer's notebook or a blank sheet of paper.

"Something poetic" every day is my commitment for National Poetry Month this year. I may spotlight a favorite poem or book or poet or share a quote I love about poetry. Maybe I'll even stretch myself and occasionally write an original poem. 

NPM Day 6: Something Poetic - Seasonal Poems

This post began with a single book, Julie Andrews' Treasury for all Seasons: Poem and Songs to Celebrate the Year. The colorful and lively illustrations by Marjorie Priceman invite children into the pages of this beautiful anthology, with poems selected by Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton.  I pulled it off the shelf intending to use it for April 1 since it had "April Fool" by Myra Cohn Livingston. It was pushed aside for several days until it began patiently petitioning for inclusion. And that's when I discovered a few other seasonal poetry books on my shelf.

 

Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Merce Lopez

Poetry for Young People: The Seasons edited by John N. Serio and illustrated by Robert Crockett

Robert Frost: Seasons - Poems selected by Edward Connery Lathem with photographs by Christopher Burkett

 

These four delightful books, Handsprings, Summersaults, Autumnblings, and Winter Eyes with poems and paintings by Douglas Florian were favorites in my 6th grade classroom.

This final photo showcases three picture books of a single, seasonal poem:

Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Larry Johnson (summer)

When the Frost Is on the Punkin by James Whitcomb Riley with illustrations by Glenna Lang (fall) Mrs. Lewallen, our fourth grade teacher, had us memorize & perform this poem.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost and illustrated by Susan Jeffers (winter) Susan Jeffers' quote from backpiece: "There is only one thing more majestic than a Rober Frost poem about snow - a snowstorm itself."

I searched all my shelves for a "spring" poem illustrated in a picture book. There wasn't one! If you have a recommendation, leave a comment so I can remedy this situation.

NPM Day 5: Something Poetic!

I plucked this one out of one of our baskets of board books. It's filled with poetic riddles that encourage youngsters to explore the natural world. For older kids, it provides great examples of personification. Available in hardbound also and probably at your local library, it's received much praise including recognition as an NCTE Notable Book in Poetry in 2021. 

SJT & PF & NPM Day 4: A Cento of Lament

On the first Thursday of each month (I know it's Friday. I show up late sometimes.), I join a remarkable group of blogger friends to share our Spiritual Journeys. We take turns hosting and selecting the theme for that month of writing. 

This month, Ruth (currently living in Uganda) who blogs at There is no such thing as a godforsaken town, extended this invitation: "Consider writing about lament, the traditional posture of Lent. If you want to include the poetry element, you might write your own Psalm of lament; so many of the Psalms fit in this category."

I immediately thought of four big things I currently lament: death, disease, disasters, and despair. I've never written a Psalm before, much less a Psalm of lament, so I decided to create a cento. A cento (or collage poem) is a poetic form composed entirely of lines from poems by other poets, in my case, collected from my fellow travelers who posted to Spiritual Journey Thursday.

 A Cento of Lament

The road is winding, steep, rough. 

Do you hear our cries?

Bitter,

scared,

furious.

Do you care?  

 How long, my God,

 will we suffer these trials and tribulations?     

 Take away 

the violence

 the hatred

 the displacement

 the grief:

 Give us a world full of your love.

 A prayer . . . 

 Look on me with mercy, oh Lord my God.

 Give me Your light, that I might see.

 Let your word be alive and active in me.   

You, O God, are my strength.

 

- With deep gratitude to my fellow sojourners 

at Spiritual Journey Thursday for their beautiful words:

Denise, Patricia, Bob, Ruth

Karen (David Budbill), Fran, Linda, and Margaret. 

Poetry Friday is hosted by Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme this week. He is celebrating the publication of his debut poetry anthology, A Universe of Rainbows.

"Something poetic" every day is my commitment for NPM this year. 

I'll spotlight a favorite poem or book or poet or share a quote I love. 

Maybe I'll even stretch myself and occasionally write an original poem.  

NPM Day 3: Something Poetic!

Pulled this favorite from my shelf

When Green Becomes Tomatoes:

Poems for All Seasons

by Jule Fogliano

  

 

And then I requested 

 If I Was the Sunshine 

And Then It's Spring 

 

"Something poetic" every day is my commitment for NPM this year. 

I'll spotlight a favorite poem or book or poet or share a quote I love. 

Maybe I'll even stretch myself and occasionally write an original poem.  

NPM Day 2: Something Poetic!

 I promised a blogger friend, Lisa, from Ontario, Canada some pics of spring. 

Profusion of pink

Manifests His boundless love

His message sustains

 

"Something poetic" every day is my commitment for National Poetry Month this year. I may spotlight a favorite poem or book or poet or share a quote I love about poetry. Maybe I'll even stretch myself and occasionally write an original poem. 

Slice of Life & National Poetry Month Day 1: Something Poetic

I adore National Poetry Month. I'm always sad that it comes right after March's Slice of Life Story Challenge. My relief that March is over makes it hard for me to muster a daily commitment to National Poetry Month. This year I'm committing to something poetic daily. It might be a favorite poem or book or poet or even a quote I love about poetry. Maybe I'll even stretch myself and write an original poem. Actually there's just one day that I have committed to writing poetry, April 19th, the day I signed up to add a line to the 2025 Kidlit Progressive Poem. I wrote about it for my Slice of Life on March 27th and extended a playful invitation for other slicers to join us. 

Shortly after our move to North Carolina, I was invited to join a unique book club by my daughter's neighbor. This group meets and shares what they have been reading. It's a dangerous gathering for confirmed bibliophiles. We always increase our individual WTR ("Want To Read") book list by several books. I prefer the abbreviation WTR over TBR  (To Be Read) which sounds like assigned reading. This group meets at a local coffee shop. No one has to clean their home or worry about providing food for the group. 

Around a year ago, I shared How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope edited by James Crews, with this new group of bookish friends. Sharing poetry with this group of women I was just getting to know was brave (or perhaps foolish) on my part. They listened to the three poems * I shared from the book. Actually, I could have shared many poems from the book. But I limited myself to three. 

And then at our latest book club meeting last week, I extended another invitation. Since April is National Poetry Month, why not bring a poem or book of poetry to share with the group at our next meeting? And they accepted my invitation! How are you spreading poetic love during National Poetry Month? Step our of your comfort zone and join the fun at the poetry playground. I guarantee that you'll have fun!

* "In the Company of Women" by January Gill O'Neil (p. 102),  "Wondrous" by Sarah Freligh (p. 97), and "Perceptive Prayer" by Grace Bauer (p. 132.

SOL 31/31: From Serene Activities to Shrieks of Surprise

I read a lot of posts and left comments, trying to figure out how to mark this thirty-first day of my fourteenth year of slicing. I compiled the number of slices I've written on different topics, a favorite way to sum up my month of slicing in the past. 

No matter how I try to summarize the month, a slice of our afternoon keeps slithering to the surface.

Grandma knits a scarf

Grandsons plant sugar snap peas

Daughter steps on snake!

I close this month with gratitude for our slicing community. I never considered myself a writer until I began slicing with my students in 2012. Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life.

SOL 30/31: If I Were in Charge . . .

If I were Queen of Slices:

1. We would write in February.

It only has 28 days AND we could catch our breath before April and all that Poetry Month brings our way.

2. No one would ever have a slice with no comments,

Leave a comment with the day(s) you got zero love and I'll visit.

3. Problems with disappearing comments will vanish, expire, vamoose, beggone, Evanesco, perish forever. 

Yes, I've tried Jetpack and had some success with it, but I still have comments that evaporate from sight.

A second try brings this response: "Duplicate comment. Looks like you already said that." 

"Well, where the heck did that comment go? It's not showing up on my friend's blog. Is it going walkabout in cyberspace?

**************************

This is my fourteenth year participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge, writing every day during the month of March. Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for creating this challenge and providing the space and support for us year after year. And thanks to this magnificent community for sharing stories with me and encouraging my writing life. 

SOL 29/31: Sleepover Fun!

It was sleepover night with eight year old grandson. 

He couldn't wait to make Molasses Butterscotch Ice Cream Sandwiches (his own dreamed-up creation).

We switched our regular routine of dinner at Chick-fil-A to enjoy a Papa John's Pizza delivered by his dad. 

And then it was off to the grocery store with Grandpa to select sodas for our taste test. The two varieties of Orange were beat out by Root Beer, a long time favorite.

After watching a favorite show, it was time for Charades, a game that usually leads to him lying on the floor giggling so hard he can hardly breathe over some of our silly actions performed in search of the right words.

Our bedtime book was Loos, Poos, and Number Twos: A Disgusting Journey Through the Bowels of History by Peter Hepplewhite, selected from Grandma's book basket. Jack could not understand why Grandma would have requested such a book. 

After a six am rising & hanging out with Grandpa for an hour, Jack roused me from a deep sleep with his "I'm hungry," chant.

When I wandered out of the bedroom, he was looking at the back of last night's dreadful book featuring more titles in the same vein. I redirected him to the The Story of Silk: From Worm Spit to Woven Silk, another worm book in the book basket. That book kept him occupied while I made snowman and Mickey Mouse chocolate chip pancakes. 

When we sat down for breakfast, guess what captured our attention? He had discovered the Car Issue of Consumer Reports and was avidly reading about cars and trucks that would allow him to go off road.

Our morning at the Science Center included buying a sucker with a scorpion in it and a packet of Sour Cream and Onion Crick-ettes. Jack  pronounced the sucker as yucky once he reached the scorpion and declared the crick-ettes as having no taste whatsoever. Good thing we got that out of his system!

We dashed back to our house for a late morning snack and then it was time to head home. He convinced Grandpa to let him take the Consumer Reports home. Who knows what he's planning for our next sleepover?

SOL 28/31: A Book Spine Poem of Possibilities

 I have two bookshelves of books that I want to read. Today I pulled several off the shelf to a make a book spine poem. 

This Tender Land

South of Broad

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest

Abide with Me

The Pull of the Stars

Life After Life

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow 

 

 Books organized by order of preference to read:

Young Adult & Middle Grade

 1.  Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin  

(Middle grade, liked The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, borrowed from a friend)

2.  The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest  by Aubrey Hartman

(Middle grade, loved The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor, her debut novel)

 

Historical Fiction 

3. The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue  

(1918 Great Flu sweeps Ireland,

my grandmother's twin died in this epidemic in the U.S.)

Favorite Authors

4.  South of Broad by Pat Conroy

(loved Beach Music) 

5. Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout 

(loved Olive Kitteridge)

 

Intrigued by Book

6. Life After Life by Jill McCorkle

(found in a Little Free Library) 

 

Book Club Pick

7. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

(for Nov. 2025, liked The River We Remember)

 

FYI:  The only book I purchased in the above list was The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest. I feel a responsibility to support new authors. I love middle grade. My son knew Aubrey in college. With the exception of the one borrowed book, the rest were acquired at library book sales or Little Free Libraries.

SOL 27/31: A Playful Invitation

 I did it again.

I'm not sure why.

Perhaps it was the lateness of the day

or that the invitation came

 via a blogger friend 

at a gathering of writers.

Step right up.

Jump right in.

Take the plunge.

Join us:

the fearful,

the brave,

the playful,

at the playground for the

 2025 Kidlit Progressive Poem .

See you in April!

 

- Ramona Behnke

SOL 26/31: A High Jumping Haiku!

A story time craft

continues Lily's delight,

"A hopping good time!" 

SOL 25/31: Seven Reasons I'm Slicing at 10 pm! Again!

 With only seven days left to slice, I bring you seven reasons why I'm posting at 10 pm!

1. I stripped my bed this morning and tossed the sheets in the washer (Tuesday's chore). Arrived in bedroom at 10 pm after watching a show with hubby, still needing to make the bed. I love fresh sheets, but hate making the bed at 10 pm.

2. I had a morning date with Ollie, a make up swim lesson.

3. I read many books with Ollie during morning snack and lunch. I love it when he says, "Read it again, Grandma."

4. I tried to track a package that hadn't been delivered. Ever tried the UPS Virtual Assistant? Take my advice and don't!

5. I baked chocolate chip cookies and delivered plates to three neighbors.

6. I tried a new recipe for dinner (prep always take me longer than the recipe states). And the recipe was meh (not a keeper).

7. I celebrated with my sister that her package finally arrived (our phone conversations lean toward chatty)!

And that, my friends, are just a few of the reasons why I'm sitting here at 10:22 finishing today's slice. 

Math tip: Day 25 = 7 days left to slice (when you add the single digit 2 to the single digit 5).

SOL 24/31: The Boys Stick Together!

Last week I gathered all the picture books I had checked out of the library for Women's History Month. I asked Jack to select one to read on Friday. He was spending the day with us following a tooth extraction. Surprisingly, the time to go home and meet brother's bus arrived before we had a chance to read his chosen book.

I tossed it in my book bag and away we went. After checking my watch and knowing we had a bit of time before the bus arrived, I sauntered outside, book in hand. Jack was perched on the curb reading a book he had checked out that morning. I casually opened a lawn chair and suggested to Jack that we read Dinosaur Lady before Robby's bus arrived..

"But Grandma, I think Robby would like to read it with us," was Jack's rapid fire reply. 

Grandpa immediately chimed in, "What's the title?"

I responded, "The Dinosaur Lady."

"Oh, I know that's a book Robby wants to read. You definitely should wait for him!" 

As expected, the boys did not gather round for a reading of The Dinosaur Lady after the bus dropped Robby off. With three boys in daughter's family, this probably won't be the last time the boys override Grandma, especially when Grandpa sides with them.

Jack, however, was elated to unwrap the plate of Molasses Crinkles we had baked for their Friday afternoon tradition of Cookies and Conversation. They have cookies and milk, and take turns drawing slips of paper with questions about their week to provide the conversation.

SOL 23/31: Looking Down, Looking Up

Yesterday I listened The Next Right Thing podcast by Emily P. Freeman, episode 359, The Spiritual Practice of Looking Up and Down. This week Emily talked about a spiritual practice that's helping her feel a bit more grounded. She explains that any practice can be a spiritual one if we do it with an awareness of God. Her practice involves taking a picture of her feet and then looking up to take a picture of the sky. This little practice involves pausing to look down at where she is right now and then also looking up at what's above her. Go listen to her podcast if you want to understand how this practice can be spiritually beneficial.

Just eight days ago I chronicled the snowy skies and bluebird days of Utah while I was visiting my son and his family. Back home in North Carolina, I bring you blossoms and joy in the wondrous arrival of spring. I never tire of walks to document the nature around me. As I began looking through my pictures, I realized that I often take pics of flowers on the ground and pics of trees while looking up at the sky. It's not exactly the practice Emily Freeman does, but it does slow me down (and my fellow walkers). Here are a few pics from the past week capturing the arrival of spring. Come walk with me!