NPM Day 30: Sharing Poems from My Apron of Many Pockets

 

I said goodbye to National Poetry Month with a visit to Robby's kindergarten classroom to share poems from my many pockets. It's not Poem in Your Pocket Day, but any day when you get to share poems with kids is cause for celebration! 

I also shared poems in Jack's 2nd grade classroom, but forgot to take pictures. He remembered that last year I let them keep the poem they selected. I didn't do that this year, but I came home and made a two sided handout of some favorites for them. Jack and his classmates knew about metaphor, simile, alliteration, and hyperbole. I love that Mrs. Wright has taught them so much about poems. She wasn't there to thank, but I'll send her a note. 

It was fortunate that daughter was out of town so I could step in for her regular story time in the boys' classrooms and share poems with these wonderful students. It's a joy to be with them and to share my love of poems!

NPM Day 29 & Slice of Life: Poems About Books

I bring you four delightful anthologies compiled by the king of poetry (crowned by me in my NPM project of 2017), Lee Bennett Hopkins. Reading always tops my list of hobbies and since poetry also figures on that list of diversions, poems about books combine both interests. 

Jumping Off Library Shelves: A Book of Poems is filled with poems to love. Charming illustrations by Jane Manning bring each poem to life. I couldn't narrow it down to one favorite, so I'll mention two, but really you'll want to read the entire book. Joan Bransfield Graham's "Librarian" (p. 18) captures the love of a reader for the librarian who becomes a friend.  Kristin O'Connell George captures the joy of reading with an animal buddy in "Reading with Riley" (p. 26).

Wonderful Words: Poems About Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening is filled with glorious poems from poets of today and dead poets (including Emily Dickinson and Carl Sandburg). Vivid illustrations by Karen Barbour accompany each poem. "I Am The Book" (p. 18) by Tom Robert Shields shows how books can be our friends through every season.   

I Am the Book (which also includes Shield's poem) has colorful illustrations by Yayo that invite us into each poem. My favorite poem in this book is by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and is titled simply, "Book" (p. 29). If you don't know Amy's site, The Poem Farm, do not pass go or collect $200, simply go straight to this marvelous repository of all things poetic. (I crowned Amy the Queen of Poetry in my 2017 NPM Project.)

Here's a pic of Amy and me at NCTE 2018. In addition to being a great poet, 

she gives the best hugs ever!

Good Books, Good Times! is filled with poems about the joys of reading illustrated with Harvey Stevenson's watercolor paintings. The book opens with a favorite poem by Karla Kuskin, "Being Lost." The final four lines sum up any book lover's favorite place to be.

"I linger alone

In a place of my own

Lost

In a book." 

NPM Day 28: Another Catch-up Day (Days 25-28)

We finished a three-day sprint with three of our four grandsons (ages 8, 6, and 3 & three quarters). Not surprisingly, I fell behind on my poetry month project. Their parents are still traveling, but Aunt Ann arrived last night. I'll spotlight three favorite picture book anthologies by Paul B. Janeczko with three favorite poems from each book for days 25, 26, and 27..

NPM Day 25 - Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices, a whimsical collection of persona or mask poems with wonderful illustrations by Melissa Sweet. Stop by to read "The Vacuum Cleaner's Revenge" by Patricia Hubbell, "Old Elm Speaks" by Kristine O'Connell George, and "Maple Talk" by Lillian Moore.

NPM Day 26 - The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems, so difficult to pick just three favorites from this book. The illustrations by Richard Jones enhance each and every poem. Check out these three: "Toasting Marshmallows" by Marilyn Singer, "How to Catch a Poem" by Irene Latham, and "How to Pay Attention" by April Halprin Wayland.

NPM Day 27 - Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems, another wonderful collection of poems, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. I like the mix of old and new in this book, from Carl Sandburg's "Fog" to Robert Frost's "Dust of Snow" (featured in our sixth grade anthology) to Joyce Sidman's "A Happy Meeting."

NPM Day 28 - One Today by Richard Blanco with gorgeous illustrations by Dav Pilkey features the inaugural poem for President Barack Obama's second presidential inauguration. I would love to have the final three lines (four lines in the book) and illustration in a poster form. You can read the poem here, but you really should buy the picture book.

NPM Day 24: Something Poetic - Haiku

After checking this book out of the library over and over, I finally broke down in 2017 and purchased my own copy. I love the seven keys for writing haiku provided in this book and used them with my students when I was teaching. After introducing the seven keys, the book  encourages readers to participate in several projects: your first haiku, your favorite season haiku, your haibun (story with haiku), your haiga (drawing and haiku), and your renga (linked poetry). These projects are broken down with step-by-step guidance. The book closes with specific haiku activities, a glossary of haiku-related words, a haiku resource guide, and an extensive bibliography. This is the book to purchase if you find yourself or a child in your life loving the world three lines at a time!

NPM Day 23: Something Poetic - Dictionary For A Better World

This book deserves a stellar spot on your bookshelf. For starters, I've met both poets. I wrote MISF grants so that Irene Latham and Charles Waters (at different times) were both visiting authors to our middle school. And they inspired our students to be writers too! 

The next thing I love about this book is the stunning artwork by Mehrdokht Amini. The front cover, the back cover, and every illustration in between will inspire you and move you to action to make our world a better place for everyone. 

The third thing I love are the quotes! Every word featured in the dictionary includes a memorable quote. You'll want to copy them all into your writer's notebook so you can savor them often.  

The poems are fabulous! Curious to learn who wrote each poem? Check the table of contents: Irene Latham wrote the poems with red titles, Charles Waters wrote the poems with blue titles, and the poets jointly wrote the poems with purple titles. 

Each featured poem has an anecdote about an experience they had related to the specific word. The anecdotes provide another clue to the author of each poem. Irene wrote the ones for her poems, Charles wrote the ones for his poems, and the jointly written poems have jointly written anecdotes.  

The poetic form utilized for each poem is listed at the end of the poem. You may be inspired to try out a new form after experiencing the many forms in the book. An alphabetical index of poetic forms is listed on page 116. I tried writing a golden shovel while reading this book during the pandemic. I was inspired by a sentence in Irene's anecdote about the poem "Compassion."

The Try It! is a call to action after each entry in the dictionary.  It encourages us to take a small step toward implementation in our individual lives.

I hope this list of things I love has inspired you to check out this inspiring book. Nelson Mandela sums up the message of the book with these words: "It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it." Let's all rise to the task before us.

NPM Day 22: Something Poetic - Earth Day

 

When I glanced over my poetry bookshelves, Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, popped out as a perfect choice for Earth Day. This was Amy's first book, but certainly not her last. You can read about each of her books here. I was captivated by Amy's presentation the first time I heard her speak at an All Write conference. I love following her blog, The Poem Farm (with a carefully chosen theme each year for Poetry Month), and enjoyed sharing it with my students when I was teaching.

I told my three-year old grandson this morning that it was Earth Day. He asked, "What do we do on Earth Day?"  

"Maybe we should take a walk," I suggested, "and look for the beauty that surrounds us."

While sitting on their screened in porch, I encouraged Ollie to listen a bit. He pointed to the mama cardinal on their roof singing sweetly and exclaimed, "Music!" I love that he already identifies the song of the birds as music!

I hope you have a chance to spend some time outdoors celebrating with Mother Earth today. 

"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 21: Something Poetic!

Immersed in Verse: An Informative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life by Allan Wolf and illustrated by Tuesday Mourning is my recommended book to share with the young poets in your life. I liked using Anatomy of a Poem, p. 47, to show how to annotate a poem. This analysis of George Ella Lyon's "Where I'm From" was a great introduction for motivating students to write their own "Where I'm From" poems.

Allan's book, The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts, was also a hit in my middle school sixth grade classroom. 

Two picture book titles by Allan Wolf were introduced to me via the book basket at the home of my three grandsons: The Day the Universe Exploded My Head: Poems to Take You into Space and Back Again and Behold Our Magical Garden: Poems Fresh from a School Garden. 

 If you have favorite books by the poet Allan Wolf, please leave a comment.

"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 20: An Easter Acrostic

And from my archives,

 an Easter acrostic 

written in 2017 for NPM and SJT.

The photos were taken today,

on my early morning Easter walk of 2025!

 

 

Everlasting joy

As we praise the God who

So loved the world

That He sent His son

Every soul has cause to 

Rejoice!  He is risen!

 

- Ramona Behnke 

NPM Day 19: Kidlit Progressive Poem

  

Welcome to Day 19 of our Kidlit Progressive Poem, a yearly opportunity to join friends in the Poetry Friday community as we create a communal poem for children. Margaret's inspiration came as she gazed out her back window at her golden-doodle pup. I enjoyed thinking about other creatures who might be lurking in our spring meadow. I pass the baton to Mary Lee for the next line and the ending to our stanza . . .

Open an April window

let sunlight paint the air

stippling every dogwood

dappling daffodils with flair

Race to the garden

where woodpeckers drum

as hummingbirds thrum

in the blossoming Sweetgum

Sing as you set up the easels

dabble in the paints

echo the colors of lilac and phlox

commune without constraints

Breathe deeply the gifts of lilacs

rejoice in earth's sweet offerings

feel renewed-give thanks at day's end

remember long-ago springs

 

Bask in a royal spring meadow

Romp like a golden-doodle pup!

Startle the sleeping grasshoppers 

 

Thanks to our host, Margaret, for organizing this effort and to all the poets joining us at the playground this month:

April 1 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
April 2 Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect
April 3 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
April 4 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
April 5 Denise at https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/
April 6 Buffy at http://www.buffysilverman.com/blog
April 7 Jone at https://www.jonerushmacculloch.com/
April 8 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
April 9 Tabatha at https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/
April 10 Marcie at Marcie Flinchum Atkins
April 11 Rose at Imagine the Possibilities | Rose’s Blog
April 12 Fran Haley at Lit Bits and Pieces
April 13 Cathy Stenquist
April 14 Janet Fagel at Mainly Write
April 15 Carol Varsalona at Beyond LiteracyLink
April 16 Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm
April 17 Kim Johnson at Common Threads
April 18 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
April 19 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page
April 20 Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading
April 21 Tanita at {fiction instead of lies}
April 22 Patricia Franz
April 23 Ruth at There’s No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town
April 24 Linda Kulp Trout at http://lindakulptrout.blogspot.com
April 25 Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
April 26 Michelle Kogan at: https://moreart4all.wordpress.com/
April 27 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
April 28 Pamela Ross at Words in Flight
April 29 Diane Davis at Starting Again in Poetry
April 30 April Halprin Wayland at Teaching Authors

"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 18 and Poetry Friday: Something Poetic!

 Jone McCulloch hosts Poetry Friday this week 

with an interview of poet, Shirley Thacker.

Join us on the poetry playground.

Today's poetic quotes come to you compliments of a gift from the 2014 Two Writing Teachers SOL Writing Challenge. I won a beautiful handmade book created and gifted  from blogger, Stacie Evans, also known as Girl Griot. I have used it to capture quotes that I want to remember. Join me today as I meander through the pages of my commonplace book to share quotes about poetry. 

  **********

"For me, poetry provides a place to slow down and see what is often unseen, to feel what might be empty, to hear a murmur in a world that shouts."  

 - Steve Peterson, Inside the dog 

 "Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn." 

- Thomas Gray

"Writing is a daily practice, an opening of my heart to the whispers of my soul." 

- Carol Varsalona, Beyond LiteracyLink 

"Without poetry, we lose our way." 

Joy Harjo, 23rd US Poet Laureate, 2019-2022

 "One breath taken completely, one poem fully written, fully read - in such a moment, anything can happen." 

- Jane Hirshfield

"Poetry can break open locked chambers of possibility, restore numbed zones to feeling, recharge desire." 

- Adrienne Rich

 "Poetry is a tool for disruption and creation and is necessary for generations of humans to know who they are and who they are becoming in the wave map of history." 

- Joy Harjo

"Poetry invites a reader's participation. It is meant to communicate and connect."

 - Holly Karapethova, Poet Laureate of Arlington County, Virginiapoets.org

"Poetry is like singing on paper." 

(No attribution for this quote)

"Poetry offers us that silence - that great space." 

- Ada Limon

"Poetry surprises us and deepens our sense of the ordinary. Poetry tells us that the world is full of wonder, revelation, consolation, and meaning."

 - Tracy K. Smith, US Poet Laureate, 2017-2019 

**********

"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 17: Something Poetic!

Today's poetry book share is not from my personal collection, but I found this long-time favorite at my local library. It's written and illustrated by the dynamic duo, Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds. Guyku takes us through the calendar year with haiku from each season. I'll share one from each season, but you'll need to check out the book to see Peter Reynold's delightful illustrations. 

Spring

I free grasshopper 

from his tight, ten-fingered cage - 

he tickles too much!

Summer

Lying on the lawn,

we study the blackboard sky,

connecting the dots 

Fall 

The best part about 

kicking this stone home from school

is there are no rules.

Winter 

Icicles dangle, 

begging to be broken off

for a short sword fight.

This book could just as easily be titled Kidku. These haiku, centered in the natural world,  appeal to the kid in all of us, not just the guys. 

"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 16: Something Poetic

Many of the poetry books in my collection have come from book sales or library discards. Some of these books still have the pockets for a card and stamped dates indicating when the books were checked out. 

The Dream Keeper and other poems by Langston Hughes was first published in 1932. My edition published by Knopf came out in 1994. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney, the artwork was done on scratchboard, a technique in which a white board is covered with black ink. The ink is then scratched off with a sharp tool to reveal white underneath. The book was checked out once in '94, twice in '95 twice in '96, and once in '97, '99, '00, and '08.

Here's a favorite poem from this collection:

Worlds I Know and Other Poems by Myra Cohn Livingston, with drawings by Tim Arnold, was also a discard from the middle school library where I taught. It was published in 1985 The stamped card inside the front cover shows it was checked out twice in '88, once in 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 06, and 09. My guess is that our library moved to digital checkouts somewhere around 2010. While some of the poems may seem a bit dated, "Lemonade Stand" speaks to every child who's ever sold lemonade on a hot summer day. 

A Fury of Motion: Poems for Boys by Charles Ghigna was published in 2003 and purchased as a used book. It has a wonderful inscription on the first page.

 

Ab imo pectore is a Latin phrase that translates as "from the bottom of my heart" or "with deep affection." While this book was written with boys in mind and a hope to attract them to the world of poetry, my favorite poem, like many of the poems in the book, has universal appeal.

 

"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.   

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 - Tree Love

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.