Slice of Life Challenge Day 15
Sometimes when I need a little inspiration for writing, I read some of my favorite poets. Sometimes I use one of their lines to jump start a poem. I shared this with my students. I said they could find any line from a book they were reading or from a poetry book. I explained if they used the actual line, they should give credit to the author. But sometimes the borrowed line goes away and leaves an original poem behind.
Nikki Giovanni helped me write the following poem. From her book Acolytes, I read a line from her poem I am Now my Own Grandmother. The line read “Old lace handkerchiefs as delicate as a spider web.” Once I jump started into the writing, this line no longer fit.
Evening Ritual
A screen door creaks.
The earth moves.
The sun drops down and tops
the trees with vanilla ice cream.
The dog delivers his ball.
The cat rubs against a wooden post.
Tires make tracks in the gravel driveway.
A refrigerator hums.
Ice clanks into the tray.
Women move in their kitchens
alone, making miracles
out of vegetable scraps
and a stone, the ending
of a busy day
standing still,
bone-tired,
still
standing.Visit Check it Out for more Poetry Friday posts
Reflections on the Teche 