Join the roundup with Linda at Teacher Dance.
I like to keep my poetry in practice, so I often enlist my students in my pet projects. I love Laura Purdie Salas and her blog site. Every Thursday she posts a picture and asks writers to post a poem comment using 15 words or less. Not every Thursday, but many of them, I show her image to my first bunch in the morning. We talk about the image, someone rings the sacred writing bell, and we write.
Yesterday, Laura posted an old tree. I listened to my first grader, the youngest of the bunch, explain to a fifth grader what he needed to do. “Look at the picture. Then use your imagination.” We read Laura’s poem and Jacob said, “I’m stealing the word squirrels.” I swear this kid could lead a writing workshop already!
Old Tree by Laura Purdie Salas
I posted this poem early in the morning. The tree image reminded me of the old live oak in our backyard.
Grandmother Oak
With footholds to climb
Eyes that see time
Stories in my rings
Come swing.–Margaret Simon
Grandmother oak in the sunset
Then I wrote again with my students.
Stories told
from a wisdom of scars
wrinkled into skin
like crevices on this old tree.–Margaret Simon
If you would like to play, go to Laura’s site on Thursday mornings. It’s a fun place to be.
Old People
Two old men
bickering every day
scaring nature away.
These old hags
should calm down.
–Tyler, 6th grade
Another poetry practice project I am doing is on another Laura’s site, Laura Shovan of Author Amok. I am joining some fabulous poets writing to sound prompts. Check it out!
Reflections on the Teche 