I have discovered from being surrounded by gifted kids and showering them in poetry that they get adventurous and brave. They try new things in poems. And they invent new poetry forms.
This week I used a picture prompt as I often do. This week’s Robin Update from Journey North was a close-up image of a robin with a berry in its mouth. I introduced Laura Purdie Salas’ latest poetry project, Why-Ku. I haven’t read Mary Lee Hahn’s activities yet, but I doubt one of them is to create your own poem form.
I have a few boys who seem to find every excuse to get distracted from the task at hand, but this time I waited and allowed their distraction to see where this would go.
“Let’s write a Psy-ku?”
“Great! A Sci-Ku with scientific facts.”
“No, Mrs. Simon, not Science haiku, Psy-ku, like crazy.”
While the rest of us worked on poems about the robin, the boys were scheming and making up a new form.
They created a syllable count: 5,4,5,5,5,6,5,7,5,8
Then the poets three headed to our Kidblogs site to try to create the next poetry phenomenon.
Reed wrote, “A new thing that me REED and Nigel have created is called a psyku. This is an out -of-the-world dumb type of writing. You just make up a topic and have it carzyfied! It can be something about a dumb person or a wacky topic.”
I would skate Monday,
With unicorns.
I would skate Tuesday,
With Spongebob Squarepants.
I would skate Wednesday,
With the Greek Roman gods.
I would skate Thursday,
With Godzilla and Bigfoot.
I would skate Friday,
With another bottle of gin.
Nigel, 6th grade
I know the bottle of gin is probably not classroom appropriate, but I had to laugh. They didn’t really know what it was. Who knows? This psy-ku form may become a thing. If you are so inclined to give it a shot, write one in the comments or comment on our Kidblog. Go for it!
Here is a link to our Kidblog site: http://kidblog.org/class/SliceofLifeChallenge/posts
Announcement! I have been selected to be one of the 64 authletes in the 2015 March Madness for Kids’ Poetry. The competition begins on March 10th. I am totally intimidated by the competition, but I am Reaching this year, and what better way to reach than to do something scary. Here is the tournament poster. You can find me in the Passion category. Check Ed’s site for updates.
Oh. My. Gosh. This is fabulous! I have trouble writing whimsically, even though I often adore whimsical poems. Sometimes I have to sit down and just tell myself, “Laura, be ridiculous. Make connections no one else will think of. Just. Do. It.” I LOVE Reed’s poem. My favorite part is “I would skate Wednesday,
With the Greek Roman gods.” Margaret, you and your students are amazing!
My students love to write to your prompts, so you should definitely take their challenge. It would make their day!
Oh, and have fun with MMP!
Love hearing that your students feel free enough to ‘be crazy’, Margaret, & love the poem. Congrats on the MM poetry. I didn’t try this year, felt too pushed with the SOLC going on too. I’ll look for you for sure!
Oi. This was tough. Here’s my daily poem:
Nothing’s Better Than Cheddar
I’m off to Ireland
to find a pot,
to find a big pot
of sharp cheddar cheese.
It’s better than gold,
a hot, gooey fondue
Give me a schooner
to sail cheesy seas
I’m off to Ireland
to seek my fortune in cheddar
So Psyku! Thanks for taking the challenge. They are plenty of reasons that this is funny. Number one, cheese is not as valuable as gold. Number two you don’t have to cross the sea for cheese. How about going to the moon? (Collaborative comments from my kids)
Great to see students trying new things! Here’s mine:
I shoveled the snow,
then a storm came.
I shoveled the snow,
then the plow truck came.
I shoveled the snow,
then kids played in the paths.
Then came another
storm, plow truck, and kids playing.
I shoveled the snow,
and then moved to Honolulu.
Thank you for taking the challenge. We suggest you move to Louisiana. We don’t have snow. We have crawfish.
I’ll take crawfish over snow ANY DAY!
Woot for you being an authlete!
Here’s a psyku for your students called “A Story With Lots of Morals”:
If I could fly high,
Maybe I’d swim.
If I could fly high,
Maybe I’d rock clim.
If I could fly high,
I’d swing on a limb,
And let go in the sky —
I’d sure be hoping to fly!
Because it’d be grim
crashing in Mrs. Simon’s pie.
Awesome ending. So Psyku. My students are loving this! Thanks for playing.
Warning!!! My psyku is really gross! But I had fun trying a new form 🙂
Ick!
The monster was big
and bulgy eyed
with hairy nostrils
where boogers reside.
He picked and flicked ‘til
his siblings were sickened—
but he didn’t care
and the pick-flicking quickened
til a final pick
left not a booger to pick-flick.
I can’t tell you how much the boys will love this. The grosser the better. Thanks for playing along.
SO PSYKU. That could be the title of your classroom book! Love these inventive kids… nonsense verse has never been more fun. Love the way you nurture their creativity, Margaret. What a gift to a young (or any age!) writer!
Ha! I couldn’t wait to read what this new form is all about, and I sure enough, I was rewarded. Big. Time. LOVE Nigel’s poem! (And all the ones in the comments too!) I must go and give this a try. I’ll be back.
PS, go read what I replied to you on my blog about March Madness. I’m proud of you, Margaret!
Hah! Bottle of Gin. Who would’ve thunk indeed?! Teaching kids must be all kinds of awesome.
Margaret, I always love reading your students’ poetry. What a talented bunch of kids! How lucky they are to have you to nurture and guide them. Good luck with the March Madness competition! Can’t wait to hear all about it.
7,5,8
Love love love this! (You have the best job.) Here goes…
Looked in the cupboard
for snack or treat
Found something better
but never to eat–
Twisted sweet potato
body, toothpick tusks,
two flippers made of
chips–yes, tortilla chips.
Meet my pal walrus,
Sweet vegetable walrus, Gus!
Looking forward to your participation in the Tournament, Margaret!
This is so Psyku. Love the found walrus in your cabinet. Thanks for playing.
Don’t have time to “settle” here this morning and play, but what FUN! The bottle of gin cracked me up. I love the results when kids’ imaginations are allowed to roam and frolic – you seem to have a knack for opening their creativity. (I think they love that taste of freedom, too – structure always reins them back in soon enough.) Thanks for sharing! :0)
I’m baaaaaaack!
Any questions?
Above is below.
Calm is uptight.
Inside is outside.
And wrong’s always right.
High-fives? Unheard of!
They’re now low-fives instead.
And all underwear
should be worn over the head.
We end at the start.
The start is the end. I’m hungry.
I’m quite proud of that actually. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration, boys!
Loving this psy-ku, and the way poetry has cauught the imagination of your kids, Margaret.
Oh, I love psy-ku! Your boys sound a lot like the boys I teach. I think this new form could really catch on! : )
I cannot do this!
It’s craziness,
And my laziness
Leads to haziness
When craziness strikes –
Which will make me seek likes
On Facebook or blogs
As I go post about dogs
Or a strange, old cat.
No. I can’t do this! And that’s that.
My students are going to love this one. Thanks for taking the plunge!
[…] Nigel shared their PsyKu form. They challenged Amy to take the plunge and write one. The rules are here, and if you follow the link, be sure to read all the poetic contributions in the comments. Some […]
[…] poetry form on Poetry Friday and had seven poets respond with a Psyku! See the post and comments here. My students were elated. Their confidence was boosted sky high, and other students wanted to […]