Poetry Friday round-up with Laura Purdie Salas.
Photo by Kam Abbott
The weather actually cooled off last week, so with the crispness of the air and the ending of September, we ventured out to the sidewalk to chalk fall poems.
I love to post poems that my students write. Today I celebrate a new writer in my class. Kaiden, 5th grade, joined us at the end of the year last year. (Gifted classes are revolving all year.) I love how he used the repetitive rhythm of the word fall as well as imagery about the season.
Fall
by Kaiden
Crisp brown leaves crunching under our feet
Fall
The cool breeze blowing against our faces,
Fall
The appearance of scary monsters and pumpkins,
Fall
A possible stroll through pumpkin patch,
Birds migrate south,
Fall
Vannisa, 6th grade, is back this year and adding in a little research into her fall poem. She actually looked up which meteor showers occur in the fall. I love how she wanted to connect meteor showers with fireworks.
As we Fall
by Vannisa
As we fall into winter,
the weather chills
and the leaves come down.
They fill the ground with
a fiery red
and blazing orange.As we fall into winter,
we can no longer watch fireworks
like 4th of July,
but we can watch
the shooting stars of
Orionids and Leonids
and watch the days get shorter
until Spring comes back again.
by Emily
Reflections on the Teche 
Quite accomplished poets! I especially like seeing the poem chalked and illustrated, and I’m glad you captured it through photography so that it can be enjoyed for a long, long time. (I first wrote that line as “captured it on film,” but we don’t do that anymore, do we? How do we capture it? Digitally? That doesn’t sound quite right.)
Love these student poets…that Vannisa is something else!
Thanks so much for giving voice to your student poets. I agree with Tara; Vannisa’s skills are out of this world. I love the sidewalk chalk treatment. Our PTA financed such chalk for PIYPDay. Such a joy! God bless you and your student-poets!
Thank you for sharing. I loved both of the poems and they have inspired me to dabble in my own fall poetry.
So fun to see what your students are writing. Congrats all around – to students and a remarkable teacher who inspires such writers!
Margaret, I agree with you about Vanessa’s work. Her research led her to an integrated science/lit poem that has great visuals for the mind’s eye. I say we ask Vanessa if she would like her poem/photo combo to be showcased in my Autumn’s Palette Gallery and the class if we could also post their Chalkabration. If yes, please send me the all with the proper credit to the children and the location. I always love the fact that your class is steeped in active learning.
I always love to see what your students write, Margaret. It’s so great that you do so much. Love the “rainbow of leaves”.
Seasonal changes never get old, and poems about them can seem fresh again and again falling out of new hands. I agree that Kaiden’s long lines and short refrain is very effective; Vannisa nailed it with that clever beautiful title; and I love “loosely off trees” in Emily’s. What tiny flowers are coming down in that “pure rain”?
Heidi, It’s funny that you asked that. She wanted to identify the actual flower. It’s too late for crepe myrtle and I suggested it may be sweet olive but couldn’t convince her. I’m not sure what flowering tree she was imagining.
I feel like I know your writers through their writing!
As always, beautiful work all around! I love that Vannisa went the extra mile and conducted research for hers.
Just had a chance to read these, and i agree with Diane and many others – those are some talented kids! Great work for people so young.