Poetry Friday is with Jone at Check it Out.
With apologies to William Carlos Williams, who probably had little idea where his sweet plums poem would lead writers of today. On day 7 of Laura Shovan’s ten found words poetry challenge, my friend and writing group fellow Catherine Flynn wrote an apology poem. I immediately grabbed it as a mentor poem for my students. I also grabbed my copy of Joyce Sidman’s This is Just to Say Poems of Apology and Forgiveness.
This is just to say…
I broke the glass dish
so thoughtfully placed
on the tank of your toilet.A large spider,
camouflaged in
a clump of flowery
soaps, surprised me
as I washed my hands.
A cryptic tan blotch,
shaped like the head of a shovel,
covered her abdomen.Forgive me, but
she rattled my nerves.
She scurried away
when I tried to scoop
her into a tissue.
My hand upset the dish,
sending it crashing to the floor.I didn’t want to kill her.
I wanted to return her to the garden,
where she’d be free to snare flies
in her shimmering web.printed with permission from the author, Catherine Flynn
Catherine’s poem was written to the same selection of words I wrote snake cinquains last week. Lynzee remembered this and my story of being fearful of snakes, so she wrote this poem (in the voice of Mrs. Simon).
This is just to say,
Your lawn mower has a snake in it,
I was trying to kill it so
I ran it over.It was a garden snake,
Slithering along the grass
Like a tiny green rope,
TERRIFYING!Standing out against
The wheat colored grass,
Like a moving weed.So I panicked,
And grabbed the first thing i touched,
The lawn mower.I will buy a new one,
If you want.–Lynzee, 2nd grade
We talked about whether you have ever eaten anything you weren’t supposed to eat. Andrew remembered sticking his finger into the butter. He grinned, “I love butter!”
This is just to say…
I ate the butter
out of the container yesterday.
It was delicious
like caramel chocolateIt was your fault
you left the top
open. Who doesn’t
take that chance?I hope you have
some left for your
toast. I am so sorry.
I’ll try to buy more.All I did was
stick my finger
in the butter. It
was out of control.–Andrew, 4th grade
Reflections on the Teche 
I always love apology poems. They seem to take the heat out of the situation. Thank you for sharing kids samples which ground me when I worry that my students are different from others. We are all in the same boat, aren’t we?
Love these! I’m laughing out loud over the snake in the lawn mower and the finger out of control!
How delightful the children’s poems are and of course Catherine’s and Joyce Sidman’s poems were good models.
Both these response poems are fabulous! I especially like Lynzee’s roundabout pledge to make things right, “I will buy a new one, If you want.” =)
I love those poems! They definitely had me laughing. I mean, really, who leaves the lid off their butter? They’re just asking for trouble! 😉
These are wonderful! I love the line “Who doesn’t that chance?” I love the voice in these poems!
So fun!
“it was your fault/you left the top open”. Love this and every one. I don’t think I’ve ever written an apology poem and I should try. You all have made them enticing!
I love apology poems and these are delightful. I laughed out loud at both of them and am still smiling. Great mentor poem from Catherine, too! Thanks for sharing!!
I wonder what WCW would think of all these apologies. I think he would be honored.
Love these!
A while back, I also had a go at writing a This is Just to Say poem after reading Joyce’s book (it was about a boomerang). It’s a form that’s hard to resist! I loved Catherine’s poem which was both funny and thoughtful, but Lynzee’s and Andrew’s poems stole the show! LOL!
I want to hug Lynzee. How well she knows you! What a sophisticated sense of humor for a 2nd grader!
This is a wonderful collection of apology poems, Margaret. This made me smile:
All I did was
stick my finger
in the butter. It
was out of control.
So delightful to enjoy these. I especially like the idea of working with kids in poem making on what they ate, but shouldn’t have… Could be dirt, bugs, boogers… I don’t visit often, Margaret, but when I do I always leave better-educated. Appreciations!
I’ve never tried an apology poem. These were all inspiration to get started, especially this line: Who doesn’t/take that chance?
Ha! These poems are great. Love Catherine’s poem….and Lynzee and Andrew’s too. That butter is just too tempting! One of the things I love most about Poetry Friday is when one poet inspires another and keeps an idea going. This is great!
Thanks for this lovely threesome of “This is just to say” poems! They are all wonderful, and what budding voices your students have!
Oh I love these! I might have to try with Poetry Rocks.