Poetry Friday round-up is with Laura Shovan.
One of the best parts of this Poetry Friday community is the Winter poem swap managed by Tabatha Yeats. My recipient this year was Matt Forrest Esenwine. He posted my gift and poem on his site today along with a virtual Christmas party.
I received a handmade journal and a poem from Linda Mitchell. She is in my writing group. How serendipitous! She explained that she had gathered words and phrases from one of our Zoom meetings and weaved them together into this amazing reverso poem. She also hand made the little snowman from cutting paper from an old discarded picture book.
With my students this week, we explored word wandering. I remembered first seeing this idea on Today’s Little Ditty when Michelle featured Nikki Grimes. Some great examples are included in the Best of Today’s Little Ditty, 2014-2105. Breighlynn wandered with the word bell.
Bell
by Breighlynn
Bell is a shiny word,
the music in my ears
Ding! Ding!
The bell rings for school
for lunch
even playtime
Bells help us learn
just like music.
I played around with a few words in my notebook, and each one seemed to lead me to babies. (Wonder why?)
Small is a tiny word
rolling on the page
where nothing is too small
to be noticed.Small is my baby boy.
His lips circle and stretch
as he tastes the world.Whenever you feel small,
think of this tiny miracle
and you will know
the truth
of pure love.(draft) Margaret Simon
Grandbaby Leo with the blanket I made for him.
Reflections on the Teche 
Oh, how wonderful! I love the idea of wandering with a word. I want to write like Breighynn. I need to do that. You give me an idea….I must go to the link to flesh it out. I love every photo you’ve shared of Leo. He is perfect and precious…tasting the world. Enjoy every moment. Soooooo happy for you.
What a nice gift – and what a project, creating a ‘found’ reverso! I recall seeing Nikki’s post on Michelle’s blog, and I need to try that myself sometime…I think your draft is very impressive!
Beautiful blanket, beautiful baby! Tasting the world — ah!
Breighlynn’s ending is profound.
Linda, a reverso! You’re so bold, and I love your snowman. Creative cross-training, right?
Wordplay seems fun! I’m not sure I have really tried that yet in my poetry writing. Thanks for the link to Michelle’s post with Nikki Grimes. That will really help me give this form a try. Little Leo! I just can’t get enough of him…such a sweet poem, and so fitting.
Love the word wandering, by you & Breighlynn, Margaret. “Small is a tiny word” – just perfect with your picture of little Leo, “tasting the world”. It feels like that’s exactly what babies do. Beautiful! And Linda’s found reverso & journal for you is lovely. Happy weekend!
Wow. A reverso on its own is tricky – but a found reverso? What stunt is Linda pulling with that? (A very clever one!) Leo is adorable, in his crocheted blankie – and little fingers poised for piano playing!
I love the overlaps in your post: “children aren’t frivolity” and the new grandbaby, jenga pieces and the way a new baby fits into a family. Congratulations and blessings, Margaret!
What an amazing Jenga Tower of a poem! HUZZAH, Linda! Lucky you, Margaret, to have someone who listened so carefully to your words! Truly a gift. And that Leo. Such a cutie! No wonder he distracts and inspires you so!
Oh my goodness, what a post full of treasures! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
So much goodness here… the poems and writing journal gift, and Little Leo with so much wonder and inspiration, Enjoy all!
Those word wandering poems were some of my favorites ever to come out of and/or read on Michelle’s blog. Genius–thank you, Nikki Grimes! And I adore Linda’s gift/poem to you and your own “small” poem. What a delicious buffet of words and love.