This is the first week of the National Writing Project’s Write Out, running from Oct. 11th through 25th. Teaching virtual gifted enrichment, this “writing marathon” gave me days of writing prompts. Yesterday we watched a video prompt from Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.
Ranger Makenzie asked us to write about what trees may say to each other. Rylee, 3rd grade, wrote this adorable little story.
I played around with a Zeno poem and posted this on Twitter:
Sometimes the universe is speaking to me. I went onto Instagram last night and saw Christina Nosek’s photo of a sequoia tree in Palo Alto, California.
Please join me in offering a #smallpoem in response to this amazing tree. Post in the comments. On Twitter or Instagram, use the hashtags #ThisPhotoWantstobeaPoem, #poeticdiversion, and #writeout. Tag me, @MargaretGSimon and Christina, @ChristinaNosek.
Marvelous giant
Margaret Simon, draft haiku
Canopy of protection
Messenger of peace
Reflections on the Teche 
Strong post and powerful poem Margaret, the sequoias are magnificent trees! Thanks for posting about them and your “nut mystery” poem.
Reverence
Respect
Renewal
Rings of living history
Save our redwoods
Forever
Reaching
Dreams
For
All
Michelle Kogan
Your R-words work well to describe these amazing trees. “Rings of living history” Oh, the stories they could tell!
Yes, I think they are passing stories through their roots…
Oh, I do love how “rings” works in this list poem.
Michele, wow! I love the powerful messages your poem implies. Maybe your poem belongs on a poster, bookmark, something to reach more people.
Oh, my….what a gorgeous photo of this beautiful giant. How fun to make a zeno zine! I like the idea of a mystery…so I went with a riddle.
Redwood Riddle
From root
to sky
I grow
day by day
leaf by leaf
night by night
so tallso high
What giant am I?
Love the accidental rhyme of sky, high, and I.
Linda, I love the voice of your riddle! Fun for everyone.
Fun mystery choice Linda and I like how your poem climbs as it moves/grows.
Margaret, what a great adventure your post has been today! Rylee’s story and your zeno were even more meaningful after I listened to the video. What a nice video writing prompt. I love Christina’s photo and words. Your haiku is stuck in my head and I’m glad. I love the emotion and power. Nice alliteration,
also. Thank you for all the fun.
Sequoia, I Long to…
hug you,
feel your life pulse
connect to mine,
listen to your
ancient advice,
behold your
astounding beauty.
Strong tribute and reverence poem to these astounding trees Gail!
Thank you, Michelle.
I apologize for the length of this…it kept going. If I wanted to spend a bit more time I could take some lines out probably! I did take out 2 lines thought, lol!
Rodentia Road
There was a road up to the sky
But I was too afraid to try
Until my mother said to me,
“Up is merely what you see;
Look straight ahead and walk it true
You’ll find it’s limbs will guide you through.
Each branching limb a milepost sign;
Trust in yourself, and you’ll be fine.”
And so I took the road ahead
Not knowing surely where it led.
But she was right, forward I looked
Numbered each place the branches crooked
Did not look up, nor gaze behind
But for the road, my eyes were blind
Spryly amongst the trees I leapt
My doubts and fears were cleanly swept
I learned to run and jump and roll
Limb to limb, ‘cross wire to pole
Squirreled wisdom from my mother
Someday I’ll pass on to another.
By Donna JT Smith, 10-17-2020
This is amazing. Wonderful rhyme and a wonderful message. Trust in yourself.
Donna, I agree with everything that Margaret wrote. I’m impressed with your rhyme in a long poem like this. I like your voice and how you went from fear to no fear, fun, and “wisdom” to “pass to another.” I find your poem relatable because I watch squirrels all the time and I never thought how their actions can compare to our actions until I read your poem. I love the lines “spryly among the trees I leapt//my doubts and fears were cleanly swept/I learned tp run and jump and roll/limb to limb ‘cross wire and pole.” Thank you for sharing your poem.
I am so enjoying all the tributes to this magnificent tree. Thank you.
Here is my inspiration.
Mighty redwood
A giant among us
Standing tall
and fearless
A resilient friend.
Sandie, I love your “standing tall and fearless/ a resilient friend.” Great!
Thank you, Gail, for your kind comment.