Last week the Sunday Night Swaggers posted Nestling poems, like Irene Latham in This Poem is a Nest. I couldn’t stop there. I had to share the concept with my student writers. I had planned to teach the inaugural poem by Richard Blanco, One Today. I have the picture book, and it’s just an amazing poem all the way around. It’s especially full of nestlings for writers to find.
I filled two notebook pages with them. I copied a few into a Canva design. (My student helped with titles.)
Kaia and I wrote this one together, each choosing lines back and forth.
millions of faces
arrayed
all of us
we keep dreaming
many prayers
buon giorno
every language spoken
into one sky
by Kaia and Mrs. Simon
trains whistle
like a silent
drum tapping
on every rooftop
a birthday tune
by Chloe (She asks you to guess the title)
For the Winter Poem Swap, I received a gift poem all the way from Australia, along with the cutest little carrying bags with an original print of an echidna. Kat Apel and I muse about how similar and how different our landscape is. We often post similar pictures on Instagram of canoeing and walking about. Her poem is a delightful back and forth about our similar, yet different homes.
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Reflections on the Teche 
Oh my goodness…these are beautiful. What an incredible activity and lesson to do with students. I love the idea of taking turns adding a line to a poem. Now, I want to do this with my students! I have a Maker Monday to plan soon. I’ll get a beautiful picture book to use. I don’t think I have ‘One Today’ in our library….but I’ll bet the public library does. Beautiful reflection is gorgeous. Thanks for hosting this week.
The text of One Today is perfect for middle schoolers.
What a great assignment! I will have to try it with my kids! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
These are lovely, Margaret. I’m not familiar with the book so I will have to check that out! Thanks for sharing.
[…] Simon at her blog Reflections on the Teche is hosting this weeks Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks Margaret! She’s excited to offer us a […]
Your post, and you and your student’s poems are bursting with energy, thanks for this refreshing view of “One Today,” and such a creative poetry project too! Thanks also for hosting the Roundup!
I always enjoy the work you do with your students. I especially like these lines from your and Kaia’s poem: “every language spoken/into one sky.” What a beautiful image of unity. At this point, I’m still unsure whether I’m in this week or not, but thanks for hosting!
Hello this one day and every day, dear Margaret.
Your lesson with Richard Blanco’s & Dav Pikley’s ONE TODAY takes my breath away, especially:
“buon giorno
every language spoken
into one sky”
More than ever the time is now to be ONE & you & Mr. Blanco are collaborating with this surge of community we want so much to feel across the Nation.
Do I remember right that you met this poet in a virtual class last year?
Many many appreciations for hosting Poetry Friday this week, especially with this book that we both love.
Hugs.
Jan/Bookseedstudio
ps my old piece is up at my site but I expect to be back with my link url on Friday, if not before.
What a terrific text to use to find nestlings! Your poem with Kaia is wonderful. So many great sounds in Chloe’s poem. Is it called “Gorgeous Din”? “Unexpected Song”?
I love all the nestlings! What great fun! Kaia and you “choosing lines
back and forth” is joy and so is the poem both of you wrote. I especially love ” every language spoken into one sky” exactly what we all need. I love the imagery of a drum tapping a birthday tune on rooftops in Chloe’s poem. Could her title be Happy Birthday? I haven’t read One Today, yet so thank you for posting about it. I always enjoy when you share your lessons and student’s work. Talented students and a talented teacher is joy. Thank you.
Brilliant, as always.
Did you hear that Amanda Gorman, the Youth Poet Laureate will read poetry at the Inauguration? I’m so excited to introduce my students to her!
Kat’s poem and photo are STUNNING!
Thank you for hosting this week, and for inspiring us all to look for more nests and nestlings.
Thanks for letting me know. I can’t wait to watch it.
[…] I soon saw that Robyn and I had thought alike when we approached our Poetry Swap this year. I think Margaret Simon is posting my poem to her today – so click across to her blog to see what I mean. AND find […]
How wonderful to see how Irene’s poetry has inspired more and more. And how glorious for your students to have you, to share the discovery. Love all these poems. And the titles your kids created for your poems! Especially ‘A New Day to Pray’. I’m wondering if Chloe’s poem is called “Song Tracks”?
I forgot to say when we emailed about my poem; the spritzing line came from your Bayou Sunset Tanka that you used as a taste/tanka poem prompt for Laura’s Water Poem Prompt last year. My slicing/icing lines are reworked from my tanka that you inspired.
These nestlings you and your students wrote are beautiful! I love how one text can lead to so many more. Thanks for hosting today!
Thank you for sharing! Very cool. Good luck to the students, and thank you for hosting!
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Truly heartfelt ‘nestlings’, Margaret, I love the one where “every language spoken/into one sky” & your back & forth poem by Kat is special, connected across the ocean and through the air! Thanks for hosting!
Irene’s poems and her inspired delving into words continue to reverberate. It is living in your words and work with your students Margaret. Great ideas deserve to be shared and your work ensures your curious young learners are the beneficiaries. Thank you for hosting and taking an idea to a new and exciting place.
[…] It’s Poetry Friday! Margaret Simon is hosting today’s poetry links from around the kidlitosphere. You’ll find them at her blog, Reflections on the Teche. […]
Beautiful and touching words you’ve culled from his poem, Margaret – thanks for sharing and for hosting!
[…] a poem as I could, ha! Today, Margaret Simon is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup at her blog, Reflections on the Teche, with some nestling poems (found poems created from within another poem) she crafted from Richard […]
So inspiring and generous you are, Margaret – lucky students, and lucky us! Thanks for sharing all of these today and for hosting this week. (& Kat’s poem is gorgeous – a much deeper and more lyrical foray than my little poem by far, but so fun to see that our wheels were turning in a similar direction – ha!)
[…] Also celebrating poems and poets in the vibrant Poetry Friday community – many thanks to Margaret Simon for hosting the Roundup at Reflections on the Teche. […]
So many beautiful offerings, Margaret. Those ideas, “a new day to pray” and reflections in the mirror are such reminders to tend to the spirit. Perspective is everything. Love your passion for Blanco’s words and how it sparked these vibrant poems of the children – love those! As I read Kat’s rhythmic lines, I have a sense of floating on the water…that connective poem-sea. Thank you for being the wellspring of inspiration you are and for hosting today.
[…] Many thanks to this week’s hostess, Margaret Simon, for inviting us to join her on this Poetry Friday. You can find her at Reflections on the Teche. […]
I always love hearing about the work you do with your students, Margaret. Inspiring. And you know I love the idea of a nestling. “We keep dreaming” speaks to me, and reflects my “Hope” for this upcoming week. Thanks for hosting!
Oooh I love Kat’s sun “glitzing” – what a great word! And the nestlings, the nestlings! “sun / yawing” and “unexpected song” are some lovely found lines! Also your and Kaia’s creation is sublime… I love love love the message. Thank you! Thinking of a title… the birthday is throwing me a little, because the train whistle and silent drumming on roofs could be a snowstorm ?? Please let us know the title. xo
Thank you for the link to One Today. It was great to look at it more closely. Loved your student’s work and I thought what a great poem for them to study. I loved the “Platypus dabbling” and all the action in Kat’s poem.
Thanks for hosting today, Margaret. The poem that you and Kaia wrote together reminds me of the hope I felt on President Obama’s inauguration day. You captured that bright, shining moment when so many things seemed possible.
Margaret, thank you for such a wonderful post and for hosting today! I’m looking forward to getting back out on the water soon, and Kat’s poem just made my anticipation a little bit stronger.
I love reading about the work you do with your students. (I guess that is one thing I miss about teaching.)
Last month my poet group worked on Golden Shovel forms. I had selected One Today by Richard Blanco.
One race, the human race, One.
All living under the one golden Sun.
All living in different times zones, we Rose
to greet this one day On
our way forward to a harmonious Us
The human race, Today
challenged over resources, Kindled
flames of discontent Over
consequences that Our
humanness brings to our Shores
Kathleen Mazurowski
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Margaret,
Thanks for sharing the book. I will have to check it out. And, thanks for hosting Poetry Friday. I actually wrote a short poem Wednesday night that is more poem-ish than the poem I wrote today for your “photo wants to be a poem” post. But, when I went to share it with your site, I couldn’t upload it since I was in my car…traveling to today’s post. Thanks, again!
I just read the whole poem on poets.org. It’s an amazing and inspiring poem–and just right for right now. What a wonderful way to share it with your students–and us–with nestlings. And I really enjoyed Oceans apart, too. Thanks for hosting today–I love seeing how Poetry Friday inspiration travels around, too.
Margaret, I finally got back to writing a comment although I read your post last night. It is a wonderful piece. Thank you for introducing me to One Today and the author. I loved listening to the poem great at the inauguration. The lesson you constructed for the children is quite engaging and the poems written are so full of joy. Might the title of the last nestling be Birthday Song? Thanks for hosting and offering such an inspiring post. Kat’s poem is full of beautiful thoughts about two different worlds of contrasts but similarities. The photo and writing draws me right in.
Thanks for hosting, Margaret, and for swapping with me last week. Thanks for sharing your nestlings– AND the poem from Kat that captures your different settings. So cool to connect across the planet through poetry!
[…] to Margaret over at Reflections on the Teche for hosting Poetry Friday today. Check out her nestlings–from her and her […]
Margaret, thank you for the link to One Day. Wow, what an amazing, poignant poem with so many poetic devices! I need to study this poem and some other Richard Blanco’s poems. I look forward to reading the PB with Dave Pilkey’s illustrations. Also, the first time on my blog I didn’t see Kat’s beautiful poem and postcard to you. I love her images and ending. I have to go to her blog to tell her. Thank you and have a great weekend!
[…] Simon is hosting Poetry Friday today at Reflections on the Teche. Thank you […]
Just got done reading all the posts. Thank you for hosting! It was a bounty this week! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
You’re ahead of me. I need to get to all of them. Thanks.
Wow. Wow. What a post. I love the nestlings, and Analysis made me laugh. Your poem with Kaia and those last two lines–swoon. And Chloe’s poem–I love the imagery! No idea what title she chose and what that revealed. But I would give it the title, “New Year’s Eve.” It made me think of a dark, quiet, rural night, with snow (yeah, my Minnesota is showing) falling silently and the clock switching over to 12:01, and it’s the birth of a new year. And don’t we need that! Anyway, the poem is lovely, and so is Kat’s. There’s so much love and knowledge in that comparison of your two experiences!