On Friday, I joined my writing group in posting poems written from an Amanda Gorman prompt. This Book Scavenger Hunt can work over and over again with different books, different moods, and a different page in the notebook. Find a nearby book and go to 3 different random pages and select a word from the page. Now write for 5 minutes.
For this one, I chose the book White Rose by Kip Wilson and found these words: guilt, endanger, coat pocket.
Tension
Hands held in a coat pocket
fisted, fingering tissue
tearing it to shreds.
This mood endangers
my attitude,
takes my mind
to guilt.Release, let go,
Margaret Simon, draft
open your hand.
The sky is waiting
to shine.
Margaret, I hope you will bring this strategy to our April writing group! What fun! I was in Sarah’s summer reading group and read White Rose and loved it. I want to try this!
I was just listening to a podcast on releasing and letting go. I guess I’d better do it! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Wow! I love this poem and this wonderful strategy. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m adding this strategy to my Poetry Friday poems. Thank you for sharing it, Margaret. Did you know that today is National “Get Over It” day? In a more slangy kind of tone, it resides with letting go. These constant reminders I need.
I am going to try this, Margaret. The imagery in your poem is so vivid. I feel I am the one needing to stop tearing the tissue and to open my hand – my mind – to the sky.
So much to love here: White Rose is an wonderful book (although I hate to use that word to describe a book about this time period).
The writing activity is something I want to try. I have done something similar to this but only use one word. I like the challenge of three.
I think so many people can relate to and understand the emotions in your poem. The last stanza is such an important call to action. Well done…as always!
I love the optimism of your ending lines. I’m really enjoying seeing your notebook pages these days. You’re just brimming over with creativity!
Ooooh! This would be such a fun thing to do with kids – no prep, but great returns!
[…] came across Margaret Simon’s SOL post on Day 9, and she had shared a poetry invitation by the National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Garmen. You […]