What the Hurricane Knows
Hot August oceans churn.
Tornadoes internally spurn
a meteorologist’s concern.
This is what the hurricane knows.With strength beyond a whale’s tail,
Margaret Simon, draft
swallow waves into booming gale,
loosen nature’s grip and WAIL!
On Friday, I wrote wisdom poems with my students. I couldn’t focus on much except Hurricane Ida heading our way. They also wrote some wonderful wisdom poems linked below.
Margaret, I’ve been thinking about you since I saw the route of Ida. Peace as you prepare and wait. That line “swallow waves into booming gale” makes me realize the hurricane intensifies the strength of the waves.
I love Katie’s celebrating the birth of “the human inventor. “
Thanks for reading my students’ poems. This was really a test of our new platform Fanschool, to see if the links would work for outside readers. Thanks for your feedback and concern.
Margaret,
I love all six of these Wisdom poems! Your student wrote about relatable subjects and I can also see how the approaching storm was on their minds. Your poem is beautiful and scary all at once! Last night I tried a wisdom piece on hummingbirds. Then, I had ideas for two more. I really like this form. The idea is going in my lesson folder for future (hopefully) writer’s circle groups.
I hope you can continue with student writing groups. I led one last year and the kids were great. We haven’t started up again, though. This poem form even worked for my little one in third grade. She immediately went to cats and dogs, but I’ve learned that giving form and allowing topic choice is better than giving the topic. Thanks for reading.
I couldn’t agree about prescribing the topic. Best to let them pick! Thanks again!
These poems are all so good. I really enjoyed them. Talented students😊
Thanks for sharing them… a nice pause during this stressful day anticipating a hurricane💗
Thanks Camille! Let me know if you need anything during or after the storm. We are staying.
Here’s hoping there won’t be too much wailing! Take care!
Margaret, I have been praying for your family, you, your daughters’ families. your parents, and your student families. I hope that all of you were in an evacuation facility and you are all safe. Hopefully, with so many groups helping LA will soon be able to rescue people, clean up, get power, restore, and, rebuild.
Thank you for reminding me about this poetic form, which I need to try especially since I’m trying to rhyme more. Your poem and photo are powerful! Great rhyme! I especially love the lines: “Tornadoes internally spurn” and “swallow waves into booming gale.” Your students rhymed so well! I like the Adelyn di a great job building the suspense in her poem repeating “it” with verbs in three short sentences and continued that technique into a longer sentence. I liked both of Jaden’s poems. I especially liked how he wrote a beginning, middle, and ending in What the Oak Tree Knows. Love that ending. I liked both of Katie’s poems. I especially like her first two stanzas in What Winter Knows “Winter snow
and white when one blows.
Small white snowflakes glow
and fall onto your nose.” Thank you for sharing your poem, your
students’ poems, which bring joy, and your
inspiration.