Whew! We made it to the last day of March. I wrote on this blog space for 31 straight days. I’m feeling a little bit proud that I made this commitment and accomplished it for the 10th year. If you read any of my posts, thank you. My readers and responders keep me going, keep me writing.
National Poetry Month begins tomorrow (no April Fools). The Progressive Poem calendar is full and lives in the side bar. Mary Lee will start us off tomorrow with the first line. She is also hosting today, so pop over and bookmark her site, A(nother) Year of Reading.
Molly Hogan and I have collaborated on a calendar-chart of choices for our National Poetry Month writing. We intentionally did not include dates so we can see how the spirit moves and have some choice about the poems we write. If you wish to play along, we made a Canva calendar (not calendar).
The Poetry Sisters challenge this month was an etheree poem. An etheree is a poetry form that begins with one syllable in the first line and continues growing each line by a syllable until the tenth line has ten syllables. I looked back into my notebook to find this found etheree from an Ash Wednesday sermon from my priest, Annie Etheredge. (I just noticed how close her last name is to etheree.) Her sermon began with a poetic description of a blue bird nesting.
Nesting Box
soul nesting we could watch mama bluebird being a bluebird collecting tiny twigs flashing her royal colors you see a fragile little frame she pushed an egg out of her body with a great flourish of her azure wings
Margaret Simon, found poem from Annie Etheredge’s Ash Wednesday sermon
If you have special plans for National Poetry Month, let me know. I’d love to follow along.
Margaret, this bluebird etheree is just stunning. Phrasing like soul nesting, royal colors, fragile frame, pushing an egg our of her body, great flourish of azure wings capture the sheer wonder of it all. It’s almost beyond words. Within the seeming fragility, such enormous power. You should be a LOT proud of the accomplishment of producing thirty-one posts in a row; I know there were days i wasn’t sure I’d manage. Yet here we are. Here’s to all the poetry soon to be born and please know how much you inspire me to keep on flying!
Your poem captures the delicateness of this small winged being in a sacred way. All the best to you and Molly on your poetry writing journey this month, thanks!
Love this etheree, Margaret. I’ve enjoyed reversing the lines from 10 to 1 syllable, too…I haven’t been around much because our first grandchild came into the world last week, and I am so smitten that I have not written. I simply am in love. My aim for poetry month on FB and IG where I post is to celebrate early childhood poetry—my own and others’. And try to find words to write a poem for the little one in our lives.
Bluebirds are my favorite, Margaret, and you captured their fascination beautifully in your etheree with phrases like “fragile frame” and “royal colors.” Thank you.
Nesting Box is a lovely poem with images that created pictures in my mind. I’d love to write more poems during April. It seems there are lots of opportunities to post and connect with others. Do I just click on one of the Progressive Poems or Friday Round-up? Looking forward to continuing to read your blog.
Rita, I’m happy you want to follow along. There are many ways to participate. I recommend following Ethical ELA where there will be a VerseLove poem prompt every day. It’s a wonderful community of teacher-writers. Also follow Poetry Friday (links are to the round up host every week). The Progressive poem will hop from blog to blog depending on the day. I hope you will join us as much as you are able.
Margaret, I’ll be doing some of the activities on yours and Molly’s calendar. I’m also going to be participating in Digging for Poems with Laura Salas, and of course, my first priority will be #Verselove. 🙂 Thanks for all the ideas!
But I forgot to finish before I pushed comment, I got so excited about NPM! I wanted to share the beauty of the Nesting Box etheree. I would love to hear a priest give a message with this beauty in it. Did you have to add to it, Or was this all found within her sermon? A fragile bird that can push “an egg out of her body” is such an amazing feat. And that last line is like a photo: “with a great flourish of her azure wings”
Yes every word was in there. I was hoping to link to the actual sermon but she hasn’t put it up yet. She’s a wonderful writer and the first female priest not only in our church but in the town. Thanks!
I’m also ready to dive headlong into poetry writing beginning tomorrow. Gulp! I may be checking this (not) calendar when/if I get stuck. Love the etheree–I’ve done these with third graders in the past. Haven’t attempted with first grade…yet.
This is a gorgeous etheree, Margaret! The imagery is stunning (that last line made me gasp!) and I also love how it reflects how attuned you are to your world and places to find wonder.
The poetry calendar is such a gift. There are a bunch of formats that I don’t know. I’m curious to explore them now. How fun to learn about etherees and see your beautiful example!
Beautiful poem, Margaret. I love your last line and how you named the blue of the wings. Interesting how it came from a sermon, and this just shows how inspiration is everywhere! I am sure your calendar-chart will be an inspiration for many. This month I am connecting my love of reading with my love of writing and using all things bookish to inspire me. I also started Solace & Connection which (hopefully) will become a weekend link-up for writers that is nature-inspired. The first one hit today. Happy writing!
Thank you for the invitation and the inspiring calendar to guide a month of poetry. I love the “mama bluebird/being a bluebird” lines because they make me think about the essence of an animal or bird and how we recognize it through its most typical actions.
Hi Margaret,
Sorry about the delayed response, as I’ve been to India and returned! I started a small primary school over there in 2009 for underprivileged kids and I’ve been running it ever since. More hands off now as I want to spend more time close to family in Australia. We have weekly writing classes, not as part of the local curriculum but to encourage them to use their imagination and understanding (they don’t speak English at home).
I live on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana. I love teaching, poetry, my dog Charlie, my three daughters, and dancing with my husband. This space is where I capture my thoughts, share my insights, and make connections with the world. Welcome! Walk in kindness.
Reflections on the Teche 
Your poems are always beautiful and inspiring. I look forward to reading them during April….I might even participate
Margaret, this bluebird etheree is just stunning. Phrasing like soul nesting, royal colors, fragile frame, pushing an egg our of her body, great flourish of azure wings capture the sheer wonder of it all. It’s almost beyond words. Within the seeming fragility, such enormous power. You should be a LOT proud of the accomplishment of producing thirty-one posts in a row; I know there were days i wasn’t sure I’d manage. Yet here we are. Here’s to all the poetry soon to be born and please know how much you inspire me to keep on flying!
I see you too. I don’t always comment but I am reading and being inspired by your gift of words.
Your poem captures the delicateness of this small winged being in a sacred way. All the best to you and Molly on your poetry writing journey this month, thanks!
Love this etheree, Margaret. I’ve enjoyed reversing the lines from 10 to 1 syllable, too…I haven’t been around much because our first grandchild came into the world last week, and I am so smitten that I have not written. I simply am in love. My aim for poetry month on FB and IG where I post is to celebrate early childhood poetry—my own and others’. And try to find words to write a poem for the little one in our lives.
Congratulations! Isn’t it the most amazing feeling in the world? I know you will be writing many poems for her.
It is. So extraordinary.
Bluebirds are my favorite, Margaret, and you captured their fascination beautifully in your etheree with phrases like “fragile frame” and “royal colors.” Thank you.
Nesting Box is a lovely poem with images that created pictures in my mind. I’d love to write more poems during April. It seems there are lots of opportunities to post and connect with others. Do I just click on one of the Progressive Poems or Friday Round-up? Looking forward to continuing to read your blog.
Rita, I’m happy you want to follow along. There are many ways to participate. I recommend following Ethical ELA where there will be a VerseLove poem prompt every day. It’s a wonderful community of teacher-writers. Also follow Poetry Friday (links are to the round up host every week). The Progressive poem will hop from blog to blog depending on the day. I hope you will join us as much as you are able.
Margaret, I’ll be doing some of the activities on yours and Molly’s calendar. I’m also going to be participating in Digging for Poems with Laura Salas, and of course, my first priority will be #Verselove. 🙂 Thanks for all the ideas!
But I forgot to finish before I pushed comment, I got so excited about NPM! I wanted to share the beauty of the Nesting Box etheree. I would love to hear a priest give a message with this beauty in it. Did you have to add to it, Or was this all found within her sermon? A fragile bird that can push “an egg out of her body” is such an amazing feat. And that last line is like a photo: “with a great flourish of her azure wings”
Yes every word was in there. I was hoping to link to the actual sermon but she hasn’t put it up yet. She’s a wonderful writer and the first female priest not only in our church but in the town. Thanks!
I’m also ready to dive headlong into poetry writing beginning tomorrow. Gulp! I may be checking this (not) calendar when/if I get stuck. Love the etheree–I’ve done these with third graders in the past. Haven’t attempted with first grade…yet.
This is a gorgeous etheree, Margaret! The imagery is stunning (that last line made me gasp!) and I also love how it reflects how attuned you are to your world and places to find wonder.
The poetry calendar is such a gift. There are a bunch of formats that I don’t know. I’m curious to explore them now. How fun to learn about etherees and see your beautiful example!
Beautiful poem, Margaret. I love your last line and how you named the blue of the wings. Interesting how it came from a sermon, and this just shows how inspiration is everywhere! I am sure your calendar-chart will be an inspiration for many. This month I am connecting my love of reading with my love of writing and using all things bookish to inspire me. I also started Solace & Connection which (hopefully) will become a weekend link-up for writers that is nature-inspired. The first one hit today. Happy writing!
Thank you for the invitation and the inspiring calendar to guide a month of poetry. I love the “mama bluebird/being a bluebird” lines because they make me think about the essence of an animal or bird and how we recognize it through its most typical actions.
Such an exquisite poem, just like the bird. Thanks for the reminder of that format, I need to share it with my students when I go to India next week!
India? I want to know more!
Hi Margaret,
Sorry about the delayed response, as I’ve been to India and returned! I started a small primary school over there in 2009 for underprivileged kids and I’ve been running it ever since. More hands off now as I want to spend more time close to family in Australia. We have weekly writing classes, not as part of the local curriculum but to encourage them to use their imagination and understanding (they don’t speak English at home).
You had me at bluebird. Her azure wings are stunning!