My three daughters made a last minute plan to meet at the Children’s Museum. They sent pictures, and I fell in love with this one with the paper butterflies (I first thought they were cranes) and Thomas looking up. He’s 4 years old, the age of wonder. Find a small poem or story in this photo and write it into the comments. Be sure to leave encouraging responses to other writers.
Today on Ethical ELA Leilya teaches us about the Naani form originating from India, an expression of one and all in 4 lines of 20-25 syllables.
Paper butterflies
Margaret Simon, draft (Naani)
flutter through a wind
of imagination–
a child’s vision of wonder.
What a great picture, Margaret. I particularly like the phrase “a wind of imagination.” I agree – 4 is the perfect “age of wonder”
The Age of Wonder
step into a world
where butterflies dance
imagination soars
and anything is possible
I like the invitation to step in, Rose, and the final line. Imagination is a fine thing!
Rose, That is a lovely world for Thomas to step into. This is a favorite today!
Rose, your poem makes me feel like I’m there “where butterflies dance” and my “imagination soars”. The age of wonder is a perfect title.
When you are 4, anything is possible. Your poem makes me long to be young again. I do love being a grandmother and observing this age without the responsibility of raising them.
Lovely, Rose! Oh, those “anything is possible” days…!
Margaret: Great photo and naani. Flutter and wonder fit so well. Rose: thanks for the soaring possibilities.
I’ll try a naani…
out of the clear blue
his eye catches it
bright and fluttery
intangible as a dream
– Karen Eastlund
Lovely, Karen.
wow, Karen, that last line!
I like “bright and fluttery,” Karen. I love the two meanings of “clear blue” too.
Karen, your lines “his eye catches it/ bright and fluttery” brought me right into your poem.
You captured the magic of seeing a butterfly, here then gone so quickly.
Karen, I love the imagery that connects the sight of the object and the simultaneous intangibility of it. Beautiful.
Oh, Margaret, how precious! I love what’s going on in Thomas’s expression. I wish I could have heard him. I love the flutter through wind, even indoors because the wind is in the imagination. I’ll come back later to comment. I’m on the road now.
Rainbow of flutters
Creator of possibility
Hold on as I plan
My next adventure
I like “creator of possibility”
I like this as a whole, Denise, and wonder what your next adventure will be!
Denise, I love how your last two lines entice the reader to read more, wait for the next adventure, or plan their own adventure. I used rainbow in my poem, also.
You last line is the hope of tomorrow with the grand gesture of let’s do something together again.
I love “creator of possibilities”—and the “hold on as I plan”! What an adventure-in-the-making you’ve created in this tiny poem!
Your photo and poem are so fresh and exude the last word, wonder, Margaret. I was unfamiliar with this form, so I gave it a try:
Look up, down, around,
Observe everything
Scents, sounds, tastes, textures
All are here for you.
~Jane Heitman Healy, draft (naani)
Jane, I like all your sounds in your poem. It’s the perfect encouragement for a child to follow and find wonder.
There is something in the definition of a naani that it encompasses all. Your last line speaks to how the world opens itself up to imagination if you look for it.
Great description of what is going on in the picture.
Love your image of a banquet of butterflies!
Jane, nice alliteration of all the things to observe. And that last line–perfect. I feel the Children’s Museum is speaking to Thomas.
Thank you, Denise, Carol, Rose, Margaret, and Gail.
Margaret, what a great photo of Thomas! He is growing taller. I remember taking the girls to children museums; we all had so much fun. Thank you for the link to Ethical ELA. I enjoy reading the poems on ELA; they always have excellent ideas. I love your Naani. I am especially drawn to these lines: a wind of imagination and a child’s vision of wonder. Four years old is a wonderful age. You must have had such a fun time with all your grandchildren together for Christmas in the mountains.
I have never heard of a naani poem, so I gave it a whirl. Not sure if I wrote the form correctly, though. Thank you for the challenge and inspiration.
Windy blue sky,
rainbow butterflies
are twirling ballerinas
spinning in my mind.
Gail Aldous draft
PS Yesterday, I received your postcard. Thank you for your beautiful elfchen, photo, and butterfly sticker. I love them! I have enjoyed getting to know you, also. The Poetry Friday community is a life saver, joy, and peace for me. 🙂
I love how they become twirling ballerinas, beauty or busy? I’m happy you find a safe place here to write.
Thank you, Margaret.
What could be better than rainbows and butterflies spinning!
Thank you, Rose.
Love your imagery and verbs twirling and spinning, Gail!
Thank you, Jane. I kept going back and forth between the words: twirling, swirling, whirling, and spinning.
Gail, I love the rainbow butterflies becoming twirling ballerinas. So much imagination spinning!
What a lovely photo and poem, Margaret! It does capture the wonder of a child—how precious it is, and how we try to hold onto it all our lives…
WISH AND WONDER
I wish I was a butterfly
I wish I was the color blue
I wish I could just take your hand
and fly together, like butterflies do!
Draft, Carol Grannick
I love the rhythm and rhyme of this poem. I can imagine it in a magazine for littles.
My favorite target audience…..: )
Thank you, Margaret!
That’s a wonder-ful wish, said with fine rhyme and meter!
Thank you, Jane!
Carol, this is precious. I love how you repeat “I wish” building up to the third line “I wish I could just take your hand” which to me is an invitation to the reader. Your last line wraps the poem in a bow. Great voice.
Thank you so much!
Carol, what a perfect children’s poem to be paired with Thomas’ photo. I just love the anaphora and rhyming.
So sweet, Carol.
Thank you, Rose!
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