This is Just to Say
I have forgotten
the words
to that song
you sang to me
and which
you are probably
humming in your head
while you sleep.
Forgive me:
I will sing
along with you
anyway.
Margaret Simon, after William Carlos Williams
I believe in daily poetry, but I fell off the Stanford Challenge for writing a poem a day. Lately the new book from Sarah Donovan, Mo Daley, and Maureen Young Ingram, 90 Ways of Community is helping. Each day I present one of the prompts to my students and write alongside them. They are responding so well to this daily practice. I hope you don’t mind if I share a few here. First up is a skinny poem by Grayson.
White void endless space just
waiting
wondering
no
thoughts
waiting,
I’m
tired
of
waiting
in this endless void, white space that is just too empty.by Grayson, 5th grade
We’ve explored ourselves and written I am From poems.
I am from
crunching leaves
and windy days.
I am from
books, and books,
and even more books.
I am from the Bayou,
and I am from the
trees.
I come from murky waters
and lush green leaves
and sturdy branches.
I am from
the scratching of
a pen,
and the flick of a brush.
I am from
the smell of
cigarette smoke
and an autumn evening.
I am
from a household,
a household holding
four.
A mother of books,
a father of autumn,
a daughter of both,
and a sister
of all.
by Adelyn, 6th grade
Each week I invite my students to write to a photograph. They are free to choose their own form even as I model a form for them.
Old tree
Stays in the backyard
Is surrounded by water and ferns
Waiting outside on the porch for the sunrise
Lovely morning
by Marifaye, 5th grade
If you would like to write a poem to a photo, please join me on this blog on Wednesdays: This Photo Wants to be a Poem. I wish for you daily poetry.
Reflections on the Teche 
You and your students are enjoying this. Fascinating and interesting.
Oh, I love these all! But Adelyn’s language really hit a special heart-note….
Love that imagist style. And I love that it always (even in Williams’s own poetry) finds a little hole to break through Williams’s avowed focus on “the image in itself.”
love the self expression from your students, beautiful use of words. Well done 👍
I am glad you mentioned the 90 Ways of Community prompts again, because I keep intending to check them out and still haven’t done so. You and your students are producing some lovely poems. I especially like the one you wrote inspired by William Carlos Williams.
Margaret, I am so glad I opened my computer tonight (I realized I posted this AM but didn’t have time to read and comment. ) I so enjoyed, first, your honesty of struggling to write poems daily. Then how a resourse is helping. And what a great model. Sharing with your students and then writing yourself. Those students are so lucky. Then you treated me to lovely poems. Please tell your students I so enjoyed reading their poetry!
Margaret, as always i am impressed by your students’ work.
What a beautiful “This is just to say” poem. There’s something deeply personal and intimate about the singing along image, and it speaks deeply to me about meeting others where they are.
And like the other commenters, I’m grateful you shared the students’ poetry. Actually, the media of the blog is perfect for these poems, as they can present themselves line by line as I scroll. Your kids definitely know how to play with words and images!
That deeply personal leads to universal is what I strive for in poetry, so I take your comment as high praise. I am so grateful that my students have found the joy of writing poems.
Every student’s poem is a wonder, Margaret, pulling on the heartstrings. Your own “This Is Just to Say” poem is haunting, poignant, and incredibly warm. I feel it echoes your current experience with your mother. It also reminds me of a dream I had many years ago – I was in a sunny place, some sandy shore by the woods, with a group of young friends; I knew them all in my dream. We were singing a song knew well – the harmony was amazing and the whole atmosphere utterly joyful. On waking, however, I could not think of who these people were, and the song, both tune and lyrics, faded away. I couldn’t retain any of it, only the profound sense of love and joy – it was clearly a celebration of some kind. Something so meaningful. I wrote a poem about it later. Your poem has stirred the memory – I sense the same “tune” and meaning in your lines.
I was thinking of my mom when I wrote This is Just to Say. She still knows some words to songs, but they are fading fast.