Join the Spiritual Thursday round up at Reading, Teaching, Learning.
I want to go on living even after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me. I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.– ANNE FRANK
Exercise Faith, a poem reflection using words of Anne Frank
A grandiose idea
life after death
your own life continuing on
and on, like the cycle of nature,
seed, seedling, sprout, grow, die, rebirth.
This gift of words
life after death
your own life continuing on
and on, with words on paper
floating in clouds like rain
coming down, going up, coming down again.
Developing my most inner self
reflecting on events, ideas,
life after death
continuing on and on,
like monks in meditation, singing Om
breathing in, breathing out, breath of life.
Expressing all that is me
honors God in me
knowing life after death
continues on and on,
like a rainbow rising over the storm
shining its promise, eternally.
I shake it all off,
dust from the shelves,
throw compost on earth,
spread life after death
on and on, shaking off sorrows,
leaving only good soil, good growth,
good courage…reborn.
The azaleas are blooming. Spring is finally here.
For this slice, I collected lines from other bloggers to create a SOL Spring found poem. At first I thought this would be an easy way of getting out of writing; however, I had to read quite a few blogs (never a bad idea) to get these lines. Then to decide how to put them together. In the end I enjoyed the exercise, but it was not easier than writing.
Because these words
have to tell the truth.
Each time I step outside,
I feel hope.
Something is different.
The silence gone.
I hear the snow crackling.
The ground breaking.
The clouds seem to have made a window.
I look out to a beautiful blue sky
Springing forward.
The pitter-pattering is punctuated
with swooshing and swishing of cars.
For already they have forgotten the dark.
Join the roundup with Laura Shovan at Author Amok.
Bayou morning photo by Margaret Simon
I love touring the slicing community and finding ideas. Greg Armamentos has inspired me once again. He posted about writing dueling poems with opposite words. He and his student teacher wrote about old and young here.
I spoke with Tyler, a 6th grader, about his slice for the day. He didn’t know what to write. I challenged him to a duel. He suggested sun and moon. He took moon, and I took sun (which, btw, we have not seen in days.)
I’ve been missing you lately
hidden behind sheets
of stratonimbus clouds.
Where have you gone?
When I wake up each morning,
you wave to me
along the bayou waters
touching tree limbs
with gentle, warm kisses.
I look for you
send your glowing rays
out from the clouds
to light up a rainbow.
I find you
in the wild flowers blooming
golden in the grass
sending scents
of glory and love
like honeysuckle– the taste
of sweetness on my tongue.
My pale peach skin
longs for your tanning rays,
bringing health back to my cheeks
and energy to my walk.
Won’t you come home, bright star?
I miss you.
–Margaret Simon
Tyler’s response: The Moon (Click here to leave comments for Tyler)
On the ocean
your light shines.
Lighting the way
during the night.
Controlling tides
as you please.
You are a guardian, the
Man on the Moon.
I see you in the day,
but better at night.
You watch us
sleep and protect
us as you do so.
Stay the same
no matter what
they say.
On Thursdays I join Holly Mueller’s round up of Spiritual Journey posts. We are all writing around a theme. This week we explore Jaana’s one little word, Discover.
I have an offering of a beautiful photograph taken by my friend, journalist, Chere’ Coen and a small poem based on these words of wisdom from Eknath Easwaran:
This prayer (Seek ye first the kingdom of God) is not addressed to someone outside us, but to our deepest Self, the Lord of Love, who dwells in the hearts of us all. When we repeat it, we are not asking for anything in particular, like good health or solutions to our problems or richer personal relationships. We are simply asking to get closer to the source of all strength and all joy and all love. Eknath Easwaran
This week’s photo challenge on Kim Douillard’s site is Overlooked. I had this word in mind as I drove to exercise on Friday morning. The full moon was still out while the sun was rising. The road to the gym was blocked. I was already late, so I decided to take some photos instead. I made them into an Animoto video.
Then I read Michelle Hendrick Barnes’ post on Poetry Friday. An interview with one of my favorite authors, Margarita Engle. Margarita’s ditty challenge was tied to her new book Orangutanka, a story of orangutans in tanka poems. The challenge: write a tanka, a form with a syllable count of 5,7,5,7,7. Then I looked at Heidi Mordhorst’s March poetry project and today’s word is preaCH. Could I work the two challenges together?
Sun overlooks
blessing a lonely smoke stack.
Coulee wildflowers
preach yellow sonnets
while moon graces morning clouds.
–Margaret Simon
I sent my tanka to Michelle and Heidi, so they are posting it today. Three times lucky!
In addition to joining the Slice of Life Challenge at the Two Writing Teachers blog, I have committed to hosting a DigiLit Sunday round up each week. If this is your first time here, consider joining us on Sundays. I love reading about all the new tools available for students and how teachers are using them. Use the button below on your site.
Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts
This week was the last of our third nine weeks. How this year is flying! My students do a book talk presentation each quarter, so this was the week to get them done. I love how the room buzzes with computer activity and how talk revolves around books. I added a new requirement this quarter: found poems. These were their instructions:
1. Find a section of 50-100 words. This may be your favorite part or the climax or a part with a good description.
2. Copy words or phrases from the section.
3. Rewrite or type as a poem. Notice line breaks. You may change the order or add words only if necessary to add meaning.
4. Check your poem for tone. Does it reflect the tone of the book?
My students choose the technology they wanted to use for their presentations. Some used Emaze, Powtoon, Animoto, or PowerPoint. Some used the technology to guide their talks. Other used it as a hook or to enhance the presentation.
I want to share some of the found poems, a Powtoon, and an Animoto trailer.
Vannisa used chapter quotes from Counting by 7’s. Each phrase connects to the character in some way.
Tobie wrote this poem from the Halloween chapter in Wonder. He could relate to the black hole August wanted to go into.
Matthew’s Animoto book trailer for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.
Mission Impossible is a favorite background. Tobie used it to create this Powtoon presentation about Wonder.
Digital Learning Day is on March 13th. My plan is a Crazy Comment Challenge in which my students will try to write as many comments as possible on other SOL posts. Please consider joining us. More about Digital Learning Day can be found here. Use the hashtag #DLDay, #sol15, and #crazycomments in your Tweets.
If you have written a Digital Literacy post, please add your link in the comments. I will add them to this post. I am having some trouble with link up apps lately, so I’m just using the old fashioned way.
I have met many wonderful and creative people through blogging. A few years ago I joined the Poetry Friday round up. Poetry is a passion of mine. I use poetry often in my classroom, and I enjoy writing it. And who doesn’t love a good challenge? So when Laura Shovan posted her February Birthday Challenge, I took part. She posted sounds as poetry prompts. Turns out 14 of us wrote 177 poems to 28 sounds. Pretty impressive.
One of the sounds we wrote about was an electric guitar which reminded me of playing Guitar Hero with my nephew and getting beaten badly. Apparently, Jack has impeccable rhythm. Last summer, he started taking drumming lessons. He got a djembe for Christmas. I didn’t really know about his djembe playing until my sister posted a video of him from their California vacation. (My talented trumpet playing niece was marching with her band in the Rose Bowl parade.)
Musical talent runs in my family. In the dining room of my parents’ home is a life-sized portrait of my grandmother with her violin. My mother has her masters in piano and taught lessons in our home for many years. My brother has the gene, too. (We say it’s in the left hand as they are all left-handed.) Hunter is a professional musician. He plays keyboard and sings solo or with a band most nights of the week. So it was inevitable that someone would inherit the talent.
My sister says Jack’s rhythm is innate. He danced to the beat of her tapping a cinnamon container at 18 months. She remembers Mom telling a similar story about our brother who danced to the rhythm of her stirring cake batter.
Laura’s challenge pushed me to add a poem to the video. Here is Jack playing the djembe wowing the crowds at Santa Monica pier. My poem runs in the ticker tape at the bottom.
Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.
Join the Chalk-a-bration at Betsy Hubbard’s site Teaching Young Writers.
The last day of the month is Chalkabration time, a time to celebrate poetry and chalk and creativity. My students love Chalkabration, the brain-child of Betsy Hubbard. Yesterday was a bit chilly for chalking outside, so we did an inside art/poetry project with torn paper.
On Thursday, Paw Pride, a leadership group at my school, went to a local low income housing for the elderly to deliver socks we had collected. The apartments are housed in an old school. Outside where we gathered, there is a draping old oak tree with palm trees underneath. When Jacob arrived with his sister, he looked at the tree and said, “Mrs. Simon, can we write a poem about this tree?” Gotta love him!
“Yes, Jacob, tomorrow is Chalkabration!”
A Palm Looking Tree At the end of February in southern Louisiana,you’ll most likely find a palm looking tree. by Vannisa
Ancient Chickens hiding among trees spreading wisdom running from tree to tree in secret. These are Ancient Chickens. by Tyler
Paradise by Matthew
Coconut Tree The top of peeled off coconuts. With green roots coming out. Sun shines on the coconut peels. I want to be inside of it. by Jacob
Margaret Simon lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana. She is a retired elementary gifted teacher who writes poetry and children's books. Welcome to a space of peace, poetry, and personal reflection. Walk in kindness.
Reflections on the Teche 