Poetry Friday round up is with Rose today at Imagine the Possibilities
Awakening the Heart by Georgia Heard is a go-to book for me. I recently came back to it to find an inspiring poetry lesson (page 48) around a stanza of Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem Valentine for Ernest Mann.
We watched this video of Naomi reading it and telling the story of its inception. Then we borrowed the words poems hide for our own poems. Avalyn says it’s the best poem she’s ever written (in her year of writing poetry with me.)
I was reminded of a resident at my parents’ retirement home. When my father was ill, I stayed with my mother in her apartment and got to know many of her friends. This is a true story about Angel, but after I gave her a copy of the poem, she had to correct me that the cats do trust her and let her pet them.
Poems Hide
in an Instagram image
of sunrise
a small songbird
the trickle of water
over a streambed.Poems hide
in the calico that lost its tail
in the woman named Angel
who sits on the ground
to feed the lonely cat,
her hand out, longing for trust.Angel laughs in poetry.
She gives me a Styrofoam cup
Margaret Simon, all rights reserved
of cut roses aflame in her hand.
I find poetry
in the things I touch
and in your forever love.
Poetry Hides
by Avalyn, 2nd grade
poetry hides
in talent,
poetry hides
in your favorite stuffed toy
poetry hides
in the beautiful Robin you saw hurt on the ground
poetry hides
in yourself and all beings
poetry hides
in magnolia flowers
poetry hides
in the things you love most
poetry hides
in the ones that helped you get awards and medals
poetry hides
in the lost and found shared memories
poetry hides
in your life and soul
poetry hides
in the book of quotes that helps you feel grateful
poetry hides
Reflections on the Teche 