Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write and share.
On Friday, I joined my writing group in posting poems written from an Amanda Gorman prompt. This Book Scavenger Hunt can work over and over again with different books, different moods, and a different page in the notebook. Find a nearby book and go to 3 different random pages and select a word from the page. Now write for 5 minutes.
For this one, I chose the book White Rose by Kip Wilson and found these words: guilt, endanger, coat pocket.
Tension Hands held in a coat pocket fisted, fingering tissue tearing it to shreds.
This mood endangers my attitude, takes my mind to guilt.
Release, let go, open your hand. The sky is waiting to shine.
Margaret Simon, draft
Notebook Collage, March 5, 2021. Found a sticky note on my classroom door, so I added it to my daily collage. The notecard design was a meditative doodle I had drawn using colored pencil.
Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write and share.
Poetry Friday is with Kat Apel down under with a new picture book.
In January I was looking for everything about Amanda Gorman, the inaugural poet and National Youth Poet Laureate, and I found a poetry prompt video from April, the beginning of the pandemic. The program was done by the 826 National Network called #agoodtimetowrite. Amanda called it a book scavenger hunt.
Book Scavenger Hunt with Amanda Gorman
It’s a quick writing prompt. Everyone usually has a book nearby to grab. Select 3 random pages and one word from each page. List those words, then write for 5 minutes. I’ve done it a few times, and the results can be really fun, so I challenged my Sunday night Swaggers to try it out.
This week was Read Across America Week which is still called Dr. Seuss Week at my school. Every day was a different dress up day. On Thursday, we dressed as our favorite characters. Lots of Cats-in-the-hat and Things 1 & 2. One of my students was Cindy Lou Who.
Made with Waterlogue
With this fun-filled week and words from a nearby book (LifeBoat by Susan Hood), I selected the words movie star, peaches, and tantalizing. This is my original draft:
Mouthwatering delight the movie star of flavors– pour Skittles into an open palm– tantalizing irresistible like bacon in the frying pan or syrup on pancakes or melted chocolate inside a s’mores, peachy pink bubble satisfied my sweet tooth, gift from a girl dressed like Cindy Lou Who on the playground.
Margaret Simon, draft
See how my Poetry Swagger friends met the challenge:
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 