Garden Poetry

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My students are lucky. They spend a half an hour in our school garden every week, growing vegetables, learning about bugs, noticing what grows well and what struggles, and tasting! I often don’t get to go out with them, but today because of a shift in my schedule due to conferences, I joined them…and turned it into an opportunity for poetry writing!

I was drawn to the artichokes, purple and green knots growing strong and tall. When my students sat down to write, so did I.

artichoke

Artichokes

Globes

like dinosaur paws

clenched

holding a tender heart inside

tiny swords

protect that meaty center

purplish green

beckons…attracting me

and spotted ladybugs

When will they be ripe?

Douillard 2018

I know that photographs and visual images inspire my writing. It’s true for many of my students as well. During yesterday’s search for the ordinary, I noticed one of my students arranging jumpropes on the ground and photographing them. And then this sometimes reluctant writer sat down to write.

Color Brain

Color strings sewing

my brain into thoughts,

ones about madness,

ones about fear,

ones about happiness,

ones about sickness,

ones about coldness,

and ones about love.

On the string of fear

the purple hides

with red,

next to blue and turquoise.

Leah

Leah's photo

How’s your poetry writing coming along? What inspires your words and thoughts?

Ordinary Inspiration

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The weather was gray and gloomy today, but that didn’t stop us from venturing out with our iPads and poetry notebooks in search of inspiration for continuing our poem-a-day challenge. Students were excited about the prospect of exploring the playground as a source of inspiration. They had 5 minutes to explore and take one photo. The next 7 minutes were spent drafting a poem. After some sharing back in the classroom, they had 7 more minutes to revise.

Our school yard is filled with trees, palm trees and pine trees, and the kids love to play under them and around them. And some were inspired to write a poem featuring a tree, like this one:

Tree

A tree that I’m looking up to

I see it in the distance

I call it my wishtree

It’s as high as the bright blue sky with big bushy leaves

Shining down to me

Calling me

Brayden

My poem for today also features a tree–the iconic palm that stands in the center of the playground.

cardiff palm

The Cardiff Palm

Tall against the thick gray blanket of clouds

that blocks the sun.

Your crown of green fans out:

a home for birds

shade on sunny summer days.

An ever-present sentinel, standing watch

over generations of school children

listening to their playful shrieks

a backrest for tired athletes

a symbol of our coastal community.

Tireless palm

standing tall.

Douillard 2018

Some kids are still refining their poems inspired by William Carlos Williams. Here’s one inspired by the Red Wheelbarrow:

The Rocky River

So much depends

upon the river.

The fish slither through

the river.

Tadpoles turn into

frogs.

And birds fly over all!

Stone

And this one by This is Just to Say:

Easter Candy

I have stolen the Easter candy

that you hid in the cabinet

that you were probably saving

for after dinner

Forgive me

They tasted so good

The chocolate wafers

gave it away

Kalani

This is Just to Say…

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Today’s poetry inspiration came from Williams’ poem of apology, This is Just to Say. In addition to studying the original, we also read some of the poems written by 6th graders in the book also titled This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman.

Students had fun playing around with their own poems of apology. Here’s a couple composed by the third graders in my class to give you a taste:

Dear Romeo,

I’m sorry I have to whip you sometimes

Also, I might tire you out sometimes,

but you’re always a handsome horse

lovable, huggable, gentle, and soft

Oh how I love your long mane

drifting in the sky

when we canter across the field

Love,

Tyler

I gave them a whole 7 minutes of writing time! It’s conference week, so students are on a minimum day schedule…and time is short!

I’m sorry Kai for poking you.

Sorry, I really didn’t think it through.

Although we had fun doing it, I’m sorry Kai for poking you.

Cody

And one more student poem, this one inspired by yesterday’s Red Wheelbarrow.

The Thread

So much depends on

a brand new jacket

and a loose thread

Pulling

into bits and pieces

until it is

one loose

and wiggly line

Lauryn

I found myself returning to the topic I explore in my first two poems. Today’s was written to that same egret I featured before–but from a slightly different angle.

This is Just to Say, My Friend

I have stalked you

my lens focused close

waiting for your head to turn

your neck to arch.

You seem so peaceful

and focused as you

stare out at the blue horizon

scanning for danger

or maybe appreciating the view.

I’m sorry for any disturbance

I cause with my close looking

and the click of the shutter.

I just can’t resist your elegant neck

and charming yellow feet!

Douillard 2018

LRG_DSC08563

Maybe, dear reader, you’ll try your own poem of apology today!

Let the Poetry Begin!

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My students and I decided to take a 30-day challenge to celebrate National Poetry Month. We have committed to writing a poem each day of the month–in spite of the fact that our spring break begins when school is out on Friday! Hopefully, a poetry-filled launch this week will keep the poetry spirit alive and well during our time off.

To add to the motivation–for myself and my students–I plan to blog my poem-a-day…and feature poems written by my students on my blog as well.

To get started, I will include my poems one and two here today. Look for some student poems starting tomorrow–they needed time to refine their early efforts.

Yesterday’s poem was inspired by the snowy egret I watched and photographed on the beach on Friday.

snowy egret

Snowy Egret

Tuned to channel nature

where the constant whoosh and roar of waves

matches the rhythm of my heart

I scan the distant horizon

for the alabaster of my low-tide friend

As I come close

I notice the porcelain statue

with yellow feet

that unexpectedly

stomp and stir the shallows.

He’s rewarded for patience and persistence

with a briny treat.

My reward is the glimpse

of those charming yellow feet.

Today we learned about William Carlos Williams through the book, A River of Words. After reading a bit about his life and interests, we studied The Red Wheelbarrow to pay attention to how Williams put this iconic poem together. We then did some writing of our own under the influence of The Red Wheelbarrow.

Here’s my version, again related to the egret I am so drawn to.

The Tidepools

So much depends

upon

a low tide

on the beach

uncovering shallow pools

filled with fish and crustaceans

nearby the snowy egret

wades and waits.