Ok, people. I confess! I confess! I am the one who went on the morning announcements this month – twice! – to encourage children to write a poem a day for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo, not to be confused with November’s NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month). And I think I’ve started something good! I’ve gotten poems from kids K-5, and boy has it been exciting?
I guess you’re wondering where my stuff is, huh?
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been writing too. Some of it’s been inspired by life as a mom, some of it comes from working with kids. Some of it’s good stuff, some of it – well, as they say: If you want to have GOOD ideas, you have to have a LOT of ideas.
Here’s what I posted on my other blog today:
The Eye of the Beholder
April 12, 2010 by Lainie Levin
So what’s the difference between poetry and prose? At what point do you realize, when you walk those thin lettered lines, you have crossed them, yet another time? Is it in the rhythm or the sway? The lines that break
Just
this
way?
—
And another, from earlier on:
Poem for the Day
April 7, 2010 by Lainie Levin
What can I say? This one is admittedly rough around the edges. But it came to me this afternoon. Two days ago I went on the morning announcements at school and encouraged the kids to participate in poetry writing month. Who knew that Kindergarten through fifth graders would take me up on the offer? I was touched.
Come one, come all I said
Write your poems;
Pour your hearts
on paper
the pictures you see
the stories you tell
Write them for your teacher
for me
for you
for nobody
But write them
Each and every day
So they dispatched their words
Released them to the world with outstretched arms
And the hope that someone would read,
Would notice,
Would enjoy
with a message of encouragement in return.
—
Want to read more? I’ll send you the link to my other blog.
Soapbox: The Way I see Things 