Poetry Friday: Two Centos

I decided to do a little literary exercise this week. I thought I’d try writing a modified cento using book titles as suggested by Tricia in her Monday Poetry Stretch at The Miss Rumphius Effect. I’ve written two centos using the titles of children’s poetry books that I have in my personal collection.

Read Tricia’s Book Title Cento and Laura Purdie Salas’s cento, Why I’m Crazy. Laura also used the titles of poetry books.


HAIKU CENTO
by Elaine Magliaro

Hear the Joyful Noise…
Our Fine Feathered Friends
Are Whistling the Morning In!

POETRY BOOKS

1. Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman
2. Fine Feathered Friends by Jane Yolen
3. Whistling the Morning In by Lillian Morrison



INVITATION: A Cento
by Elaine Magliaro

Hey, You!
Come with Me
Down Rhythm Road.
Dance with Me
To the Street Music
Under a Lemonade Sun…
Past Sam’s Place
Past The Ice Cream Store
Past the Worlds I Know
To Where the Sidewalk Ends.
We’ll go Tap Dancing on the Roof
And Knee-Deep in Blazing Snow.

Hey, You!
Come with Me
Out in the Dark and Daylight.
Dance with Me.
I’ve been Waiting to Waltz
In the Middle of the Trees
Under the Sunday Tree
Through Shades of Green
Through The Singing Green
Into the Night Garden.

Hey, You!
Come with Me.
Listen to your Inner Chimes
To Voices on the Wind
To Sweet Dreams of the Wild.
Dance with Me
Where Everything Glistens and Everything Sings
Where The Night Rainbow shimmers in the air.

Hey, You!
Come with Me
To the Moon and Back.
Dance with Me
To The Sound of Poetry
‘Til All the Stars Have Fallen.

The Sky Is Not So Far Away.
Come with Me!

POETRY BOOKS

1. Hey, You! selected by Paul Janeczko
2. Come with Me by Naomi Shihab Nye
3. Rhythm Road selected by Lillian Morrison
4. Dance with Me by Barbara Juster Esbensen
5. Street Music by Arnold Adoff
6. Lemonade Sun by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
7. Sam’s Place by Lilian Moore
8. The Ice Cream Store by Dennis Lee
9. Worlds I Know by Myra Cohn Livingston
10. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
11. Tap Dancing on the Roof by Linda Sue Park
12. And Knee-Deep in Blazing Snow by James Hayford (Chosen by X. J. & Dorothy Kennedy)

13. Hey, You! selected by Paul Janeczko
14. Come with Me by Naomi Shihab Nye
15. Out in the Dark and Daylight by Aileen Fisher
16. Dance with Me by Barbara Juster Esbensen
17. Waiting to Waltz by Cynthia Rylant
18. In the Middle of the Trees by Karla Kuskin
19. Under the Sunday Tree by Eloise Greenfield
20. Through Shades of Green compiled by Anne Harvey
21. The Singing Green by Eve Merriam
22. Night Garden by Janet Wong

23. Hey, You! selected by Paul Janeczko
24. Come with Me by Naomi Shihab Nye
25. Inner Chimes selected by Bobbye Goldstein
26. Voices on the Wind selected by david Booth
27. Sweet Dreams of the Wild by Rebecca kai Dotlich
28. Dance with Me by Barbara Juster Esbensen
29. Everything Glistens and Everything Sings by Charlotte Zolotow
30. Night Rainbow by Barbara Juster Esbensen

31. Hey, You! selected by Paul Janeczko
32. Come with Me by Naomi Shihab Nye
33. To the Moon and Back compiled by Nancy Larrick
34. Dance with Me by Barbara Juster Esbensen
35. The Sound of Poetry compiled by Mary C. Austin and Queenie B. Mills
36. ‘Til All the Stars Have Fallen selected by David Booth

37. The Sky Is Not So Far Away by Margaret Hillert
38. Come with Me by Naomi Shihab Nye


Becky has the Poetry Friday Roundup at Farm School this week.