Sunday, April 1, 2012

Things to Do If You Are a Window: An Original List Poem

Happy National Poetry Month!

For the first day of April, I’d like to share a list poem for spring that I wrote for my Things to Do poetry collection--a collection that takes a child through a day in her life. Things to Do If You Are a Window was supposed to be the first poem in the book—but then I decided it didn’t fit. Eliminating poems from manuscripts is something that I often do as I get a better sense of where I’m going with the collection…what I hope to achieve with it…how I want the poems fit together as a cohesive whole.


THINGS TO DO IF YOU ARE A WINDOW

Let sunshine in…
warm breezes too.
Let the scent of spring
come wafting through.
Let the old air out.
Listen to the sigh
as winter leaves
and bids goodbye.

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Win a Poetry Book!
Every week during April, I’ll be giving away a children’s poetry book at Wild Rose Reader. If you leave a comment at one of my poetry posts during the first week of National Poetry Month (April 1-7), I’ll enter your name in the drawing to win a copy of Poem in Your Pocket for Young Poets: 100 Poems to Rip Out & Read. The poems were selected by Bruno Navasky and the book was published in conjunction with The Academy of American Poets. (Note: If you leave comments at two of my poetry posts, I'll enter your name twice...and so on.) The winner of the book will be announced next Sunday (April 8th).

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NOTE: Super blogger Jama Rattigan has a wonderful list of all of the wonderful events that will be taking place in the kidlitosphere during the month of April at  Alphabet Soup. Here’s the link: National Poetry Month KidlitosphereEvents.



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6 comments:

  1. Bridget R. WilsonApril 1, 2012 at 2:34 PM

    Thanks for sharing your poem, Elaine! I might try writing a list poem this month.

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  2. Elaine MagliaroApril 1, 2012 at 5:07 PM

    Bridget,

    Do try writing a list poem--and a mask poem too. I invited people to write and share their mask poems with me--which I'll share with everyone later on this month.

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  3. Looking for the Write WordsApril 1, 2012 at 10:34 PM

    Elaine,

    I always love your Things to Do poems and look forward to adding your book to our poetry shelf. Several of my students and I are going to have a go at a poem a day. I'm sure there will be some Things to Do poems and other list formats. Thank you for being an inspiration. Happy Poetry Month! ~Theresa

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  4. skanny17April 2, 2012 at 10:22 AM

    Hi Elaine,
    I "sort of" met you at NCTE this Nov. at Sylvia's and Janet's session. I am new to the Blogosphere but already feel among friends. I love your window poem and will share with the students I visit. It may spur some interesting student poems. Happy Poetry Month. Will you be at IRA? Looking forward to reading your blog frequently. I am locally known as "the poetry teacher" so am happy to have found this way to connect with kindred souls. (Sadly not everyone is "a poetry teacher"....) Heidi encouraged me when she attended my session at NCTE!...Janet Fagal

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  5. Elaine MagliaroApril 2, 2012 at 12:23 PM

    skanny17/Janet,

    I won't be at IRA. I will be attending the NCTE Annual Convention in Las Vegas in November though.

    The kidlitosphere has been an excellent way for me to connect with other people who are passionate about children's literature--especially poetry.

    *****

    Theresa,

    Happy Poetry Month to you too!

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  6. Charles WatersApril 3, 2012 at 5:08 PM

    Keep up the great work on all fronts Elaine!!!!

    ReplyDelete