April is NATIONAL POETRY MONTH. I didn’t know. Did you?
Seems back in 1996 the Academy of American Poet established the tradition to highlight American poets and encourage people about the pleasure of reading poetry. It’s all explained on their website.
Though I’m not a poetry writer, I ♥ to read poetry. I’ve memorized many poems by my favorite American poets. I read poems to anyone, willing or not.
To further the observance of poetry month, I’ll be sharing some poems by friends and family. I’ll start with one written by my second oldest grandson.
I may not write poetry, but I am a storyteller so first a little story about how this poem originated.
We were sitting at the kitchen table discussing how he should be doing homework. He’s home schooled, and I promised his parents I’d work with him while he was visiting.
Unfortunately, like father, like son. I remember fighting many a homework battle with his daddy who also hated doing homework. The thought of poetry homework made the task even less appealing, especially when the swimming pool was calling.
He starred outside at the squirrel climbing the pole to the bird feeder. He ate a Pop Tart. He slipped away to play a game of chess with his Pepa.
I marched him back to table and the task at hand. No, I’m not your push-over Nana. Although resisting those big, beautiful brown eyes isn’t always easy!
Then I caught him at the window. Again.
This time he was watching a chameleon on the Maple tree.
I thought he was wasting time and prepared to pull out my mean teacher’s whip! Before I could speak, he pointed to the laptop on the table. “I wrote the poem already.”
And, this is what I read on the screen:
Lizard Poetry
Lazy lizards leap from leaf to leaf
As green as a Sprite can
Lizards like to hide under the weather
Running, hiding, and sneaking around
Crazily, hastily, and hurriedly leaving their tails behind them
The miniature lizards are tiny compared to the big, blue sky
Amazing I think, don’t you agree? How quickly I’d forgotten how little boys multi-task when you think they’re playing.
YOUR TURN: Share one of your favorite poems!
Thank you so much for info on the Poem In Your Pocket book for kids. Can’t wait to purchase it for my grandchildren. We can’t lose poetry in this computer age, and making kids aware at a young age is the solution.
I just check the Poets.org and learned they will be sponsoring a Poem in Your Pocket day on April 26th. I’ll be blogging all about it.
Loved your blog, btw. Thanks for stopping by the porch and come again, come often.
Isn’t that the truth! Sometimes I think we hold them back when we give them so much “to do.”
It never ceases to amaze me what can come out of a child when inspired. An amazing piece of artistry.
alliteration, parallel structure, play on words (tales/tails), adverb series with serial comma, simile, and more…. All this in one inspired, creative poem. This boy is SMART! Go multitasker!
He is a smart boy. So glad to hear you agree with us. LOL
I have never been good at poetry. I remember in high school the first time I had to write a poem. Could not write one to save my life. Went home and ask my sisters to help me. That cost me dearly for the balance of the school year. They have never let me forget what they did. I tried to write a song many years ago … what a joke that was. My granddaughter had it created in two days. That did not come from me.
My grandkids can do so much. Especially where computers and technology are concerned.
This is what it is all about. Poetry, writing, self-expression, art is all about play and observation. The poem felt like it was written because he wanted to write it not because he had to do it. I love, “Crazily, hastily, and hurriedly leaving their tales behind them.” Now I’m guessing he meant “tails” not “tales” but I think the misspelling works. Or maybe he meant it that way.
My dh wondered about that too. He thought it worked best as tales. When I asked my grandson, he said it should have been tails…didn’t I remember how the poor chameleon lost its tail when he tried to catch it by the tail. So next time you read, tale will be tail!
I love “As green as a Sprite can”. At first I read ‘as green as a sprite can be’ (equating the lizard with a fairy-like creature), then realized he meant a can of Sprite. Heh. Cool. It works for me either way.
My own favorite poem, I think, is the one by Emily Dickinson that begins, “Hope is a thing with feathers…”
;)
I have to admit I thought the same. I edited for him to capitalize, hoping that would make it clear. Still, either way it works.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Ah, the multi-tasking ability of children! You appreciate it even more when mono-tasking starts to become difficult. LOVED the poem, and the last line is pure awesomeness!
The imagination of children is so amazing. This child has a vivid one!