I'll Fight You For the Library

As most of us know, April is Poetry Month. Welcome to my new favorite poem to share for Poetry Month. I love my PLN (Personal or Professional Learning Network) on Plurk. I discover the most wonderful things when my Plurk buddies share. This YouTube video was shared by my Friend Scottie Miller from Oriental, North Carolina. Like me she is an elementary school librarian. Hope you enjoy this and realize that teachers care about the education of their students!

Happy Father's Day

Just needed to share this today on Father's Day. I wrote this a while ago and it still makes me cry. Sometimes we all just miss our daddies.

Brava Papa

One day you used those
Words to another but they
Should have been to you.
Brava Papa

You taught us all
Right from wrong
And to do no harm
Brava Papa

You were there when
tears stained my face
and I needed
Your warm embrace
Brava Papa

Why is it that we
Always wait
Until the time is just too late to say
Brava Papa

You were there when my knuckles
Were white on my very first flight
I was leaving you for the first time
I know it was hard
Brava Papa

You stood proud and tall
As I was all dressed in white
I was leaving again
And again you wiped my tears
Brava Papa

This time it was you that left
Who could blame you?
You are with the
Father of All
Where skies are blue
And peace abounds
Brava Papa

Star Spangled Poem Project...

I have been working on poetry with my students in the library this year. I have been trying to show them the joy of found poetry. In computer terms I guess found poetry could be compared to a mash-up. I want them to write a poem from their research projects now. I want them to take their research and put some of the words together to make a poem. I guess it is a little bit of a stretch for elementary school students but I know they can do it.
I tried this activity with marginal success when the music teacher was working on “The Star Spangled Banner.” Each year as part of The Star Spangled Banner Project she teaches the history behind our national anthem. I read a book to the students as part of that unit and then I have students write a found poem from all the stanzas of the original poem. Most times the students have never heard the entire poem written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key. Below is the example I wrote to give them an idea of what I want. I wrote it to add to the project for next year because they are not getting the idea of what I want and they tend to stay with the part of the poem that they know.

By the dawn’s early light can you see the land of the free?
In full glory reflected the home of the brave?
Blest with victory and peace, a home and a country?
Does that star spangled banner yet wave?
Thus be it ever where freemen shall stand.
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Sunflower Haiku

The fifth grade class is writing Haiku. My daughter brought up the beautiful, tall sunflowers that used to grow on the bike trail across the street from our house near Stuttgart, Germany. Those sunflowers are a beautiful childhood memory for her. So, here is a haiku in tribute.

Colorful and huge
The sunflowers in Stuttgart
Near the place I play

Haiku is so much fun because it can help you remember something and yet is so simple that it does not take too much time to write. This haiku reminds me of my daughter as a little five year old riding her tricycle to the park and the sunflowers towering over her head. What kind of memories do you have? Can you haiku?