Have you registered yet for Madness Poetry 2020?

I just applied to be an authlete, but I also registered my class to vote.  This is the best way to experience fresh poetry with your class.  It's also a great way to introduce your children to new vocabulary and poetry styles.  

Get yourself over to Madnesspoetry.com to register as a poet or a voter!  You won't be sorry! Click here for an easy link for registration!

I had to write a poem as part of my application.  I share it with you here for fun...

Unfair

It’s absolutely unjust, It’s shameful and it’s wrong.”

(My thirteen-year-old daughter has made Fairness her theme song.)

“It’s biased, unethical, it’s immensely foul!”

She started in this morning and continues now to howl.

I can’t get a word in edge wise; she is on a roll…

Global warming, civil rights – now she’s on to gun control.

Ever the zestful advocate.  She’s passionate and tough.

Any thought of compromise is met with a rebuff.

But, when I suggest that with her sibs she try get along,

“It’s absolutely unjust, It’s shameful and it’s wrong.”

March Madness, Take Three

Hello!

I have been in serious dormancy on this blog!  I find myself so busy with school and family that I don't have time to be poetic!  Hopefully, my involvement in this year's March Madness poetry competition at www.thinkkidthink.com will change that.  My poem using the word "harrowing" is due tomorrow.  I have it written, but I can't share it with you here.  Please visit the link above to see my poem as well as 63 others.  Take a moment to vote for your favorite poem!

To entice you, I will share with you LAST year's first round poem.  My word was anthropomorphization.  It was a crazy hard word to use in an eight line poem, but I did it.  Here it is:

Fantastic Hope

Walter Disney was a talented man with an anthropomorphization plan.

From Micky Mouse and Oswald the Rabbit, he made turing objects into humans a habit.

McQueen from Cars thought that he was greater, but he learned to be humble, like his friend 'Mater.

Lumiere and Chip Potts urged Bell, "Be our guest."  

and though Gaston was handsome, the Beast loved her best.

Disney gave objects a heart and a face.  Can he do the same for our human race?

In last year's tournament, I didn't get past the first round.  I still had a ball following the many talented poets through the entire competition.  Please consider getting involved in this creative show of poetic prowess!  

National Poetry Month 2013 begins!

Today begins a month long celebration of poetry.  Clever writers from all over have committed to bringing poetry to the forefront in many creative ways.  My intention is to share a new poem here every day.  I will be sharing "found" poems.  These are poems created from words found in various texts....book bindings, articles, church bulletins!  All month long, I will be turning a keen eye to all things written, looking for hidden poems.  Please join me in finding poems in whatever it is you are reading!

The bad news is I will be away from technology for the next week.  I will be writing the old fashioned way- in my Wonder Woman notebook with my felt tip pen. Rest assured that I will post my catch up poems as soon as I can!

Today's poem was found in the church bulletin from last week's Maundy Thursday service.  I collected the most powerful words in the bulletin.  As these words were jumping out at me, I couldn't help but think of a special little girl who was born eleven years ago today!

Mercy and Grace
By Melinda Harvey


Your presence is precious
It brings to me peace
A daughter, a sister, a God child, a niece.

I can not forget your
Slight body, sweet face
Your message of mercy, your lessons of grace.

Trembling with memories
The years reach eleven
Lamb of God, sweet angel watching from heaven.

March Madness Poetry Tournament Starting soon

3/11/13

Stretch.....yawn.....wiggle, stretch again.  It's true, I am uncurling from my dormancy just in time for the 2013 March Madness Poetry Tournament.  In honor of the tournament, I have written a new poem.   It might be a bit of a plug for votes, but I still maintain this...Vote for your favorite poem; it doesn't have to be mine, just be sure to follow the tournament and vote, vote, vote!

Today is the day

It might sound absurd,

but today is the day

I am given my word.

It could change my life,

and I wouldn’t know it.

This mystery word

could make me a poet.

With this word and ten lines

I’ll be ready to fight

I’ll be thinking and drafting 

to make it rhyme right.

It’s up to the public

if I sink or I float

Go to thinkkidthink.com

and place your first vote!

I will get my word late tonight via email.  From there, I will have 36ish hours to create, edit and finalize a new poem.  Go to www.thinkkidthink.com on Thursday to vote!

Warming up!

Hello!  I am back after a long hiatus.  This weekend we are experiencing an unusually warm weekend in Western New York- I suspect we broke the record high of 60degrees.  Even though we are very much in the middle of winter, today makes me think of warmer days and springtime.  With Springtime comes the March Madness poetry tournament.  If you are a poet, consider applying to compete in this fun, challenging poetry competition.  You can apply at www.thinkkidthink.com.  I am getting warmed up for some heavy duty writing by revisiting some poems that I wrote last year.

One of my students tried her hand at "how-to" poetry and I'd like to share it with you now.  Welcome, Charity to Thinkinginrhyme!

Stack it!

Bu Charity P.

Take some

Pancakes

And stack

Them up

Then simply

Cut them

Into fours

And simply

Put the syrup

On and then gobble it

Up!

Stack it!

Poems as Celebrations

     Happy May!  I know it is a reflection of my age, but, holy cow...this year has gone by quickly!  We are already in the season of dance recitals and communions.  As I prepare for two first communions this weekend, I encourage you all to think about poetry as a celebration.  So many events are celebrated with family and friends...baptisms, birthdays, proms, honor rolls, weddings and even deaths.  These are all perfect opportunities to put pencil to notebook and commemorate the event with a poem.
     Recently a friend and colleague of mine received the "Educator of the Year" award.  Many congratulations to Mrs. June Marsowicz!  I am moved by the knowledge that many former students nominated this teacher.  I am impressed with Mrs. Marsowicz's humbleness in receiving the award.  I was so touched by her whole story that a poem just dribbled out the other morning...

You have made many

a worker

a thinker

a kid who could tinker

a reader

a writer

 a reacher

You have been

a mother

a pusher

sometimes a gusher

but most of all

an outstanding

teacher

     I barged into June's classroom and interrupted her math instruction to read the poem.  It was an emotional treat to honor June with my little poem.  She was thrilled with the gift; her students were delighted with the distraction and donuts I delivered!  This experience propelled me to write a poem for my Goddaughter's and my neice's  First Communions...

Age of reason, State of Grace

Wearing your faith

on your face

At the table, drink some wine

Taste the bread for

the first time

Let His body start to nourish

In His love

you will flourish

With your family, celebrate

Their beliefs you

demonstrate

Live your life with His respect

Always looking

to connect

Bow your veiled head, say a prayer

A love for you

we all share

Wearing your faith on your face

Age of reason

State of Grace

     Congratulations,Neleah and Hannah!  I really wanted to fit the word transubstantiation in there some place, but I couldn't do it! 
     I hope you'll consider poetry as a fitting gift to remember the special happenings in your loved one's lives!

A Fib at month's end

     Have you heard of Fibonacci?  If not, check him out here.  If you have, then you know that there is a pattern of numbers based on the philosopher's mathematical work.  The sequence starts with 0 and 1.  Then you add the two numbers to get the next...0 + 1 = 1, 1 +1= 2, 1 + 2 =3....keep following this pattern and you end up with these numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.  It seems simple at the early stages.  To really challenge yourself, play the Online Fibonacci game.
     Wondering what all of this has to do with poetry?  Well, as you might have guessed, some clever lad figured out a poetry form using the Fibonacci sequence.  Seeing that today is the last day of National Poetry Month, I figured I would give this relatively new form a try.  As I understand it, Greg Pincus first wrote Fibs on his clever blog, Gottabook.  Katie Davis recently spoke about Greg's Fibish work at her blog, http://katiedavis.com.  I am grateful to Janet F. who pointed me in this direction.  Without further pomp, I share with you my fib in honor of National Poetry Month...

Empty Fib

By Melinda Harvey

At

the

end of

poetry 

month, an emptiness

creeps in like sprawling, golden thyme, 

spreading it's robust memory of a fun-filled past.  

     I am very grateful for the handful of you who have visited my blog this month.  It has been a challenge to write a daily poem (except for that one day!) Thank you for the comments and the encouragement.  I am not sure where I will go from here, but I will most definitely be blogging around!