Changes coming!

 

Happy Poetry Month!  I am excited to be back and committed to writing a new poem every day this month.  Each of my poems will carry the theme of "Change."  I am excited to see what changes this month will bring.  

Today, I am learning about the poetry technique called assonance.  This is often confused with rhyme.  Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound in the unstressed syllable.  (Apparently rhymes have to happen at the end of the word!)  I will attempt to use assonance in today's poem.

Hope

by Melinda Harvey

The snow has melted.

The banks, they shrank.

The birds have begun to ping.

The breeze is mild.

A strange exchange:

Winter changes to Spring.

I'm not sure if I truly used assonance, but at least my Change work has begun.  Perhaps you will find some assonance in your day today.  When you hear it, jot it down.  Let it grow into a poem!

 March 31, 2025

Hello Poetry Fans!  It has been a minute!  I won't offer any lame excuses.  I have been off my poetry game for a long time.  I am inspired by my students poetic enthusiasm and vulnerability.  It is with great trepidation that I commit to writing a new poem every day for Poetry Month.  

My original poems this month will be inspired by Change.  This can mean different things depending how you look at. I will also be exploring various poetry techniques throughout the month.  I have a lot to learn, and I invite you to come along.  Learn with me.  Write with me.  Change with me.  

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!