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New Teacher New Year - A First Day of School Poem

August 7, 2015, 9:31 am
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Oak Leaves and Watercolors
Photo by Amy LV




Students - I have been very lucky to meet many many teachers this summer.  My work takes me to different places where I have the good fortune to learn about different people and different classrooms and different ideas from teachers of all different grades.  Lots of times, I find myself wishing that I could be in school again, to have the chance to have this teacher or that one.  And one of the things that always strikes me the most is how a teacher can make a student feel, and how these feelings help or hurt our learning.  

This poem dedicated to teachers, teachers who are all also beginning or almost-beginning school, just like you.  Teachers who stay in our hearts, teachers who whisper in our ears even when we are all grown up.

And this poem is also dedicated to you, to students.  May your first day of school - and the days that follow - fill your minds and hearts and souls with goodness.

Like you, I have had many teachers in my life, and each one has made me a little bit of who I am.  This summer, one of my teachers (one I have never met) is award-winning author and our Children's Poet Laureate Jacqueline Woodson.  I am reading every single one of her books to help me learn both about life and about writing.  And what a teacher she is!  Two of her books that I am thinking about today, LOCOMOTION and PEACE, LOCOMOTION exquisitely explore, among other things, the power of teachers.

I cannot recommend highly enough all Jacqueline Woodson's books.  They are making me a better person, and I hope, a better writer too.

book cover

book cover

I am happy to share that my forthcoming EVERY DAY BIRDS, with beautiful cut paper illustrations by Dylan Metrano and published by Scholastic in both English and bilingual editions, is available (English only) for pre-order on Amazon.  The publication date is February 23, 2016.  


Tabatha is hosting today's grand Poetry Friday roundup over at The Opposite of Indifference.  Visit her place to check out the poetry happenings all around the Kidlitosphere this week.  We're a warm and welcoming community, and everyone is invited!

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Just a Hop Back in Time...

August 13, 2015, 9:01 pm
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Happy Poetry Friday!

We are away for the weekend, and so...I am sending you to an old first day of school poem from 2010.  The poem is titled:


Heidi is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at My Juicy Little Universe with a perfect near-end-of-summer poem - "No! Not Yet." Visit her sweet universe, and enjoy all of the goodnesses all around the Kidlitosphere this week.

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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I Love Them Both - Writing from Thinking

September 11, 2015, 4:27 am
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Loving Both
by Amy LV




Students - Sometimes I think about things and do not write about them for a long time.  Then, one day, for a reason I cannot explain, I will write about one of those things.  My parents have been divorced for a few years, and I love both of them very much.  It is different having them divorced, but my love is the same.  

Writing can help us think about funny things and serious things, and writing can help us figure out what we think too.  One reason I keep a notebook (see my notebooks blog here) is because it helps me figure out what is going on in my mind. Our busy days can keep us from hearing our own minds sometimes, but a notebook always listens.

It is so good to be back here at The Poem Farm. It was wonderful to teach classes and go camping and learn all kinds of things.  But I missed this place, and I missed you.  It is good to be back.

I have exciting news!  This week was the book birthday of JUMPING OFF LIBRARY SHELVES, the newest anthology by Lee Bennett Hopkins.  I am honored to have a poem in this beautiful collection illustrated by Jane Manning, and you can read a fabulous interview with Lee and read a few poems from the book (including mine) over at last week's post at Today's Little Ditty.

Available at Your Local Bookstore

Robyn is hosting today's Poetry Friday gathering over at Life on the Deckle Edge with a poem remembering 9/11.  Visit her place to find a roundup full of poems, poets, and many ways to fall in love with words.

Happy happy new school year to you, my dear friends!

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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That Day - When Writing Comes from Many Places

September 17, 2015, 9:01 pm
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Milkweed Plants on Raiber Road
Photo by Amy LV




Students - The picture you see above is of a little stand of milkweed plants on our road.  Early in August, my husband and I took a walk down the road and counted monarch caterpillars on the underside of the leaves.  I went back a couple of weeks later to look for chrysalises, but I did not see any, and I'm still wondering if those caterpillars turned to butterflies just a few yards away from our home. I smile to remember that weeks-ago-walk,  just looking for caterpillars and counting them together.  It is one of my favorite summer memories.

Later in August, our family visited and camped in Acadia National Park in Maine, and as part of our trip we went to Southwest Harbor where we found many more monarch caterpillars here in front of a shop called Sawyer's Specialities.  Can you see that chubby caterpillar just enjoying so much green?

Monarch Caterpillar in Front of Sawyer's Specialities
Photo by Amy LV

Well, yesterday I walked down our road again, and when I looked at the milkweed plants, I remembered the summer's excitement of finding caterpillars, imagining their mysterious change into butterflies.  The first line of today's poem just wrote itself on the page...and I went from there.

Remember in the summer

You might wish to try this.  Try beginning a poem or an essay or a story with the word remember.  See where the word leads you.  And once you arrive somewhere interesting in your writing, led by the hand by remember, you can decide whether to keep it as a first word or not.  You may choose a different beginning to your finished piece, but remember is a wondrous way to begin.

It is true that we found caterpillars this summer and true, too, that we often see wee toads.  Still, though, today's poem, I am sure, came from another place as well. From a book.  From TADPOLE'S PROMISE, written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Tony Ross.  I learned about this book years ago, and a friend just reminded me of it the other day.  So, I pulled it out and shared it with our teenagers.  It's a funny and different book, and I won't say another word!

Image result for tadpole's promise
Available at Your Local Bookstore

Poems surprise us in the way they take the many colorful threads of our lives - our readings, play, work, chats, loves, despairs, wonders, fascinations, confusions, joys, quiet times - and weave poemcloth.  You never know which thread will appear when in a poem.  And this, of course, is what makes writing such great fun.  Who knew that last month's poem would appear in my mind yesterday all mixed up with an unusual picture book?  No one knew.  That's a good enough reason to write, if you ask me.  Write to find out which poemcloth will weave itself that day.

Let your mind and heart surprise you when you write.  And if something you don't expect but that tickles you shows up on the page, please let me know.  It would be great to have you share it in this space.

Speaking of sharing, at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, I continue to feature writer and teacher Michelle Haseltine.  Stop by to peek inside her notebook and leave a comment to be entered to win a new notebook!  In that space, I am currently seeking some folks to make and share little videos about how to use a writer's notebook: videos of teachers explaining notebooks, videos of students giving short tours of their notebooks, all notebook celebration videos.  I am also seeking notebooks of guy notebook keepers of all ages.  Please drop me a line at amy at amylv dot com if you are interested in sharing in such a way.

Today's Poetry Friday roundup is over at Today's Little Ditty with Michelle.  Enjoy her poem of remembering and celebrate poetry with friends old and new. All are always welcome at the Poetry Friday table.

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Wishing on Stars - Writing from Walking, Wishing, & Wondering

September 25, 2015, 4:29 am
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White Asters Out Back
Photo by Amy LV




Students - Last evening, after dinner, I took our dogs Cali and Sage for a walk around the back pasture.  Once again, I fell in love with the variety of autumn wildflowers we always see at this time of year in Western New York.  Walking, as Mary Ann Hoberman says, is a way to find new ideas, and last night, the white asters somehow reminded me of stars which got me wondering about constellations and how they each got their names.

When I came back into the house, I looked up all kinds of sites about constellations and learned a lot about them.  What I learned most, however, is that I long to and plan to learn more.

My first draft of this poem was all one stanza, but the more I revised and reread, the more I wanted to break up the parts: the wish, the story of way back when, and the return to now...when we cannot know the real origin stories of these wondrous pictures in our skies.

When you're not sure what to write, you might consider starting with a walk, a wish, or a wonder.  Each day is full of so many, and the more we walk, wish and wonder, the more wishes and wonders we will find.

In other news:

I am so happy to be sharing a collaboration between my daughter Georgia and me at Penny Klosterman's blog today.  Penny has a superfun series titled A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt, featuring art/writing collaborations between her and her great nephew Landon.  A part of this series includes Guest Episodes featuring various writer/artist family pairs.  Thank you, Penny, for having us at your place today!

At Jama's Alphabet Soup, Jama Rattigan has a beautiful post today celebrating libraries, librarians, and the new JUMPING OFF LIBRARY SHELVES by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Jane Manning. You can read three poems from the book in this post, including my "Book Pillows."

This week, you can also find a great new post at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks. Cynthia Grady, author of I LAY MY STITCHES DOWN: POEMS OF AMERICAN SLAVERY shares some of her favorite notebooks, behind the scenes of this beautiful book, and she offers a giveaway too.  Don't miss!  Too, please remember that you and your notebook keeper friends are always welcome to post in that space.  Just let me know if you are interested.

Next week - September 27 - October 3 - is Banned Books Week.  If you plan to be talking or thinking about banned books, here are two poems from The Poem Farm archives:


It is, of course, Poetry Friday, and that means that there's a roundup.  To visit this week's poetry goodness all around the Kidlitosphere, head straight to Poetry for Children, where Sylvia and Janet are hosting the festivities.

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Two Pieces - A Broken Heart Poem

October 2, 2015, 5:01 am
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Picture Coming Later...




Students - Sometimes I feel a great need to write about something. Today that something is peace.  In the light of too many shootings on our streets, in our schools, in this country, I do feel like I am holding my heart in two pieces.  As I glue it back together with love, I commit to helping our country work toward peace.

When you find yourself not sure what to think about a difficult situation, know that writing is always here for us.  It may not make the bad thing go away, but it can help us understand it...and sometimes through our writing, we can find a way to heal or even a way out.

Peace to you all this week. 

This month you can find a wonderful post at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks. Cynthia Grady, author of I LAY MY STITCHES DOWN: POEMS OF AMERICAN SLAVERY shares some of her favorite notebooks, behind the scenes of this beautiful book, and she offers a giveaway too.  

Heidi is hosting today's Poetry Friday and the #Diversiverse today over at My Juicy Little Universe. Stop by her place for an important post and to check out this week's poetry roundup.

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Petrified Forest - Researching and Writing

October 8, 2015, 9:01 pm
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from THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BOOK OF NATURE POETRY
Edited by J. Patrick Lewis, former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate



Students - I am very pleased to share today's poem, which you will soon be able to find on page 169 of the National Geographic BOOK OF NATURE POETRY, the latest book edited by our former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis.

This book will be released next Tuesday, October 13, 2015, and I feel lucky to have my poem nestled alongside poems of so many poets I admire.  It is a deliciously beautiful book in both word and image, and it is a sibling to the equally wonderful National Geographic BOOK OF ANIMAL POETRY (2012).

Available at Your Local Bookstore

When J. Patrick Lewis put this book together, he shared a long list of the many topics he wished for different people to write about.  We were able to choose from this long list of topics, and as I have always been fascinated by petrified wood, I was happy to find it wasn't chosen before I had a chance to take it.  Topic in hand, I was off to research so as to know more when I sat to write.

You might try this too.  Consider beginning your writing today with a subject from science or social studies.  You might even brainstorm a list of subjects with friends and then each of you choose one (or pick from a hat!)  Do a little bit of research first so that you have some solid information and hard facts when you sit to write your poem.

Then, when you write your poem...open your mind, asking yourself, "What most intrigues me about this?  Where is the mystery?  What can I not forget?" These questions will help you.

If you're interested in petrified wood, by the way, you can learn more at the National Park Service website.

Nominations for the 10th annual CYBILS awards are open!  Check out the the poetry judges for this year here, see which poetry books have been nominated here, and if you would like to nominate a book by October 15, 2015, please do so here.

You will not want to miss Cynthia Grady's graet post at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.  Author of I LAY MY STITCHES DOWN: POEMS OF AMERICAN SLAVERY, Cynthia shares some of her favorite notebooks, behind the scenes of this beautiful book, and she offers a book giveaway too.  I will draw the name of the winner this Sunday, October 11!

Laura is hosting today's Poetry Friday party over at Writing the World for Kids. Visit her fabulous new site to enjoy the tasty menu of poetry goodness all around the Kidlitosphere.

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Come One! Come All! Poetry Friday is Here!

October 15, 2015, 9:01 pm
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Welcome to this Week's
Party!

I am so glad you are here.  If you are new to Poetry Friday, you can learn more about it at Renée's place, No Water River.  In short, Poetry Friday is a big ol' weekly poetry party, and all are invited.  Welcome.  

Finding Murray
Photo by Amy LV




Students - Did you ever notice how something bad happening can help you see something good that was there the whole time?  I have noticed this, and yesterday, after seeing many signs for a LOST DOG, that very noticing and feeling crept into the ink of my pen, into the ink of my veins.

I started writing today's poem with the lines, "The good thing/about a bad thing..." and then just followed the words.  I did not plan at all to include the dog in the poem, did not plan at all to break the meter and rhythm of the poem at the end. But then...

  • The dog showed up.
  • The meter and rhythm broke at the end.
  • I liked both of these surprises.

I believe it can be helpful to begin a piece of writing with a plan.  But I also believe it can be just as helpful to let the plan go, let the dog in, listen the broken meter and see how it matches the meter of your heart.

Why a broken meter?  Well, would you be counting meter if your lost dog just came home?  Me neither!

Find home, Murray...find home...

We have a winner of Cynthia Grady's beautiful book I LAY MY STITCHES DOWN: POEMS OF AMERICAN SLAVERY over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.  If you left a comment, it could be you!  Very shortly I'll have a new post over there, and I always welcome new notebookers to share in that space...please just let me know if you are be interested.

Below you will find links to all kinds of Poetry Friday goodness happening around the Kidlitosphere.  If you'd like to link in, I thank you!  And to all...may the posts you visit and read fill your hearts with joy and your pockets with laughter.


Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Away From My Desk....

October 22, 2015, 10:15 pm
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Greetings, friends! 

I am away from my desk this week, traveling to schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  I will spend this weekend at the Keystone State Reading Association Conference here in Pennsylvania and look forward to catching up with you on what I will call Poetry Monday!

xo,
a.
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First Catch - A Poem for Two Voices

October 26, 2015, 6:10 pm
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Sarah the Manx
Photo by ?? LV

(Click to Enlarge)



Students - This is a poem for two voices.  You can see it is written in two columns, and one side is for one reader (the human) and one is for another reader (the kitten).  To read the poem, readers take turns reading their lines in order of how they fall down the page.  When two lines sit side-by-side, both readers read at the same time.  You can hear my son Henry and I read it together above.

We have five cats here at The Poem Farm now, and lately Sarah has been bringing back little dead voles to the back door.  When she catches one, she meows loudly so that we will come to the glass door to praise her.  Early last week, she brought a vole back, and I took it away from her.  The next time she came with one, she ran away with it as soon as I opened the door.  It is confusing to be a cat parent sometimes.

I had the good fortune to visit two schools last week as a visiting author: H.B. Milnes school in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and Vernfield Elementary in Telford, Pennsylvania.  They were wonderful visits for me, and at Vernfield, I wrote a bit with the third graders.  One thing we talked about was two possible ways to write a poem:

to something (poem of address)
or
as something (mask poem).

I wrote on a chart in front of them, pretending to be my kitty, proud to have caught a bird.  Then, in my notebook, I wrote from my own perspective, how I feel when Sarah catches a small animal.  I want to be proud...but...I am sad for the wee bird or vole or mouse too.

(As soon as I find my phone, I will put up the picture of the chart and of my notebook - promise!)

As the week went on, I had the good fortune to attend part of the 2015 KSRA Conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and as part of the Thursday Poetry Evening, poet Sara Holbrook invited me to co-read a poem for two voices from her book  WHAM! IT'S A POETRY JAM.  This, I believe, is what made me choose to write today's poem as a poem for two voices, what helped me decide to mix together the two short demonstration drafts from Vernfield - the good feeling of reading with a friend.

WHAM! IT'S A POETRY JAM is a wonderful book, and if you like performing poetry - or if you've never tried to perform poetry - you will want to check it out. Sara is a fantastic writer, and I loved reading from this great book right with the author herself!

Published by Boyds Mills Press 
Learn More Here

In notebook-news, if you have not yet commented on author Jeff Anderson's post at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, please do.  You may win a copy of his first middle grade novel, ZACK DELACRUZ: ME AND MY BIG MOUTH.  Jeff is author of many of my favorite professional books for teaching writing, and I highly recommend you check out his project journal post.

Last week' Poetry Friday roundup, in case you missed it (as I did) was is at Jama's Alphabet Soup.  There you will find Penny Klostermann's beautiful poetic buttons wrapped up in teddy bears, in chocolates, and in all manner of happiness.

Please leave a comment below if you wish.
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Scaring My Mom - What Happened this Week?

October 30, 2015, 10:52 am
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Bat in the Morning
by Amy LV




Students - Happy almost Halloween!  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because I love dressing up, and I love sweets, and I love surprises.  This year, one of my children will be dressed up as a Stormtrooper from STAR WARS, and well, let's just say that this poem came from real life.  I have been surprised many times this past week.  

When you sit to write, remember that the little funny things that happen in your life every day are great writing material.  And if you cannot think of a funny little thing...make one happen!

Today's verse doesn't rhyme regularly or have a special meter or pattern, but if you read closely, you'll find some rhymes and some near rhymes.

Over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, Sunday is the last day you can leave a comment and be considered to win Jeff Anderson's ZACK DELACRUZ: ME AND MY BIG MOUTH.  Jeff has written many wonderful books for teachers about teaching writing, and his notebooks post is a great one about keeping a project journal.

Jone is hosting today's Poetry Friday party over at Check it Out.  Please visit her cozy corner of the internet and learn about the poetry happenings 'round the Kidlitosphere this week.

Happy Halloween!

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Rainstory - Standing on Other Poets' Shoulders

November 6, 2015, 9:15 am
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Windowpane Rain
by Amy LV




Students - We have been having some unseasonably warm days here south of Buffalo, NY, and a bit of rain too.  Some years at this time we can expect snow, so the sound of rain has been a lovely reminder of spring, and it is a sound I wish to hold onto as we enter these cold months of snuggling near the woodstove.

Today's poem's meter stands on the meter of a poem I love - "Windy Nights" by Robert Louis Stevenson.  When I began to write this verse, I first read and reread Stevenson's poem, with the plan to write mine in a similar meter.

See, sometimes, it's hard for me to get started writing.  I'm not sure what topic to choose or what form to write in.  Reading others' words and standing on their strong writerly shoulders can sometimes give me just the boost I need to get into a writing mood.  So, thank you, Robert Louis Stevenson!

One wonderful thing about life is that it is always changing.  What is something you wish to hold onto?  Today I wish to hold onto the sound of rain at my window.  You might wish to make a list of such things in your own notebook as these will be good writing topics, both now and in the future.

Over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, I am tickled to welcome K.A. Holt, author of RHYME SCHEMER, HOUSE ARREST, and other books for young readers.  Learn about various notebooks and habits, and comment to be entered to win your own copy of her latest novel in verse - HOUSE ARREST.

Katya is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at Write. Sketch. Repeat. Head on over and join the party!

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Happy Wild Blogiversary to My Friend Irene!

November 9, 2015, 4:40 am
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Wild Dried Poppy (Maraca) Pods for Irene
Photo by Amy LV

Welcome to today's celebration!  I offer my poem from SHARING THE SEASONS, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by David Diaz.

Click to Enlarge this Image

Click to Enlarge this Image



Students - Today is a special day!  My friend, poet and author Irene Latham, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of her blog!  Here in the world of blogging, people call that a blogiversary.  Isn't that a funny thing about writing...how we can make up our own words?

blog + anniversary = blogiversary

Well, when a good friend is celebrating, she will often invite friends to join her, and this is what Irene has done today.  Over at her blog, Live Your Poem, you can find all kinds of posts celebrating the world WILD, Irene's favorite one little word for this year.  I suggest visiting her place today, checking out her poems, and wishing her a Happy blogiversary!  

Remember this...when you wish to celebrate something, you can do so with writing. You can celebrate your own milestones with writing, and you can celebrate others with your writing too.  Words are gifts.

Something true about poetry is also true in my poem above.  Poetry sometimes seems sweet and calm...but often, there is much wildness underneath.  A writer must be willing to explore wild places within her or himself to find the poems and stories and ideas that he or she is meant to write.  Irene is one writer I admire, one who could not be kinder or more genuine...and one who is truly willing to explore the wild questions and glories she finds out and inside of her.

To celebrate today, I offer a copy of SHARING THE SEASONS, by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by David Diaz, the book in which you can find the poem above, to a commenter on this post.  Please comment by this Friday, November 13, to be entered into this drawing.

Thank you, Irene, for being an inspirer.  Happy 10th blogiversary to you, my friend!  
Available at Your Local Bookshop

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Thank You Note - Writing from Pictures & Gratitude

November 13, 2015, 5:52 am
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Moth
by Amy LV




Students - Sometimes people ask where writers find their ideas. Actually, I ask this quite often.  My own curiosity about this is what inspired my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.

We cannot look inside of other people's brains, and so the closest we can come is to ask someone, "What's going on in there?" Today, some of you may be wondering, "Why is Amy writing about a moth when it is almost winter where she lives?" And since you can't ask me...I'll just tell you.

One way I find ideas for writing is by reading and looking at everything, letting everything I see and learn soak into my skin and heart.  This weekend, I will be part of the first WNY Children's Book Expo.

Click HERE to learn more about this event.

Because this is a new event and there will be many authors and illustrators there, I have been curious to learn about these people I will meet.  One of the visiting author illustrators is Jennifer Hansen Rolli, and I have simply fallen for her paintings.  
I visited Jennifer's website, and you can see the painting that inspired today's poem HERE.  When I look at the painting of little Claudia holding her moth, I am reminded of our Georgia and how she has always loved small moths and creatures too.  I am also reminded of our family's love for the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage, where we watch moths come to a lit sheet at night, watch and learn about how the beautiful moths of our area.

And there you have it.  Research on authors and illustrators led to love of a painting led to memories led to gratitude led to today's poem.  It's a funny trail that writing ideas take, don't you think?

I must also tell you that writing about something I am grateful for feels very good inside.  Research teaches us that gratitude, feeling thankful for the good in our lives, helps us to live better lives. You can read more about this here at Greater Good, and you may even choose to write a small poem thank you note to something you are thankful for.  It may be something big or perhaps it will be something as humble as a moth.  I'm calling this a thank you note poem, and there are many more of these inside of me.

On Monday, I posted as part of a celebration of Irene Latham's 10th blogiversary! In honor of this special occasion (I am very grateful for Irene), I offered a giveaway of SHARING THE SEASONS, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by David Diaz.  The winner of this book is Maria Gianferrari.  Maria - please send an e-mail to amy at amylv dot com with your snail mail address, and I will send you a book.

At my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, I could not be happier to host author K.A. Holt and her cool notebooks and process.  I'm offering a giveaway of her great new verse novel, HOUSE ARREST, to a commenter on that post.  Please comment by Tuesday to win!

Bridget is hosting today's Friday the 13th Poetry Friday round up over at wee words for wee ones.  If you're in a poetry mood, be sure to swing by her place, thank her for hosting (it's her first time!), and enjoy the poetry offerings.  All are always welcome to read and link up to Poetry Friday...

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Welcome - And a Way to Give

November 20, 2015, 10:29 am
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'Feathered Friends' Crafted by Stitch Buffalo Artisans
Photo by Amy LV
(Keep reading to order!)




Students - If you have spent much time here, you know that I greatly value both kindness and handcrafts.  Today's poem is a combination of these two values.  This week, I have been reflecting upon many things:

*  Current news about the suffering of Syrian refugees. I was particularly moved pieces about children, about their dreams and fears and hopes in what are now desperate times.

*  A quote that many folks have been citing lately, by the late and wonderful Fred Rogers.  "When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers.  You will always find people helping....'"

*  One of my favorite poems, Alley Violinist, by Robert Lax.  I have mentioned this here before.

*  One of my favorite picture books, EACH KINDNESS, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis.  I am a great fan of both of these people and had the good fortune to meet E.B. Lewis last weekend.  I have mentioned this book here before too.  (See!  Writers can be reinspired over and over by the same things!)

*  The gorgeous birds you see in the above picture, all hand-stitched by women who have come to Buffalo, NY from other parts of the world.

You will notice that today's poem tells a story about one robin and one tree.  And then, at the end...it asks a question.  This is just what Robert Lax does in Alley Violinist, and that idea of leaving the reader with a question was not something I planned to do today...but it happened as a result of my reading.

The writing thought I would like to leave you with today is: care.  Read and care.  Do and care. Listen and care.  Look at the world, near and far from you, and care.  Fill yourself up with things to care about. These very same cares will become a part of the human you are and a part of your writing too.  So get out there and pay attention.  There is a lot to notice and care about.

Now, onto the birds!  The ones you see above will be gifts for my friends and family.  (Lucky you if you're reading and one of them...sorry about ruining the surprise!)  They were made by the women of Stitch Buffalo, and you can read about this group, started by my two friends, Dawne Hoeg and Shelby Deck, below.

From the Stitch Buffalo Website:

Women Stitching Together on any Given Thursday
Buffalo, NY

The vision for Stitch Buffalo was conceived with an impulse to unite the communal craft of textile arts with Buffalo’s growing refugee population. Our goals were to: educate individuals in contemporary textile design methods, nourish and honor global textile traditions, provide cross-cultural interaction, providing a supportive social network, stimulate literacy skills, improve financial opportunities, create a community of women supporting women.

Over the last year and a half, the Stitch Buffalo has grown from one Congolese woman to more than than 45 women from all over the world who come on a weekly basis for skill training and creative support in the vast and beautiful field of textile art and design.  Along the way, non-refugee participants have enriched the class as well, further deepening the experience for everyone involved. 

I would like to support the work of these amazing artisans in a greater way than simply purchasing birds for my own friends and family.  And so, here is an offer from The Poem Farm...

Stitch Buffalo refugee artisans  make 'Feathered Friends' ($15),  'Prayer Pouches' on linen ($25), and embroidered ‘Wonder Woman Cuff Bracelets' ($45).  I will pay your shipping for an order of any two items. You will receive a surprise color and for each item you purchase, and 70% of the money will go directly to the refugee woman who stitched the piece, the remainder going to materials.  Each stitched piece will be tagged with the artisan's name and home country.  

If you are interested in ordering two of any Stitch Buffalo pieces, The Poem Farm will pay the shipping to fly your order of birds to your home in the continental US.  Please just drop me an e-mail to amy at amylv dot com and I will let you know where to send your check.  Then, I personally will mail your birds or pouches or cuffs!  All orders (and checks) must be received by December 15.  Thank you for reading!

If you would like to learn more about Stitch Buffalo, enjoy the clip below.



Please just let me know via e-mail at amy@amylv.com if you are interested in ordering any 'Feathered friends', 'Prayer Pouches', or 'Wonder Woman Cuffs', and I will handle the order and pay for your shipping.

It is a delight to host author and illustrator Peter Catalanotto over at Sharing Our Notebooks this month.  Please stop by, enjoy peeking into his notebooks, and read his words about creativity being messy.  Too, Peter has offered two books for giveaways to commenters on this post.

Tricia Stohr-Hunt is hosting this month's Poetry Friday roundup over at The Miss Rumphius Effect.  Visit her place to find this week's poetry offerings, and stay to get lost in all of her own wonderful posts from years gone by.


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Enchanted by a Candle - Writing from an Object

December 4, 2015, 5:47 am
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Warmed by Light
by Amy LV


Students - I missed you last week!  For Thanksgiving, our family visited my sister's family in Vermont where we ate lots of turkey and laughed and hugged.  Last Poetry Friday we were making the long drive back home to Holland, NY, and while I thought about Poetry Friday, I did not join in.

Today, my mind turns to candles.  It is winter, and one of my most favorite things to do during winter is to light candles.  I love to watch the flames and love to cup my hands around the glowing light, love to stare and wonder and allow my thoughts to travel about.

Candles are a part of many religious and spiritual traditions, perhaps because the warm light of a candle offers hope in the cold - we can cook with flame, and we can see by it; our bodies and our dreams are warmed and rekindled.

I adore words that go with candles too: fiery, glow, warm, kindle, flame, golden, heat, yellow, light.

Today I wrote about an object I care about.  This is always a great way to begin a piece of writing.  Think of an object you care about.  I suggest choosing something non-commercial, something different than a video game or a phone.  Close your eyes and travel around your life looking at simple joys, at things that connect you to family members or traditions or rituals or stories.  Consider making a list of words in your notebook that go along with your cared-for object, and if you wish, you might write a poem using one or more of your words.

Much much gratitude to you for your overwhelming and beautiful response to my "Welcome" post celebrating the work of Stitch Buffalo two weeks ago.  I continue to send birds and pouches and bracelet cuffs to many happy people, and the people at Stitch are tremendously grateful for your support.

I am thankful and honored to to host author and illustrator Peter Catalanotto over at Sharing Our Notebooks this month.  Please stop by and look at the notebooks of this prolific creator!  Peter has generously offered two signed books for giveaways to commenters on this post as well.

Buffy is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Buffy's Blog.  Please visit her place to find this week's gathering of poetry lovers and all of their links.  Know that all people are always welcome to visit, follow links, and share their own!

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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Free Verse & Cutting Unnecessary Words

December 11, 2015, 5:55 am
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Scene from a Bookshelf
Photo by Amy LV




Students - Like last week, this week I find myself writing from an object, this time with a bit more imagination.  Lying by our heater, warming my feet, I looked up and saw the below painting that our daughter Hope did in school when she was in eighth grade.  She had brought objects from home and painted: a vase that her Aunt Heather made, a poofy orange bandana, a ball, a box, and the orange wooden horse that my Great Aunt Kay gave to my mom many years ago when I was just a little girl. You can see mousie tracks too, from where a mouse lent a paw to the painting as it dried in school overnight.

Looking at the painting, I fell in love with the painting again, and too, with the orange horse.  I took it down from its shelf and held it in my hands, remembering how I would take it down from Mom's china cabinet where it lived with fancy porcelain eggs and crystal bowls and delicate figurines.

I thought about how the horse had belonged to Great Aunt Kay, to Mom, to me, and how our chidlren love it and maybe how someday their own children will too.  I imagined what the horse thought about watching generations of humans growing up around him.

And I wrote.  I began to write in rhyme, but then I decided to instead push myself to write in free verse, to just capture this brief snapshot of the horse.  A simple snapshot was my goal.

My first drafts had more words.  Take a look at this below draft, and find the words that do not appear in my final poem.  You will notice that the final line breaks are different too.

Poemdraft
Photo by Amy LV

Revision can mean cutting words  Streamling.  Here are the words you see in the handwritten draft above that do not appear in my final poem.

"The" has disappeared from my final lin line 1.  I have learned from Lee Bennett Hopkins to cut any "the" I can.

"Only" has disappeared from my final.  I realized that "six" implied young, and "only" was not necessary.

"Outside" does not appear in my final.  "Real grass" is always outside, and so "outside" was a filler word.

Try rereading your own writing for extra words.  Feel comfy with cutting.  It may feel difficult to you at first, but the elegance of your writing will shine best with fewer, not more words.

And look around your house for old objects with stories.  I find so many ideas this way!

At my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, I welcome educator and author Tanny McGregor.  Her notebooks just blew me away, and I welcome you to come take a peek.  You can also discover who won this month's giveaway of the great Peter Catalanotto's books.

Tara is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at A Teaching Life.  All are invited to come, read poems, find new friends, and hang out in our weekly poetry clubhouse.

Please leave a comment if you wish.
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Decorating - Short and Sweet

December 21, 2015, 7:24 am
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Our Table
Photo by Amy LV




Students - If you came to visit on Friday and I was not here, I am sorry!  We had sickness in the house and that came first.  Writing is close to the top, but family is at the top.  

Today's poem is about something I am spending lots of time doing lately - baking and eating cookies.  We giggled last night as a friend kept finding broken cookies (hee hee, not really finding) and dipping them into frosting like chips in dip.  And we laughed at the way we decorated some cookies all fancy and some all crazy.  There is something about cut out cookies that just sings celebration.  Here, in the photo above, are some cookies for you, made just last night!

This is a pretty short poem, and I woke up with the first stanza in my head. That doesn't happen often, but once in a while, a wee line will just visit, and if I'm quick, I write it down.  Writing is like that.  Sometimes you have to squeeze your brain like a sponge, and sometimes a line comes up and taps you on the shoulder.  The secret, I think, is being ready for either: the squeezing or the tapping.

Through the end of 2015, I'm so happy to host Tanny McGregor over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.  Please stop by and check out her amazing notebooks, and feel free to comment to win a copy of one of her books.

While I am a few days late to the Poetry Friday party, please know that Diane is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at Random Noodling. Noodle on over to Diane's cozy home on the web and find out what's happening poetry-wise all around the Kidlitosphere this week.

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Christmas Night and Books

December 24, 2015, 11:41 pm
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from CHRISTMAS PRESENTS 
Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Illustrated by Melanie Hall




Students - Today's poem takes me back to my childhood. And while the setting for this poem is Christmas night, it could be about any busy time followed by a quiet time.  I do love busy-ness, and I also cherish the quiet after busy-ness. Quiet time to curl up with a book and maybe a pet.

When I was a little girl, I loved to curl up near our Christmas tree with a book, to sit in the glow of those colored lights and read the night away.  

This year, I find myself inspired by the literary tradition of Iceland, a country of readers and of book-givers at Christmas time.  Curious?  You can read about the Christmas Book Flood here at npr.

A book and quiet.  A tree and a cuddly pet.  These are some things I look forward to this week.

Today's little poem is the first poem that I ever had published in a book - ten years ago!  CHRISTMAS PRESENTS, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Melanie Hall, is a lovely book for this season, and I love owning the original painting for this page.  My husband Mark gave this piece of artwork to me ten years ago, and it was a fantastic and wonderful surprise.

Over at Sharing Our Notebooks, I am still happy to have Tanny McGregor with her superneat notebooks.  Please stop by and leave a comment to be entered into her generous drawing.

The very kind and wise Irene Latham is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at Live Your Poem.  There you will find all of this week's poetry offerings, all around the Kidlitosphere.

I wish all of you wonderful surprises, happy busy-ness, kindness, art, and magical quiet time for reading and snuggling.

Please share a comment below if you wish.
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New Year's Resolutions - Imaginary Conversations

January 1, 2016, 12:12 am
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Sage
Photo by Amy LV




Students - Happy New Year! Yesterday afternoon, as I walked our dogs Cali and Sage, I asked them what their New Year's Resolutions were.  They didn't answer, but later, as I wrote in my notebook (I am doing lots of that lately), they did answer.  And their answer became today's small poem.

Many poems grow from words we hear others say or from conversations we have, but we can also imagine conversations and play with ideas about what might be or could be said.  Try playing around with "what might have been said" or "what could be said" sometime in your own notebook.  You can words from people and animals you know or from historical figures or inanimate objects...anyone or anything at all.  What might have been said?  What could be said?

Today's poem is not full of full rhymes, but there are some similar sounds that hold the lines together.  Can you find them?

You can read two other New Year poems in The Poem Farm archives.  Find New Year's Eve from 2014 and January 1 from 2011.  It's amazing how the years keep on rolling by, isn't it?

Over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, I am pleased to share that we have two winners for Tanny McGregor's generous giveaway. In 2016, I hope to feature more student notebooks in addition to these wonderful adult notebooks, so please, teachers and students, drop me a line if you're interested in sharing!  I will make it easy for you to do so.

In other celebratory news, my first nonfiction book, EVERY DAY BIRDS, illustrated by Dylan Metrano and published by Scholastic, joins library and bookstore shelves next month!  I could not feel more grateful.  If you are a blogger who is interested in reviewing this book, please send me an e-mail, and I will have one sent to you.

Mary Lee is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at A Year of Reading. Visit her place for a beautiful, wise poem, and enjoy the poetry bounty!  How lucky we are to have this community.

Many New Year blessings and joys to all of you!  Happy 2016!  I thank you for visiting.

xo, Amy

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