National Poetry Month 2013

Posted on by Penny Parker Klostermann

National Poetry Month 2013

April is National Poetry Month. Being a poetry lover, I can’t let April slip by without celebrating. Last April I participated in an A to Z Poetry Challenge, and ended the month with 26 new poems. That was reason to celebrate!

This year, I am concentrating my efforts on creating a children’s poetry resource page on my blog. Teacher’s are always needing more time to research fun and effective ways to help students learn. I hope my page will save them some time as I  collect links to some of my favorite sites that offer children’s poetry, and  ideas for poetry lessons. I have the page in the “draft” stage and hope to share it soon.

I will stay tuned HERE  at No Water River, as Renee LaTulippe hosts these poets,complete with poetry videos.

George Ella Lyon
Michael Salinger
Heidi Bee Roemer
David L. Harrison
Joy Acey
Ted Scheu
Leslie Bulion
Heidi Mordhorst
Julie Larios
Janet Wong
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Kate Coombs
Joyce Sidman
Lee Bennett Hopkins
 
 

Jama at Jama’s Alphabet Soup has a list of 2013 Kidlitosphere Poetry Month Events HERE. I will be checking in with as many of those events as time allows.

2013 Progressive Poem

Besides working on my poetry resource page, I am participating in the 2013 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem hosted by Irene Latham at Live Your Poem. How does it work? Beginning  April 1, a poem will travel daily from blog to blog, with each host adding a line. I will be adding my line April 18th. The schedule is posted in my right sidebar. I participated last year, also. It was so exciting to see what wonderful line was added each day.

This is last year’s poem. I added Line 7.

Advice for a Dark Day (Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem 2012)

If you are reading this,
you must be hungry.
Kick off your silver slippers,
 
 
come sit with us a spell.
A hanky, here, now dry your tears
and fill your glass with wine.
 
 
Now, pour. The parchment has secrets,
smells of a Moroccan market spill-out.
You have come to the right place, just breathe in.
 
 
Honey, mint, cinnamon, sorrow. Now, breathe out
last week’s dreams. Take a wish from the jar.
Inside, deep inside, is the answer…
 
 
Unfold it, and let us riddle it together,
…Strains of a waltz. How do frozen fingers play?
How do fennel, ginger, saffron blend in the tagine?
 
 
Like broken strangers bound by time, they sisterdance…
their veils of sorrow encircle, embrace.
Feed your heart with waltzes and spices.
 
 
Feed your soul with wine and dreams.
Humble dust of coriander scents your feet, coaxing
seascapes, crystal sighs and moonshine from your melody.
 
 
Beware of dangers along the path of truth
and beware, my friend, of too much bewaring–
strong hands cushion you, sweet scents surround you—now leap
 
 
without looking, guided by trust. And when you land
on silver-tipped toes, buoyed by joy– you’ll know
you are amazing, you are love, you are poetry—
 
 
 
here, you rest.
Muse. Up ahead, stepping stones speckle the stream, sturdy now.
May your words roar against the banks, your life a flood of dreams.

19 thoughts on “National Poetry Month 2013”

  1. How generous of you to create the resource page!! I was part of the progressive poem with you – I loved your line!

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Lori! I’m getting to help with a workshop this summer and this page will help me as I gather resources. Then I hope it will be handy for teachers as they look for resources.

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    1. Thanks, Patricia. I am going to link to some great poetry sites! I imagine you will be familiar with them, but I thought it would be handy for teachers to have the links to them gathered on one page.

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  4. “Feed your soul with wine and dreams” YES!

    We need more poetry resources for kids/teachers/caregivers… so glad you will be adding your knowledge and expertise to creating more resources, Penny!

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  5. You’ve done it now. Getting teachers excited about children’s poetry. Well…Aint no party like a kid’s lit party, cause a kid’s lit party don’t stop! Your turn…

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  6. How wonderful to create a poetry resource for teachers and kids! Have you co-conspired with Laura Salas? She’s doing something similar – maybe you guys can link to each other. LOVE the progressive poem – that was so cool last year and can’t wait to see how this year’s turns out! 🙂

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    1. I see that Laura is doing her video poetry prompts. What I want to do is link to her site and others to bring resources together for teachers. Being a teacher, I know how long it takes to search the Internet and find jewels like Laura’s site, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s site, Renee LaTulippe’s site and fun things like March Madness. I think having these on a resource page will help. I’m helping with a poetry workshop in July and thought this would be easiest for teachers.

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  8. PS I am going to be part of the Progressive Poem this year thanks to Irene letting me be a guest blogger!!! Can’t wait. I dabble and drift, and love to read what my favorite bloggers are doing. It is really inspiring, but hard to keep up with. Hi Catherine!!!

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  9. This is a NOT TO MISS blog for April, Penny!!! I am glad you are putting this together. I am sharing at the IRA Poetry Olio and am going to put this one front and center because you are gathering so many great resources in one place. My blog is coming…..slow but sure. I hope our paths cross in person some day soon!! I think we should plan some kind of Poetry Friday party/conference/gathering. Wouldn’t it be something to have so many great poetry folks all in one spot?

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    1. That would be great fun! I am helping with a poetry workshop this July. We are helping teachers with resources and ideas for teaching poetry. I thought about a printout, but those so often get stuck in drawers, so i thought a page on my blog would be handy. We’ll see how it comes together.

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  10. I love that line ‘beware of too much bewaring’. It’s all beautiful poetry and that just added a fun element :0)

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