Earlier this month at Today’s Little Ditty, Michelle H Barnes shone the spotlight on reader Jesse Anna Bornemann. She challenged us to write a poem inspired by words in a song:

Pick a Beatles song (or, if you’re not a Beatles fan, a song by your favorite band), write down as many words from the song as you can, then compose a poem that uses at least three words from your list. Don’t tell us the song that inspired your poem—see if we can guess!

Like usual, I find my best inspiration at the last minute! Can you guess which song (yes, it is a Beatles tune) I chose my words from? If you want even more poems that rock with this month’s challenge, check out the August DMC Wrap-Up Celebration.

Kaleidoscope Skies

even when kaleidoscope clouds
fracture the sun
with dark
lies
diamonds dance deep
in her eyes
‘cross a bridge to
looking glass
skies

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Kat hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Kathryn Apel. She shares good news from Down Under and two lovely Aussie novels-in-verse. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

Today Amy Ludwig VanDerwater hosts a special tribute to Lee Bennett Hopkins at The Poem Farm. Thanks to a suggestion by Jone MacCullough, many in the children’s poetry community are remembering Lee and celebrating his life and gifts to poetry by writing poems using lines lifted from one of Lee’s poems.

If you don’t know Lee Bennett Hopkins, you are in for a fabulous introduction to his prolific poetry work. Not only is/was he a writer and teacher, but he also holds the world record for compiling the most anthologies of poetry for children! His impact on poetry for children has been tremendous. I wish I could have had the chance to learn from him directly, but I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from the poems and books he leaves behind as well as the many poets he nurtured.

My poem today lifts its line and title from a poem by Lee called “Why Poetry? I found it in an anthology of list poems edited by Georgia Heard: Falling Down the Page.

Why Poetry?

Poetry can
explore new worlds
both near and far.

Why not
zoom in close
among the stars?

Poetry can
capture a moment
frozen in time.

Why not
play with words
that dance and rhyme?

Go and enjoy many more wonderful poems and tributes throughout the Poetry Friday Roundup today.

I’m no longer teaching, but I have many friends young and old who are heading back to school this time of year. It’s a difficult week to greet a classroom of fresh faces who are also impacted by the horrors shown on the evening news. My heart goes out to those teachers and students who are most directly impacted by the events of the past weeks and months and years. I wish for all of you to weave communities in your classrooms that offer hope and light to each other.

I had written this poem earlier to give to my Little Sis as she starts third grade. It seems light and fluffy amidst the heaviness of this past week, but maybe some lightness is needed, too.

Back To School

Sharpen your pencils, fill you pack.
Polish your smile
like a
jewel.
Dust off your brain
so that
you’ll
be ready to
soar at
school.

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Molly hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Nix the Comfort Zone.  She shares a beautiful poem she wrote from a “stolen” title–and another completely different poem from the original writer of the title. Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.

One of the fun things about our new home is discovering what plants might bloom next. (We first found and bought the house in winter, so everything’s a surprise.) We are trying not to make too many changes until we see what is here, but I found one little patch that seemed to have nothing but grass and weeds. I couldn’t resist digging it up to plant some flowers. I sprinkled a few packets of old seeds I found while packing/unpacking–some wildflower mixes and lots of zinnias. I’ve enjoyed the results! It’s crowded with butterflies and bees and is a feast of color for our eyes.

sprinkle seeds across some dirt

wait for rain and sun
to raise up sprouts

then blooms unfold
to brighten summer days–
a feast for eyes and bees

Each Friday, I am excited to take part in Poetry Friday, where writers share their love of all things poetry. Heidi hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at My Juicy Little Universe. She shares a new form she created–the definito–and introduces some Sunday Poetry Swagger. I am intrigued by this form and can’t wait to try it myself. I have my first word chosen–do you?  Hurry over and check out all the poetry morsels offered up today.