As most of you stopping by this Poetry Friday will know, we've reached the Sweet Sixteen round of Ed DeCaria's March Madness Kids' Poetry Tournament being played out over at Think Kid, Think. I've just been and done some voting and I have to say, it's getting even harder to choose between poems.
And when I'm not actually reading the fantastic work-under-pressure of this ever-widening children's poetry community, I'm reflecting on the unique confluence of circumstances in this event. Only in America, don't you think, would we all leap in to a sports-based poetry competition, with a popular vote element a la American Idol, with enough skilled and rampantly creative folks both on the court and gathering on the sidelines cheering (and occasionally heckling) without trash-talk and with such serious, clever and friendly response? It just makes me proud to be a part of it. Go Poets!
And now, recycling a bit, my post for Poetry Friday. Go see Mary Lee at A Year of Reading--one of my favorite competitors--for more more more!
Good-bye, ice skates.
Good-bye, sled.
Good-bye, winter.
Spring's ahead!
Good-bye, leggings.
Good-bye, snow.
Good-bye, winter.
Spring, hello!
Hello, crocus.
Hello, kite.
Good-bye, winter.
Spring's in sight!
Hello, jump rope.
Hello, swing.
Good-bye, winter!
Hello, spring!
I now find it online called "Good-bye and Hello!" by Barbara Anthony. We celebrated the First Day of Spring yesterday in Room 144 by enjoying this listy-looking poem together. It seems simple enough, doesn't it? And yet when I provided it as a blank goodbye-hello poem template today (something I do rarely during Writing Workshop), many little Minnows showed that they didn't understand the poem's structure by eagerly plunging into renditions of randomness like this one:
Goodbye, cars.
Goodbye, [myself].
Goodbye, cat.
Balloon's ahead.
Goodbye, helicopter.
Goodbye, ice cream.
Goodbye, [my friend].
River, hello!
In other words, it would appear that many had not perceived that the poem is based on the various but linked signs of winter contrasted with the various but linked signs of spring. Or is it just that they were unable to create similar sets independently? I'll be looking out for more evidence of this developmental challenge...
Then Jordan brought me his paper, accompanied, like the original poem I shared, with a little illustration next to each item. Apparently Jordan got the idea just fine, and with all the very warm weather we've been having, you can see why this theme might occur to him.
Good-bye, shrte.
Good-bye, pa[nt]s.
Good-bye, socks.
Nac[k]ed's ahead!
Good-bye, teshrt.
Good-bye, udrwar.
Good-bye, dipr.
Nac[k]ed, hello!
Hello, lags.
Hello, orems.
Good-bye, stof.
Bode's in sight!
Hello, fas.
Hello, orempets.
Good-bye, klos!
Hello, bode!
Doesn't that just make you SMILE?
My favorite line:
ReplyDeleteHello, orempets.
HA!!! Too funny. Sounds just like something one of my boys might write. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, this is one of those goodbye poems that made me smile (not sad). :) Congratulations on the success of the Poetry Tournament! It's great to watch in the sidelines. :)
ReplyDeleteHahahaha, this is great! It made me laugh out loud!
ReplyDeleteHeidi, How fun is this?! And I am in total agreement with you about the "curious and wonderful" thing that is March Madness.I think we should annoint Ed as Kind of All Wild Things. Or something. :)
ReplyDeleteI never made it back around the PF roundup last week after I rounded everybody up. I had so much to do so that my plate could be cleared to write that last poem.
ReplyDeleteI do SO love Jordan's complete understanding of the poem's structure!
"Good-bye, klos!
Hello, bode!"
That's just what summer's like!! (although, for a middle-ish aged woman, not quite so joyful to see what new wrinkles and veins and lumps are showing after a season of wool and jeans)