2 by 2 in 2nd npm18 #23

Dear Diamond Miners,

Here I stand, O Noble Class,
to help your poem come to pass.
Whisper words of Lego blocks
That I your teacher may unlock.




What words will you whisper today?  Your poem is really developing now. Should we include some sensory details, like shapes and colors?  

Love, 
Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners love it when you leave comments directly for them. Thanks for all your encouragement!

*****************************************
BRAINSTORMING 
work hard, seems like, to think, we love, to have, we could
apart and together, pulling and pushing, turning and flipping, stacking and building and modeling
***********************************************

When we work  
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do. We
live like Legos,
pushing and building, 
pulling and flipping,
lifting and twisting.
We only have
to 
listen to our
friends 
when we build
Lego factories

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Round 1   Round 2
Ms. M      Ms. M
Ziva         Henry
Eric          Elena*
Eldana     Patrick
Henry      Ziva
Kathy      Eldana
Ines          Max
Elena      Xavier
Sophia 
Patrick
Xavier
Arya
Tyler
Caleb
Max

2 by 2 in 2nd npm18 #20

Dear Diamond Miners,

It's Poetry Friday!  Today we have been finishing our "Little Slice of Earth" poems and our poems for two voices. Our progressive poem is also growing, with words from Patrick yesterday.  Today it's Ziva's turn and we will pick one more person for Saturday. I think we also owe Elena a word...she chose twisting and ended the sentence with a period, but that's not a word.

I keep thinking of Chan Lo from The Jade Stone...I feel a little like the stone carver listening to a rock to find out it wants to be!

Here I stand, O Noble Class,
to help your poem come to pass.
Whisper words of Lego blocks
That I your teacher may unlock.

Love, 
Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners love it when you leave comments directly for them. Thanks for all your encouragement!

***********************************************
BRAINSTORMING 
work hard, seems like, to think, we love, to have, we could
apart and together, pulling and pushing, turning and flipping, stacking and building and modeling
***********************************************

When we work  
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do. We
live like Legos,
pushing and building, 
pulling and flipping,
lifting and twisting.
We only 

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Round 1   Round 2
Ms. M      Ms. M
Ziva         Henry
Eric          Elena*
Eldana     Patrick
Henry      Ziva
Kathy     
Ines       
Elena     
Sophia
Patrick
Xavier
Arya
Tyler
Caleb
Max

2 by 2 in 2nd npm18 #18

Dear Diamond Miners,

Everyone has now had their first turn to add two words!  We had some catching up to do again today.  Max and I chose words from the list we brainstormed on Friday.  Then Elena and Henry continued our repetition of  -ing words by choosing more words with the same vowel sound in the middle:  flipping, lifting, twisting.  That's called assonance. 

We are really getting into some great wordplay!

Love, 
Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners love it when you leave comments directly for them. Thanks for all your encouragement!
***********************************************
BRAINSTORMING 
work hard
struggling with
seems like
to think
we love
to have
we could
apart and together, pulling and pushing, turning and flipping, stacking and building and modeling
***********************************************

When we work  
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do. We
live like Legos,
pushing and building, 
pulling and flipping,
lifting and twisting.

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Ms. M *
Ziva
Eric
Eldana
Henry *
Kathy
Ines
Elena *
Sophia
Patrick
Xavier
Arya
Tyler
Caleb
Max 

2 by 2 in 2nd npm18 #15

Dear  Diamond Miners,

On Friday we actually got out our Legos, three pieces each, and played with arranging them into different structures over and over again.  We noticed a lot of apart and together, pulling and pushing, turning and flipping, stacking and building and modeling.

These are all juicy and powerful words that are helping us develop our poem.  Tyler and Caleb added their words, giving us more alliteration, another simile and some action!

And then we combined all our pieces into one big structure! Max and I are next....


Love, 
Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners would really love for you to leave comments directly for them, since after all it is THEY who are writing the poem.  Thanks for all your encouragement!
***********************************************
BRAINSTORMING for tomorrow!!!
work hard
struggling with
seems like
to think
we love
to have
we could
apart and together, pulling and pushing, turning and flipping, stacking and building and modeling.***********************************************

When we work  
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do. We
live like Legos,
pushing and 

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Ms. M
Ziva
Eric
Eldana
Henry
Kathy
Ines
Elena
Sophia
Patrick
Xavier
Arya
Tyler
Caleb

progressive poem line 14 is here!

What a journey--and we're only halfway along! I'll start today by thanking everyone for reading my host post interview with Irene and Liz way back on March 30, and for playing along with our request to note where you thought we might go with Liz's first line.

Now it's my turn to reveal my initial expectations....

"I'm picturing a garden, and while we could spend 30 lines chronicling the growth of this one seed--who is she?!--I see the stories of many awakenings taking place in our garden setting, twining together in the way that spring growth happens, burgeoningly!"

I was imagining the sprouting, budding and blooming of many plants and maybe some minibeasts, all thoroughly grounded, so the introduction of Jasmine (not just jasmine), a thousand stars and the Moon as a character required a total reboot.  And then Owl! And now Lee and his party!  I won't think of myself as "wronger and wronger with every line," but you poets, you really know how to turn a ship with a well-chosen word!

Here's something funny: for a couple days this week I got confused and thought that I had the line on the same day as the surprise party for Lee Bennett Hopkins.  I had already begun to think how I could slip in that other definition of "lee" (shelter from wind or weather given by a neighboring object, especially nearby land), or some hopping, or some little reference--but then I realized that was Linda's job...

and boy, did she do it! She has sent Jasmine and Owl and maybe Moon directly to Lee's party!  Why equivocate?  No symbolic sleight of word here!  Linda, you are now officially a braver poet than I.

But let me move forward, with curiosity if not courage:

  

Nestled in her cozy bed, a seed stretched.
Oh, What wonderful dreams she had! 
Blooming in midnight moonlight, dancing with
the pulse of a thousand stars, sweet Jasmine
invented a game.

"Moon?" she called across warm honeyed air.
"I'm sad you're alone, come join Owl and me.   
We're feasting on stardrops, we'll share them with you."   
"Come find me, Moon called," hiding behind a cloud.

Secure in talons' embrace, Jasmine rose
and set. She split, twining up Owl's toes, pale   
moonbeams sliding in between, Whoosh, Jasmine goes.
Owl flew Jasmine between clouds and moon to Lee's party!

Moon, that wily bright balloon, was NOT alone.

********************
I hope that puts my friend Donna in an intriguing and challenging position for Line 15!

I'll sign off, wishing a glorious National Poetry Month to all, and inviting you to scroll down for the latest development in the progressive poem project of my 2nd graders.  They really do appreciate and learn from your comments. Thank you!

2 by 2 in 2nd npm18 #13

Dear  Diamond Miners,

Today we actually got out our Legos, three pieces each, and played with arranging them into different structures over and over again.  We noticed a lot of apart and together, pulling and pushing, turning and flipping, stacking and building and modeling.

These are all juicy and powerful words that are helping us develop our poem.  Tyler and Caleb added their words today, giving us more alliteration, another simile and some action!

And then we combined all our pieces into one big structure!


Love, 
Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners would really love for you to leave comments directly for them, since after all it is THEY who are writing the poem.  Thanks for all your encouragement!
***********************************************
BRAINSTORMING for tomorrow!!!
work hard
struggling with
seems like
to think
we love
to have
we could

***********************************************

When we work  
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do. We
live like Legos,
pushing
and

hb to the mayor of poetrytown!

For so many years I had known his name, read his work, heard how the children's poetry world revolved around this venerable voice for children and their reading needs.  But it wasn't until 2009 that I had any opportunity to actually meet Lee Bennett Hopkins, and that was no small moment--it happened in front of dozens of the bright lights of children's poetry, gathered to celebrate Lee's receipt of the NCTE Poetry Award.

I posted about that event here and mentioned the poem that I shared at that festival in the "town square" which was really a large but windowless conference room.  What town do I speak of?  Poetrytown!  And who is the Mayor-by-Acclamation of that town?  It is Lee!


What did I read that day?  A poem which coincidentally--for I knew little of this feeling of community or of Lee's leadership until I walked into the room and felt it--described both my desire to invite others "into the house of my poem" and to be invited in.  And here is that poem, dedicated to Lee Bennett Hopkins on his birthday!

Stanza Means Room | Heidi Mordhorst

  for Lee Bennett Hopkins, again

Come into the house of my poem.

Knock on my title,

I’ll open the door--

Knock on my door and come in!

This stanza’s my parlor.  Come in.

Hang up your hat,

Settle in, stay a while—

I’ll tell you my story and you tell me yours.

Sit down in my poem and chat.

This stanza’s my kitchen.  Come in.

Are you ready to eat?

Belly up to the bard—

Sip at a simile, munch on a metaphor.

Dig into my poem and feast.

This stanza’s the playroom.  Come on,

Unpuzz all the packles!

Chant or sing, whisperSHOUT---

Giggle the riddles and chime all the rhymes!

Join in with the juggling and jokes!

This stanza’s the bedroom.  Come in.

Recline on my lines,

Doze off in my drift…

Pillows of imagery wonder your head.

Relax in my poem and dream.

This stanza’s the back door.  Farewell.

You aren’t the same now

As when you came in—

A guest in my poetry house.

********************************
There you are, and there I am, and there are all of us, citizens of Poetrytown--and all over this virtual town today (thanks to Robyn Hood Black, our host today) the houses of our poems will be festooned with balloons and environmentally-friendly confetti and colorful hoopla in honor of Lee!

2 by 2 in 2nd npm18 #12

Dear  Diamond Miners,

Arya seems to know that working together, with all its frustration and figuring what to do, is a part of life.  He chose we live as our next two words!

I'm noticing that lots of our readers are interested in the Lego idea.  Maybe tomorrow Caleb, Max or Tyler will bring in more Lego words...


Love, 
Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners would really love for you to leave comments directly for them, since after all it is THEY who are writing the poem.  Thanks for all your encouragement!
***********************************************
BRAINSTORMING for tomorrow!!!
work hard
struggling with
seems like
to think
we love
to have
we could

***********************************************

When we work  
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do. We
live

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Ms. M
Ziva
Eric
Eldana
Henry
Kathy
Ines
Elena
Sophia
Patrick
Xavier
Arya

2by 2 in 2nd npm18 #11

Dear  Diamond Miners,

We can take a little break today and brainstorm... what do YOU think should come next? What two words would you use to start the next sentence?  Max, Tyler, and Caleb have not yet taken their turns...


Love, 
Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners would really love for you to leave comments directly for them, since after all it is THEY who are writing the poem.  Thanks for all your encouragement!
***********************************************
BRAINSTORMING for tomorrow!!!
work hard
struggling with
seems like
to think
we love
to have
we could

***********************************************

When we work  
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do. We
live

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Ms. M
Ziva
Eric
Eldana
Henry
Kathy
Ines
Elena
Sophia
Patrick
Xavier

2 by 2 in 2nd npm18 #10

Dear  Diamond Miners,

Silly Ms. Mordhorst!  I got excited and chose both Patrick and Xavier today, even though it's Tuesday and we only needed one turn.  That's what happens when I don't get enough sleep--I make silly mistakes!


Patrick took struggling with frustration and moved it in a positive direction!  One way to respond to a struggle is to engage your PFC and figure what....

and Xavier chose to end the first sentence of our poem with action:  to do, and a period.  We also decided to continue our 3:1 pattern.

We do need to figure what to do when we work together.  What are some juicy words that mean "figuring out"?


love, Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners would really love for you to leave comments directly for them, since after all it is THEY who are writing the poem! 
***********************************************

When we work 
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and figuring
what 
to do.

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Ms. M
Ziva
Eric
Eldana
Henry
Kathy
Ines
Elena
Sophia
Patrick
Xavier

2 by 2 in 2nd: npm18 #9

Dear  Diamond Miners,

Our National Poetry Month poem keeps growing!  Ms. Hahn noticed how we were revising and changing our poem by making a pattern.  Remember how we put together the w words and then the f words?  It created a line of 3 words and then a line of 1 word.  Will we stick with that pattern?

Today Elena and Sophia collaborated to select Sunday and Monday's 4 words.  Elena remembered that our brains grow the most when we're struggling with something, and Sophia was thinking about how even playing on the playground can be frustrating if friends can't agree on what to play!

Can't wait for Tuesday's addition...


love, Ms. Mordhorst

P.S.  Blog visitors, the Diamond Miners would really love for you to leave comments directly for them, since after all it is THEY who are writing the poem! 
***********************************************

When we work 
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like struggling 
with
frustration and 

************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Ms. M
Ziva
Eric
Eldana
Henry
Kathy
Ines
Elena
Sophia

2 by 2 in 2nd: npm 2018 #6

Dear Diamond Miners,

Our National Poetry Month project is bubbling along!  I'm noticing how the two words fun and difficult go together in so many good ways...



They both have an f sound.  They both have a short u sound. Fun is a short, easy word.  Difficult is a long and challenging word. And fun is fun, while difficulty usually isn't!

I also like how Ziva's choice of work fits with Eric's choice of feels.  Sometimes we focus on getting work done without thinking about how it feels.  Putting fun and difficult together shows that things like work can feel two ways at the same time!

And Henry's choice of like get us ready to compare work with something else that is fun and difficult. You are composing an interesting poem!


love, Ms. Mordhorst
***********************************************

When we work 
together
it feels fun 
and
difficult like Lego
pieces,
feels like


************************************
Words have been added to this poem by these wordsmiths, in order:
Ms. M
Ziva
Eric
Eldana
Henry
Kathy
Ines