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.

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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!