Poetry Friday: J. Patrick Lewis and Hosting

Welcome to Poetry Friday!
Today I have a follow-up poem From J. Patrick Lewis whom I interviewed on Wednesday. (NOTE: I am still learning the ins and outs of Pages on the Mac. I wondered about the line breaks of the poem. Indeed I was correct to wonder and just received the corrected poem)

Here’s what he says about his choice:

I have an inordinate fondness for nonsense verse,
but I’m equally attracted to biographical poems.
April 4th will mark the 45th anniversary of Martin
Luther King, Jr’s. death, so here is a biographical poem.

Ballad of Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963

Ten thousands join ten thousands
Without goading police.
The singers sing, their anthems ring,
The speakers speak their peace.

Around the world astonishment—
The ceremonies heard
Or seen on every continent,
And still to come: the Word.

Spectators waving handkerchiefs,
Small children, hearts to seize,
Will tell it taller years from now,
Grandchildren at their knees.

Blue sunshine worships morning,
No cloud would dare to rain
For in his jacket mercy
And in his pocket pain.

Equality his brother
And sisterhood his pride
Meet common sense, nonviolence,
The means he’s deified.

The afternoon is dying down,
The Reverend takes the stage.
George Washington spreads out the book,
Abe Lincoln turns the page.

He reads his notes religiously,
An old familiar theme.
“But please, Martin,” Mahalia shouts,
“Tell ‘em about the dream!”

And first he puts away his speech
Then sweeps away the crowd:
The memory of his remarks
Peals like a thundercloud.

“The content of our character
Personifies a sage.”
One day in 1963.
Belongs to every age

Please leave your links and I will add throughout out the day.

Charles Ghigna says We’re featuring a new chapter of FIRST KISS, the novel-in-verse in progress at the FATHER GOOSE Blog

Matt Forrest talks about March Madness Poetry 2013.

Robyn Hood Black has an interview with Julie Hedlund about her brand-new rhyming storybook app, A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS. Take a (poetic) peek behind the scenes of digital creation.

You can submit a favorite poetry quote at PMAFS.
At PFAS there is a Juanita Havill poem.

Linda at Teacher Dance a poem written for David Harrison’ one poem a month challenge.

Catherine Johnson has a spring poem.

Gotta get to a budget meeting. More soon.

At GatheringBooks with John Ciardi’s “I Met a Man.”

Renee shares the writing and revision process of a March Madness poem, specifically her first-round poem “Elegy for a Daffodil ” at No Water River.

Tabatha Yeatts has a bit of Walden today.

Today at The Poem Farm has a poem about buttons. And about magic.

Reading the Core has a big sister poem from Kristine O’Connell George.

Mary Lee Hahn shares an original poem about spring.

Laura Purdie Salas has a March Madness Poetry poem, “Blow It Up, Pufferfish!” Check out the wild tournament and vote for your favorites!

Andi is celebrating my seventh blogoversary and doing more Clivia haibun/haiku(with photos of the flower show) at A Wrung Sponge.

Reflections on the Teche has an original poem and a student activity of borrowing a line to “jump start” a poem.

Betsy at Teaching Young Writers has original poem.
Heidi has I’m in today with a summary of my writing process for MMPT, subtitled “The Journey of the Hippo” —

Julie has some thoughts about and links to the March Madness “poetry-under-pressure” playoffs. You’ll find them at The Drift Record. She hopes everyone will join in the fun by voting for their favorites – the Round One voting deadline is staggered throughout the day today, so don’t hesitate!

Tamera is at Smack Dab in the Middle Blog for spring break theme talking about how a day at the lake sparked my memories and kick started poetry that turned into my book.

Steve has two of my shared writing poems from the classroom. He often writes, thinks out loud, and has the kids chime in with ideas and words. They get to see how the writing happens and do some thinking without the burden of a blank page before they go to work on their own.

Katya has March Madness poetry, too. The two kid-lit poems she wrote, and the poem that was really trying to come out as she was writing them.

Steve has an original poem in tribute to Valerie Worth — “Rocking Chair.”

Irene has an overheard conversation and some resulting thoughts on blogging and love and yes, poetry. Includes a poem by Hafiz.Also: just 3 more spots open in 2013 Progressive Poem. Sign up HERE.

Diane is ready for Sunday with an old poem, “The Lepracaun or Fairy Shoemaker” at Random Noodling.

Kurious Kitty is gearing up for National Poetry Month and includes a short favorite poem by Robert Herrick. At KK’s Kwotes there is a sweet quote from Mary Oliver.

Jama is featuring Jorge Argueta’s new cooking poem book, Tamalitos:

Donna has More of the March Madness 2013 Poetry Tournament. I’m there with “The Seasonings of Spring”…and then there’s this short little original ditty that I scheduled to post today…only I was going to remember to finish it, or flesh it out…or flush it! But none of these were done!

Buffy has a Dung Beetles’s Ditty, my poem for the first round of March Madness Poetry!

Karen has some Billy Collins.

Liz has more on March Madness Poetry Tournament also. My first-round word was hubris. I wrote two poems–one I entered in the tournament, the other is on my blog.

Laura Shovan has more March Madness Poetry too It took my four poems with the word “perpendicular” before I settled on my round one entry, a poem about an inchworm who teaches geometry.

At On Point, Lorie has an original haiku, A Charm of Hummingbirds and at readertotz we have Jack Prelutsky from A Pizza the Size of the Sun.

Tara has Migraines and poetry!

Little Willow has The Waking at my blog, Bildungsroman:
It includes a link to Kurt Elling performing the piece, and then some discussion of Norbert Leo Butz.

Mother Reader is sharing “The Book of Fairy Poetry.”

Janet Squires has Poems in black & white” by Kate Miller.

Bridget has “A Different Breed of Bunny Riddle.”

Today at TeachingAuthors, April has interviewed one of the most poetic prose writers of picture books she knows, Michelle Markel. Enter their Book Giveaway to win an autographed copy of her newest book (which got FOUR starred reviews!), Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909.

Pentimento has a Edna St. Vincent Millay about loss and memory.

Poetry for Children has a poem about Guadalupe Garcia McCall, the IRA Lee Bennett Hopkins “Promising Poet.”

Ruth has a frivolous entry today, a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, with a video of a hilarious performance of it.

Cathy has The Quilt.

Jeanine wrote an overview of some panels on poetry at AWP focusing on definitions of verse novels.
More as the links come in. If I missed you, please email me.

Happy Friday.

MsMac

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