Poetry Friday: Catching Up

Thanks to Tricia @ The Miss Rumphius Effect for hosting Poetry Friday today.

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I have catching up to do.  These are the Veteran Day cards that were sent off to Applebees  and the Veteran’s Hospital for November 11.

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This is Allan Barger who served in World War II.  He is the 90+ father of my dear friend and colleague, Shirley Grabner.

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And now for a poem.  Today’s offering is in light of the world events this past week.  Heartsick doesn’t even begin to express how I feel.  I found this at The Poetry Foundation. Wow!  The language and the white space.

Making Peace

BY DENISE LEVERTOV

A voice from the dark called out,
             ‘The poets must give us
imagination of peace, to oust the intense, familiar
imagination of disaster. Peace, not only
the absence of war.’
                                   But peace, like a poem,
is not there ahead of itself,
can’t be imagined before it is made,
can’t be known except
in the words of its making,
grammar of justice,
syntax of mutual aid.
                                       A feeling towards it,
dimly sensing a rhythm, is all we have
until we begin to utter its metaphors,
learning them as we speak.
                                              A line of peace might appear
if we restructured the sentence our lives are making,
revoked its reaffirmation of profit and power,
questioned our needs, allowed
long pauses . . .
                        A cadence of peace might balance its weight
on that different fulcrum; peace, a presence,
an energy field more intense than war,
might pulse then,
stanza by stanza into the world,
each act of living
one of its words, each word
a vibration of light—facets
of the forming crystal.

Denise Levertov, “Making Peace” from Breathing the Water. Copyright © 1987 by Denise Levertov. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation.

Source: Breathing the Water (New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1987)

Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.
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It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?

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I’m reading THE NOT VERY MERRY POUT-POUT FISH by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna. With it being so close to Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, this is the perfect book to share with children of all ages.  Pout-Pout is worried about finding the PERFECT gift.  Boy, do I know that stress.  In a world that starts the Christmas commercials before Halloween, this is a great book to remind up about gifts that come from the heart.

Diesen nails the rhyming and rhythm in this books which makes it so fun to read aloud.  Here’s an example:

A gift should be “big,”
And a gift should be “bright.”
And a gift should be “perfect”-
Guaranteed to bring delight.
And a gift should have “meaning”
Plus a bit of bling-“zing,”
So I’ll shop till I drop
For each just-right thing ”

Will Pout-Pout find THE perfect gift?  He has Miss Shimmer to guide him but I’ll let you read to find out how Pout-Pout solves his dilemma.  I can’t wait to share with my students,

Dan Hanna’s illustrations are bright with details which students will pour over to find surprises.

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Want to know more about  Deborah Diesen? Here’s an AUTHOR Q&A: CLICK HERE

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Dan Hanna answers questions, CLICK HERE

ABOUT THE POUT-POUT FISH SEREIS

  • Author Deborah Diesen (www.deborahdiesen.com) is a former bookseller and librarian. She lives in Grand Ledge, MI.
  • Illustrator Dan Hanna (www.danhanna.com) has over ten years experience in the animation industry. His work has appeared on BBC America and the Cartoon Network. He lives in Oxnard, California.
  • The series debuted with The Pout-Pout Fish in 2008 and was a Time Magazine “Top Ten Children’s Book.” Since then, Mr. Fish has won over the hearts of millions of young readers as he Goes to School, faces the Big-Big Dark, learns to Smile, discovers how to Dream, and plays Hide-and-Seek. Today there are more than 2.5 million Pout-Pout Fish books in print.

If you live in the eastern part of the country, you’re in luck as Diesen and Hanna are on book tours.

BOOK TOUR

Deborah Diesen

November 14, Square Books, Oxford, MS
November 16, Country Bookshop, Southern Pines,
November 17, Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL
November 18, Vero Beach Book Center, Vero Beach, FL
November 19, Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, GA
November 20, Octavia Books, New Orleans, LA

Dan Hanna

November 15, WORD Books, Jersey City, NJ
November 16, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Louisville, KY
November 17, Towne Books, Collegeville, PA
November 18, Cover to Cover, Columbus, OH
November 19, Lake Forest Books, Lake Forest, IL
November 21, Andersons, Naperville, IL

Title: The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish
Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Published: 2015
Pages: unpaged
Reading Level: K and up
Publisher: FSG
ISBN: 978-0-374-35549-4
Source: Received a review copy from PR by the Book for the Blog Book Tour.

Poetry FRiday: More Veteran Day Poetry by Students

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Today Poetry Friday is hosted by Katya Czaja Write. Sketch. Repeat. Thank you, Katya.You post about the autumn leaves reminds me of the northwest.

Here are a few more poems by students in honor of Veteran’s Day.

A veteran is someone who saves our lives
A veteran is a person who never gives up
A veteran is someone who fights for freedom
A veteran is a person who might not come back
A veteran is  someone who will never stand down
A veteran is a person who will stand their ground   

Thank you for your service

~Hannah, 4th grade

A veteran is someone who risked their life for our country’s freedom
A veteran is a hero
A veteran is someone who saved many lives
A veteran is a special person to America                     
A veteran is  someone who served the military   
A veteran is loyal

Thank you for your your service  

~Katelyn, 4th grade

A veteran is someone who fights for their life and ours
A veteran is a hero to all of people
A veteran is someone who fights for all freedom
A veteran is america’s greatest hero
A veteran is  someone who will come back are not
A veteran is someone who is loved but risked their life

Thank you for your everything you have done for our country

~Jasmine, 4th grade

A veteran is someone who fought in the army
A veteran is who risk  their lives
A veteran is someone who saved our lives
A veteran is a brave girl or boy
A veteran is  someone who fought for our country
A veteran is loyal

Thank you for your win.

~Izaiah, 4th grade

A veteran is someone who saves our life in war
A veteran is brave happy and risks their lifes
A veteran is someone who is in the military
A veteran is a true hero
A veteran is  someone who is willing to die  for us
A veteran is  my friend and is always in my heart

Thank you for being a true friend

~Elijah, 4th grade

Happy Poetry.
Happy Friday.

Honoring Veterans with Student Work

Students are working on poems to give to veterans for Veteran’s Day.  Up until then I’ll be sharing their work.  These are from room 110.

Veterans are amazing
Even though many died
They fought
Ending the war
Running in battle
America won freedom
Now we are happy
Saying that by heart

Day and night
All the things they did
You are now free

~Alex F, 5th grade

A veteran is someone who is heroic.
A veteran is  brave.
A veteran is someone who fought for our country.
A veteran is someone  who’s awesome.  
A veteran is  someone who loves our country.
A veteran is does not want people to get hurt.

Thank you for your being brave

~Magan,  4th grade

A veteran is someone who is Brave
A veteran saves our  Freedom
A veteran is someone who has Courage
A veteran is serving
A veteran is  someone who is Fighting for our Freedom
A veteran is  Cool!
Thank you for your Service

Sienna, 5th Grade

Veteran are safe.
Everyday.
They’re ready for war.
Every Time.
Run to save people.
Angels.
None scared.
Save life.

Desert work.
Awesome.
You can save the world.

Chace, 5th grade

A veteran is someone who Saves us
A veteran is Someone who fights for our country
A veteran is someone who Saves lives
A veteran is Someone who fights, for our lives
A veteran is  someone who Is brave, Never gives up, Fight for the people they love
A veteran is Is brave, Loves their family, Fights, for,us

Thank you for your Bravery, and the help, you have gave us

-Sophavie 5th grade

Veterans are soldiers
Even though men died in battle
Tough
Ending every war
Ruthless
And worthy
Nice
strong

Days they fought
A Lot died
Young men fought
Keanu, 5th grade

A veteran is someone who has fought for the USA
A veteran is Keeps Freedom
A veteran is someone who Saved People
A veteran is brave  
A veteran is  someone who Keeps America Safe
A veteran is Thoughtful

Thank you for your Saving our Country  

Ryder, 4th grade

A veteran is someone who supports us
A veteran is Brave
A veteran is someone who fought for our country
A veteran is who loves people  
A veteran is  someone who loves us
A veteran is loves our country

Thank you for your supports

Lanaya, 4th grade