Poetry Friday: Wintry Night

It's been a while since I've posted here, and even longer since I've participated in Poetry Friday...so today is a doubly good day! Thanks to Raincity Librarian for hosting the roundup and to all you poetry lovers out there for participating.  

Officially, winter is still pretty far away. But the shorter days and more frequent cloud coverage are certainly making it feel like winter. The newfound darkness has also affected my spirits, as I have to admit I was in a bit of a fog last week. Luckily I started adjusting toward the end of the week, and inspiration slowly crept back in. Ahhh...what a comforting feeling.

On Sunday afternoon, I turned on our gas fireplace for a true wintry experience--with my computer in my lap of course. While I was fireside with our dog, reminiscing warmly about the fires and fireplaces of my childhood, the following poem came to be. It's less playful than the poems I usually write for the littlest of tots, and is perhaps for a slightly older audience, so I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. This seemed like a good place to put it.

Even though the poem relays a moment of stillness, I'm still posting it here on my blog, which emphasizes movement and dance. Moments of stillness can be integral to telling the story of a dance or relaying the emotion of a piece of choreography. This is also a reminder that amid the chaos of the upcoming holiday season, don't forget to enjoy your own little moments of stillness!

Found this after I wrote the poem. So perfect!
Art by Tom Woods for Puzzle Warehouse

Wintry Night

Crackle crackle

Orange light

Burning embers

Wintry night

Nuzzle nuzzle

Furry friends

Snuggle closer

Stirring ends

Drifting drifting

Wondrous dreams

Just as purrr-fect

As it seems...

Poetry Friday: I'm a Little Snowman!

Happy Poetry Friday! This poem's an original that was published in the February 2014 issue of Highlights High Five magazine, posted here with permission from Highlights for Children, Inc. It's an action rhyme, recited to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" but with a snow-themed twist. The cute illustrations of the snowman are by Gary LaCoste, and the photos are by Guy Cali Associates, Inc. After you read this post, you can check out Karen Edmisten's blog for more Poetry Friday fun!

I'm a Little Snowman, short and round.

Here are my eyes and the arms you found. 

When the sun in springtime hits the ground, 

See me vanish without a sound.

Flowers and Dance for Poetry Friday!

Happy Poetry Friday! I wasn't actually planning on posting today, but then my 8-year-old surprised me with a wonderful poem about flowers, which I had to share. I hope you enjoy her new poem and flower illustration as much as I do. So proud of my little poet! 

Because I also wanted to tie my post into dance, I went searching for a poem that combined flowers and dance. In doing so, I discovered the poetry of Martin Dejnicki on a website called AnitaPoems, which Martin named after his wife. Very sweet. I thought his poem about the art of ballet was just beautiful...

Flowers

Flowers are fine. They are divine.

They sprout in spring. They are king.

Flowers are sweet. They're just like a treat. 

Flowers are fun. But when they are done, 

They go back down and out of town.

Flowers are great, they're used on a date. 

I just love FLOWERS!!!!!

The Art of Ballet

Like flowers to the eyes, 

the art of ballet, 

and petals in the wind, 

what an exquisite display.

Grace with beauty, 

each movement conveys.

Branches of strength, 

rain's thunderous praise.

Behind every flower, 

a story resides.

Bending in the wind, 

with purpose it guides.

The music of sight, 

we emotionally feel.

Just like the waves, 

there's nothing more real.

Every new pose,

like a voice is unique.

Deep in our hearts,

attempting to speak.

Like flowers to the eyes, 

the art of ballet,

With the extinction of wind,

still hoping to sway.

@Martin Dejnicki

From www.anitapoems.com

Deborah Diesen has also written a poem that combines flowers -- daffodils to be exact -- and dance. It's been shared on Poetry Friday before, but in case you missed it, you can find it here on Renee LaTulippe's blog No Water River. For even more poetry fun, check out today's Poetry Friday roundup on Today's Little Ditty. 

Paint Me a Poem: Poetry and Art...Plus Dance!

Since April is National Poetry Month and today is also Poetry Friday, I didn't want to miss the chance to post some more dance-related poems by my new friend Justine Rowden -- this time from her book Paint Me a Poem: Poems Inspired by Masterpieces of Art. 

A few years ago, when Justine was working at the National Portrait Gallery, she noticed that a lot of people had no reaction at all when they stood in front of a painting they hadn't seen before. This gave her an idea!

"I felt my first endeavor ought to be a book that proposes a way to look at any painting and find the spark, the joy, in that work," she says. "Forget historical references. Look for the passion in the art!" And thus her work began on Paint Me a Poem.

For the book, Justine chose 14 paintings from the National Gallery of Art and created poems to go along with them. "Each poem suggests just one possible way to look at that painting in a new way," she says. Here are a couple of my favorites, which both reflect Justine's love of dance. Yes, she is a kindred spirit!

Dancin'

Green Plums by Joseph Decker, c. 1885.
Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

Green plums rolling
Yeah! rockin' and rollin'

Out of their box

Onto the stage

Ready to swing their stems,

Moving in rhythm

To a juicy tune. 

The beat, it gets to them--

Swaying side to side, 

They go even faster

Until finger-snapping hands 

Put them back in their box. 

Moving White Fluffs

Meadow by Alfred Sisley, 1875.
Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

The sky is full

Of fuzzy white polka dots.

As they move on, 

Do you think

Those dots are really

Dancing the polka

While they drift away?

Doing the polka

Takes time to learn

And where could they

Hear the music

To get the dance just right?

So, maybe it's not

The polka at all they're doing. 

Maybe it's just a slow glide 

They make up

As they go along. 

Then why do you suppose

They call them "Polka dots" --

Those funny white fluffs

In the blue, blue sky?

Beautiful poems, right? So what does Justine hope that children will take away from the book? "I would like to think that children will look at the paintings, really connecting with the art, and perhaps even write original poems about the paintings themselves,"she says. I hope that some adults have that reaction, too!

Find out more about Paint Me a Poem at www.paintmeapoem.com. Irene Latham at Live Your Poem is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup today, so you can find more poetry for children and adults there, too!

Poetry Friday: Curtsy with Justine Rowden

I recently had the pleasure of meeting poet Justine Rowden for coffee outside of Washington, DC, where we had a lovely chat about her picture book Paint Me a Poem: Poems Inspired by Masterpieces of Art. I'm not going to tell you about the book just yet, as I'm saving it for a little later this month. But I am going to share another of Justine's poems that happens to be about cherry blossoms, which are in full bloom right now in this part of the country. I love how Justine compares the beauty of the cherry blossoms to that of ballerinas.

When you're done reading the poem, waltz on over to Random Noodling if you are in the mood for more. Happy Poetry Friday!

Curtsy

By Justine Rowden

The cherry blossoms, 

Floating in arabesque

Descend gracefully on stage

Of painterly gray flagstone.

Bowing in curtsy, 

The petals, delicate folds

Of dancers' skirts

Pose, remain there

Attentive to the wind's applause.

Poetry Friday Fun with Ladybug Magazine!

Happy Poetry Friday! Today is the day, every week, when children's poets and poetry lovers from all over the blogging community come together to share their love of words. This week's Poetry Friday is being hosted by Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe, so make sure to drop by if you are in the mood for rhythm, perhaps some rhyme, and a whole lot of great poetic offerings.

I haven't joined the Poetry Friday round up in a while so am really happy to be participating again with a couple poems from the February 2013 issue of Ladybug Magazine. Before I share them below, I want to thank Ladybug Magazine for allowing me to post them in their entirety.

The first poem, "Kangaroo Dance," is written by Shannon Caster with art by John Nez. It would be great for sharing with little ones who need to bounce off some energy. Boing. Boing. Boing!

Source: Ladybug Magazine
Art © 2013 John Nez

Boing. Boing. Boing. 

Kangaroo jumps up high. 

Boing. Boing Boing. 

He almost touched the sky.

Boing. Boing. Boing. 

Around the old gum tree. 

Boing. Boing. Boing. 

He almost jumped on me!

The second, "Marshmallow Soup," is written by me! It's the first poem I've had published in Ladybug Magazine, and I am thrilled with how the art by Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli came out. You can learn more about the process Jacqueline used to come up with the illustration here on her blog. 

With much of the country getting snowed under over the last few days, this poem might be a good one to read next to the fireplace, curled up with a cup of hot cocoa. Mmmmm!

Source: Ladybug Magazine
Art © 2013 Jacqueline Hudon-Verrelli

Sweet marshmallow, squishy white. 

I can't wait to take a bite.

Drop you in hot chocolate -- plop!

Watch you float up to the top.

And when you melt into a goop, 

Slurp you up -- marshmallow soup!

Poetry Friday: Moving with Mary Quattlebaum!

Whenever I find a new children's poem with a dance or movement theme, I like to share it on Poetry Friday -- a weekly gathering of writers, poets, and other literature-loving people from around the blogosphere. Today I'm sharing the action rhyme "Moving Up and Down" from the June 2012 issue of Highlights High Five.

This particular rhyme was written by the lovely Mary Quattlebaum, with accompanying art by Debbie Palen and photos by Guy Cali Associates, Inc. I have to send a big shout-out and thank you to Highlights for Children, Inc. for letting me post the rhyme and illustrations on my blog!

© Highlights for Children, Inc.

Mary Quattlebaum was actually a guest author at my daughter's preschool a couple years ago. On the day of her visit, I had the pleasure of picking her up from the Metro station and spending some time talking with her about picture books. She so kindly gave me a signed copy of her picture book Sparks Fly High: The Legend of Dancing Point, and she gave me inspiration and courage to keep trying to break into today's tough picture book market. Thank you for both of those gifts, Mary!

This week, Poetry Friday is being held at A Year of Reading, so hop on over there to read some more poetic posts. Also, you can read about more of Mary's books, including plenty of poetry, on her website. Her newest book, Jo MacDonald Had a Garden, looks especially good for promoting movement!

Poetry Friday: A Dance Poem by Kenn Nesbitt

I don't know about you, but the beginning of summer has been pretty busy at our house, especially getting our two daughters into their new summer camp routines and dealing with the heat. Work has been busy for me, too, so I'm thankful that the end of the week is finally here. I'm definitely ready for a break--a poetry break!

Here's a fun children's poem by Kenn Nesbitt, who graciously shares so many of his poems on his interactive website Poetry4kids.com. I'm sharing it as part of Poetry Friday, which is being hosted today by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater from The Poem Farm. Enjoy...

When Daniel Went Dancing

When Daniel went dancing that night at the fair

he leapt on the stage with his arms in the air.

He ran back and forth at a neck-breaking pace,

then back-flipped and cartwheeled all over the place.

He jumped like a jumping bean, bounced like a ball,

careened off the ceiling, and ran down the wall.

He flew through the room with an ear-splitting scream

til, shaking and sobbing, he ran out of steam.

The witnesses watching could see at a glance

that Dan had invented some new kind of dance.

They cheered and applauded. They gave him First Prize.

They cried, "You're a genius in all of our eyes!"

So now, just like Daniel, from Finland to France,

they sit on a cactus to start every dance. 

Copyright © 2012 Kenn Nesbitt

All Rights Reserved

From www.poetry4kids.com

It's a Halloween Poetry Party!

Thank goodness for libraries! I discovered two fabulous Halloween books at our local library a few weeks ago. Both are written in rhyme and each involves a nighttime party that lasts until dawn. I know lots of little boys and girls are looking forward to Halloween parties in their neighborhoods, preschools, and elementary schools over the next couple of weeks, and these two books would be perfect for extending that party spirit into reading time at home.

Rattlebone Rock is a delightful book written by Sylvia Andrews and illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. My copy is due back to the library tomorrow, and when I tried to renew it, the library wouldn't let me because other people are waiting to check it out. It must be a popular book, and I can certainly see why...

Folks in the town

Still talk of the night

When the moon on the graveyard

Shone so bright

That the spirits there

Made the tombstones knock

And the beat began 

For the Rattlebone Rock.

BOOMA-BOOM! BOOMA-BOOM!

The party in this book takes place in a graveyard, which might normally be a scary place for young children. But the text of the book is so festive, and the illustrations so far from scary, that I doubt anyone would be afraid of it. At the beginning of the party, skeletons prance around the graveyard with a CLACKA-CLACK! Then ghosts sway to the beat of the drums. OOOOA-OOO! Witches, ghouls, and goblins galore join in until the graveyard party can be heard all over town.

Before long, the children of the town (many of them dressed in their Halloween costumes) and their families make their way to the graveyard, too. The playful illustrations show a girl dancing hand-in-hand with a skeleton, a ghost swinging in a tree, and a woman happily pulling a little boy and a goblin in a toy wagon. Even the town's mayor is boogying to the beat. It is definitely a night that the whole town will remember for a long time!

The second book I want to mention is Boogie Knights, written by Lisa Wheeler and illustrated by Mark Siegel. I didn't find it in the holiday section of the library (where I found Rattlebone Rock), but I still think it's a great book for Halloween. It's the story of seven knights, standing guard in the upstairs of an old castle, who one by one venture downstairs and away from their post to join a midnight monster ball. The names of the knights are all puns, like Sir Cumference and Sir Vivor, which adds a nice layer of humor. And there are gremlins, ghostlings, vampires, and a ton of other characters appropriate for Halloween.

Monsters mashing! Bogeys bashing!

Jesters jive and jump. 

Go-go gobblins--bouncin', bobbin'--

teach that knight to... Bump!

Mark Siegel uses a lot of grays and browns in the illustrations, giving an illusion of spookiness. But it really is just an illusion because, like Rattlebone Rock, this book is not very scary. The vampires look a little goofy, a hunchback is swinging from a chandelier on one of the pages, and many of the monsters are smiling and laughing as they dance.

I have to admit I had a little trouble catching the rhythm of the text sometimes, because it changes a few times throughout the book, and there is a lot going on in both the text and the illustrations. However, once you get used to it all, the book is really a lot of fun.

I think Lisa Wheeler and Mark Siegel also had a ton of fun making the book, which is evident in the following video from YouTube. The video also provides more insight into the book's subtle humor and into a couple of characters that were added into the story through the illustrations alone. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

If you are in the mood for some more rhythm or rhyme, head on over to Fomagrams, where Poetry Friday is being hosted today. It's a great day for reading and writing poetry, don't you think?

This post is also part of Book Talk Tuesday, which is held each week at the Lemme Library to share reviews of good books for school-age kids.

From the Archives: I Heart Michael Jackson

People around the world will be celebrating Michael Jackson's life and creative achievements tomorrow during a tribute concert in Wales, so I thought I would take this opportunity to honor him in my own small way. He has been an inspiration to me for almost as long as I can remember, and I'm thankful that his music is still on the radio so that my two young girls know at least a little bit about him.

It turns out that I kept just about everything I ever owned or created during my own childhood, so for fun on this Poetry Friday I dug up a poem I wrote about Michael Jackson many years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't date the little poetry book in which I found the poem, but I'm pretty sure I created it during my upper elementary school years. Hopefully you will be able to tell from the poem how much I adored Michael Jackson when I was young. He was a powerful performer, musician, singer, and dancer, and to this day I am in awe of his artistic genius...

Today's Poetry Friday round-up is being held at Great Kid Books. Drop by if you are in the mood for some more poetry!

Dance into Summer with Highlights High Five!

This year's summer solstice, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, is going to take place on June 21. We all know what that means, right? Super long days, short nights, and the beginning of summer! But what does the word solstice really mean?

If we examine the Latin origins of the word, "sol" actually means "sun" and "stice" means "to stand still." So on June 21, as the sun reaches its highest point above the horizon, it might look like it's standing still in the sky. But that doesn't mean that the children in our lives will be standing still. In fact, with all the good weather and with many kids out of school for the summer, it will probably be just the opposite!

Here's a fun action rhyme from the July 2011 issue of Highlights High Five to help young children ages 2 to 6 celebrate the beginning of summer through movement and dance...

A special thanks to Highlights for Children, Inc., who are always so generous in letting me post their dance-related poetry for kids. This particular poem was written by Marilyn Kratz and illustrated by Alexandra Ball. Guy Cali Associates is responsible for the photos of the incredibly cute orange-shirted boy. 

Charles Ghigna (also known as Father Goose) is another well-known children' poet with a fun dance-related poem for summer....about dancing dragonflies! You can read it here.

Do you know of any other great children's poems about summer? If you do, I'd love to hear. Maybe we can find some more over at the Poetry Friday roundup, hosted today by Check It Out. Let's go see!

Poetry Friday: Celebrating National Dance Week

Let’s Dance!

Are you ready to dance?

Are you ready to groove?

Find a pose down low. 

Let's start to move!

Let’s rise like the sun

In the morning sky.

Let’s soar like a bird

Flying way up high.

Let’s spin like a top

Going round and round.

Let’s fall like the rain

'Til it hits the ground.

Let’s creep like a worm

Through the grass and mud.

Let’s bounce like a ball:

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Let’s leap like a frog,

Jumping fast for fun.

Now freeze in a pose--

And our dance is done!

I'm in India right now (for a wedding next week), and I'm a bit jetlagged. This morning, as my husband kept sleeping beside me (apparently he is not as jetlagged as I am), I needed to find something to occupy my time. So what else than to write a poem!

So, in the early hours of the morning, as the sun was just rising, I wrote this short action rhyme in honor of National Poetry Month and National Dance Week (in the United States), which happen to be overlapping for the next couple of days. My hope is to get young children up and moving...maybe even inspire a few to create dances of their own this week. 

Today is an extra special day, though. It is also International Dance Day, so you can celebrate dance wherever you live. And, it is Poetry Friday! Tabatha Yeatts is hosting the celebration at The Opposite of Indifference. Hope you can join in!