Stretching the Comfort Zone

I wanted to blog today but don't feel as I had much to blog about other than my amazing walk today with Cassie and not to mention a nice cup of cold Joe. So I decided to find a writing prompt and have some fun. I tried to find one that I would give to my students and found one here.  I choose a poetry one because poetry is not my strong suit. Every year we say we need to beef up on the poetry, but it just slips away from us. With the standards changing and poetry is going to be a bigger part of reading and writing, we figured we should probably get our act together and explore poetry more.

I enjoy kids poetry. The silly fun poems that you know what they are about and make you smile. Shel Silvertein knew what he was doing! The more adult poetry and I have a harder time getting along.

At first I was pretty enthusiastic about this little writing assignment I gave myself, but as I sat down to do it, the excitement drained out of me like an over watered hanging plant. Then I thought, well what would I tell my students? Just start writing. So here we go!

Find 3 interesting photos or pictures in a magazine, then write a poem that includes all 3 images.

 

 

 

 

Like a kite high in the sky

Lana's heart soared with freedom

She knew who she was and what she wanted in life

She wanted to love and to be loved.

 

She didn't have a problem being "alone"

or at least by the world's standards of alone.

Being in love with who she was helped

The friends she had in her life filled what emptiness she did have

 

It didn't take much to make Lana smile

coffee with friends, getting lost in a good book,

Dancing in the rain, reenacting Gene Kelly,

exploring the world around her.

 

Without any doubt, she knew that one day

she too would experience

the sweet innocence of Vada and Thomas J

She would be someone's girl.

 

 

Well....there she be. I probably should have picked different pictures, but I suppose that could have defeated some of the purpose. I would have much rather written a story to go with the pictures, but that wasn't the prompt!

 

I couldn't remember the names of the characters in "My Girl" so I went looking on the Internet and found the poem that Vada wrote after Thomas J dies and thought I would share it also.

 

 Weeping willow with your tears running down,

why do you always weep and frown?

 Is it because he left you one day?

 Is it because he could not stay?

On your branches he would swing,

Do you long for the happiness that day would bring?

He found shelter in your shade.

 You thought his laughter would never fade.

 Weeping willow, stop your tears.

There is something to calm you fears.

You think death has ripped you forever apart.

But I know he'll always be in your heart.

 

What are your thoughts on poetry? Do you read it? Do you write it?