Happy May 5th

   Today is Cinco de Mayo, the day for pinatas, fiestas and family fun as people celebrate Mexico's independence.
    Today is Boy's Day as families pay tribute to the males in their family.  Paper fish kites fly from porches to announce the number of males in the family.
    Today is World Day of Prayer, a day to pray for peace and to offer thanks for all our blessings. 
    I couldn't decide which holiday to write my poem about for today.  I've already written a poem about Cinco de Mayo here.
   I've also written a poem for Boys Day, a holiday celebrated here in Hawaii.
   So I guess I'm writing a prayer poem.

  MY PRAYER FOR YOU

   A star is named for you.
   The moon looks pleased for you, ever changing.
   The sun shines too.

   Pheasants chuck in the grass.
   Roosters watch them pass
   and egrets keep an eye out.

   It takes all kinds.
   Each of us is born at a different time.
   Each of us is different.

   I wish we had more time together.
   Shillings and pounds, how does it end?
   Forget war, I wish you peace.  


   This is  free verse poem written in triplets.  Can you try writing your own free verse poem today?  What do you want to tell the world about your world today?  What do you want to celebrate?  Have fun writing your poem.  Tell it slant.

HAPPY POEM ON YOUR PILLOW DAY

May 5th is a busy day for celebrating.

In Hawaii and Japan, Boys' Day is celebrated on May 5th. Families fly kites, colorful painted carps, from their houses to show a boy lives there to be honored. I've written a poem for this holiday and previously posted it HERE.     http://poetryforkidsjoy.blogspot.com/2013/05/happy-may-5th-boys-day.html

In the Southwest, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with fiestas and great food today. I've posted an acrostic HERE and a free verse poem HERE ,
and another poem HERE all about Cinco de Mayo.

But, Poem on Your Pillow Day is a new holiday for me.  I can not think of having a pillow poem without thinking of TANKA.  Japanese women would write tanka to put on the pillows of their lovers.  Later women convinced their sponsors to pay to have the poems collected into booklets.  These early booklets were some of the first poetry books published by women poets.  So, here is a tanka for today.

Twenty baby quail
scurry and scatter, running
under their mothers
breasts offering protection
soothing comfort, feathered love

   A tanka is a syllabric poem made up of 5 lines.
Line 1 = 5 syllables
Line 2 = 7 syllables
Line 3 = 5 syllables
Line 4 = 7 syllables
Line 5 = 7 syllables

  It is like a haiku with two extra 7 syllable lines.

  Can you try writing a poem to leave on someone's pillow today?  Have fun writing.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

On Cinco de Mayo
mi familia has a fiesta.
We sing and dance
and eat lots of food.
Tia Margarita brings tamales,
Tia Anna brings the enchiladas.
Mama and I and my sisters
make the tacos and burritos.
My papa plays his guitar.
Tio brings a piñata.
All the children
take turns swinging the bat
to hit the piñata
and to grab the dulces 
that come flying out.
I hope your Cinco de Mayo
is a sweet as ours.


    Today's poem is a free verse poem.  I've used several Spanish words in the poem.  Can you find them?  Your challenge for today is to write a poem using a word from another language.  Have fun writing.

Cinco de Mayo

Today is the day

the fifth of May

when we can celebrate

the Battle of La Puebla

where 400 Mexican soldiers

defeated the 800 French.

It is a day

for family parties,

for a fiesta with food,

for music and dancing,

and for breaking

the pinata

and eating candy.

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

   What are you doing today?  Can you write a poem about your plans for the weekend.  Remember to try to use all  your senses.

Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Celebrate
in a fiesta
neighbors
commemorate
our heritage

dance to mariachi
enjoy the happy

Music playing
and singing about
your ancestors,
ourselves and others.


     So what are you doing to celebrate this wonderful day?