MY DOG

My dog laughs.
He thinks
he is a smartie.
My dog sings
at his dancing party.
My dog has fun,
won't you come
and join him?
Turn up the music.
Let's all dance
the swim.

 What is your favorite dance?  Can you write a poem about singing, dancing or throwing a great poetry party today?  Have fun writing.




  Today is Friday and it is time for The Friday Poetry Round Up.  We're hosted this week by Robyn Hood Black. You'll find more links to great poetry posts at her blog, Life on the Deckle Edge.  Thank you, Robyn for a great Friday happening.

Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' Robin Williams
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/party.html

Spring is Nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' Robin Williams

HAIKU

Sun rise radiates
through a dew drop on the limb
a prism rainbow

Can you try writing your own haiku today about light?  Would you like to participate in the world's largest collaborative poem on the internet?  Simply write your haiku on light and go here to EarthRolling Haiku Collaborative.  The theme of Year of Light was designated by the United Nations.  You can leave your haiku in the comments and find out more about this project at the link above.

Today's Poetry Roundup is hosted by Robyn Hood Black at her blog Live on the Deckle Edge.  Thanks, Robyn, for hosting us.  You'll find other great poems and poetry are her blog site.

And, you can check up on the latest lines added to the progressive poem at Irene Latham's blog, Live Your Poem. 

Christmas Ornaments

     Isn't it fun when good ideas start to pile upon each other, taking an ordinary thought and making it something different and fun?

     Today's post started with HeidiMordhorst asking for poems related to light for a themed poetry roundup this week. That request got the wheels in my brain turning slowly.,

     Then, I was notified by children's poet Matt Forrest that I had won two hand made Christmas ornaments from Maine. That got me feeling very grateful and thinking about Christmas ornaments.

      This made me stumble upon the idea of making a Christmas ornament for several of my children's poetry friends.

     So here is a candle of light for Heidi. The text says:

You shine so bright

through the night.

Let your light shine.

     Matt Forrest's ornament had to be a bell.

Hear the bells ring.

Hear the bells sing.

On Christmas Eve

ting-a-ling.

     David Harrison gets a Christmas star, like a sheriff's badge, in honor of his book COWBOYS.

On top of the Christmas tree

sits a golden star

to welcome good wishes

from near and far.

     To Tabbatha Yeatts who set up a Christmas exchange between fellow children's poets, her own Christmas ornament.

Of all the ornaments

on the Christmas tree

you are a special one

to me.

     To Amy VanDerwater at Poetry Farm, my Christmas exchange partner,

                               (this is supposed to be a barn)

At midnight

all the animals

get to speak

in their own

special poetry.

     To Robyn Hood Black, haiku specialist and wolf expert,

                                     (this is supposed to look like a wolf)

Yip. Yip.

Bark. Bark.

This is how

a wolf says HARK,

and Merry Christmas.

     To Renee LaTulippe at No Water River,

May the waves

of creativity

gush

for you.

Here's wishing you

waves of happiness.

    I still need to make a sunburst for Janet Wong.

You bring
children's poetry
to the world
and beyond.

    And a butterfly for my poetry sister Cory Corrido .

Flap your wings,
fly awhile
you always bring
a poetry smile.


     Can you tell I'm having fun with this?  If you'd like to share your Christmas ornament idea, in the comments below leave the shape of the ornament and the text you'd put on it and who the ornament is for (it can be for yourself--I imagine Jama would have cookies, Laura Purdie Salas would have a book. )

Robyn Hood Black, Children's Poet

     All my friends know how much I love, love, love THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY, compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=poetry+friday+anthology&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=13302063981&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=345380227259911175&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_zcgwbusok_b

     So many of the poems in the book make me laugh and give me ideas for writing my own poems.  One of my favorite poems in the book is by Robyn Hood Black. 

      With Robyn's permission, I'm sharing  her poem, Snack Rules with you.

SNACK RULES

Don't talk with your mouth full--

full of peanut butter.

Anything you try to say

will cmmm out as a mmmttrr.

Copyright © 22012 by Robyn Hood Black. Used with permission of the author. All rights reserved.

     When I first read her poem SNACK RULES, my eyes played a trick on me and I read the title as SNAKE RULES and I thought it was the funniest thing to think of a snake with his mouth stuck shut with peanut butter.  When I wrote to Robyn and told her of my mis-sight, she suggested that I write the poem I thought I saw.  Or rather she said something like I always did have a thing for snakes.  (She is right, I've written about them often.)

    So I did.  But when I got done I changed the title to:

SNAKE SNACKS

My pet snake,

I call him Drake,

likes to eat my snacks.

He eats the cheese,

he eats the nuts,

he eats all my

peanut butter crackers.

My snacks,

He says

are delicious

lip-smackers.

The only problem,

it happened quick,

the peanut butter

made him sick.

They made his lips

like glue stick.

Now instead of h-i-s-s-s-s-s

my pet snake hics.

A snake with hiccups

could cause fright.

His hic-ing keeps me up

all through the night.

     I'll admit that the rhythm is off in a couple of places, and if you come back tomorrow, I'll show you a nifty way I found for working with that. (I hope.)
     Your poetry prompt for today is to think of an animal and write a poem about something that happens to it.  What happens when the birds eat lemons, or the bear uses honey on his coat, or the dog rolls in the mud, or the hamster eats all your jellybeans?  Can you find an animal that sets your imagination running?  Happy Saturday.  Have fun playing with your poem.

     Thank you, Robyn for sharing your poem with us and for stimulating my creativity.