Zoe Reads

Books from our library,
Zoe loves to read,
stories about princesses
and how to succeed.

Zoe reads books
on how to draw,
and how to make
dolls from straw.

She has everything
she may need
because Zoe has
lots of books to read.

    Do you have a book you're reading right now?  What kinds of books do you like to read?  I hope you're reading lots of books this summer.  Can yu try writing a persona poem today in the voice of your favorite book, or a character from a book?  What would it or he or she tell you?  I know lots of books that would complain about being dog-eared, having someone fold the corner of the page over to keep the reader's place instead of using a book mark.  Hve fun writing your poem.

Some of my best friends are books.

The Library

In the library
you'll find gold
with books to read
for young and old.

A secret world
is what you'll find
to learn new things
and improve your mind.

    One of the first things I did when I moved was get a Hawaiian library card.  I've been having fun getting to know the libraries on Kauai.  And I'm learning how to reserve books on line and how to get electronic books for my e-reader and downloads of audio books.
   Do you frequent your library?  What kinds of books do you like to read?  Poetry books?  Can you write a poem today about a book you are reading or about your library?  Have fun writing.

   The greatest thing Ben Franklin ever gave us was a free public library.

LIBRARY MINUTE

Late at night in the library
no one's  here but
the cat Dewey
who keeps the watch.

The books are shelved, the lights are dim
empty book carts, 
there's only him
walking the stacks.

Hold shelf packed with reserved books,
computers off,
every where looks
set for morning.


     Thanks to all my librarian friends for the inspiration for this minute poem. I recently read the non-fiction book DEWEY, about Dewey Readmore Books, the library cat from Spencer, Iowa.  What are you currently reading?  What are your favorite books?  Can you write a poem today about a book?  Try a minute.

Library Books

This book went to the library.

This book stayed home.

This book was lent to friends to read.

This book was left to roam.

This book crackled, cheeped, and peeped--

it was full of poems.

I'm still having fun with the This Little Piggie exercise, I hope you are too.  I always enjoy poems about books and libraries.  One of the longest recent list poems I have read was 9 pages, titled Library, written by Albert Goldbarth and included in his award winning collection SAVING LIVES.  The poem is a list of all the books in his library and is full of rich details so the reader can personally know each book too.  As the lead poem in the SAVING LIVES collection, Library starts

This book saved my life.
This book takes place on one of the two small tagalong moons of Mars.
This book requests the author's absolution, centuries after his death.
This book required two of the sultan's largest elephants to bear it; this other book fit in a gourd.
This book reveals The Secret Name of ...

You can read the rest of the poem at Poetry Daily. You can learn more about Goldbarth at http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/1295    or http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/albert-goldbarth

Look at the books on your own bookshelf, or go to the library and look.  If you were going to write your own library poem what would you include?  Are there details you could use for each of the five senses?

For another fun idea, Travis Jonker a librarian in Michigan, is featuring spine poems on his blog this month.  It is a fun exercise if you want to try it, check out his blog at http://100scopenotes.com/2012/03/06/wanted-book-spine-poems/

Have fun.