Friday

Morning rises
tries on a purple gown
adds an orange scarf.

It isn't right,
she changes 
for a pink gown.

Still not right,
she dons a pastel blue gown
adds white lace clouds
for a shash.

She's all dressed
to greet
a new day.


     I really wanted to rite a poem about the Chinese New Year which is today, but I didn't get it done.  Today starts the year of the horse.  So let me send you virtual oranges, money and a fortune cookie to wish you the very best year
where we can all throw our manes back into the wind and race off to bright poetry futures.  I can see a poem happening for you, even now.  Have a great Friday.

   Can you write your own horse poem today?

Tricia at Miss Rumpius Effect is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup.  Thanks Tricia.  She has poems about numbers.  You can go here to read more poems by children's poets this week.

http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2014/01/poetry-friday-is-in-house.html

THE ROOSTER'S CROW

I woke up 
this morning
to a
COCK-a-DOODLE-doo,
and I'm wondering
what wakes
YOU?

   This morning I awoke to the cock's crow.  For a moment, I didn't know where I was, or what I was doing.  Then I remembered, I'm on the island of Kauai.  There are lots of wild chickens here and so this is how the people here wake up --to a rooster crow.
   Do you know there is a name for a poem that is about greeting the morning?    It is called an aubade.
    When I'm in Tucson, I often wake up to the sound of coyotes singing.  When I was in Vermont, I'd wake up to the sound of snow plows running in the streets.
     So, here is my question for you today.  What wakes you up?  Do you have an alarm clock that goes beep-beep-beep?  Or does Mom or Dad come to wake you from your sleep?  Do you hear the shower in the bathroom, or the pots and pans in the kitchen?
Do you hear the trash trucks rumbling down your street?  What are the sounds you hear when you first wake from your sleep?  Can you write your own aubade today?

MONDAY MORNING SLOG

Some mornings 
I don't want
to get up at all.
Back in my bed,
I want to crawl.

It is then
that I plaster
a smile on my face.
I get up, get dressed
and join the human race.


     Do you ever have mornings when you don't want to get up?  What would you do if you could spend the whole day in bed?  Can you write an ode to your bed today?  Enjoy your writing.

SUN RISE

 

Sunrise
the sky is red,
time for me
to get out of bed.

It is a day
with lots to do.
I'm watching
as the sky
turns blue.


And I think
while I'm dressing
today is a day
with many blessings.


    It is Friday.  I hope your day is as beautiful as mine is starting to be.  Can you write a poem about one good thing that is happening to you today?  Have a great day.

MORNING

Like a child on Christmas morning,
clouds creep over the mountains,
slow, and then they run.
Light shines on the hillside,
it gleams with morning sun,
a new day has begun.

     Can you tell I was up early today?  Can you write your own poem about your morning?  Have fun writing.

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD

 

A bluebird flew

to the top

of tall pine trees

and sang

his warbling 

song for me.

He sings 

in the morning.

He sings

at noon.

He makes

me happy

with his bluebird tune.

     I had fun playing with art again yesterday, so I had to write a poem to go with my picture.  A poem that is written in response to another piece of art is called an ekphrastic.  Can you write your own ekphrastic poem today?

WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING

When I woke up this morning
the sun was already out,
I watched two quails scurry
with little quailets all about.

When I work up this morning
I saw two rabbits eating grass
they munched across the garden
as I watched them wander past.

When I woke up this morning
I saw a lizard on the wall
he was clinging tightly,
he didn't even fall.

When I woke up this morning
I watched the goldfinch fling
themselves upon the bird feeder
and heard the song they sing.

When I woke up this morning
I thanked the shining sun
and all the clouds in the heavens
for making this Sunday fun.


    What did you see this morning when you woke up?  Can you write your own poem about that?  Have a great day.
    To all my wonderful friends and readers, thank you for making my birthday a really, really special day for me.  I think I had the best birthday ever.  Thank you.

Quiet Monday

quiet, clear morning
a coyote out walking
crosses before me



    I wrote a haiku today about my morning walk.  I always appreciate when I see animals out on my walks.  It helps to remind me that there is more to this world than you and me.  It makes me wonder what happens when there are no longer coyotes to see, or jack rabbits and squirrels.
    Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving holiday?  What is your favorite thing to eat for Thanksgiving dinner?  Can you write a poem about that today?  Does anyone know about salsify?  The book I'm reading says it is a root vegetable also known by the name oyster plant.  I don't think I've ever tasted this plant, so I'm going to see if I can find some.  Isn't life fun when it comes with new experiences?  I hope you have lots of new experiences today.  Enjoy.

Sparkling drops of dew
shine upon the morning grass
each drop a new world







     I just returned from a trip to North Carolina.  It is impressive to me how green everything is there.  So different from the desert of Arizona.  I love  seeing the dew on the grass on my morning walk. 
     Stop what you are doing right now and look down.  What do you see?  This spot where you are standing at this moment is your world.  If you were an ant what do you think it would feel like to be in this world.  If I were an ant crawling in this grass, I'd be having my morning shower.  I'd be waking to a world of sunshine and getting ready to fight traffic to get to school.  It might be along walk.  Can you write a poem, in the ant's voice about being in your landscape?
Today write a poem about where you are.  Have fun.

MY DAY

My Day

Slowly, slowly, slowly

black turns gray

then rose, pink, and blue.

The sun rises in the sky.

Good morning to you.

Then

creep, creep, creep

the sun arcs

across the sky.

Today is a clear day

with time to play.

At last,

silently, silently, silently

the sky pinks to rose then gray

as the sun slips

over the horizon

ending a sunny day.

It's dark and time to say

Good Night.