SEA, SEA

Sea, Sea,
what do I see
swimming down here
in the deep blue sea?

A whale, a whale
is what I see,
swimming down here
in the deep blue sea.

Minnows,minnows
are what I see
swimming down here
in the deep blue sea.

Shells, shells
are what I see
on the sand
in the deep blue sea.


     This poem is a fun one for making a poetry game for young children learning about the ocean.  Children can take turns naming something they can see in the ocean to make the next verse.  Is it kelp, a jellyfish, shark, lobster, crabs,  or some other treasure?  There are certainly enough possibilities that every child can have a chance to play and the rest of the class can fill in the other lines. 
     This poem also introduces homophones--two (or more) words that sound alike but have different spelling and meanings.  Sea and see, sound the same but have different meanings.  Can you write a poem today that includes a homophone?  Have fun writing.

    Happy Poetry Friday.  Tara at A Teaching Life is hosting us all for the Friday Poetry Roundup.   Thanks, Tara.  And thank you for sharing the lovely William Blake poem about the end of summer THE SCHOOLBOY with us.

HOW THE WHALE FELT

Oh, dear! What should I do?
I opened my mouth
and a boat with Jonah
came in too.

A boat and Jonah,
I should note
are stuck
down there
inside my throat.

Oh, dear!  What can I say?
I've coughed and coughed
but they won't go away.

Oh, dear! I feel quite ill.
No matter my effort,
they're stuck there still.

Oh, dear! I don't want 
Jonah for a guest.
With him in my throat
I can not rest.

Oh, dear! On keeping them
I'm not too keen,
I like food filtered
through my baleen.

Oh, dear!  I'm surely stuck.
that wooden boat
is my bad luck.

Oh, dear! I can't take much more.
My throat is raw
and very sore.

Oh, dear! I don't want to pout.
Can you tell me
how to get them out?


      This is a poem that works well for a group reading.  The group can repeat the refrain of, "Oh dear!" or members of the group can be given separate lines.  Can you try writing you own poem with a repeated line today? 

WHALE

Whale blew
spewing
raindrops
each drop
a rainbow
coloring
the air.

     My poem today features another aquatic animal.  Do you know why I didn't say another fish?  Yesterday's minnows are fish, but a whale is not a fish.  It is a mammal.  What other creatures might you find in the sea? Can you write your own ocean poem today?  Have fun.

Tale of the Mermaid

A mermaid swimming

in the deep blue sea

was sad as sad

as a mermaid can be.

“I'm tired of living

down here in the sea.

I want to fly off and see

what there's to see. “

Said a whale swimming by,

“Please don't leave me,

for you are our beauty

of the deep blue sea.”

“Oh, I'm going,” said the mermaid.

“And I'm leaving soon.

I want to ride

in a hot air balloon.”

“No, don't go away.

Please don't even try.

In a hot air balloon,

you'd surely die.”

“Can't you see,

I want to be free.

Up in the air

I want to fly.”

“Then I'll tell you

what I can do.”

said the whale trying

to be a friend true. (yes, I know this is a reversal, it needs work.)

“If you lie upon my blowhole

I'll try to help with your flight goal.

I'll blow a spout,

shoot it high

up in the sky,

you will fly.

“You can have a look.

I'll give you the ride,

and when you're done

come down inside

the deep, deep,

blue, blue sea

to be with me,

my beauty.”

So the mermaid lay upon the spout

and let the whale

blow her out.

She went flying

ever so high

and enjoyed the view

from in the sky.

Then she flew

back into the sea

and once more

was glad she could be

the mermaid from

the deep blue sea.

She shared with everyone

her beauty

and stories about

flying wild and free.

      Happy Monday, I'm busy working on my taxes.  This poem is definitely a draft.  I'll keep working on it. (Is it as bad as I think it is? I shouldn't have gotten up this morning.)  Any suggestions?  Just enjoy thinking about the friendship between a whale and a mermaid.  Can you write a very short poem of a conversation between them?