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This is my playground for poetry written for children with ideas and inspiration for writing your own poems. Come on in. Sit for a spell, have a cup of words to swirl around and make your own cup of poetry. I'm so glad you are here. I hope you'll find the Kingdom of Poetry a fun place to be.

Friday, April 5, 2013

WHAT IS POETRY and a craft POETRY POCKET

WHAT IS POETRY?

Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes. --Carl Sandburg
 
What is poetry?
It is finding the truth, no need to lie.
It's munching on watermelon and letting seeds fly.

It's a letter that comes with a card in the mail.
It's the lacy silver threads left by a garden snail. 

It's daffodil trumpets covering the hill.
It's a deer at the creek, drinking her fill.

It's giggling and laughing and being absurd.


Does poetry ever make you feel like you have the sillies?  I sometimes feel that way.  In the back of my mind, I've been toying and working with a poem about a boy who has his pants glued to his seat because he is such a wiggle worm in school.  How silly is that?  

I really do love poetry.  And on April 18th is Poem In Your Pocket Day.  I've already volunteered at my local library to help children make pockets to put their poems in, so I've also started making my own pockets for my friends.  I got this idea because I saw some Hallmark cards at Easter that were made out of felt.  So, I checked out the new craft store in town--Joann's and they had some felt squares in bright colors. 





The felt pieces even came in bright patterns.




I cut each piece of felt in half to make 2 envelopes.
  I glue the sides together, and I even have fun embroidering some with a chain stitch to include the recipient's name.




On some I included colorful papers on the inside.


  And then I added some felt stick on flowers , or ladybugs to the envelope.  I also have some hearts and sandals for other envelopes. 

I print out a poem on my computer using a colorful paper to go inside the envelope.
The stamps and address stickers stick to the felt too.  And then the pocket is ready to go in the mail to my poetry friends.

I've had so much fun making these envelopes.  You don't have to use felt.  You could use a sheet of scrapbook paper.  What ever seems like fun.   I bought some pellon (Fabric backing) so I could try using fabric for the envelopes. 

I hope you'll try making a poetry pocket for your friends.  If you have questions, I'll try to answer them.  If you try this, please let me know how it works out for you.  Enjoy your pockets.

   If you missed it, Renee LaTulippe has videos of several of the poets from THE POETRY FRIDAY  ANTHOLOGY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong on her web site at No Water River

  The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted this week by Robyn Hood Black over at her blog Read, Write, Howl.  Thanks, Robyn.  I'm looking forward to reading your contribution to Irene Latham's Progressive Poem.

21 comments:

  1. Neat idea for Poem in Your Pocket Day, Joy! Thanks for showing us how you are doing it. Very inspiring!

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    1. Thanks Tabatha. I hope you have fun making your own pockets.

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  2. I'll bet kids would love that idea, Joy!

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    1. I hope they do. Let me know how you like yours. I got to try a blanket stitch on yours. I had your address from my Christmas present.

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  3. How fun, joy. I am going to use library pockets and student poems for poem in your pocket day.

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  4. Happy Poetry Month, Joy! Yep, I saw Act I of Renee's great PFAMS video extravaganza the other day - enjoyed your poem and your thoughts on how we communicate with body language and how that can differ by cultural background.

    What colorful poem pockets! You certainly know how to spread poetry joy around. Thanks for sharing all this today.

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    1. Robyn,
      Thanks for hosting today. I was reading WHEN WANDERER CEASE TO ROAM by Vivian Swift and she has a page where she has embroidery. when I saw that I remembered what fun I had embroidering as a child and wanted to work with thread again. Check out the book and her web site for some art fun. If you don't know Vivian Swift, you'll have a new friend.

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    2. That should be WANDERERS.

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  5. You embroidered names on these pockets: WOW! That is SO special!! You definitely know how to celebrate Poetry Month in STYLE!!!

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    1. Oh Janet,
      You have no idea how much fun I'm having with this. The old stitches I learned as a child are coming back and I have the patience now, that I didn't have then, to complete the project.
      I did discover that colored felt tip marking pens work just as well for writing the name on the envelope.
      I just wish I had a group of young kids to start a sewing circle to help them make their own envelope pockets.

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  6. This is awesome! And I see one has my name on it! :-)

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    1. Thanks Ruth,
      How are your embroidery skills?

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  7. What a clever girl you are! There's plenty of room in those pockets for some haiku! I hope you have some to tuck in there! ;-)

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    1. Diane,
      Do you have any old empty pill bottles? I type the haiku and put them in pill bottles. I use an address label for the bottles that says: Here is some poetry for what ails you. Take as many times daily as you have time for.
      I give these little cheer up bottles to friends too.

      Don't get me started. I have so many ways I try to share poetry. It is a lot of fun.

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  8. What a creative way to give poetry gifts this month. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I've also put poems and poetry prompts in the plastic Easter eggs and let children pick one. Then they either write or recite. The plastic eggs are really cheap if you buy them after Easter on sale and save them for a couple of months. If you've got places to hide eggs, you can even have a poetry hunt.

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  9. I love your poetry pockets. I'm going to remember this clever craft.

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    1. I was thinking about you today when I was writing about poems pouring out of me. Those are the really, really good times.

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  10. Replies
    1. And I think I'm so lucky to have poetry friends who know and understand some of the crazy things I like to do. It is always so nice to have friends who like the same things I do--Poetry for Children.
      I appreciate anyone who will take the time to read my writing. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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