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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, July 10, 2015

Rounds

Pedal, pedal, pedal your bike
down the dusty road.
Try to miss the speeding cars
and do not hit that toad.


Fly, fly, fly your kite
higher in the sky.
Let it out, or reel it in.
Tug the string and try.

Blow, blow, blow it out,
bubbles in the pool.
Swimming on a summer day
is how we all stay cool.

    When I was a young girl, my elementary school was all enclosed with a central hallway going off in two directions from the large main entry.  Every Friday afternoon, we would gather in the hall and sit on the floor.  The lucky students got to use the wall for a backrest.  One of the teachers would wheel and push her piano out into the hall and we would have a hall sing.  Because I wore dresses to school, the tiles in the hall felt cool on my bare legs on hot days.  I grew up in the desert so this cool was a welcome treat.  I learned to sing lots of songs during hall sing.  My favorites were the rounds, when teachers would divide us into groups and we'd each start the song at a different time.  The three poems I've written for today are Rounds, based on Row, Row, Row Your Boat.  For your poetry challenge today, can you try writing your own round? What words can you substitute for other songs?  

    The Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by The Logonauts.  Follow their links for more things poetic.  

Writing children's poetry can change how you see the world.  Share your vision.  

13 comments:

  1. Your poem is a perfect picture of summer. I've had to try to avoid hitting many little things on the road, including snakes!

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    1. Yes, I have to watch out for snakes too. Even when they are dead by the side of the road, I jump when I first see them.

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  2. I love the connection between songs and poetry! My students made a tune for one of their poems this year, and it was funny how it launched them into this whole series of new "verses." Thanks for sharing with Poetry Friday!

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    1. Katie, thanks for hosting us this week. I really enjoyed all the resources with your post.

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  3. These are fun! And I love the idea of a hall sing!

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    1. I've got to figure out some way for us all to have a hall sing some Friday. It could be fun ;-)

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  4. Great use of repetition. I never heard of a hall sing, but it sounds like fun. Thanks for the poem and the story.

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    1. Hey Rosi,
      Good to see you here. How is your summer going?

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  5. Joy,
    I enjoyed singing these. Thanks! You were blessed to have had hall sings. I used to work as a teacher assistant and a first grade teacher who gathered her students for songs, poetry, drama, dance at the close of each school day. Such fun!

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    1. I've been having fun thinking of other verses and other songs to use.

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  6. What a great memory -- hall sings!

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  7. Always a good idea to entice all outdoors on a summer afternoon!

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  8. Joy, still reading PF posts. You've made me laugh reading this one & I will be sure to teach it to my granddaughters, who also love 'row, row, row your boat'. These are all the happy things of summer. My oldest just learned how to ride her bike!

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