In Honor of Mary Oliver

Her words touch my heart and fill me with wonder.  Her belief that poems "mustn't be fancy"  is just one of the many lessons she has taught me about writing.  Her poetry and interviews inspire me to take notice of the small everyday miracles of nature.   I have several collections of her writings on my bookshelf, but this poem has always been my favorite.  Whenever I get discouraged, the last two lines remind me that life is too precious and too amazing to waste.

A big thank you to my friend Trisha of The Miss Rumphius Effect for hosting today.

Thankful for Poetry Friday and LLL

When I think of all the things I am thankful for, this Poetry Friday community is definitely high on my list. Belonging to this group has helped find folks who share my love of poetry.  I’ve met some of you in person and some only on social media, but I cherish each of you.

A wonderful bonus of Poetry Friday is discovering resources that have helped me become a better writer.   I recently finished a class taught by two Poetry Friday poets I have admired for many years: Renee LaTulippe and LauraPurdie Salas.  

The class, Lyrical Language Lab is an intensive 8-week course that kept me learning and  writing every day.  I had taken the class four years ago. It was fantastic, but I was teaching full-time and wasn’t able to fully focus on the lessons.  Now that I’m retired, I wanted to immerse myself in a writing class, and LLL immediately came to mind. 

There are two new features to the course that I especially love.  First of all, Laura joined Renee to co-teach the fall session.  These two EXCELLENT TEACHERS have a VAST KNOWLEDGE of lyrical language and writing resources so I knew I would learn a lot!

Our class was divided into two small groups with Renee and Laura alternating each week between groups. Their positive approach created a no-risk environment where writers could take chances and try new techniques.  I really appreciated that!

The other feature that was a real game-changer for me was the video feedback.   I loved being able to pause  videos and take notes.  I watched many of the videos several times over. The thoughtful and thorough feedback gave me new insights on how an editor might view  my work.  I also learned a lot  by listening to the feedback given on my classmates’ assignments.  Both Renee and Laura interjected a boatload of extra advice from their own experiences as professional writers.

At the end of the course, Renee provided us with a 187 page e-book of the entire course, and I have a binder of feedback notes I can refer to. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from Renee and Laura.  

If you are looking to kick start your writing in 2019, or ramp it up to the next level,  I highly recommend the Lyrical Language Lab. 

A big thank you to my talented and lovely friend Irene for hosting this week. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

THE POETRY OF US

I am thrilled to have a poem in a brand new anthology edited by J Patrick Lewis. THE POETRY OF US: MORE THAN 200 POEMS THAT CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND PASSIONS OF THE UNITED STATES.  The photographs and poems are gorgeous.  What an honor to see my poem among the poems of many of my poetry heroes!

My poem is about Helen Keller. So much has been written about her, I wanted to find something that most people may not know. I did some research and learned there was quite a lot I didn't know about her.   One fact that especially struck me was that she "listened" to the radio. A deaf woman listening to the radio?  How could that be?  I knew this would be the topic of my poem.

I hope "Listening" will inspire children to learn more about Helen Keller.

A big thank you to Tabatha for hosting Poetry Friday on her blog The Opposite of Indifference.

It's a GREAT MORNING! to Announce Winners and Share a Poem

Last week, I shared my poem from GREAT MORNING! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud. You can read more about Janet and Sylvia's wonderful new poetry resource here and my poem here.

One of the things I love about GREAT MORNING! is that the poems are linked thematically to a second poem.  This allows teachers an easy way to add another layer to the morning poem. The poem linked to my "What Does a Reading Specialist Do" is "Secret Worlds" written by the Young People's Poetry Laureate, Margarita Engle!   Her poem has a magical feel that will inspire readers young and old!


Secret Worlds

Please don't worry or fret today.
Just enjoy one page at a time.
Read a story, or poems that rhyme.
Write if you have something to say.

Each book is like a passageway
to secret worlds where you can play.

Reading will take you far away
to mountain peaks that you can climb
or dark swamps filled with thick green slime.
(Read backwards if you lose your way!)

Poem copyright © 2018 by Margarita Engle from GREAT Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong (Pomelo Books)

Did you know that the poetic form Margarita used is a Cuban  décima mirror, or that E is the most frequently used letter in the English language?  These are just two of the many interesting facts I learned from reading  GREAT MORNING!  There is so much to love about this anthology!  You really need to see it for yourself.

Also, be sure to check out the Pomelo Books Pinterest page for lots of beautiful digital postcards like this one.

Congratulations to Christie Wyman, Donna Smith, and Linda Mitchell , winners of a copy of GREAT MORNING! Please send your address to me at: lindakulptrout@gmail.com.

A big thank you to Christie at Wondering and Wandering for hosting today.

It's a GREAT MORNING for a Giveaway!

I’m excited to share GREAT MORNING! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.  If you haven't heard about this wonderful resource, check out Catherine Flynn's very informative post on her blog Reading to the Core  and on Sylvia's blog Poetry for  Children.  

I love the idea behind this book.  Imagine an entire school starting off the day by sharing a poem! Research has shown that morning announcements set the tone for the day and help build a sense of community.  The poems in GREAT MORNING! are perfect for the building bridges that lead to deeper connections and understanding.  Poetry is a powerful way to start the day!

I am honored to have a poem included in GREAT MORNING!  I spent the last five years of my teaching career as a reading intervention specialist so it means a lot to me to contribute this poem.

What a thrill it was to see the video with Sylvia and Janet reading the book excerpt and my poem at the ILA conference! You can check out the video starring these two fabulous ladies here.   

Now to the giveaway! Thanks to the generosity of Janet and Sylvia (who are two of the most generous people on the planet), 3 lucky readers will win a copy of  GREAT MORNING!. If you would like to be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment by August 15.  If you would like to increase your chances of winning, become a follower of my blog, and you will be entered twice!   Good luck and have a GREAT MORNING!

A big thank you to Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for hosting today. Be sure to stop by and read her lovely sonnet.

Popsicles!

Several years ago, I took a wonderful poetry class taught by the very talented Heidi Roemer.  Heidi is an excellent teacher who gives lots of helpful feedback.  I'm so grateful for the lessons I learned from her. I wrote a bunch of poems during the class, but I never did anything with them.

A couple of months ago, while organizing my file cabinet, I found a folder with the poems. They had been tucked away for so long, I had forgotten about them.

I revised a few and sent them off to magazines.  One was accepted by Spider Magazine and one by Bumples Magazine.  Yay!

With it being so hot out lately, I thought it would be fun to share "Popsicles."  It was published last spring in Bumples with these cute illustrations.  

Now go grab a popsicle and head over to Heidi's place for more poetry fun!  Have a great weekend!

A FATHER'S DAY POEM

My sons were fortunate to grow up with a wonderful father who always found time for them and put their needs ahead of his own.  He made a positive difference in their lives.

Now that my son Tim is a father, I see many of the same qualities in him.  Even with a demanding career, he finds time to play games, do crafts, create new recipes, and do lots of other fun things with his children.

Sadly, not all children are so lucky.  It is heartbreaking to think about children who are growing up without knowing their dad. Father's Day can be a difficult and lonely time for them.  I wrote this poem for them.


Father’s Day

I don’t remember him.

(He left when I was three.)

He never ever calls.

He never visits me.

I hug my pillow close

pretending it’s my dad.

Growing up without him—

makes my heart feel sad.

If he were here with me,

I know what I would say:

I still love you, Daddy.

Happy Father’s Day.

-Linda Kulp Trout

A big thank you to Karen for hosting Poetry Friday this week.