A very special thank you to our February Open Write hosts: Donnetta, Stacey, Britt, Amber, and Seana. We are so grateful for your generosity of time and heart in creating these prompts for us and taking good care of our words. We will see you all back here March 15th, and then all of April for Verselove.
Our Host
Seana Hurd Wright is an Elementary Educator in Los Angeles and has been teaching 34 years. Retirement in the next few years is definitely on her horizon. She enjoys spending time with her adventurous young adult daughters, husband, Sister-friends, and likes to do puzzles, read, write, travel, cook, and walk at the beach.
Inspiration and Process
Who are your favorite characters in stories you’ve read? Are there any that inspired you, spoke to you, seemed to be writing with you in mind? Think of characters who possess complex personalities, tell compelling backstories, and have admirable qualities that draw readers in emotionally. What books did you wish you had been a part of ?
Identify a character/s that you loved, wanted to embody or wanted to get rid of in a story. Tell how they spoke to you, changed your life, or urged you to make some changes to your outlook or personality. Maybe there’s a character who would have made the book marvelous, if they hadn’t been a part of it. Or identify how a character should have behaved better or used their voice in a more constructive way.
Enjoy yourself today with the prompt or write whatever you’d like.
Seana’s Poem
Charlotte and Fern
When Fern ran to her dad and wrestled with him, pulling that ax out of his hands, I knew we were kindred spirits.
My second grade year was somewhat tumultuous for a few reasons.
However, a significant Oasis was hearing my teacher read to us daily after lunch. Between my vivid imagination, her voice intonations, and the drawings that seemed to come alive, Charlotte and Fern became my best friends and confidants, in my imagination.
At that time, the concept of an insect saving the life of a pig and Fern talking to and understanding “animal speak” was as normal to me as walking down the street.
I was in that barn daily from 1:00- 1:30 after lunch listening to the animals’ conversations and saving Wilbur’s life along with Charlotte. We were a team in my mind. The animals and conversations in the barn reminded me of my grandfather’s backyard in Texas.
One day, I was sick with a nasty cold and had to stay home and miss the story, although Idid beg my mother to let me go to school. Thankfully my friend filled me in the next day. I was heartbroken with the ending of the book but somehow understood that Wilbur’s life was saved due to the strength of Fern and Charlotte.
That perfect story opened a door for me and at 7, I was introduced to the idea that books are able to save your life, to some degree, and mental health. I was labeled a “bookworm” as a child by my family and friends and was never offended by that term.
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. Also, please respond to at least 3 poets.
For Logan
By Mo Daley 2/19/25
A fever, a cough, a little runny nose
Headaches and tiredness down to your toes
Day care doesn’t want you, my sweet little chap
So come stay with Mamo, right in my lap
We’ll read Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site
Five or six times, until you feel right
You’ll point out the forklift, backhoe, and excavator
And show me the compacter, loader, and freighter
We’ll make loud noises like a dump truck’s rumble
Until your eyes close and off to bed you stumble
Tomorrow’s a new day and you’ll feel great
But I’ll sure miss my reading construction mate
Oh, how cute but sad for your little darling. I hope he feels better soon. Your poem reminded me of a bedtime story, such a feel-good message.
💛
Mo,
This is so sweet. My friend, this poem needs to be a picture book. I can envision it, perhaps w/ a few more poems about your “reading construction mate.” I love it so much!
Saturday Cereal
Where are you?
deep inside,
with
a cape on my back,
so I can glide?
A web from my hand,
two fingers out,
a roar of a lion,
Or a six year old shout?
A stick sword,
Like He-Man,
fruit of loom kicks,
off the tv stand.
Look for treasure,
And bad guys,
use puddle mud,
for predator disguise.
I am all of the characters,
wrap up in one,
still locked inside,
still having fun!
Oh, this is so fun. “I am all of the characters.” Thanks for bringing me back to He-man!
Awww, man, how I’d forgotten the cereal box surprises and He-Man! You took me all the way back in time to a very special and happy place. The ending stanza is priceless.
Clayton, I love the imagery of your poem! Thanks for this. You reminded me of my younger brother who ran around in his fruit of…
Hi Seana,
This was fun! I wanted to spend time thinking about the character for my poem but kept coming back to Caroline from The Land. We just read the part when she smacked a young woman for talking trash about her man. LOL. I have to stick with my gut and give this Skinny poem to Caroline. Love a woman who can talk the talk and walk the walk!
Caroline is sassy with a mean right jab
Bold
Beautiful
Gifted
Healer
Bold
Sister
Fighter
Daughter
Bold
A mean right jab with sassy is Caroline
© Stacey L. Joy, 2/19/25
I have not read this! But, I now want to. Bold character? Yes, please and thank you!
It’s the prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and it is PHENOMENAL!!
Stacey,
Way to bring in the skinny for this one. I think I am in awe, admiration, and a little scaref of Caroline with her “mean right jab.”
Sarah
Hi Stacey, I also haven’t read the Land. I guess I’m gonna add it to my list of books to read next year. Thanks
Pre-read and enjoy it! You will have to do some lessons on the N word if parents will have issues. Even if you don’t read Roll of Thunder afterwards, it’s still an incredible novel. I will never NOT read it with my students.
I read The Land when it first came out; maybe I owe it a reread.
Thank you for sharing your poem. The Skinny form is one of my favorites when I’m short on time.
Stacey,
Girl has to defend herself, right? i love some sassy sister poems, especially these days.
Seana, thanks for hosting today. One of my favorite roles to protray is the Wicked Witch of the West. I can almost without fail deliver a supreme cackle. I’ve also been the evil stepmother in Snow White. Anyway, it’s all for fun. I chose to use a tri cube form today. Of course, my heart melts at the word Charlotte and sometimes I’m not too evil.
Wicked Witch
evil queens
witches, green
fill my dreams
poisoned fruit
fiery brooms
toxic spells
devilish
females rule—
supremely
Barb Edler
19 February 2025
Barb,
This brings me back. I am glad it still has a place in your heart. I can hear it right now! I like the assonance in the first two stanzas.
Barb, why does this have to be true only in fiction? 🙂
In our time, we’re not seeking supremacy, just respectful equality.
Come on guys. If it were not for us females, you not even exist! 🙂
Even male-to-female transgenders cannot have babies. Okay, I’ll step down and be seated!
Barb,
I love both the form and the poem. The second line reminds me of the Weird Sisters in the play that shall not be named, aka, the Scottish play. I’d like to cast some of those “toxic spells” on the orange one. And I’m here for the “female rule—“ of all things. Lord knows the world would be different w/ it. Thanks for inspiring me today.
oooooh! A tri-cube really sharpens the wickeness. A great form choice for today. And, you really can’t go wrong with “the” Wicked Witch or “a” Wicked Witch.
Barb,
Your preface to the poem felt like a poem itself. You made me smile there and then again throughout the phrases of “fiery brooms” and yes “females rule”! I’d love to see you in this role performing live.
Peace,
Sarah
We sold all rule supreme!
Thanks Barb, yes the wicked witch did have some redeeming qualities. They chose to portray her negatively.
Glad the new Wicked is helping her image. I loved the last 3 lines.
Barb,
I can imagine you delivering the “supreme cackle.” I love it. I don’t think I’ve written a tri cube poem before. It seems perfect for the quick wit of the wicked witch!
Barb, I love imagining you as the Wicked Witch of the West and the evil stepmother. I’d like to hear that supreme cackle! This last stanza is perfect. I love the word supremely here.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
She could cure anything
and she made it seem fun!
Second grade,
every Tuesday,
another problem solved
by this hero.
I thought my mom should meet her;
she could use
all the help
to deal with
my sister.
Thank you, Seana, for sending my back to my childhood. I STILL have strong memories of the school librarian reading the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle stories to us after lunch, every Tuesday of second grade. So strong, that I searched out an original copy of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (the original book) to read to my daughter. About 6 months later, I found Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure by Ann Martin and Annie Parnell. Annie Parnell is the great-granddaughter of Betty McDonald (author of the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle stories). I was so excited to see these new adventures (Missy is house sitting for her great-aunt in the first book) for a new generation. Sadly, my daughter did not love them they way I loved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle back in the 1970s.
Jennifer, what a fun poem. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was one of my favorites, too. I love how you tie in your sister to the poem. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle seemed to make the world right that is for sure!
How funny!!! I imagine my sister would’ve been the voice behind your poem, hoping someone would come and fix me🤣🤣. I absolutely love this.
Thanks Jennifer. Like your daughter, I wasn’t a huge fan of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle because she seemed to work too hard. I enjoyed your poem though.
Seana, thanks for hosting and for making me think about beloved characters in literature. I also love Charlotte and Wibur. To channel, Charlotte: Some Poem!
Of course I had to write about my namesake, even though the spelling differs. And I must give a nod to Barb who reminded me of my choice.
Fairy Godmother
Glinda, be-
witched namesake
Quadling queen
wise leader
mentor, guide
wishes grant
Silver Shoes
gifted show
Dorothy home
—Glenda Funk
2-19-25
Of course, you would be the “good witch”! Love the silver shoes and Dorothy home. You are definitely a wise leader and guide! Fun poem!
Glenda,
I love that you and Barb are covering the movie so well. I need to hear your voice as Glenda, as Barb has a pretty good grasp of the evil witch.
Glenda, Bravo!! my favorite lines were, “wise leader
mentor, guide
wishes grant” I feel like that probably describes you perfectly.
thank you !
‘
One of my favorite witches! One of my favorite poets, you! 💕
Oh, my, did you and Barb coordinate these two tricubes today? So good. I like the details from the book you add, like Quadling and the silver shoes. I like your name’s spelling better. 🙂
Seana, it’s been a delight to think about the book characters who have blessed me. So many, and I’m so thankful for all the reading I’ve done over a lifetime. When asked about favorite characters, I tend to go back to my favorite E.B. White character. Nowadays, we need people like him more than ever.
Brave and bold
Tenacious and honest
Uncompromisingly courageous
Humble and intelligent
I wish more people were
like Louis the Swan
Denise,
Reading your poem I’m reminded of all the ways poems lift my spirit and help me overcome feeling defeated. I love every adjective in your poem. All good rising to the top!
Denise, I agree we need more people like Louis the Swan. Wonderful word choices to capture the wonderful qualities we look for in others. I especially appreciate tenacity and humbleness. Thanks for sharing such an insightful poem!
Oh, Louis! What a beautiful ode to Louis. Gosh, this tugs on my heartstrings.
I wish we had a world of Louis-like humans. Somewhere along the way, integrity seems to have gone by the wayside, and the humble are few and far between. It’s why I can’t turn on the news. Your poem says so much in these lines.
Thank you, Seana! Thank you, Donnetta, Stacey, Britt, and Amber! I am nourished by these five days of poetry writing.
Abi Daré, The Girl with the Louding Voice
watching Adunni fly
over one hurdle after
another in pursuit
of an education
she remains joyful &
resourceful despite
endless hardships
no one and nothing
silences her voice
Maureen, I just added Adunni’s story to my want to read list. Thank you. “no one and nothing” is such a powerful line.
Maureen,
Yes! Adunni is an inspiring character. And as your poem notes, she doesn’t let life’s hurdles get in the way of her dreams. I love the celebration of female voice in your poem and in the novel.
Maureen, I adore the fluency of your poem and how you clearly show Audnni’s determination despite the hardships she has faced. “nothing/silences her voice” are the perfect closing words.
Maureen, again, the poems today are such a fun way to introduce characters and books that need to be read. I absolutely love “nothing silences her voice.”
Thank you Seana for hosting today. Reading is an escape for me and sometimes I wish I could trade places with the characters. Charlotte’s Web is a classic and the Fern and Charlotte are hopeful jewels and creative heroes in that story. When you describe your Oasis as that memory in your 2nd-grade classroom with your teacher, I am reminded of the few teachers who made a difference in my life. I had my 20-year class reunion last October and one of my teachers shared a book she would read to us. I was catapulted back some years ago because the memory she shared was so vivid.
I am reading a current series and feel compelled to write about Coyote fka Ella, from Coyote Sunrise and Coyote Lost and Found (currently reading) by Dan Gemeinhart. This girl is something special: a quickwitted fireball who somehow gets her way. A free-spirited nomad with a pet cat named Ivan.
Not Just a Girl
Coyote Sunrise.
A beacon of hope,
Her dad’s keeper.
A free-style thrift store fashionista
at only 12 years of age.
She lives life fully to the brim,
only having walked this earth a decade plus two years.
Having lost her mom and two sisters
in a car accident.
Now it’s just her and her dad, Rodeo
on the road
in a bus called Yager,
again and again.
Mostly wholesome adventures,
a major run-in with the law,
and a great cross-country treasure hunt
with strangers and animals along the way,
Don’t forget her incredible Ivan, a willing stowaway.
She reminds me of Punky Brewster
or Pippy Longstocking.
She’s determined and strong-willed,
secretly sensitive and wildly kind-hearted.
She chooses her slurpies wisely
and her friends loosely.
Coyote Sunrise, a brilliant diamond.
So many wonderful word choices here; a wonderful poem. “A free-style thrift store fashionista” – the alliteration is so fun. I am smiling at
Thank you Maureen, it was just a spark of creativity during this mundane moment stuck in the house.
Oh, Jessica, such a sweet poetic recap of Coyote. I had forgotten about her until I read this. I’m glad Kim picked this book for our book club last year, or I may not have found it. Now you’ve introduced me to the second book. Thank you! I love in your poem “a brilliant diamond” and the way she chose her slurpies carefully but friends loosely.
Yes Denise! I need to make note of how I found these books. That seems so long ago. I just had to read the sequel. And when I tell you this adventure is just as good as the last….I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s Deidre been a book I haven’t want to put down, but because of “adulting” I must. My goal is to finish it this week.
Jessica, I read the first book about Coyote Sunrise earlier this year. She is definitely one to admire. Love your closing metaphor because she did shine so brightly. Nice job of choosing important details to reflect the adventures she faces as well as Coyote’s personality.
Thank you Barb. Coyote is definitely a character I won’t forget! I wish I had some of her qualities.
Hi Jessica,
Your character sounds like someone I would love to get to know. I think writing about our favorite characters through poetry is also a great way to introduce readers to books we might consider reading. Thank you for sharing this lovely Coyote Sunshine with us.
Stacey Joy, you must read these books! You just gave me another idea of something to do in the classroom. Thank you!
One of m favorite stories! Truly, a brilliant diamond!
It is an enjoyable read. Thank you Gayle!
Jessica, I love Coyote Sunrise! You inspire me to read the second book, which I bought with every intention of reading it but got busy – – and now, this favorite young traveler and I have some adventuring to do between the pages of the sequel! Thank you for bringing her back to me today,.
Kim, Denise reminded me that it was you who introduced it to us. I wish I could’ve read more while I was off from work, but so far it’s like picking back up where we last left off. I wish I was riding along with them on Yager.
Jessica, thank you for the awesome entry today. I wrote the title and will add it to my list of books to read.
You’re welcome Seana. You’ll enjoy it! Thank you for hosting and giving me an idea to use as a lesson.
Salt: The Absent Character
There were two tools this character
borrowed from the frozen summer gear pile
seasonally forgotten in the corner of the garage:
Rocked sand remains in a plastic bag
offered hope; a garden shovel signaled a
possible separation. Why would he wear
shorts and a t-shirt on an 8-degree day?
What’s with guys and summer attire
for Ford F150 ice skating lessons? I watched them:
the sandbag waiting in the snow pile as
he nudged the shovel under a tire,
the black Sketchers sliding toward
some elusive leverage. I pulled on my Sorel boots
my parka, too. I thought I’d try to help,
but then thought better to not make this
a couple’s skate. He might grasp me for
leverage, trap me under the carriage.
Of course, sand and shovel, my two
northern buddies saved the day, but
I wondered how this would have played out
if the protagonist of it all were salt.
What a scene you paint here – just fabulous. “the black Sketchers sliding toward
some elusive leverage.” hahaha, and then that word leverage pops ups again, adding mystery and suspense “He might grasp me for
leverage, trap me under the carriage”
Sarah, it will be interesting to learn if your students who’ve only lived in warm climates get this! This dilemma reminds of the teaching challenge when we assume all in the class understand allusions and metaphors that are cultural, racial or regional. Thanks for the poem and the reminder to pre-teach some facts in our texts.
I didn’t read the title until I finished the poem. The northerner in me burst out laughing when I put it all together! This line—better to not make this /a couple’s skate Is classic!
Hi Seana ~ I too live with my favorite characters as if they are friends and while I’ve never been too fond of spiders, Charlotte was an exception, You’ve captured the best moments of elementary school! I have many favorite characters who’ve lingered with me but none so much as Ben & The Green Curdoroy Angel.
I knew just how Ben felt,
alone in his room,
put there to think why
he couldn’t get along
with his older brother.
I knew just how he felt,
his brother so sure of himself,
better at just about everything.
When the beam of light
with red boots and a melty voice
offered to take Ben
someplace else, someplace
where they’ d be back
even before they left,
I wanted to go too.
The light told Ben to close his eyes,
tight as tight
until he saw the colors start,
and to think about love
because love was the way to get there.
At night, in my bed
with the princess headboard,
I’d close my eyes
tight as tight until I saw
the colors start
and I’d think of love,
the warm, strong safe kind.
There are so many people
more powerful than me,
so sure of themselves
with louder voices,
and more sparkling words,
but I often think of Ben
and the Green Corduroy Angel,
I think of that beam of light
with the red boots
and melty voice…
I remember Rule 4 in the Guardian Angel
Handbook of Rules:
People who don’t like themselves
and won’t be themselves,
end up being nothing.
Then I close my eyes tight as tight
until I see the colors start,
and I think of love
because love is the way to get there,.
I think I need to read this book! “Because love is the way to get there”. Yes!
“I knew just how he felt,” – I think this is exactly how great books affect us, where we hold onto the characters, internalizing their actions and emotions.
Ah, Ann! I Googled this title to see more about it and up popped a post you’d made awhile back featuring 18 summer reading books for strong girls. It was great to see your picture after reading your poem that sparks interest in this book I’ve never read. I love that there exists a guardian angel’s handbook of rules somewhere – – like a set of guidelines for the superpower protectors. Fabulous!
Ann, you’ve painted such a vivid picture in your poem.. Thanks for this entry and I will check out this book.
Thank you go all those that have given me prompts this month. I look forward to this and it keeps my mind engaged. You are all appreciated.
Grasshopper on the Road
by A. Lobel
Going on a long and dusty
Road
Adventurous
Spirit won’t conform
Sunny all times of day
Hopping and hoping for something unusual
Only stopping to help cross the road
Praising others
Planning to do something new each day
Every day anything different
Rivers, mountains, and moon
On every day of your life
New things to see
Time to slow down, sees the sunsets
Helps a mosquito, so small
Exploring wherever he goes
Rules needing compromise
On a muddy, dusty road
Alone, keeps going
Determined
What a clever idea to go with the acrostic! It really moved me to do a couple of readings, one slowly down and then the other across and down, much like a grasshopper moving. A lovely way to embody the subject, I think. Determined.
Sarah
Susan, the acrostic is so fitting for this poem – – and I can see students loving it, too! My favorite line of all: Time to slow down, see the sunsets. Lovely!
Hindustan. This sounds like a wonderful life, doesn’t it? The form really fits the subject, too. Every day anything different
Rivers, mountains, and moon
is my favorite line.
Reading Animal Farm in 2025
Each time I read it
–and I read it every year–
I despise Benjamin more.
I used to see him
friend to Boxer
as staid, benign.
He holds himself
above the fray:
“Donkeys live a long time;
“You’ve never seen
a dead donkey”
refusing to engage.
But then, when Boxer
is hauled to the knacker,
it is Benjamin who blames
the others: “Fools!
Fools!” Yet it is he
with intelligence
who saw the coup
unfolding and chose
to look away.
Allison,
Oh, I love this contemplation and analysis of Benjamin and Boxer with quotes, too. And, of course, this rings, resonates, resounds for today. Evidence of coup everywhere. Am I looking away?
Sarah
Allison, thank you. Today my husband downloaded Animal Farm and 1984.
We are going to read them again. I’ll pay special attention to Benjamin. I’m trying not to look away.
Allison,
Im glad to see you’re teaching Animal Farm. Kids read it here, too. Yes, Benjamin saw and said nothing. I have so much disdain for those Benjamin’s among us.
Allison, your poem reflects the problem with people who do not want to pay attention to the news today. I love how you inserted specific quotes from the novel. Your poem flows effectively, keenly showing the problem with not saying anything and “refusing to engage”. Powerful!!
Allison, yes, yes, and yes! “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel. (And I love how revisiting a work of literature again and again can change depending on how we change and how life changes around us. I’ve noticed this, too! I feel seen, lol. Thank you!)
Seana, it was interesting to consider a character to feature in a poem today. I chose Hester Prynne, who speaks to us today.
Guys, Watch Out!
I yearned to speak
I only let my daughter peak
But didn’t have the nerve
Speaking up would not have altered the curve.
Wearing that Scarlet Letter
Didn’t make things better
Except for the men in town
They wouldn’t let me stay around.
Why did I have to stay quiet
While men walked around hi-hat!
It wasn’t really my fault
Let’s bring this stuff to a halt.
The men need to learn.
When women yearn
Our voices, you’d better not spurn!
We may cry and die
But our story will be dropping by.
Anna, What a lovely, wise poem here to offer readers some of the key lessons. Love that last stanza especially in “When women year/Our voices” and I read this alone and in the context of the other lines. The yearning for our voices, to be heard, and then what our cries are saying to the world — that our stories will be told and heard. Lots here to unpack.
Sarah
Anna, this is powerful! Your last stanza resonates with me. “The men need to learn…” If only they would listen to us! Women are far more valuable to this society than we are given credit. To have been marked with that scarlet ‘A’, meanwhile, all other people’s sins and shortcomings were swept under the rug. Thank you for sharing.
Anna, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly and perfectly you rhyme these words. I have always felt terrible for Hester. Even in high school when I read the book, I knew she was just in the wrong town but hadn’t committed a crime.
The whole poem is just perfect, but the last stanza is sublime and so true.
Seana,
I love this prompt so much and will most definitely revisit it. I was feeling protective of some of my fave protagonists and couldn’t choose just one.
The People We Meet
People—
some who lived
real lives,
others who were
crafted from an author’s
creative genius—
who grabbed me by the hand
and took me on a journey
alongside them.
All bound by circumstance
ushered me through
their experiences…
cancer
immigration
gender
war
persecution
encampment
ALS
trauma
sexuality
poverty
disability
being orphaned
facing challenges of pioneer life…
Hazel Grace and Augustus
Enza and Ciro
Isra and Deya
Vianne and Isabel
Anne
Elie
Morrie
Tom and Savannah
Evelyn
Demon
Patch
Jessie, Henry, Violet, Benny
Half-pint
Just a sampling of the people
who took me places
and grew my empathy,
helping me navigate life
from a place of
knowledge,
kindness,
and
compassion
via
The Fault in Our Stars
The Shoemaker’s Wife
A Woman Is No Man
The Nightingale
The Diary of a Young Girl
Night
Tuesdays with Morrie
The Prince of Tides
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Demon Copperhead
All the Colors of the Dark
The Boxcar Children
Little House on the Prairie
Just a few of the hundreds
I couldn’t choose just one.
~Susan Ahlbrand
19 February 2025
Yes, Susan! What a great take on this prompt to be protective of our beloved protagonists. I loved seeing a stanza of book titles italicized — naming a “few of the hundreds”!
Sarah
Well Susan, you’ve given me a mini reading list for a few books I’ve not yet read or read too long ago and should read again. You are right— books teach us empathy, they take us by the hand and lead us to places we’ve never been or help us to frame the heaviness in our heart from difficult places we’ve truly visited. I love this tribute to all of them…
Susan, a great author knows their readers and creates characters we can relate to. Your lines are what make me love books:
“who grabbed me by the hand
and took me on a journey
alongside them.”
I’m glad you couldn’t choose just one. Most of the series I’ve never read, but I do have Tuesdays with Morrie on my shelf that my aunt gifted to me. I need to pick it back up. Thank you for sharing.
Susan, I love the format here, first the issues they guided you through, then the names of the beloved characters and them the titles. Bravo! I saw a few new recommendations to look up.
Susan,
I should have picked up on more of the references than I did. I love that you have such a list of characters, as we are influenced so much by the heroes of our growing up. There is so much we learn to overcome and survive through, even before the horror of middle school. Nicely done.
Susan,
I love how you zoomed out and moved us from considering the authors’ skills and the different types of writing to issues to characters to book titles. What a journey! A great set of lists. I’m also a big fan of Demon and those boxcar kids. I enjoyed rereading your poem and seeing which issue and character(s) you identified from each text. Great structure!
I love this–a whole neighborhood of people from your books. This poem is a keeper!
Oh, how I love the way you put the titles at the end in parallel sequence to the issues and characters of the books that took you places. Creative and clever indeed!. I need to get reading – – there are several on your list that pique my interest. As I type this, my sister in law is sitting next to me reading Demon Copperhead. I’m not so into my book for my book club – – Mother-Daughter Murder Night. I am hoping it picks up some speed. I like how you structured your poem.
Susan, I love this! Such a great list of texts and characters and lessons! And I totally agree with you: these are “[j]ust a few of the hundreds” that could have been chosen. There’s so much great literature out there!
I’ve said this
before and I’ll
say it again:
the world’s
literature would
be better (or
at least less
melancholy)
if the authors
incorporated
more dogs in
their texts.
Now, don’t come at me
with Atticus Finch
and his rabid dog
or King’s Cujo, or
Old Yeller, and I
sure as hell don’t
give a flyin’ flip
where the red
fern grows.
I don’t want to hear it.
I’m just tired of
“Canine Death
As Plot Device.”
Again, I know this
idea isn’t foolproof
because didn’t
Troy Maxson
from Fences have
a dog – Old Blue –
and he still turned out
the way he did.
I’m just saying that
I think Death of a Salesman
would have 100%
turned out differently
if Willy Loman had
a fur baby that he
doted on and cared for,
one that looked up to him
with unapologetic loyalty
and love
and Raskolnikov
might not have
committed “The
Deed” if Dostoevsky
had given him a
Pomeranian
or Snickerdoodle
and what about
Hamlet the Dane
with his own
Great Dane?
(Can you imagine,
like I can, the “Alas,
poor Yorick” scene
if Hamlet and Horatio
had to play “keep away”
with the skull because
Little Furry Hamlet
(of course his name
would be Hamlet, too)
would be wanting
to play, knowing that
“The cat will mew and
dog will have his day.”)
I’m just sayin’.
___________________________________________
Seana, thank you for your prompt and your mentor poem today! I, like you, firmly believe that “books are able to save your life.” This is such a truth!
Scott,
Your expertise exudes in this poem. Such deep knowledge of literature that comes from teaching and reading with youth for so many years and with such care and respect for books and their readers.
Sarah
As always, Scott . . . genius. You use your customary humor and beloved dogs to make commentary on some famous pieces of literature.
Well done!
Scott— I believe in dogs! I agree with all these changes— especially the keep away!
Seana,
your poem brought me write back to elementary school and waiting eagerly for the best part of the day, read aloud. Thank you.
I can feel your agony and indignity at having to stay home sick and miss a chapter.
The prompt brought to mind so many complex characters I admire, but I sought solace in returning to the comfort of Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time series. This was so fun. I’ll have to revisit this prompt to think more about some of the challenging characters I love.
Thanks, fellow bookworm, for this cozy invitation. I wish I could stay home today and reread, but writing about these characters —and reading about everyone else’s—is a good compromise.
Thanks, all, for another lovely week of writing and community. I’ll miss y’all, but am excited to report that next time we meet I’ll be on spring break!
My People
Meg grew restless
in her small attic room
winds squabbling
just as they are for me now
she wandered downstairs
for warm milk
and her Mom and Charles Wallace
knew to meet her there
and offer wordless comfort
her Mom cooked dinner in her lab
while running experiments
Meg befriended Calvin
a sport of a different sort
she stood ready
to receive the strange wisdom
of Mrs. Who, Which, as Whatsit
she and Charles Wallace traveled to another dimension
defeating the groupthink of Camazotz
with their love and quirky individualism
refusing to join the children
eerily bouncing their balls in unison
she talked with her parents of tesseracts—
tesseracts!
and mitochondria
sending me to that row of red Encyclopedia Brittanicas to learn more
she looked at the wide, starry sky
from a flat, flat rock
that sent her traveling through time
to solve a problem
that I can’t quite remember
but I can remember
the crack in our friendship
when I traded books with Martha
who had not yet become Marti and mean
I was utterly disappointed by the monotony
of life on the prairie
and she was baffled by my weird science-loving friends
Sharon, I love the narration of your poem. I love the focus on action and how well you reveal the setting and your preference for a sci-fi story rather than the series Little House on the Prairie. I really appreciated your line “eerily bouncing their balls in unison”. Brilliant poem!
Sharon, what fun! Your form brings the characters alive and the action and plot draw me right in! The wrinkle in time and the crack in the friendship are lines that can be seen and felt here.
Ooh, that last stanza! That feels so real to me. I love that Martha hadn’t yet become Marti. That line speaks volumes!
Seana, thank you for hosting us today and bringing back the magic and innocence of childhood. I adore that you took a prose poem format today – it’s so rarely used, and oh, so powerful. I remember reading You are No Longer in Trouble in this format several summers ago and getting wrapped up in the entire book. Your poem shares the opening scenes of one of the most beloved books of all time. Thank you! Mine will not format exactly, I’m sure, but it is an etheree up, down to form a diamond shape.
Christopher Robin for President
I
wore the
shirts growing
up, emblazoned
with Winnie the Pooh
Sears Catalog clothing
of the Hundred Acre Wood
where Christopher Robin’s friends
diverse as they were, got along
and I want to start a shirt movement:
let’s all move to the Hundred Acre Wood
(which doesn’t need to be made great again)
because it never lost its friendship
nor its caring for others, nor
its giving more than it it took
you see, those characters
had embracing hearts
who knew how to
keep focus
on what
lasts
Kim,
Thank you for the invitation. Count me in.
I remember inheriting a well-worn, red hardback copy of The House at Pooh Corner and remember being confused that it came in the form of a book for grown-ups.
KIm, I started reading your poem because of its shape and I didn’t look at the title until I was finished. The poem has a great message but the title really puts in in perspective. I hope the world and it’s leaders can have embracing hearts.
This is lovely, Kim! Yes, Let’s all move to the the Hundred Acre Wood…where it never lost its friendship…its caring, it’s giving more than it took…characters with embracing hearts…my heart aches for all that!
Absolutely perfect, Kim! Couldn’t love the entire concept more, especially this line:
Kim, this is formatted perfectly! “Sear Catalog clothing”-oh what a memory! And I’m ready Christopher Robin, to move to the Hundred Acre Wood because I too agree, “doesn’t need to be made great again.” I’m not an “outdoorsy” person, but if I could be able to spend the rest of my life in this hopeful fantasy, I would! A place, that “never lost its friendship.” Thank you for sharing.
I love this! And, I want to live in this world. There are so many lovely aspects to the 100 acre Woods. Yes, let’s keep focus on the good.
Kim, I love the effortless flow here in your double reverse etheree (I wrote one, too, on Sunday!) and the message of The Hundred Acre Wood never losing its friendship or its caring for others. Methinks one would need to get rid of politics entirely for such a utopia to occur.
Oh, so sweet. I have memories of my nephews and their Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh decorated nursery when they were little (I was too, actually. They are just a few years younger than me.) I like how your poem begins with the physical and tangible, and then ends with the more important inner qualities of what lasts.
Seana,
Thank you for the prompt. I have been listening to Jimmy Buffet a lot the last couple of days, and though he is not a fictional character, he had that same swagger that a protagonist would have. This one is for Jimmy, and his role in my past…I think I wrote it almost twenty years ago…Feels like yesterday.
TRICKSTER MEMORIES
Loving Jimmy in my classroom on a snow day,
he takes me by the hand through the cinder block walls
like the ghost of Christmas future,
and we swim through steel drum melody.
I remember Juicy Fruit,
how the gum tastes,
and the sound of the rapids at night
down Firehole Canyon Drive.
I know Paris 20 years before my visit,
the melancholy of loss,
and a rich dog growing old
surrounded by the scent of bacon.
He flies me over the Snow Lodge cabins,
and we land softly in 1986,
a younger me drinking hurricanes, Old Style, and
waking fuzzy to eat pride.
I am the son of a sailor, a pirate, a father
to a little girl I have yet to see,
ensnared in melodies, redeemed and robbed,
salty and sanctified,
whole, and almost gone.
Oh my, I haven’t thought of Juicy Fruit in forever, and I taste it again in this instant. I love the notion of Jimmy B. as the ghost of Christmas future, and your foretelling of being “father to a little girl I’ve yet to see,” then being “salty and sanctified” – glorious wording. Music is the universal language; it transports and transcends. Powerful poem, Rex.
Rex, I’m a fan of Buffett and particularly love the picture book he wrote with his daughter, Savannah. It’s The Jolly Mon, and it’s about the constellations guiding a boat on the water. What a lovely poem tribute to our dear friend Jimmy, who took us to places in the world and in the heart through song.
I could hear his song as I read your poem.
“we swim through steel drum melody”
Kevin
Wonderful Jimmy memories! We need more like him to “swim through steel drum melody.”
Rex,
I love how you mix in so many details from the incredible collection of Jimmy Buffet lyrics. All of the inclusions feel so seamless.
Seana–what a wonderful prompt! What a gift your teacher gave you! We lived out in the country, so books were my constant friend. My mother had the original Nancy Drew books from the thirties, and I consumed every one. Oh, to be that brave, that clever, that independent…
Nancy
Deftly maneuvering her
little blue roadster
down a narrow mountain road.
Shifting skillfully
through the hairpin turns
No brakes to save her.
Of course, she made it.
The intrepid Nancy Drew
always succeeded.
She saved herself.
I wanted that…
GJ Sands
2-19-25
Gayle, I adored the Nancy Drew books…I recall having to look up the meaning of “Titan hair.” Your last two lines – wow – didn’t we all want her power?
Oh, those Nancy Drew books. Gayle! You’re bringing back all the feels and hunger of reading, waiting on the trip to the store for the next book in the series that sustained young readers of The Boxcar Children and took us one rung higher on the reading challenge ladder. Nancy may be the sole reason so many girls kept nourishing reading habits and grew into voracious readers. I, too, wanted to save myself as well – – the keen intellect it took to uncover all the clues and put them together like a jigsaw puzzle, mystery solved. I kinda wish someone would bring her back at 50 or 60 and take us for a grown-up Nancy Drew spin.
I love the nostalgic feel of your poem, Gayle. As a fellow reader who grew up with Nancy Drew, I love reading about her again. Those last two lines remind me of how we all wanted to be like her, but you bring even more depth into that ideal
Oh it has been so many years since I have ready Nancy Drew! What memories. She was so enjoyable and a role model for me. Now I might re-read some of her adventures.
On Instagram, I watched Colby Sharp talk about which Kate DiCamillo book makes the best read aloud. If you’ve read her books, you probably have an opinion. Is it Despereaux, Opal, Edward Tulane, Flora? He came to the conclusion that the best Kate DiCamillo read aloud is… the one you are currently reading. I am currently reading Ferris.
I heard Kate DiCamillo interviewed about Ferris, and she said she wanted to write a book about a girl who was born into a loving family. “Every story is a love story.”
Like Ferris, I was born into a loving family,
free to frolic outside with my friends
create our own adventures.
Ferris doesn’t draw attention.
She does what she is told,
falls asleep to her father reading.
Take me back in time, dear child,
to a place where worries were few,
when singing your own tune was normal.
Help me to live in each moment
curled up with Love.
Margaret, I haven’t yet read Ferris but years ago, I’d do an arts-integrated unit on The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. the kids were spellbound by the story… Kate’s a wizard that way. Your last stanza sears my soul – the longing for a time when “worries were few” and love laced it all.
Margaret, your reading appetite for all the best worlds of the magical settings of young readers makes me want to go to the library and load up a bag of Kate D’s books and read them all from cover to cover. Winn Dixie is my favorite – – a preacher’s kid loving a dog……(that was me, minus the cool name of Opal). The best escape to a thrilling world is through the pages of books like these!
“Curled up with love.” Yes…
So sweet…I want this for all children.
Seana…you had me at “favorite character,” and then you reveal this treasure of a story-poem about a book I, too, loved so well in my own childhood. My fourth grade teacher read Charlotte’s Web aloud to the class; we hung on every word. I was a good reader already but that year, I fell in love with story. I also learned that a read-aloud, done well, is a theatrical performance. “Books are able to save your life, to some degree, and mental health…” this is a golden line and I am holding onto its truth. Thank you for the gift of your poem and this prompt today.
Long Time Ago
My fifth-grade teacher
handed me
the first book:
I believe
you would
enjoy this series…
I opened the cover
and found myself
in another century
in another part of the country
in the high-button shoes
of another girl
who had brown hair
like me
who, like me,
wished for golden hair
through her eyes
I saw
pristine prairies
their long grasses
rippling in the breeze
covered wagons
with little children
tucked inside
a man
who felled trees
who notched the logs
with his axe
and built a cabin
for his family
singlehandedly
a woman
who churned butter
and colored it yellow
with carrot shavings
who pressed it
into a mold
so that the butter
now in the shape
of strawberries
would be pretty
for the table
and who made
a button lamp
with tallow
in time of scarcity
I watched the family
succumb to malaria
suffering
fevered hallucinations
but surviving
thanks to the care
of an African doctor
I felt the rage
of being looked down on
by a classmate
who had fine things
who made it her mission
to point out
how much you lacked
Cold horror
seized my heart
upon finding
the older sister
sitting in a rocker
in the wake of scarlet fever
her golden hair shorn
and her wide blue eyes
now blind
and I saw my heroine
become her sister’s eyes
because Pa said
she should
and I marveled that
she went to work
as a teacher
something she
never planned
to help her family
send her sister
to a college
for the blind
I was there
living it all
right there in
her long skirts
and sunbonnet
(that often hung down her back)
hearing Pa’s fiddle
seeing Ma’s smile
feeling the blizzard-gusts
shaking the little house
waking up to snow
covering the bed quilts
and weeping when
the old brindle bulldog
who trotted
for hundreds of miles
under the wagon
died in his bed
my girl
was a little girl
no more
it was more than
just stories
it was a craving
deep in my soul
for that time
for those places
for the courage
for the faith
for the inventiveness
for the glories
of nature, untouched
and most of all
for the girl
who readily admitted
her imperfections
who had fire in her spirit
that she couldn’t always
control
who loved and was loved
so well
(see it there,
in the twinkle
of Pa’s blue eyes)
and I’d braid
my long brown hair
and beg my mother
for sunbonnets
until she made them
she made them
for me
so I could be
Laura
who once said
Now is now.
It can never be
a long time ago.
Fran, LHOTP was one of my favorites, too, and the simple way of living is such a draw. After a power loss earlier this week on winter break, my sister in law and I booked a girls’ getaway to an 1811 original farmhouse to come to read and write for a couple of days. Ironically, we left the recovery of no power and came to a place with minimal power. The way of life of the simple and the magic of captivating characters is the charm of reading. It’s such fun to step into those worlds, and so captivating to realize characteristics of them we might not have recognized otherwise. Laura was a staying force that lives on forever – – and though it may not have been for her, a long time ago creeps in when we think of all those old episodes and chapters and reread them. I still want to push Nellie down.
My second grade teacher read the Little House books to us after lunch recess, and I was entirely captivated. It was yet another step on my journey of falling in love with books. It wasn’t long after that the TV series hit the waves and I was mostly happy with the interpretation, but nothing could every replace that first exposure to Half-Pint.
You are singing my song! I am from that era and I LHOTP was one of my favs.
Fran, you’ve vividly brought Laura to us, to me, someone who only has the most fleeting knowledge of Laura and her little house on the prairie. Thank you for this! (I’ve so enjoyed writing with and along side you this month. And thank you for your kind comments on my poems. 🙂 )
Hi Seana — the prompt here brought me back to a childhood novel and a character so odd that he has lingered in memory over time. I still don’t understand him.
Kevin
You see the whole
of things, Charles Wallace,
while we capture only
the softest of edges
It’s almost as if
you’re invisibly threaded
in connection to your sister,
her thoughts in the night
like starlight,
and yet, you fall silent
near strangers, observant
as always, always noticing
the slightest twitches
in the fabric of time
You might do well to learn
to wear humility as a blanket,
for the universe depends
upon you
a poem inspired by A Wrinkle In Time
I tried my hand at something and then something else
A haunting, utterly compelling poem Kevin. The phrasing is so lush, lyrical, and fine, drawing me right in, and oh, the last stanza on learning to wear humility as a blanket – profound.
“always noticing/ the slightest twitches/ in the fabric of time” I love that nod to the wrinkle. He was a curious character, for sure. What a classic you have brought back to life.
This line resonates with me:
and yet, you fall silent
near strangers, observant
Oh, the power of a book to reach out to introverts who so often do the same.
Kevin,
we are kindred readers. I also wrote anout A Wrinkle in Time. I love your gentle descriptions of Charles Wallace,
especially
Your word art is really cool, too. I’m going to have to play around with that site.
Thanks for sharing your words and images.
ooooh, what a great prompt! I love so many characters. Fern is a favorite. I love that she’s your soul mate. This line…”I was introduced to the idea that books are able to save your life,” It’s true. The Wizard of Oz saved me at seven.
But, I didn’t write about Oz.
A writer friend turned me on to ‘The Frozen River,’ by Ariel Lawhon. It’s about a midwife in 1789 Maine…but there’s a murder and as a medical person, she performs an autopsy. It’s an aMAZing story. The Character’s name is Martha Ballard and she was a real person that the character is based on.
A double dactyl keeps my offering short today.
Martha B., Martha B.
my hero, my queen
Delivering babies
Solving some mysteries.
Dead men tell dead tales
their bodies hold clues
of what ended their lives
and what is wrote as our history.
I LOVED The Frozen River. It lingers with me still. I love that you chose to write about Martha; she’s definitely deserving. And I love that you chose a form that would limit you, though I would have loved to hear much more about Martha B!
what an ending!
I don’t know that book. Thanks!
So, I HAVE to read this book now. Your double dactyl is an absolute wonder Linda – that last stanza so making me want to experience forensics in the eighteenth century. In a word – captivating!!
The one month I sat out of book club and couldn’t participate, this is what they were reading. They all told me later how great it was and to keep a list of characters as I read, and so now…..you’ve confirmed that I must read this book. I can’t wait. Thank you for writing about it to day to give me the nudge.