Welcome to Day 4 of the July Open Write. If you have written with us before, welcome back. If you are joining us for the first time, you are in the kind, capable hands of today’s host, so just read prompt below and then, when you are ready, write in the comment section below. We do ask that if you write that, in the spirit of reciprocity, you respond to three or more writers. To learn more about the Open Write, click here.
Our Host
Gayle lives in a small Maryland town just south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She Covid-retired from 27 years of middle school teaching and soon realized that she was very bad at retirement. Luckily, McDaniel College needed a secondary school liaison for their teaching interns. Now, she drives around the county, listening to audiobooks, to check in bi-weekly with her 25 student interns and their mentor teachers making sure all is well. Best job ever–reading books and talking to people! (There is more to it, but that is the part she likes the most…) The rest of her time is spent waiting on her three cats, two dogs, and curmudgeonly husband, buying books to read to her toddler granddaughter and learning to paint in watercolor.
Inspiration
Margaret Wise Brown was part of my children’s growing up. Goodnight Moon was my favorite book for bedtime, followed closely by The Runaway Bunny. The Important Book escaped my attention until recently. I love the “boiling down” of how we look at things. For a reading of the entire book, go to: Youtube link: The Important Book
On the website, Teaching Children Philosophy (Who knew that philosophy lessons exist for 5 and 6 year olds?), Tom Wartenburg states, “The distinction between essential and accidental properties dates back to the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle thought that there were certain features of a thing – its essential properties – that it could not lose and still be the thing it was.” (https://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/BookModule/TheImportantBook
Three excerpts from The Important Thing, by Margaret Wise Brown:
| The important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it. It’s like a little shovel, you hold it in your hand, you can put it in your mouth, it isn’t flat, it’s hollow, and it spoons things up. But the important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it. | The important thing about the sky is that it is always there. It is true that it is blue, and high, and full of clouds, and made of air. But the important thing about the sky is that it is always there. | The important thing about a shoe is that you put your foot in it, You walk in it, and you take it off at night, and it’s warm when you take it off. But the important thing about a shoe is that you put your foot in it. |
Process
Choose something–an object, a person (this could be a historical figure), or a concept/belief. Think like Aristotle and decide what is essential to it, then explore the “accidental” properties that accompany your important thing. Follow the general form (or not–it’s YOUR poem!), beginning and ending with the essential idea.
- Begin with: “The important thing about __________ is that ________________”.
- Follow with: An assortment of supporting facts and ideas
- End with: “But the important thing about _______________ is that _______________”.
- A link for poems using the pattern: Story Challenge Day 11: The Important Thing – Soapbox
Gayle’s Poem
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to 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. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. 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. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.
Sunlight
The important thing about sunlight is its warmth.
It’s also helpful for navigating roadways and sailing boats.
Sure, it’s critical for photosynthesis and gravitational forces,
But the important thing about sunlight is its warmth.
I’m a day late because it took me a while to choose my topic! Here are some thoughts:
Forgiveness
After Margaret Wise Brown, The Important Book
The important thing about forgiveness
is that it is an act of love.
It softens the edges of our broken parts.
It restores what might have been forever lost.
Sometimes it is the hard heartwork
we must exercise to be strong enough to let go.
Other times, it is a gift like gentle rain
on parched ground.
Gentle rain, because it must have time to seep in.
To receive forgiveness, we must extend it to others.
But the important thing about forgiveness
Is our human need for its grace, mercy, and love.
What a fun prompt. I love Margaret Wise Brown! I love the image of daughters carry parts of you with them. I see that in my daughter.
The Important Thing About The Sea
The important thing about the sea is that it’s always in motion.
Sometimes the waves are small, other times massive
Currents diverge in different directions
And temperatures range from pleasantly warm
To chillingly cold.
Fish and mammals move through it—
Maybe mermaids too.
Some mornings it gleams pink in the sunrise
And some days it is dark and storm-tossed.
But the important thing about the sea is that it’s always in motion.
Emily, your description of sea is amazingly accurate. It made me want to be there by the sunrise watching the waves. It is never the same and “always in motion,” as you say. Thank you for this poem, so rich in imagery!
The Important Thing About My Son
The important thing
about my son is
that he is my child.
He holds Adonis to account.
He reads Steinbeck for pleasure, not assignment.
He climbs mountains,
trains canines,
explores continents.
He writes.
He ruminates.
He takes his meds (I hope)
He fights against his own mind.
But the important thing
Is that he
is my child.
Allison,
I like how the first stanza and last stanza are different in that the first stanza there isn’t a break, and the last stanza there is. It gave me the feeling of little boy to man progression, where there is separation as an adult, but he is still your son/baby boy. The middle stanzas paint him as what I’d consider to be a heroic figure, and yet…it starts and ends with him being your child. Well done.
I love how we get to know your son so well in these few lines. Steinbeck for pleasure–yay! I live really close to the Steinbeck house and finally just visited it! I have two sons and they are very different and yes, the important thing will always be that they are my children.
Gayle, what a fun prompt! It would lend itself well to classroom use. Thank you!
The important thing
about poetry is
the white space.
Pages are not filled
With wall-to-wall words.
The total square footage
Is smaller than prose writing,
But every word is
Purposefully placed
On the page.
The important thing
About poetry is
The white space.
Oh, Katrina, very true about the importance of white space. That’s why verse novels are so popular, I think. “wall-to-wall words” are intimidating and wasteful sometimes too. I like the use of “total square footage” in your poem too.
I love this, Katrina. I think you could use this when you are starting to wrote poetry with students. I love the idea of square footage, too.
Katrina, Your poem gave me a spasm of YES! More SPACE! Thank you for the invitation. <3
Katrina, yes, “but every word is purposefully placed” just like your poem today. Perfect.
I loved reading the poems as I connected to many of the things written about. I chose my notebook, and before I started to write, I spent a few minutes looking back through the poetry have written over the last two years. This is the last poem written in this notebook as it is the last page.
The important thing about my notebook
is that is memorializes me.
On one page it holds
a memory,
on another
a dream,
turn the page
to heartache,
flip further back to
to find a description of a place.
No matter where you look
words will give you a glimpse
of what was inside my head.
But the most important thing about my notebook
is that is holds
my heart.
Heather, your poem reminds us of the value of having students keep journals (in safe places) where they can store, stash, and return to fond memories and work through tough times, all because they are learning the psychological power of writing. We know the heuristic, they’re learning the fund, and eventually, will value both. Yes, fund. How often do we invite them to flip through those journals for ideas for writing, speaking and creating multi-modal presentations to show what they are learning.
Thanks for the reminder! The key issue is to keep these journals safe because, as your last line tells us, “It holds their hearts.
While I’m here, we educators must let our students know that when they write about something that makes us, their “caretakers”, believe they are in danger, we must report it. Most of us who have taught for several years have had to do just this. Thank the Lord, the help came in time and the student’s writing “saved them”!
Heather–I can’t tell you how many journals I have started. And abandoned. Your poem makes me want to try one more time. the phrase–it holds your heart. Wonderful.
I agree! Our notebooks have helped carry us through a lot these past few years! Thanks for your words which felt so real and true.
Heather, what a perfect poem with which to fill up your notebook. “is that it holds my heart” is beautiful.
Heather this is so true as it really shares the importance of what our notebooks become in our lives, I know mine “holds my heart”. Thank you
Gayle thanks for this prompt, which I will be encouraging my third graders to write. Writing mine though, I felt I had personalised it a lot.
Sisters
The important thing about sisters
is that they love you right back
They become your friend
And can be a second mother
to your children
They keep your secrets
And have a listening ear
They also give you the best advice
They laugh with you and cry with you
They spend time with you
Go on holiday with you
And go shopping with you
Your friends are their friends
Their friends are your friends
The most important thing about sisters
is that they love you right back.
Oh, Juliette, you are so right: “they love you right back.” I also like that they “can be a second mother to your children.” I can relate to this, as well as to crying and laughing together. Such a warm poem about sisterly love. Thank you!
This is lovely, Juliette. I especially like, “Your friends are their friends/ Their friends are your friends.” It’s just so sweet all around.
Juliette, this is a beautiful tribute to the bond between sisters. I love the lines “Your friends are their friends/Their friends are your friends.”
So blessed to have sisters, too. Your poem warmed my heart.
Juliette–this poem makes me sad, because I don’t have that relationship with my sister. I am envious that your sister loves you right back. Lovely poem. I hope you share it with them.
Here, here, Juliette. What a beautiful topic for your poem. You have so many wonderful describers about sisters. “keep your secrets” the shared friends is true too and my favorite “is that they love you right back” Such a nice poem.
So, so true! I don’t know what I would do without my two sisters. they are a blessing. “They laugh with you and cry with you.” YES!
Gayle, thanks for hosting today. What a fun prompt. I felt a little Thorton Wilder pulling at me today, so I had to incorporate a line from his play Our Town, it’s highlighted.
the important thing about a forgotten photograph
is that it captures your heart
a bouquet of memories suddenly bloom
transporting you back to precious
moments like Mother’s
loving smile, Father’s guiding hand
your first born’s sweet cheeks, remembering
far away friends, first loves
lilac skies, golden moonlight,
adventurous getaways
the cottage, the go-cart, the Sunday-afternoon drives
unbearable losses and once
an entire family gathered to celebrate
dressed in their Sunday best
but the important thing about a forgotten photograph
is that it captures your heart
Barb Edler
23 July 2024
Yes, Barb, I love your important thing. The thing is I seldom even look at these old photographs now; they bring so many memories that I can get lost in those for hours. These are my favorites:
“Mother’s
loving smile, Father’s guiding hand
your first born’s sweet cheeks”
But then I read further and see “lilac skies, golden moonlight,” and “an entire family” – these moments are priceless indeed. Thank you for another gift with your poem today!
Barb, I love the nostalgia you’ve crafted here! (And I love that you pulled from Our Town. When I was growing up, my entire family — three kids and two parents — were in a production of Wilder’s play. I don’t remember much of that experience, but your poem brought a little bit back and put a smile on my face. Thank you!)
Oh, Barb! THis is such a sweet and tender poem. Capturing your heart, a blooming bouquet of memories, lilac skies, golden moonlight- they are all just so beautiful. I think this may be one of your best poems!
Barb,
Subtle and tender. I love the idea of photo memories being a bouquet, that blooms just in the being seen, bringing you back. I love the photos that are always there to look at, the favorites. But the forgotten photo is like finding the missing puzzle piece. They capture your heart in so many ways, for so many reasons, and there is a celebratory nature to it all.
This would pair well with a photo of your choosing that illustrates the heart capturing! A blending of two mediums…
Thanks for sharing this, and the Wilder lines that capture the same sentiment from another era.
Oh, Barb. All of it is wonderful–I love my old photos. But this phrase–the cottage, the go-cart, the Sunday-afternoon drives–feels like the rush of memory that sometimes happens with a photo…
All the feelings. Thank you for the images created with your words.
Barb, the first born’s sweet cheeks…..and so many other memories in this poem that can take time and erase it and bring us back to those moments are like portals to the past to pick up and relive the memories, to be back in them. The capturing of the heart is the important thing about forgotten photos, and I love what you’ve done here taking us back through the windows of time.
Okay, Thornton, what have you done with Barb. This is so lovely. I read it imagining the Stage Manager describing the scene for us. I love the mystery and the stories that go along with that forgotten photograph. And that “it captures your heart” Beautiful!
Barb, You brought me into your poem generously. I have LOVED Wilder’s “Our Town” for years.
Oooh Barb! You have made me want to go back through all my photo books and relive my life. Yes, those forgotten photographs capture my heart and I need to smell the bouquet of memories. Thanks fore giving me the motivation.
How gorgeous, Barb! I adore all the intricate details you bring to us. I’m sure we all would agree that the forgotten photograph is of utmost importance!
Lovely!
Gayle, thanks for the inspiration today ! I’m going to share your poem about daughters with my daughters.
The important thing about cooking is that Math matters
almost as much as personal taste does.
Measurements need to be exact, flavor combinations
need to be harmonious, oven heat
and stove flames need to be synchronous
with what’s being prepared.
To truly master the art of fixing food, you need
to prepare a dish several times so you’ll learn how to
tweak: the pungency, saltiness, bitterness,
directions provided, and serving specifications.
Fixing food also lends itself to portions, seasoning amounts,
and calorie consumption.
Creating a meal can be a gift to someone, provide nourishment, or pay
your bills, if you are a chef.
But the crucial thing about cooking is that it sustains us
and supports our health.
Seana, yes, cooking is crucial as it “sustains and supports our health.” I agree, Math matters” when it gets to complicated recipes from scratch. Learning “how to tweak: how to / tweak: the pungency, saltiness, bitterness” is also a significant component of successful cooking. To me, it is also meditation and art. I love to serve dishes and pastries/cakes as if they are prepared by a professional chef. Thank you for your words today!
Seana, so true! One of the reasons I think my son, who is a computer engineer, is such a good cook is because he approaches cooking as a scientific process. He likes to have all the informaion before he starts a dish, but he’s able to apply what he’s learned to make his food better each time. I love that you’ve included cooking as a gift.
Seana–Sometimes I respect the math, and sometimes I don’t. You are right–only after following the directions can you tweak it and make it your own. Good advice!
The Important Thing About Art
The important thing about art
is it allows me to express myself
There is no right or wrong
and I can vary my supplies
I can paint in a sketchbook or on canvas,
Layer papers and add quotes,
Work for 15 minutes or 3 hours.
But the important thing about art
is it allows me to express myself.
Heidi, love your poem and especially the “There is no right or wrong”. Expressing ourselves through art is divine! Thank you for sharing!
Heidi, I just used the word “art” in the previous comment in relation to cooking, so when I read your poem’s title, I smiled. I agree, art allows us express and explore ourselves. Thank you for sharing!
Heidi, as I read your poem I thought, “This should be hanging up in an srt classroom.” Your poem would be incredibly motivating for kids, or maybe even adults, who are hesitant to try art.
I love art and want to do more of it, but I am intimidated by it. Your poem was an important reminder that “it allows me to express myself/There is no right or wrong.”
Perfect! How would any of us get along without art and the ability to express. Thanks for your ode to art.
Heidi–at seventy, I started taking watercolor lessons after years of assuming I would fail. And I didn’t! You express perfectly the joy I feel when I paint.
Yes to art in whatever form or media we choose!
Heidi,
I whole-heartedly agree and love this validation when I spend too much time in my creative space:
I’m not a painter but consider my craft in teaching very similar to painting. I search for new ways to teach and inspire and get caught in the 3-hour rabbit hole way too often. 🤣
I’ve always loved Brown’s THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. It’s like having a gratitude journal. Here is mine for today:
Sunrise
The important thing about a sunrise
is its gift of light.
It splashes pastels and paints mountain peaks.
It reminds songbirds to sing,
comforts tomatoes on the vine,
warms sleepy earthworms to life,
gets you thinking you can try again.
But the most important thing about a sunrise
is Its gift of light.
Patricia,
what a lovely description of the beauty and transformation of sunrise!
I like how you show its benefit to various species, including humans:
Beautiful—and true!
Patricia, I love “is its gift of light” and all the fantastic images that follow, especially sleepy earthworms. Gorgeous poem!
Patricia, I fell in love with your poem beginning with the title. I love sunrises as they are promises of a new day and new hope. Your “gift of light” is priceless. I can’t even choose a favorite line; they all are so skillfully crafted, but I will showcase the one that offers hope: “gets you thinking you can try again.” Thank you for writing and sharing!
Patricia, this is beautiful! I love the various active ways you’ve personified the sunrise: it “splashes” and “paints,” “reminds” and “comforts”; it “warms” and “gets you thinking.” Like this poem, the “sunrise” is truly a “gift”!
Your words provide so many visuals with wonderful verbs – splashes, paints, comfort, reminds, warms. It brought so much peace and is truly a gift.
Oh, Patricia, so beautiful! “its gift of light” is such a perfect essence of a sunrise. This poem is a prayer. I smiled with each line, and the verbs are so warm and gentle (like a sunrise): splashes, paints, reminds, comforts, warms, and my favorite: “gets you thinking you can try again” Lovely poem.
Patricia–I love these lines–
“It reminds songbirds to sing,
comforts tomatoes on the vine,
warms sleepy earthworms to life,”
What a lovely metaphor…
Patricia, I appreciate the warmth and encouragement embodied in your poem. Yes, you are absolutely right about how the sunrise’s “gift of light” “gets you thinking you can try again.” Thank you!
Gayle,
Thanks for the philosophy lesson and this delightful prompt. It’s brought me a lot of pleasure to read everyone’s poems today and see the world explained by poets. Love your poem about how books change us:
So true.
Your essential truth about daughters is beautiful and comforting to this daughter:
Looking forward to writing more of these poems and finding ways to use the prompt with my seventh graders—beginning of year introductions, goal-setting and intentions, demonstrations of learning in our Tomorrowland interdisciplinary unit.
Thanks for the inspiration!
The Important Thing About Creeks
The important thing about creeks
is that they move water
They move water to rivers
Great blue herons stand stock still in them until it’s time to catch a fish
Children abandon their bicycles nearby to play in their mud
Creeks cool the feet of hikers on a hot day
Dogs splash in their waters before shaking dry
Cousins seeking amusement at family gatherings race sticks down them
When it rains, the banks of the creek embrace the water
The flowing water of creeks provides rest for weary eyes, ears and minds
Creeks dry in droughts, revealing tbe rocks beneath
They flood, spilling water onto streets and into homes, when there is too much nearby human development
But the important thing about creeks is that they move water
Sharon, what a wonderful poem. I was transported back to the days I used to play with my friends in a creek. I enjoyed all your details from the children to the dogs and the purposeful ways creeks move water. Fantastic poem!
Sharon, little creeks are so important indeed! Realization that “they move water” shouldn’t be surprising, but it is profound in your poem. I like how you elaborate on their importance describing how they benefit birds, dogs, children, cousins, and hikers. To me me it is about “little things” that make huge impact. Thank you for writing and sharing.
I had so many smiles as I read your poem, Sharon. I loved the herons and could picture the bikes carelessly cast aside on the bank of the creek. I like that you included flooding, too, because it’s important to know all of a thing.
Sharon–you have brought back so many memories for me! I spent many hours playing in a creek at my grandmother’s camp. The moving water brings so much pleasure–so does your poem.
Sharon, what a fun poem. So many delightful creek facts. It makes me nostalgic. “Children abandon their bicycles nearby to play in their mud” is one of my favorite lines. The flowing water providing rest is beautiful too. Lovely poem.
The Important Thing
By Mo Daley 7/23/2024
The important thing
about a baby grey treefrog
is that it lives
in woodlands and forests.
You can send your grandsons
pictures of him
so that they ask 42 questions.
You can tell them the frog is just like them,
helpful, kind, quiet,
and a little jumpy.
But the important thing
about a baby grey treefrog
is that it brings a smile to your face
when you work in the yard.
I came across this guy while doing yard work this morning.
I love this, Mo! The whole humor of sending the boys off to check it out and coming up with scads of questions. So sweet. This is a perfect grandma poem. I love it. And the pic! Susie
Mo,
Both your frog and your poem brought
I especially like the lines about your question and answer session with your grandsons:
I can feel the love and humor in the exchange—so pure!
I found a Sierra Tree Frog on my deck this morning!! And it very much did its most important thing: brought a smile to my face!
Mo, I love your photo. I had a similar experience recently but the treefrog was on a Fushia lily. Your poem is pure delight. I enjoy how you lead into your grandsons 42 questions and the way you described the frog like them. So touching! I feel myself smiling as I got to the end of your poem. Beautiful!
Thanks for including the picture. He is so cute. I loved “You can send your grandsons/pictures of him/so that they ask 42 questions.” I can just imagine that wonderful conversation.
Oh, Mo, such a sweet poem about a baby grey treefrog! Thank you for bringing it to us today along with the picture. I especially like these lines:
“You can tell them the frog is just like them,
helpful, kind, quiet,
and a little jumpy.”
Such a kind poem!
This is lovey, Mo. I love every line of it. I can imagine the grandsons asking 42 questions and I love your answer to them. Yes, smiles for all.
Delightful!
Ooooh! I love that little frog
“You can send your grandsons
pictures of him
so that they ask 42 questions.”
Now, I have 42 questions. What a perfect grandmother poem!
Mo, your poem brought smile to my face just as the “baby grey treefrog” “brings a smile to your face.” I love the very specific “42 questions” too!
[A RIGGER is a long, slender paintbrush, typically used for very specific touches of color and line.]
SEÑORA RIGGER PAINTS YOUR EYE
The important thing about Señora Rigger
is that she is way more refined
than all other watercolor brushes in the jar,
as if she grooms her long, sable hair;
Señora Rigger carries paint lash by lash,
folds the eyelid,
catches the hint of blood in the caruncula lacrimalis,
pauses a tear in the corner of your eye
at the cusp of overflowing down your cheek;
The important thing about Señora Rigger
is her capacity to reveal
your eye welling for a cry
or a stare of ominous intent
or a gaze of grief;
Most important is that Señora Rigger
follows my eye to your eye
to disinter your heart.
by Susie Morice, July 23, 2024©
Senora Rigger’s eye holds a lifetime of mysteries.
Oof…yes to that last line.
Susie-! Stunning ode to the paintbrush, and what a goergous painting! I am so enamored of this phrase: “catches the hint of blood in the caruncula lacrimalis” — just wow, wow. I love that you gave the brush a title. Señora. So distinguished. Deserving of deep respect. I am wowed by all of it, truly – the language, the testimony to keen powers of observation that is the great gift of artists and writers alike. Magnificent!
Susie, your poem is amazing. I did not know about this watercolor brush, but the way you describe all that it can do, makes me want to go out and buy one in hopes I could create something as beautiful as the painted eye you share. I am so moved by your third stanza and your closing one is a jaw-dropper. The beauty and scientific details are a wonderful blend here just as the colors blended in your painting. My heart is touched! Hugs!
Susie–this poem is fantastic! Do you name all your paintbrushes, or just the special one? I love the personification, and her creation. Did you paint it? Beautiful!
Disinter is a powerful verb – – the reclaiming of a heart once buried, through a look alone. This is rich with what the eyes do, and the power of sight to bring life through art and sight.
Susie,
I thought you were the master poet and now I’m certain you are also the master painter! Wow! My friend, your words pull me into your canvas. I am in love with the name Señora Rigger!
Oh, Gayle, this is one of the favorite writing exercises I show to my teacher candidates in the content methods course. I like how accessible it is, yet makes us think about things we choose. In your poem about daughters, I am taken away with “they carry the parts of you.” So beautifully said.The books are so crucial too. Thank you for hosting today!
Here is my take on the important thing.
The Important Thing About a Table
The important thing
about a table is that
it gathers people around,
inviting for a cup of coffee or dinner,
for breakfast or lunch,
for heartfelt conversations,
and difficult discussions,
for making precious memories,
and establishing treasured traditions.
It may be used as a sturdy desk or a stand,
even as an impromptu ladder sometimes,
but the most important thing about the table
is that it gathers people around,
bringing them closer to each other.
Leilya,
Your poem brings to mind the specific tables of family and friends. I love your emphasis on gathering and discussing. The addition of your last line is deeply satisfying:
Thank goodness for tables!
Leilya, how precious is the gathering around the table, time shared with family and friends…the table is one of the most important things in our lives, really, when it comes to “treasured traditions.” What stories the tables could tell-! All those heartfelt conversations, difficult discussions… a friend of mine took her childhood kitchen table to her new home. When I visited, she rubbed it lovingly and said, “There were so many wrong homework answers written here.” Lol!
Leilya, your poem reminded me just how important a table is. I love your details: heartfelt conversations, difficult discussions, establishing treasured traditions. And the way it can be used as a desk or ladder. Yes, I can relate! Thank you for sharing your precious poetry today!
Leilya–tables are such a gathering place. I love all the purposes you provide–but I agree that the fact that you can gather around it is most important!
Leilya, the gathering of people and the lifting of them as a ladder is such an important part of a table – – it’s at the heart of togetherness and empowerment, of sharing life and eating together and thinking together. That last line, bringing them closer to each other, is such vivid imagery, rich with emotion and connection.
Leilya, yes, yes, yes to the table. I love it as a place for memories and traditions, (and your adjectives there are great too–precious and treasured. I laughed aloud when I read “even as an impromptu ladder sometimes” I’ve been guilty of that. Your essence of bring people together is just right too.
Gayle, I really enjoyed both of your poems, especially the daughters with the crossed arms! In a funny twist of fate today, my son and I stopped by the historical society on a rainy summer day and played in the boat of Margaret Wise Brown! She used to spend her summers where I live, and we are deep into Goodnight Moon and The Big Red Barn. Now we’ll have to get The Important Book! Thanks so much for sharing this prompt, which I would love to use with my students. Gossip has been on my mind, in real life and from the podcast, Normal Gossip.
The Important thing about Gossip
The important thing about gossip is that a secret spreads.
Gossip can be a wicked delight-
Soap operas in miniature
Right in your own hometown
Retold with hyperbolic detail
To make your friend gasp and giggle.
Gossip can be a happy moment:
you hiding your giant pregnant body behind the tiny
water cooler at the doctor’s office so that
your coworker doesn’t know
that you know.
Gossip can be a whispered warning:
Stay away from him.
But the important thing about gossip is that a secret spreads.
Emily— you have captured the pleasures and the pitfalls of gossip perfectly! The important thing is that a secret spreads. So true…
Hi, Emily! So good to read your wonderful poem. I love thinking about you with your son in the boat in the museum…sweet! You picked an extremely important “important thing”… soooo much of the gossip is wicked these days. This is a very powerful poem. One to hang in your classroom for sure! You’re an ACE! Hugs, Susie
Emily,
i like how your poem shows the emotional range and boundaries of gossip, from
to a way to
To the happy and silly, and perhaps too serious for gossip:
But you really stopped me cold with your last example:
Thanks for sharing and making me think about gossip in a new way.
Emily, you are right, regardless whether it’s good or bad, gossip spreads secrets. You noticed that it usually spreads “with hyperbolic detail,” and I can’t disagree with this either. I am wondering what things your son may choose as important. Kids’ perspectives are so original. Thank you!
Emily, what a good topic. You captured the essence “that a secret spreads.” The details you give in the middle are super, “whispered warning”, “doesn’t know that you know” and “Retold with hyperbolic detail” are some of my favorites.
Emily, you capture perfectly the guilty pleasure inherent in gossip. If we are honest, dishing the dirt “with hyperbolic detail” draws people in. Please don’t keep this poem a secret.
The Important Thing About Stories
The important thing about stories
is that they form who we are.
They give us insight into our experiences
They show us new worlds
They help us build empathy
They provide comfort
They preserve our past.
But the important thing about stories
is that
they form
who we are.
©️Jennifer Kowaczek July 2024
Gayle, this was such a wonderfully fun prompt. I immediately thought of writing about books but then read your example poems; so I shifted (slightly). I think I might still write about books after all.
Jennifer— that is so true! They do form who we are. I have a couple of books that I reread every year for that reason, alone. They have formed part of my view of life…
Yes, Jennifer, this is so spot-on. Stories are as big and wonderful as we are…they are who we are. Just really like this poem a lot. Susie
Jennifer, I enjoyed this line, “They provide comfort, they help us build empathy, they preserve our past ”
It reminded me of my childhood love of “Charlotte’s Web.” Thanks
Jennifer, wow. So beautiful. I actually like the important thing about stories better than books. Stories truly do “form who we are”, which is what in the books that are really important. So, in other words, I’m glad you couldn’t write about books, but instead stories. And those middle sections of insight, new worlds, empathy, comfort, and more. Perfection.
Thank you for reminding me how much formative force stories carry, Jennifer! Your poem speaks wisdom. They do all the things you mention and help us understand the world, but most importantly, ourselves!
Oh, Gayle, I smiled so when I opened my email today and saw “The Important Thing”. I knew what it would be about. This book has been with me (in spirit) if not always in hand for forty years. Thank you for this fun prompt. Your book poem gave me my idea today. And the daughter poem. I read it with a gleam in my eye for my own two daughters. “They stand with arms crossed, just like…” was such a great way to show how they carry us in their beings. Lovely.
The important thing
about a poem is
that it is healing.
A poem can lift
its voice and shout
for you to do that thing
or it can whisper life into you
in the fourth watch of the night.
A poem comes from
many places—your pen and
that scrap of paper
in your pocket
or from far-flung galaxies.
But the important thing
about a poem is
that it is healing.
Denise, I was going to write about books when I first started reading the process. But our host did that so I starting thinking about writing about poems or poetry. I love your poem and reading it makes me happy I shifted again to a different topic (though very similar). I love that your important thing about a poem is healing.
Denise, I really like the “scrap of paper in your pocket or from far-flung galaxies” – speaking to the expansiveness of inspiration! These lines have a magical feel to them. Thanks for this!
Denise – oh, so true: a poem is healing. Poems do come from many places, beckoned and unbeckoned. They are mysteries, like those “far-flung galaxies” – and oh, that fourth watch of the night when the whisper of life is needed – it almost brings me to tears. Such a beautiful poem, my friend, language so perfectly strung – I find myself going back over the words with reverence, like people do with prayer beads.
Denise— these lines are amazing…
“A poem can lift
its voice and shout
for you to do that thing
or it can whisper life into you
in the fourth watch of the night.”
I wish I had written them!
Beautiful, Denise, especially “it can whisper life into you/in the fourth watch of the night” — My heart is full now.
Denise,
you nailed the essential truth!
I love your descriptions of the various ways that reading and writing poetry sustain and motivate us—so lovely!
Denise, I think I know the place this poem should go! Wow, I love it. Poems can lift and shout and taking you places you’ve never imagined, and they sure can help one heal! Terrific poem!
Denise, you nailed it – poems are about healing, and their effect is reciprocal influencing both the poet and the reader. I also like that your poems are active: they shout and whisper. Thank you!
Your prompt was wonderful for me today, Gayle. Thanks. I have a busy day ahead of me.
My Glasses
The important thing about my glasses
is that they help me see.
Making words a bit larger
they sit on my nose and slide
they make me itch
they fog up
they hide from me
sometimes sitting on top of my head
or laying under a newspaper.
The important thing about my glasses
is that they help me see.
Susan— this made me giggle. I hate it when glasses hide under the paper or—worse— on my head! a what would I do without them?!
Hi Susan,
Your poem about your glasses could just as easily describe my relationship with my own glasses! Thank you for sharing.
Susan – I love your personification of your glasses and all the hijinks they get up to, hiding, fogging up, itching – naughty glasses, but useful! Love this ode to the glasses.
Susan,
thanks for this relatable and playful poem.
Been there. Ha.
Susan, I totally can relate to your poem and I enjoyed it so much. As a glasses wearer since 3rd grade, I’ve felt every word you described. Yes you’re right, the crux of it all is they help us to see clearly. thanks !
Haha, Susan, I can relate. You found the essential important thing “they help me see.” Your poem made me smile as you describe the inconvenient parts of glasses too. Hope you have a good day.
Gayle,
I liked the idea of writing for daughters as you did. But then my sons would be like, “Dad, why didn’t you pick sons to write on?” Then, I was drawn to cicadas, but Gretta and Zuko wouldn’t forgive me if I put insects in front of them in terms of importance. So I settled on the puppers. I like this as an activity. It could be used in class when starting a new topic. Thanks for the prompt!
The important thing
about a dachshund is that it loves you.
Designed for tunnel combat
the German badger dog,
long body for ancestral subterranean bloodlust
now just the burrowing beneath blankets,
long tail curled under for sprinting zoomies,
long snout for pushing balls on the floor
like a truffle pig burrowing,
long floppy ears for head shaking rapid rhythms,
tippy taps with nails on linoleum
waiting the morning food,
members of the varsity nap team
but hackles raised for threats, real and imagined…
loud aggressive barking for birds, the neighbor,
the empty beer can in the yard, fire sirens,
Waylon the Corgi over on 18th,
the neighbor again, cicadas,
rabbits just chillin’,
cars passing on High Street,
Grandma and Grandpa,
arbitrary scenes on television,
the sound of mail dropped in the box outside,
an out of reach treat,
anger and anticipation,
solar eclipses,
because it’s a Tuesday.
But the important thing
about a dachshund is that it loves you.
Rex— you made me laugh out loud! I own a dachshund, and your important thing is true, but mostly the barking!! Molly barks at air!! This is a perfect advertisement for (or against) the most opinionated dog in the world. ( because it’s Tuesday…🤣)
I truly love the list of things your pups bark at – it captures the ridiculousness of dogs that makes us reflect on our own ridiculousness! You’ve painted a sweet picture of your pets, I especially enjoy the truffle pig burrowing image and the varsity nap team. Awesome!
Rex, beautiful poem! I love your second line and all the ways you describe your sweet dachshund. Your life details show us your pet so clearly from the floppy ears to the tippy taps to the hackles being raised. Your poem is like a rush of excitement. Fantastic piece!
Hi Gayle,
I have always loved The Important Book and used it with poetry “The Important Thing About Me” for students to share what’s important about themselves at the beginning of the year. I haven’t done it in a while so now I’m excited to go back to it. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to go back to something I’ve always loved.
Your daughter poem is ALL LOVE AND ALL TRUE! I feel those exact feelings about my daughter, Noelle.
I wrote about summer first. Then decided to go back to my old lesson and revised a poem about myself so I can use it this year.
The Important Thing about Summer
The important thing about summer is that it is here
It lasts for 94 days
The longest day was June 20, 2024
And it is usually very warm
Summer has freedom as its middle name
It holds popsicles, pool parties, and peaches
It gives morning silence at sunrise
And crackling firepits at sunset
Summer sneaks in but screams on its way out
It brings memories of afternoon naps
And Target ads with school supplies
It makes children eager to shop
And teachers afraid to look
But the most important thing about summer is that it is still here.
©Stacey L. Joy, 7/22/2024
The Important Thing About Ms. Joy
The important thing about me is that I love teaching.
I am a poet, a mom, and a sister too
and I love my cat, Tootsie.
I don’t like mac ‘n cheese,
and I never like to be absent.
But the most important thing about me is that I will make you work hard. 😂
HI Stacey,
I love your line about summer sneaking it but screaming on its way out. That is how I feel about it…It is hotter at the end, more noticeable and makes me scream to see it go. The Target ads gave me a chuckle, too.
Stacey— so much to love here—besides the fact that it is summer— freedom as its middle name, sneaking in and screaming out, the fear of looking… wonderful!
Stacey, both of your poems are wonderful! I love the idea of using this prompt for the start of the school year. We can use the form to introduce ourselves, but even more fun to let our students introduce themselves.
Thank you for presenting that opportunity.
Amen! I love that you shared your prompt for school, too. Your middle stanza about the images of summer made me smile, too.
Stacey – I gotta start with the last poem first: the important thing being loving teaching and “I will make you work hard” – love love love that, as it takes true passion for the role, and good learning comes by hard work! That is, in itself, a life lesson. I am staging this scene in my head: You greeting your classes by reading this poem, ending with “I will make you work hard AND LIKE IT,” lol. You’re a wonderful poet, mom (and cat mom), sister, and encourager to us all. The summer poem… oh my Lord. I am savoring these days that are still here. So very much. So very important, yes. I so enjoyed this “two-scoop” treat today!
Stacey — I love BOTH of these. The summer poem certainly captures the thrill and the “scream” at the end…so well put. (on its way out) Yeah! The specifics…the Target ads of school supplies…oh wow, I do remember being pumped for that…looking for who carried the cheapest journals, so I could pounce on them as soon as they hit the store. And I’m truly grateful that summer “is still here.” Whew…time goes waaaay too fast. And Ms. Joy… well darn…there are a zillion things about you that are “the important thing”… I think that you are such a poet…with such a voice…and such a friend…right there, that’s part of it too. Hug that kitty… my ol’ kitty was named Tootie…he was a big orange tabby and I loved him to bits. Now, I’m a solo dog woman and loving that as well. Rayo says hi to Toosie! 🙂 Love, Susie
Stacey,
Your Target ad line stopped my heart: I’m not ready for those ads! I almost had to look away, but I’m glad I didn’t because I felt such relief when I reached your last line:
Relieved that I have this summer day to read, write, go to the library, eat lunch whenever I want and watch the creek rise with the rain.
Your poem for your students is pure gold—especially that last line:
I might need to steal your idea and do this with my seventh graders in a few weeks—but for now I’m going back into summer mode:
I love both of your poems, Stacey. I can just see you sharing your poem about yourself to your class and there’s nothing wrong with making your students work hard. There is also something so special about summers from the pool parties to the firepits, I wish they would last longer. “it is here” what a perfect descriptor! Very fun read! Thank you!
Stacey, both of these ending lines are blue ribbon winners! I’m glad summer is still here – – but I would love to move summer as we know it not having to get up and go to winter so I can hibernate. That silence at sunrise is the best. I love that line!! And never liking to be absent, making folks work hard, well – – that is the ultimate in teaching, my friend!
Gayle,
This is such a great prompt with so many avenues to take.
I have really hated not participating in Open Write this month because there are have fantastic prompts, but my husband and I have been traveling.
Since we celebrated our anniversary yesterday snd he’s still sleeping, I was able to through some lines together about marriage.
The important thing about a marriage
is that you have a built in playmate and companion.
You have that person to go on trips with
and cook dinner with and lay mulch in the landscaping with.
You have that person to sleep in the same bed with and chat about the mundanity of the days with and bicker politics and religion with (since you’re not supposed to talk about those things in public).
But the most important thing about marriage—at least our marriage—is that you have the only other person who cares as much about the path of the lives your love created.
Happy anniversary to you and your mulch mate! I love this poem so much. You have clearly found a keeper! I hope he knows how fortunate he is to have you.
My favorite lines:
Susan—glad you snuck this in! Happy anniversary! I love the listing of all the disconnected things that marriage entails. Isn’t that the truth, though? All those bits add up to happiness…
Susan — Pretty doggone precious, this poem. You are a lucky girl. I remember those days. I guess now I’m married to my dog. If I could just get her to spread the mulch in the landscaping. LOL! Susie
Gayle, I love this prompt and your poem about daughters. So few words and yet they planted a smile, resurrected a crossed-armed memory, and stirred the tender sweetness of what they carry with them.
The important thing about a pencil
is that you write with it.
Maybe a poem, or a story
or a Valentine,
And if you can’t find words,
the important thing about a pencil
is that you can draw with it,
a flower, a house,
a path out of the dark dark woods.
The important thing about a pencil
is that you write with it.
Ann–so often we only think of a pencil to create words. I love your other option–drawing–especially “the path out of the dark, dark woods”. So important for those non word-centric
students! I get a fairy-tale feeling from it,
Ann, I love the way the initial “important” trait is then amended with the ability to draw, when one “can’t find the words” – an unexpected, but wonderful way to acknowledge another important trait. You provided the perfect “path out of the dark dark woods” – very dramatic.
the important thing about a flower
the important thing
about a flower
is that you pause
and see them
you take a moment
to smile
at the bonny color
soft flow of the petal
notice the brilliant
shape, lines, patterning
draw near
reach out your hand
as if to cup the blossom
and instead
let your hand hover
resting in the aura
of this simple and complex
gift of creation
but the important thing
about a flower
is that you pause
Gayle, thank you for this prompt and your poetry; I loved your poem about daughters, those crossed arms, and imagining generations of crossed arms between mothers and daughters.
Maureen–you made me pause! I joined you in every little bit you noticed, and smiled at every line. These lines gave me shivers:
“as if to cup the blossom
and instead
let your hand hover”
wow.
Yes, Maureen! This is exactly why I take their pictures on my walks. I love this so much. Today, I must take more time to pause and take in the gift of flowers.
Thank you! 🌸
Love this Maureen, this simple creation, this moment you’ve carved of color and shape. With all the heaviness in the world, this simple pause was just the space I needed. Lovely!
Gayle, thank you for this prompt. I enjoyed thinking about what was vitally important about people and things to me, whether others understand or not. Such a great way to think deeply about someone or something from a new angle.
Mothers
the important thing about mothers
is that they raise you so that
they can let you go.
they tie your shoes
and read you stories;
they help you with homework
and come to your ball games;
they teach you how to drive
and send you to the grocery store;
they support you as you move out
and hug you when you come home.
the important thing about mothers
is that they raise you so that
they can let you go.
Larin–This:
“the important thing about mothers
is that they raise you so that
they can let you go.”
…and that is the hardest thing, and the most important. BEautiful.
This is really a lovely poem, Latin. Between your poem about mothers and Gayle’s poem about daughters, I’m feeling a sweet tenderness for the gift of both…they support you when you move out/and hug you when you come home… what a beautiful reflection you’ve given us.
Gayle, though it’s mid-July, many here will be back in the classroom this time next month. So, my thoughts turned to the important things about teaching. What do conscientious classroom teachers reflect and project on during the summer that makes them effective educators? Here’s one of the thoughts that comes to mind.
Teaching is Reaching
The important thing about teaching
is reaching
Reaching our students and helping them
to learn
The important thing about learning is turning.
Turning means to change or shift
Turning means considering alternative views.
That may mean reading and watching the news.
The important thing about watching the news is
understanding views
Understanding that what we read and see is other’s ideas
Ideas based on their experiences and research.
Experiences and research help us reach students
So, let’s explore their experiences, examine current research.
Prepare to explain the similarities and differences so
As we teach and reach our students,
we will ready them to learn.
And we’ll all reach the finish line, feeling fine!
Beautiful poem of reflection and inspiration as another school year awaits…marvelous wordplay with the rhyming of learning and turning –
This is the essential element of school, I think, to hear other perspectives and views, to consider these. Thanks, Anna!
Anna–as always, on point! I really liked the chain of thought that you built in the poem–all the ways we can and should reach our students. Sometimes, in the flurry of the school day, we forget that important part of teaching, Thank you!
the most
important thing
about
the most
important thing
is that
it’s not
sometimes
it can depend
on context
or content
or complex
situations
like Aristotle
told us
there is a world
of ideas
and a world
of objects
this keyboard
I’m using
isn’t really
a “keyboard”
I mean, sure,
it is for
all intents
and purposes,
for all dotted “i”s
and crossed “t”s
but were I to
break it,
pop the keys
out one by
one letter
by letter
disgorge the
QWERTY
I wouldn’t
destroy
the “idea”
of “keyboard”
wouldn’t affect
the thing
sitting
before you
at the moment
the thing
you’ll use
(or not 🙂 )
to comment
on this
very poem
in fact, the
“Thing” I’m
typing on
is just
a physical
manifestation
containing
keyboardness
but, again, be
warned that
Aristotle also
believed that
the music of
the spheres
was a real thing
that Jupiter in
its flight path
made “music”
as it rotated
around us
because we
were the center
of the universe
so, remember,
please, that
the most
important thing
is not always
the most
important
thing
____________________________________________________________
Gayle, thank you for your cool prompt and mentor poems today! And I totally agree with you that we are changed – sometimes even fundamentally – by literature!
You have poetically and humorously described what my anxiety feels like – how it works me over …takes me into this narrow view of what I must do, leading me in frustration to want to “break it,/pop the keys/
out one by/one … I love that your poem is so narrow. There is simplicity and wisdom in understanding that ‘the important thing’
Scott–the verticalness (is that a word? if keyboardness is a word, it must be!)) of your poem was vaguely painful for me–I started clicking faster and faster. The conundrum you give us is that we will never be really sure what IS the most important thing. I appreciate that you, too, referred to Aristotle and the power of false beliefs. I particularly like these lines:
“a physical
manifestation
containing
keyboardness”
Scott – in a word: Truth! In another word: Scottness! Your poems, to me, are akin to origami. Fantastical things folded, turned, unfolded, and tucked with a wondrous precision. I cannot visualize how it comes together; I am just amazed by the complete whole. I don’t know how you do it. Unique artistry and wit. The ending – bam! Nailed it! I will say that I think Aristotle was onto something about the music of the spheres – scientists have recorded the sounds of stars “singing” – although Ari was a universe off about our being the center of the universe. All in all, it’s a poem of such refreshing perspective. And delight.Truly.
Scott, such a great way to clarify that importance is subjective. Superlatives are a trap. I love the allusion to Aristotle and the deep dive into what it means to exist. Now, back to my Baudrillard.
Gayle — Love this prompt and can’t wait to use it with students. I was moved by this line: “The important thing about daughters is that they carry parts of you with them.” Not only did it have me reflecting upon my own daughters but it also allowed me to reflect upon my relationship with my mother who passed five years ago. It is a good reminder that I carry her with me. Thank you for your beautiful poem.
The Important Thing About a Home
The important thing about a home is that it is safe.
It has a kitchen that smells of baking chocolate chip cookies
and rooms bursting with books.
It has walls adorned with ametuer art
and a basement loaded with Legos.
It has many rooms
where sunlight streaks through windows
and music rolls through like gentle waves
where memories are saved
and laughter is shared.
It is warm.
It is love.
But the important thing about a home is that it is safe.
Tammi, your description of home as being a safe place is so apt. I love that way of thinking about home. I especially love the line “a kitchen that smells of baking chocolate chip cookies” because it reminds me of how much I love baking cookies at my own home. It’s such a homey, comforting activity; your entire poem really captures the essence of the comfort and safety of home.
Tammi–This made me feel all warm and cozy–so many images that are what a home is.
“where memories are saved
and laughter is shared.
It is warm.
It is love.
But the important thing about a home is that it is safe.”
So many of our students don’t know that kind of home. I know your children do–so lucky!
Tammi, how I wish what you write would be true for more of our students. Too often, homes are unsafe for multiple reasons. But knowing that it is for so many makes the poem swarm with the love of music and warm memories. Thanks for the reminder that many homes are safe, and because they aren’t, your poem shows us it was for you.
The important thing
about water is
our bodies are made of it.
Not every faucet drips
it potable, and water’s
not free for everyone,
though it ought to be
a human right.
But the important thing
about water is
our bodies are made of it.
Sarah,
I liked the way you have juxtaposed what people have abundantly in their bodies yet are lacking in many parts of the world.
I agree “it [water] ought to be/ a human right” !
This poem feels inspirational – our bodies are made of water, water is so essential to life; give us the personal strength to ensure everyone has good water.
Lovely poem, Dr. Donovan. I love how you pull in a more worldwide experience with water as the poem references potable water and how water isn’t free for everyone, yet you also show how water binds us together literally and figuratively. Poignant poem here! 🙂
Sarah–a lot to unpack in so few words. It is so easy to take clean, free water for granted, and forget that it is essential to our being. Powerful reminder!
Sarah, yes, water should be free for everyone. Wow, what a powerful poem. Concise but perfectly delivered. Loved “Not every faucet drips”. We need to remember how essential water is.
Gayle, I am especially drawn to the daughters poem. I have three daughters and they each carry a part of me and are also strong-willed and cross-armed. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Earlier in the week, Kim asked me to write about my new puppy sometime this week. This prompt was perfect for that.
The important thing about a new puppy
is that he loves you
without conditions.
He will also jump on you
and joyfully chase a tennis ball.
Sometimes he poops on the floor,
but he’s “just a puppy.”
Always cute.
Barks at new bowls, trash bins, and the noise
of the printer. Curiously nibbles
on weeds, follows butterflies, sniffs at kittens.
But the most important thing about a new puppy
is he loves you, no matter what.
Albert “Albear” with his tennis ball.
Whose a good boy!
sweet! no matter what is the best part.
Love the echo (or refrain?) of this first line in the puppy poem — yes, he loves you. The tennis ball is so specific here to help us all immediately recognize this ritual. And the pic. So adorbable.
Sarah
Margaret,
I haven’t had a puppy since I was a child but you have captured all the joy and puppy habits “Curiously nibbles/on weeds, follows butterflies, sniffs at kittens” I remember from having one long ago.
Every word is truth, Margaret – a new puppy (and old dog) love with their entire beings, always. A love so pure it breaks the heart. Albert is SO SO precious!!
I am smiling at “Barks at new bowls, trash bins, and the noise” – the joy of a new puppy!
Margaret–first of all, I love that puppy! There is nothing like the love of a new puppy and the fun (and messes) they bring. Now I want one!
“Always cute.” Yes! He is adorable! I love the accompanying image. He’s, like, Um, What are you doin’?, Why aren’t we playing with this, my favorite tennis ball!?
Margaret,
True in terms of the love! Nice use of the quote marks with the puppy pooping. It helps if they stay cute as they get older, especially if they struggle with the potty training. I liked the extra specific noise of the printer as a puppy bark inciter!
Margaret, from his name to his sweet face to his endearing curious ways, I love Albert. It brings me such joy to see that he has become part of your family and that he loves you – – no matter what. And the same is true of you!
Margaret, your poem brings to life the important thing about puppies. The small details like the joyful chases and curious nibbles and reactions to unfamiliar sounds – perfect imagery.
Gayle, what a great way for students to be able to show what they know about a topic. Both of your poems highlight how smaller parts reinvent themselves into something else – I love that daughters carry parts of us and we carry new thoughts from words in a book. I started so many ways today but this is the one that made it to the end.
the important thing about atoms
is that they comprise our existence
they are the nexus of our being
indivisible
inherent to our humanity
unable to be created
or destroyed
they exist on positivity
keeping all things negative
just outside their inner circle
but the important thing about atoms
is that they require an Eve
Oh, Jennifer, I was thinking about existence, too. You have the physical matter at its essences with this “nexus of our being/ indivisible” and I read into that connotation of our current political state (maybe that is an intentional connotation, yes). And then I read on and, yes, positivity, and then I was sure I was reading it right with the “Eve.” So clever. Love this.
Jennifer,
I absolutely love your poem. It really demonstrates well how poetry can be incorporated into other core subjects. These lines “unable to be created/or destroyed” reminds me that we have the energy of the world vibrating around us! Fantastic last line –“but the important thing about atoms/is that they require an Eve”
Ahhh-another science poem that would be perfect as an introduction to a unit! You have caught all the essences of atoms and life so beautifully in this metaphor. I really like the final line, and the that hook back to your introduction.
Jennifer,
Fun twist at the end. I like the keeping all things negative outside the circle. We could learn from atoms. I love the nature of your focus choice, as there is so much paradox present. I liked being able to learn as well, as my science skill set is…nil.
Gayle, thank you for introducing me to this book. I love the generational extensions in your daughter poem; I visual (and experience) the arm crossing.
the important thing about
water
is it soothes your somatic
senses with its swooshes,
sounds crashing into your soul
as you walk with it, internal
external cleansing, washing
refreshes your being
absorbs in your flesh, full body
hydration, you see, the important
thing about water is how it
returns to soothe our
somatic senses,
always giving
Stefani– I love the alliteration in these lines–… it soothes your somatic /senses with its swooshes, I can almost feel the movement of the water! I guess I’ll have to pay more attention to the swooshing from now on…
Stefani, your poem made me get up and drink my first glass of water “to soothe (my) somatic senses.” We are so used to take water for granted, and your poem reminds us to appreciate it more. I will. Thank you!
Oh, and I did like all the alliteration in “soothes, somatic, senses, swooshes, sounds, and soul.”
Stefani, your words ebb and flow, moving in waves in mimicry of the water. There is perhaps nothing more important to life than water, as your poem emphasizes in such a beautiful way!
Stefani, I swear that I wrote my poem before reading yours. We both wrote about water today! Ha. I like your “somatic senses” wave of water meaning for sure. Yes, “always giving.”
Stefani — Your verb choices “swooshes”, “crashing”, “cleansing”, “washing” and your alliteration are wonderful and give your poem a sense of movement which feels like the flow of water. Love the sensory images!
What a fabulous prompt! I love the range of literal to figurative to philosophical your mentor text poems are. I mean, daughters carry parts of you inside them…wow! Also, the point of view is less intimidating than writing about oneself…while writing about oneself. That’s great for students.
I scribbled first things that came to mind in this quick draft. But, this is a prompt I will return to for more thoughtful poem-ing.
The important thing about a cat
is that it loves the night
and a hunter’s moon.
Whiskers and paws hide teeth and claws
Twitching tails can be question marks
They pounce and play
They sleep a lot of the day
Just like you, they have internal clocks
for breakfast and dinner
Just like you they like to watch
the goings on outside
They are independent minded
but love a snuggle on a lap
or in a sunny spot
Like you they listen and they talk
They can be excellent silent partners.
But, the important thing about a cat
is that it loves the night.
Though not a cat lover myself, this poem helps me understand why people find cats so alluring. It’s interesting to me that you picked “loves the night” as what is essential. Thank you for sharing your take on cats!
Linda, I love this experience of “excellent silent partners”–how often our pets play such an important role in this! Thank you for sharing today.
Linda–as a fellow cat owner, I respond completely to this poem. Perfect details, and the realization that i AM like my cats is a revelation! This is such a strong visual:
“Whiskers and paws hide teeth and claws
Twitching tails can be question marks” Love this!
I love this poem, Linda! I see the cat, the question-mark tail, the sunny spot (in my mind, a windowsill). It “loves a hunter’s moon” – masterful allusion to the cat’s nature. Every line is just perfect – flows like song.
Linda, your specifics (twitching tails can be question marks) and connections between us and cats (internal clocks) and characteristics (independent minded) all come together to emphasize the importance of cats. I love that they are the silent partners (I’m drawn to that even as a dog person).
You have captured the spirit of a cat. Their internal clock is set to when I put food out, morning and afternoon. All my cats are outside now, so no curling on laps. They were all so independent that they were never that affectionate. Today I wrote about my new puppy.
Linda,
Love the rhythm of your poem and these vivd images “it loves the night/and a hunter’s moon” and “Twitching tails can be question marks.” I agree “they can be excellent silent partners”!
Linda,
I went with dogs, but I think it is a nice undertaking to really think about the ways the pet you love endears itself to you. I like the reference to the question mark tails, it seems like they show up when the cat is curious. I think the independence makes it more special when they come for a snuggle.
Linda, these cats, these excellent silent partners that love the night and love a snuggle but are independent beings – – what a splendid way to make cat lovers of us all!
2 to 1 = life of 3
The intriguing vapors of clouds:
Is that they carry our thoughts,
transfer our ideas to other lands.
Release them as dream- filled droplets,
others are enlightened, when they inhale fresh mist.
circling our world like as a heavenly art show,
ensuring every human enjoys the magic.
Dirt on the Earth:
Keeps us grounded,
Secures our being,
Glorifies the science of nature,
Simplifies our wishes,
Rationalizes our routines,
Stains our imagination,
Stabilizes our soul.
Minds of humans:
Can choose clouds of Creativity,
or the Science of Dirt,
or a unique combination of both.
How we connect, releases unique purposes.
A regenerating energy, the rotates,
so all my survive on our planet.
There are so many beautiful images in this. I love the idea of clouds carrying our thoughts to other lands. Wow! Great poeming.
Boxer, what a lovely philosophical cycle you write about here. I think “rationalize our routines” has me pondering the most–I am thinking about how I do this (or don’t). Thank you for sharing today.
Clayton–wow. The contrasting metaphor of clouds and dirt (with a little science thrown in) is wonderful! I guess we do need both. My favorite lines:
Clouds “Release them as dream- filled droplets” –there is magic there…
Dirt-“Stains our imagination,/Stabilizes our soul.”
Thank you!
Clayton, there’s magic in your poem, in the intriguing vapors and transference to other lands but especially in the dream-filled droplets inhaling fresh mist. I want to continue to be in this space today, with all its regenerating energy. It will help me survive.
Such thought-provoking lines. I especially love “dream-filled droplets”. The combination of both are important to our stability.
You brought me back to my classroom with today’s prompt. I always used this book with my first graders to help them consider important people in their lives. It was one of my favorite writing starters.I love considering how daughters carry parts of us with them! This warms my heart today.
I have a love hate relationship with Amazon. Today I focus on the love. ❤️
The important thing about Amazon is that it can fulfill most any need.
It can deliver your favorite pens, in your favorite tone.
It can send you last minute birthday gifts for that date that slipped through the cracks.
It can quickly replace that odd lightbulb that blew out last night.
It can suggest you buy more allergy pills before you realize you’re almost out.
It can deliver that much anticipated book on the day it’s released.
But the important thing about Amazon is that it can fulfill most any need.
LOL. So true! I’ve never considered a poem about Amazon before and here is one. That fulfilling of every need…so good until we think about what we give up for that. Wonderful and surprising topic.
Christine, this is fun… the algorithm of suggesting is both scary and amazing (or would it be Amazon-ing?). Thank you for sharing today.
Christine–Truth!! I feel so guilty about my Amazon addiction–but it really can fulfill (almost) every need–the next day!! Your details bring the truth to life for me–the allergy pill thing made me smile…
So well-done, Christine! You have me chuckling and nodding my head in agreement. One-day delivery has saved me a time or two, just sayin’. Amazon convenience is amazing – sometimes too convenient! Such a fun poem.
There are some advantages to being an Amazon customer. I often take advantage of all the things you listed, especially realizing I’m in need of replacing allergy pills.
Yes, yes, yes and I agree to the love hate relationship 100%!
I am just about ready to use a gift card a parent gave me last year to get started on ordering things for my classroom. However, I don’t want to think about school yet. But then, what if I miss the deals on things I need. Love hate! Hate to love it.
Great poem, Christine.
Christine, I needed this in my life today. I’m so guilty of being such an introvert that I will stop and buy the allergy pills and ten minutes later remember the paper towels, preferring a cardboard box to a clerk. Thank you so much for sharing I’m not the only one who overuses.
Gayle, I so love this prompt and its reach to everyone. This would work to inspire verse in grades Pre-K through 12 and beyond. Classic books have the power to change the world, I am convinced. Your poem about daughters, that first line – that they carry parts of you with them – just melts my heart. It’s absolutely lovely, and I thank you for hosting us today.
Sparking Hope
The important thing
about a flame
is that it sparks hope.
You can warm by it,
hold hands by it,
kiss by it, sleep by it.
You can see with it,
you can remember through it,
you can glow in it, pray over it,
refine gold in it,
say goodbye or goodnight with it.
But the important thing
about a flame
is that it sparks hope.
I feel that sense of hope as I read your verse and consider those that carry the flame for me! Thank you for these encouraging thoughts this morning!
Beautiful. All the good things that a spark of hope can bring. My favorite is “refine gold in it.”
Kim, you made my morning with your hopeful poem. Thank you! Everything you mentioned also warms up a human soul.
Oh, Kim. This is so beautiful. It exudes hope in every line.I can’t decide which is my favorite line(s)–I think it is that I can remember through it. Wow.
Kim, I thought about a candle today, but it the image was swallowed up by the idea of AI (um, yikes?). The flame in your poem, and the ever-present hope in your soul, burn so brightly. It’s a cheering and comforting image for these frequently-dark days… a little flame casts a wide circle, does it not? “You can remember through it” – love that. Hallowed memory, love-memory. Let us hold our flame -our hope- high as we walk on the path before us.
Lovely poem about the spark of hope.
Kim,
Wow, what a beauty!
It warms me like love in every line!
Gorgeous poem, Kim. I love the ways a flame can spark hope and bring people together. So many soft and glowing words throughout this one. Bravo!
Gayle, such an intriguing prompt, both simple and complex, this movement from beloved children’s books to philosophy and the accidental properties of a thing. So help me, that brought AI to mind and so I will go with it. Let me just say how much I love these lines from your book poem: “You close the book and/ you are different from before”- so wonderfully true. I do not have a daughter but I say, that I can say, unequivocally, that I see former generations stirring in the pose and expressions of my not quite three-year-old granddaughter! Thank you for this great invitation today.
The Important Thing About AI
The important thing about AI
is that it can do
so many important things.
It can
plan your lesson
make your presentation
craft your poem (in any form you choose)
write your dissertation
and your novel.
It can
compose your music
reinvent your image
create believable deepfakes
of visuals and news
that fit perfectly
in the alternate reality
of your preference.
It can
design your clothes
your house
your city
your travel
your vehicle
your financial portfolio
pretty much anything.
But the important thing
about AI is
that it’s the tool
not the builder.
Fran, I have used AI occasionally and with success. You are encouraging me to continue to search out other ways to take advantage of such wonderful technology – when used carefully! Note my poem today is not written by AI!
It could be that I’ve read enough poems by you, Fran that I knew a turn was coming at the end and there it was…the tool, not the builder. Bravo! This is a good one for the Futures project Sarah has going on. You’ve got the information for it, yes?
Fran, I was just writing about AI yesterday, and ended with a similar thought. You say it is a tool “not the builder,” and I said “we still need people.” Thank you for your wisdom this morning!
Fran–Holy smokes! I am so intimidated by AI–I guess I have a bit of the Luddite in me. AS I read through, I felt more and more useless to this world. Your last stanza rescued me–it is a tool, not the builder. Whew! Excellent poem!
BOOM! 💥
I believe every single line! Teachers and students would benefit from reading your poem. Now, I must say, I am tempted to let AI plan my next month’s lessons but I will put my head in the game first. 😂
Outstanding choice for your poem’s topic.
Fran, yes indeed! I love how it can “do” “pretty much anything”, but not really because “it’s the tool / not the builder” Amen!
Fran, yes! The tool and not the builder – – the bones but not the heart. What a great reminder of this important thing. I love the way you structured the 3 stanzas of I Cans, sandwiched by the important thing. The scariest part to me are the deepfakes. We can’t tell truth anymore. The hopeful thing is that it’s not the builder. As always, I love your spin and perspective.
Fran, this is such a poignant poem. AI is so quickly becoming a part of so many aspects of our lives, but you point out the most important and fundamental truth – “it’s the tool”
I had worms on the mind.
😉
Kevin
The important thing about earthworms is
they go nearly unnoticed,
until the rains.
They nibble on the dead of the earth,
like slimy zombies
eating organic for the world.
They sense sunlight, but cannot see,
and it’s through a porous skin
from which they breathe.
They burrow through to aerate soil,
turn and toil, turn and toil,
so that roots might hold.
The important thing about earthworms is
they go nearly unnoticed,
until the rains.
Kevin, you poem is captivating. And so true. Earthworms are vitally important. We have had a lot of rain here of late and robins have been out in abundance, feasting on the worms. I once heard (or read?) that we owe our survival to earthworms (“They burrow through to aerate soil/turn and toil, turn and toil, so that roots might hold”). You stir my empathy for them, pointing out how they sense sunlight but cannot see. Your musicality come through these stanzas as well…as well as love for horror movies, perhaps??!! Love the repetition of the beginning at the close.
Kevin, as a grandmother I’ve recently rediscovered worms especially those that need to be placed on hooks! I can tolerate them while they squirm and do other things. Your words help me to see them in a more enlightened way!
Fabulous! This is just the kind of topic I was looking for this morning but just couldn’t think of. Wonderful facts tucked into this fun to read poem. I was just telling a doctor this week how much scientists need poetry and this makes my case!
Kevin–there is such truth here. You have provided an earthworm education! This would be such a good model poem for a science class. I can think of so many variations on it–none as fine as yours, of course… And I really don’t notice them till it rains…
Ohhh, Kevin! I can totally see this as a lesson! My 5th graders would enjoy your poem as an opener to our life science unit. I hope I remember this. You have captured the essence of something that needs more recogition and RESPECT. I love watching earthworms.
Thank you, Kevin.
Kevin, I love the description of their “porous skin” and the sound of “like slimy zombies” – reminds me of rainy days walking to school and seeing so many worms on the sidewalk.