Welcome to Day 3 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
Mo is living her best life in Oak Forest, Illinois. She is a retired middle school reading specialist . Mo is enjoying finding opportunities to improve literacy on the home front and worldwide. She loves to travel and spend time with her family, especially her two spoiled dogs and two spoiled grandsons.
Inspiration
In the summer of 2023, I was lucky to attend the Poetry Foundation’s Summer Poetry Teachers Institute. In a small group session, we were given this prompt, which I thought could be a great way to incorporate poetry across the curriculum at every grade level. You could even consider it a formative or summative assessment if you’d like.
Process
Find a print article from a magazine that interests you or concerns a classroom topic. If you are using this prompt in the classroom, prepare enough copies of different articles so that each student has their own. Once you have chosen your article, simply draw an X through the page. You will then write your poem using the words touching your X. It may be helpful to list your words and cross them off as you use them. What a great way for students to show what they have learned!
I have italicized the words from the article in my poem.
Mo’s Poem
The Bucket Is Almost Empty by Mo Daley
I opened the various news accounts last night
and read about water, gallons and gallons of water
flowing
through cities
and towns
down mountains
through canyons
Rios Grandes
and not so grande
confronting us
creating divides.
This is a watershed moment
for our country.
How have we managed to get to this point?
Can our government squash the floods?
Will they form yet another commission
to keep the Rio out,
to keep it “downstream?”
Who knows what account Fox News will give
of this withdrawal.
We have so much, while in other countries,
county after county,
more than half of the people
are hit with drought.
When will we see that we are users?
Water cannot be owned.
We must exact from this planet only what we need,
giving more than we take.
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.
Hello, good poets. I’m a day late. I got as far as printing off the first page of Orwell’s “Shooting and Elephant,” drawing my X, and sorting the words into “major” and “minor” columns before the day got away from me.
This was such an interesting exercise, Mo, particularly when I watched/FELT the power of Orwell’s words line up. You wouldn’t know from the list of words that he was writing about shooting an elephant, but you would definitely feel the weight, anguish, tension and brutality of the experience. Here goes (I used ONLY words found on the X):
The worst:
yellow riot
scarred convicts
wretched tyranny
Huddling after
terrorem,
jeered
and bitter hatered.
Suddenly
intolerable
hatered.
It seemed
impossible:
Nature was taken.
Stop the tyranny.
Oh, Allison, I just got the shivers. You’re right. It’s not specific to the incident in the essay, but it such a heavy, weighted, visceral, portentous poem — sorry, I couldn’t come up with exactly what I wanted to say, so I just started listing synonyms to try to get at it. This is very cool. (What you’ve done is akin to the exercise “they” sometimes say when reading a soliloquy from some Shakespeare play. Read the last words and you’ll get a real and true sense of the speech. I was, like, yeah, sure….and, then, oh, Oh, that’s pretty cool…!)
Allison – These words evoke a palpable anxiety and sense of things gone wrong. “Huddling after..” and “bitter hatered” take us in this upside down direction to “Nature was taken” and a sense of horror. Somehow it resonates with the “riot” of how things feel right now. I’m glad I came back to yesterday to find your piece. Sending you peace, my friend. Susie
Allison, thanks for joining in! Your last two lines are so powerful. Also, I never thought of sorting into major and minor categories. I just love seeing how creatively our minds work!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea Mo. And thank you for hosting today.
Gallons and gallons of water, wasted just because. “Water cannot be owned”. If only we could only take what we needed, but some will never understand, even when it is too late. Such a powerful stance on the article and your poem Mo.
I was hoping to do this earlier in the day, but here I am. Interestingly enough I have sent myself an article on teacher retention that I was going to read later (link:https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-arkansas-is-having-success-solving-teacher-shortages-and-other-states-should-take-notice/). I didn’t have it in print so I did the best I could making an imaginary “x” on the screen. I will go back and read this article more in-depth later, because the authors seem hopeful. And while there are many programs and incentives available for those who didn’t “go into” teaching, what about keeping the ones who have DUG the trenches? This is a very raw, no-second-read poem.
A Promising Strategy Across Arkansas
Opinions matter and based on this article, I assume someone is hopeful.
School is happening soon and there is still a need for teachers.
Predominantly staffed non-teachers are who they are enticing.
$50,000 starting salary, bonuses, and ongoing support are carrots they dangle in their faces.
Part of the problem is a lack of a leader. Education problems are the fault in our stars.
Integrated ideas hoping to revive a tired profession.
Are we safe in the climate of teacher bashing?
Students’ parents “run, tell, dat” and suddenly $36,000 is not even worth the time to apply.
Could the passion ever return fully?
Serving yearlong positions dutifully, but the backlash is driving us away.
Arkansas made the news for $50,000 beginning salaries,
but will that improve teacher retention?
Once again, no one is listening! Although the response is comical,
The silence is not. Note that Arkansas is lone on the range of bEsT dEcIsIoNs iN eDuMuHcAsHiN so far.
Jessica, I smiled to imagine you drawing the imaginary X on the computer screen. Well done. I am impressed with the passion with which you wrote this. I’m also impressed with your voice in education in Arkansas. We’re lucky to have you in the field.
Thank you, Denise; it was quite the image. I have experienced burnout and this new adventure has rescued me from leaving the field. The algorithm is working well, I’ll say that. However, I do hope to use the article for research and reflection.
No one is listening rings so true for me, Jessica. $50,000 is a nice starting salary, but none of us went into teaching for the money. If “they” only spent some time listening to us, as you say. The lack of leadership is astounding. Thanks for writing about this upissue!
*issue
Thank you Mo, I really wanted to find something else to write about, but the stars aligned that I would be needing it today. It’s something on my heart right now and I hope that with all of these programs and incentives, they keep who they recruited.
Hi Jessica,
I think you and I were thinking along the same lines when we wrote our poems.
Boy oh boy, do we ever have problems in education today. Loved the words you chose here and how you framed them:
You nailed this! Thank you, Jessica!
Mo, Isn’t this a fun prompt? Thanks for your poem too. “not so grande” is awesome. I love the message of the poem and your use of exact in these lines: “We must exact from this planet only what we need, / giving more than we take.”
Dear Dr. B,
Each moment
we were wondering,
what’s at stake?
We realize the
President exiting
is remarkably
brave and selfless
of him.
And you, did you know
when you posed for Vogue?
Was it in your mind?
Or did it later become yours?
Thank you, Jill, for your
total commitment
to community.
You are a unique treasure.
With care,
We the people
———————————————————–
From an X on page 65 of Vogue magazine, August 2024, in the article “Of the People, For the People” about Dr. Jill Biden, By Maya Singer.
What a great perspective you bring us in this poem, Denise. What’s at stake is the question on so many peoples’ minds right now. A unique treasure, indeed!
Finally something I can enjoy reading. Thank you for this ‘Ode to Dr. B” Denise. I know our writing is purposeful, but I resonated with your use of the pronoun “we”. We are in this together and together we will question, provide solutions, and give comfort to the unexpected change of plans we are experiencing. Your closing signifies my sentiments: “With care” because we DO care.
Denise, sorry for late commenting but I was trying to get my bearings after a day/night of travel to return home.
You made me want to read this article! OMG. Such a stunning cover. Your poem delivers the same respect I have for Dr. Biden. I love these lines because something in her eyes makes me wonder these exact questions:
Mo – this poem prompt was a good jump-start to me this morning! This made me actually go look for a magazine, and this article was about a curriculum in the Arctic from an education magazine. I decided not to add any amendments, just edit out a few, and I think it got the idea of this concept!
“No One Is Going to Tell Us What Is Right”
Language and Decolonization in Alaska
Indian
Schooling
concept
Children
Parents
Bridge
The people
We
Know
Respect for Elders
Respect for Nature
District’s Inupiaq
Framework
A story of
Engaged
Vision
Change
Hi Emily. I admire those of you who wrote today with so few words and were able to get the ideas expressed so clearly. I need to try this style! The words bridge the people we know really jumped out at me, as well as engaged vision change. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, Emily, what Mo said is true. So few words you used–I’m guessing most or all were all under the X. “We / Know / Respect for Elders / Respect for Nature” This is a nice way to synthesize the reading.
Morning inspiration! I love how you used words and phrases in your poem. There is so much hope that decolonization will cease. It is a hindrance to our history and an insult to those who think the marginalized doesn’t matter. May this article bring about change and in your last lines bring, “A story of
Engaged
Vision
Change”.
Thank you for sharing Emily.
What power these words have! It reflects the sadness of the Indian schooling concept. I do hope our story of an engaged vision has changed…for the better.
Niiiiice! I love that you didn’t add to it to create phrases or sentences. The impact is strong because the words have so much power!
I love this!
Mo, how fun! If only I were not short on time but I had to give it a try. I’m always intrigued by a poem that comes from a printed source of inspiration. I love the X-ing out process! Thank you. Your poem reminded me of something we talked about a lot during my stay in St. Lucia. Why is it that we felt safe drinking their TAP WATER and they never once asked us to conserve our use of towels like we do so much here. They thrive off the land and waste nothing. Anyway, I digress! Thank you for your poem and the message I needed to read again.
My article came from a California Educator magazine. The title is “It’s Time to End the TPA” Teaching Performance Assessments do more harm than good in preparing aspiring educators for the classroom. The words I chose to use from my X process are in bold.
The Future of Teacher Performance Assessments (TPAs)
California’s aspiring teachers
take a $300 assessment
to earn a credential
after spending thousands on post-secondary education
TPAs are BIPOC blocks to open doors
potentially denying students
to learn from prospective teachers of color
Why can’t they honor a teacher’s calling
respect it and nurture it
and give teachers preparation
to impact and equip students for success
©Stacey L. Joy, 7/22/2024
It all comes down to that last stanza, doesn’t it, Stacey? I love that you ended your poem about teachers by focusing on students and what’s best for them.
Ugh, this is so infuriating, and unfortunately true. I like how you wove in the words to create your own question in the final stanza.
Stacey – You nailed this one! That strong voice of reason and logic. The last stanza poses a question that every education administrative body ought to examine and take to heart. I love reading your kick-butt voice. CA is darned lucky to have you as a teacher and leader. Hugs, Susie
Yes!!! You absolutely nailed it!
Stacey, I’m so glad you took time to give it a try today. Good for you. What a great article and your poem is a lovely summation of great reasons why it’s time to end the TPA. Amen!
“Why can’t they honor a teacher’s calling”? That is a loaded question where that $300 assessment is hoping to invalidate any response. I am tired of teachers and students being over-assessed. While we are paying out of tiny pockets for these mandates, students are suffering because our pockets are empty. Preparation, impact, and equip: if only these words were used in a more meaningful bill or act. Thank you for sharing Stacey Joy!
Mo,
thanks for this creative prompt. A good reminder that constraints lead to creativity. I chose yesterday’s Eat column by Yotam Ottolenghi: “Zest for Life: Lemons lift this pasta dish filled wirh gorgeously rich, smoky tomatoes” from The New York Times Magazine.
Lemon
What structures
keep my mother’s
mood
from turning
lemon sour?
Despite months
and years
built of
pain
that she
somehow
largely protected
and preserved
us from?
Charred and salted
by disease and treatment
she remains
an illustration
of gratitude
joy
and
hope—
luminous
——————-
words and punctuation from Ottolenghi’s column:
lemons, structures, lemons, built, somehow, preserved, charred, salt, illustration, —, luminous
Sharon,
There is a power to this that goes beyond the X word choices. There doesn’t seem to be an awkwardness from the words picked. Perhaps it is the nature of the article, or the first two stanzas in the form of questions, but it has a strength beyond the form used. Will she be getting a copy?
Thanks, Rex. Yes, traveling to visit her and my dad on Friday and will share wi the her then.
It will mean a lot!
I agree so much with Rex. Your poem doesn’t seem forced at all. I can relate to a mother preserving her children from pain. I adore your last stanza.
Wow, what a beautiful tribute to your mother. I particularly liked your final stanza, and how you managed to use these food processes to describe what your mother went through. I’m so glad she’s joyful, hopeful, and luminous! Very lovely.
Sharon, this is so beautiful. Yes, sometimes constraints make us create things we wouldn’t have otherwise. I’m guessing that is the case with this poem. These lines are so rich and powerful.
How we wonder how mother’s do what they do! I love the food recipe connections and the admiration for your mother’s joy and hope.
This morning I took out a nearby American Scholar magazine, found the poetry section, and found a wonderful selection of words from a poem “The Bougainvillea Line” by Ange Mlinko. I also love using found words for writing. Thanks for this prompt.
Driving the back roads which wind
past train tracks which carve ditches
of untended weeds, we breathe the familiar
lime-lit gravel there
swarming with wild volunteers.
Illuminated porches bark with fervor,
tomatoes once sweet, pock-marked
by bird beaks.
I think of my own garden
full and overgrown, untrained vine
of bougainvillea stretches underfoot
with poor allegiance
to the government of gardens
dissolving in rained-on glory.
So many lovely lines here, Margaret! “[W]e breathe the familiar / lime-lit gravel there / swarming with wild volunteers” and “Illuminated porches bark with fervor” and “I think of my own garden / full and overgrown, untrained vine.”
Margaret, I can really relate to the last stanza. Because of the cicada invasion up here, my yard is a mess- full and overgrown. But your last three lines are perfection!
Margaret – the imagery of the back road images, the plants, the bird-pecked tomatoes, and then “with poor allegiance / to the government of gardens / dissolving in rained-on glory” – your metaphors and images are right on and vivid. Thank you!
Mo, this is such a great way to write a poem!
Biden Exits Race
haunted by doubts
was the path ahead viable?
recognizing
this critical junction
the need to protect
our democracy
he made a truly presidential decision
to not seek office again
such a courageous act of service
a true statesman
motivated solely by
this sense of duty and respect
for the American people
becoming elevated in history
simply by stepping down
Yes, I can see it so much more clearly with your synthesis and italics of key words. You have pulled a message of another way of “becoming elevated” in the paradox of stepping down. Lovely couplet at the end there.
Maureen, I am touched by Biden’s leadership and his willingness to step aside. You’ve chosen such great words, viable, critical, protect to express this historic time.
Maureen, this lat two lines gave me a shiver.. perfect!
Maureen,
I, too, love your last two lines—a powerful paradox.
Maureen,
Not to sound like a broken record from the other comments, but the last two lines are great. I love the contrast of up and down. I like that it gives him a little more credit the way it is written, it has the emphasis on him doing the right thing as opposed to being lead to do the right thing.
A courageous act of service- so true. The words you have Xd are so powerful. I really like true statesman, too. So well done, Maureen.
I love your ending couplet. I enjoyed the whole thing, but that was just a fantastic little turn of phrase to wrap up this moment.
Maureen – I really appreciate your poem. This is a pivotal moment in our country’s story. And I will archive your poem in my memory of the moment. The last 2 lines are my faves… the up and down… surely fits the way things are feeling. Thank you! Susie
Hi Maureen,
Late commenting due to returning from vacation. I absolutely love your poem. There is a sense of calm and respect coming forth. I am grateful for his choice!
I love these lines:
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Mo, I love found poems and your prompt is wonderful. What a great way to begin a unit. I found my article in a National Geographic, April 2023. I loved your line “Water cannot be owned. “Wow, that statement alone would be a great debate topic. Most of my poem should be highlighted. The last two lines are the most original.
A World of 8,000,000,000
no November place
or refugee camp
can bestow the time
the 8,000,000,000
baby arrived
12 billion advances a million
to care for the second child—
Abuja, Kendra, Kenneth
in Manila, Nigeria, Okonkwo
or right here at home
please honor 72 deaths
per one thousand live births
the next generation
is looming
Barb Edler
22 July 2024
(Okay, so I tried to attach the image, but it either isn’t connecting or you are going to see several.)
“12 billion advances a million
to care for the second child” –
These numbers gave me chills; the enormity of these numbers juxtaposed with the importance of the individual child. Breathtaking conclusion, Barb –
“the next generation/is looming”
Those staggering numbers seem so large, but the 72 in 1000 brings everything right to a personal level, making me want to stop and count 72 seconds and think of each person as an act of honor and remembrance.
Barb,
So much of this has me wanting to know more while at the same time knowing the staggering number speaks volumes of humanity. Why is it that 72 per 1000? What are solutions? This is at once simple and complex and I don’t know how to feel about population. Lots to ponder.
You got me with “please honor 72 deaths per one thousand”.
Barb,
I’m moved by the juxtaposition of unfathomably large numbers with the individual names—lovely.
Your last two stanzas really slow me down and make me pause. Love the tone of wonder and respect.
Barb, you’ve really given us some food for thought today. It’s amazing how your words can put those large number in perspective, especially with those 72 deaths.
Barb,
I like that the second stanza has a shift in focus from macro to micro, and then back to home, with its universal and specific. Big fan of the looming at the end, is it about to show up, or is it woven into the whole already? Nice touch with attributing honor to the passed, it gives the poem a nurturing among all the numbers.
Barb – It’s beyond comprehension how we’ve crammed the planet with our progeny to the point of knowing clearly we are not going to nurture and guide all of these beings. It makes the numbers all the more stunning and paralyzing. What on earth are we doing? A very provocative piem indeed. Hugs, Susie
Barb— this is chilling. The details, the numbers, the problem…
The moon and the sun
cast soft shadows over wild flowers
and provided a way
to show changes.
In November were names
breaking over
the beaver,
an ackowledgement of spirit.
Earlier Americans
noting the full moon in August
gave a celestial name
as they sat
with antlers.
The farmer’s in January
would reflect the difference
from their almanac
to a native hunger
of passed landscape.
Thanks! I love this prompt.
My words were: the moon, the sun, shadows, provided, a way, changes, named, wild flowers, names, breaking, beaver, November, acknowledgment, spirit, celestial, earlier, Amerians, full, antles, noting, the Farmer’s January, native, hunger, were, August, Almanac, difference, reflect, from, passed, landscape.
Beautiful poem, Susan – I particularly love the image of naming the August moon:
Oh, those closing lines are lovely of native hunger and passed not past landscape. I had to linger there. Well done.
Susan, your two middle stanzas really drew me in with their simple and beautiful images. The seasonal aspect works really well here.
Mo,
Thanks for the prompt. I found myself really messing with word order because of the prompt. Word order was a skill, good for me to practice and build on. I went with two little blurby definitions as opposed to a longer article.
DUNNING-KRUGER
Keeping up with ignorance criteria,
their 20th century possessed
reasonable knowledge
recognizes a long deficient overestimation
(they are unaware)
a “Darwin thing”
scientifically familiar.
ECHO CHAMBER
Encountering an inside
preexisting bias,
participants’ narratives
and ideologies
and/or rebuttals
echo polarization environments…
insulated from news media
exposure.
You’ve got me thinking about the difference of being unaware versus choosing to surround oneself within only one perspective – how frightening both are…how to break through the ‘insulation’?
Whoa. Insulated. Exposure. These words paired well with loads of connotation.
Well, I had to look up Dunning-Kruger, as I hadn’t heard of it (my ignorance?). Anyway, it’s a fascinating topic. Your word choice seems spot on. Nicely done, Rex.
Wow Mo, what a creative writing strategy! I can’t wait to use it with my students this year.
I used a book called, Choosing To See: A framework for Equity in the Math Classroom by Pamela Seda and Kyndall Brown.
Critical reading impacts students in
all academia especially in math.
It can determine success and positive outcomes.
As teachers, we know to look beyond their grades
and scores on tests to find out
what they know about math and how they
learn best–tactile, repetition, reciting, memorizing
facts, strategies, drawing pictures, charts, listening to math rhymes, etc.
Educators try everything to fill the math gap that often occurs
in our rooms, especially in upper grades and middle school.
Often due to pressure we’re urged to focus on outcomes
and standardized scores instead of incremental growth,
access, and outcomes.
This year, I plan to do better and celebrate gradual
progress more.
Seana–this should be distributed to every budding math teacher–and probably some experienced ones! That gradual progress–huzzah!
For sure! Copy that! Susie
Seana – Your poem really speaks to the artistry of the teacher… it goes so far beyond the degree, the curriculum, the blasted testing. You are there with kids, knowing them, understanding they are so much more than their student numbers. I am uplifted by your poem and reminded how critical you are to the well being of our country. Thank you. Susie
Seana, you’ve captured such an important point about educational progress and the importance of critical reading. I especially enjoyed the end of your third stanza that emphasized incremental growth, access and outcomes. Good luck this year, you have a marvelous goal!
What an important approach to math teaching, “to find out
what they know about math and how they
learn best” – fantastic! I love how your poem captures the essence of this teaching philosophy…would be an excellent intro to a math workshop for teachers, I think.
I think by writing a poem, you have critically claimed this thinking for your new year. It’s always time to do better and to celebrate gradual progress. Your students will thrive.
Seana, I love how you take what you’ve learned in this text and woven it into an inspirational poem. Your last two lines are a perfect ending. I hope you have a terrific school year!
Seana, your poem speaks to me. I feel like I could have a good conversation with you if we ever sat together at a teacher’s conference.
Hi Seana,
Late commenting but glad I have time to share. I love this so much because not only do you deliver the importance of math instructional practices, but you’re also giving great teaching advice PERIOD. I love that you are reading about equity in the math classroom and planning to do better. That’s a sign of a phenomenal educator!
One day, I hope this all changes and we can focus on what matters.
Hi, Mo! Thank you for hosting. This is such an engaging prompt. I will introduce it to my teacher candidates in the fall with some literary articles. I love what you “found” from your article. The final two lines sum up your message:
“We must exact from this planet only what we need,
giving more than we take.”
Politics is too painful of a topic today, so I opted for something else. My poem based on the article titled “Can ChatGPT help researchers understand how the human brain handles language?” The words from the article are bolded.
I am on the road today, so I will come back to comment a little later today while waiting for my plane.
They say “a new wave of “large language models” coming out of the AI labs of Silicon Valley” (read here)
Human Brain, Language, and ChatGPT
“Language is a brain function unique to humans “
First there were doubts—
There must be a person behind!
The AI couldn’t have done this,
Large portion of texts
For public consumption
Seemed too coherent, too … human
Generating various content.
Researched seemed struck;
They couldn’t imagine it in a lifetime.
Even more stunning,
The language use of a computer simulation
Functioned like the left hemisphere of our brain
If ChatGPT is able to pin down
Precise words people use for a purpose,
Studying it requires care
While some language skills are mastered by AI,
The other crucial cognitive skills aren’t,
We still need people
To make decisions,
To give instructions to AI,
To think for themselves.
Leilya–I feel about AI the way my grandmother felt about the internet–sounds interesting, but frightening. Your poem makes me feel a little more comfortable. (I think…)
Leilya, wow, your poem brings up so many interesting points. However, you end is what really resonated for me. We do need people “to think for themselves”. Powerful poem! I’d love to hear about your students using this activity.
It is a brave new world, isn’t it? My favorite line is “They couldn’t imagine it in a lifetime.” The speed with which things change in the technology world amazes me. Those dececions that we humans need to make are hard to keep up with, aren’t they? Thanks for such a thoughtful poem today.
Leilya, I love your last lines (and hope they remain true, lol): “We still need people / To make decisions, / To give instructions to AI, / To think for themselves.” Thank you for crafting and sharing today!
Mo–you created a monster! This was a new adventure for me. I absorbed your poem, tried some current articles, walked away, and then returned to read other poets hoping for inspiration. Fran mentioned an old magazine, and I went to my unruly pile of old magazine pages. One of the pages had a children’s story that could be cut apart and folded into a small book. I was hooked. No reality for me. I started writing with no clue how it would resolve itself. Therefore–apologies in advance…
A Tale as Old as… Bad Literature
They circled around us
Mysterious rumors,
changes to come.
We hoped the Magician’s words held truth,
that things would be all right in the end.
Snoring, sleeping, unaware of
the clatter so near, the trouble encroaching,
the Magician dozed on, unaware,
positive in his predictions.
But he was wrong.
The tower of turmoil grew great
and the rope of rightness faltered,
shredding noiselessly in the dark.
Now the clatter grew.louder.
It clamored for attention
Anyone who was near
shall know its power.
The Princess Beatrix,
(fondly called Betty by those who loved her),
woke, and jumped from her bed, grabbing her cloak.
What’s that?, she cried out.
Alas, it was very late,
and Betty knew that she must take action now,
for above all, her great, beautiful kingdom
must carry on.
.
She must push back her fears,
she must keep the affliction at bay.
Stoutly, she declared, “You shall not !”
She went to her Window, quivering, but stalwart.
The Kingdom of Linguistics would prevail against all enemies.
The structure of sentences, the parsing of phrases, the didactics of dialect.
All must be preserved.
Princess Beatrix knew what to do..
She opened the Page and summoned the Count of Spells.
The dowager queen, her beloved Gramma(r), arrived.
With the assistance of the Spell Count,
Gramma(r) Queen seized the failed former glottologist
and reformed his syntax on the spot.
He was banished from the kingdom.
The Kingdom of Linguistics could rest eezy once again.
Or not.
Gayle, I am with you – glanced through today’s newspaper headlines and decided to step away from the political reality. The fairy tales are much more attractive. I liked your poem, and the spin on Gramma(r) made me smile. I don’t know this tale but teach linguistics, so “The Kingdom of Linguistics would prevail” is right up my alley 🙂
Love the sound of these lines:
“Gramma(r) Queen seized the failed former glottologist
and reformed his syntax on the spot. “
Thank you!
Fantastic, Gayle! I love the story and the fun. I can picture Betty summoning those to protect the syntax on the spot. Love the tension you build in the first stanza and the rope of rightness faltering.
Gayle, wow, what a marvelous tale. Your words flow beautifully, and I admire your ability to incorporate rhyme throughout this. I loved the play on words with “Grama(r). Such a fun end and the side note about Betty was super cute!
Gayle, between you and Fran, you make me want to try this all over again with a more whimsical bent. I am in utter awe of the stroy you told and the world you created for us today. Truly amazing!
Lol, Gayle! This was a lot of fun: “reformed his syntax on the spot. / He was banished from the kingdom. / The Kingdom of Linguistics could rest eezy once again. / Or not.” This had me smiling wide!
Mo – I was struck by your last line – giving more than we take. It’s a line that applies to water and so much more. Thank you for helping me think about that today!
I x-ed out a portion of an article about viewing the Perseids at https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/night-sky-network/prepare-for-perseids/ and only used words randomly on either side of the x from one paragraph. My linear brain took a little time to get this to work…
Summer Nights
Stay warm
You will be out flat on your back
soak up the skies
Stay cozy
a warm drink it’s silly in the summer
but the nights can be enough
Christina–this paints a nice, warm picture in my mind. Can I join you? I’d like to soak up the skies, as well.
I am sitting at the cold airport, Christine, so your poem warms me up, and I want to “soak up the skies.” Sounds very attractive now. Thank you!
This is lovely, Christine. I am in awe with those of you who were to able to use so few words from the article to paint such lovely imagery and tell such beautiful stories. Your poem is inviting!
Christine,
Your poem is lovely — so calming. The last lines of each stanza especially resonate with me:
Loved how you used Rio Grande, Mo. And how the title helps frame the poem. My poem comes from Architectural Digest. I was surprised at what emerges. This is a first draft. I used every word and added no other words. In a revision I’d like to carry the message hidden beneath the surface and add my own.
Beneath the Surface
The Surface Is Floors
Decode Delta Silica
First Far Spain And Nearby, Worldwide
Redefining The Owned Immigrants
Producing An Engineered And Expanding Functionality
Through Micro Porosity
Commercial Restaurants Consent And
Significantly Sustain Proprietary Materials
And Today Another Distinctive Low
In Marked And Revolutionized Colors
Isn’t this a fun format to play with, Patricia? I’m definitely going to try it without adding any words. I love how you created a narrative without adding anything
Patricia, I am loving the range of topics we are learning about today. Silica and basilica…never thought about this before your poem and the redefining the owned” is powerful.
Impressive–to use all the words! Is that an implied insult at the end??!!
And Today Another Distinctive Low
In Marked And Revolutionized Colors
Patricia, you created a meaningful poem just using the words from the digest. I second Sarah: “Redefining The Owned Immigrants” came out unexpected and strong. Thank you for sharing!
This really makes me more aware of the vocabulary in marketing. I love the “pitch” and revolutionary colors.
meanwhile
you are
not
on
prairies
and
mountains
repenting
the
clear
and clean
body
to your
hundred
loves
________________________________
This was fun, Mo, and I think it would be an engaging writing exercise in class, too. On a side note, it helped prove my theory that I could take a wonderful poem, draw an X on it, and end up with a far inferior poem: Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese” plus an X = my less-than-stellar offering today. Q.E.D. lol.
It might be a slightly inferior poem, Scott, (who am I to judge?) but I just love how it starts with meanwhile. That brought me right into the poem. And the repenting the clear and clean body- that was terrific! And the hundred loves? I mean wow! No wonder there’s no repenting!
Hi, Scott — I can’t help but think that Mary O would’ve enjoyed the very notion of a hundred loves. Mary O is always worth our dabbling no matter. Hugs, Susie
I just love how you took a poem to make a new poem – period. I don’t do that enough. And Mary Oliver has so much to offer us in shortened form too – as you so aptly proved. I love the idea of not repenting on prairies or mountains. There is something magical about those two places that calls for soaking in and not repentance!
Oh Scott! Not less stellar at all… I love this response in an unheard conversation- admonishment, maybe to self. Lovely.
Scott–while this may not be Mary Oliver, it certainly is a worthy offering.I would love to repent my clean and clear body–or at least to have something to repent…
Hi, Scott! I am with Susie and wonder what Mary O. would say about hundred loves and in general about your poem. I am not on the mountains or prairies, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Thank you.
I love how this poem echoes Mary Oliver’s with a slight shift to sarcasm. “clean body to your hundred loves” is a clever twist.
Scott,
I love the sparse structure of your poem and the way it begins with
Mo,in response to this clever prompt, I opened Bill Harp’s THE HANDBOOK OF LITERARY ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION (2006), marked a random page with an X, and copied the words that touched the lines. Stanza one is based on the top left-down arrow, and stanza two is based on the bottom left-up arrow. For the most part, the lines flow in the order the words appeared under the X! The words in bold font come from the marked page.
This could be an informative WEEK ONE activity with upper elementary to college students.
Getting to Know You
We educators strive to help
Students make meaning of what they read
Engaging in transactions between word and texts
The challenge is determining what topic will do that.
How do images help?
In what ways do the topics that resonate with my background and
Authors I like evoke historical recall about what I know.
How do my likes aid in my teaching flow?
Background on topics in writing open the text.
Since the background of students energizes their comprehension
Invite them to make that known in writing on their own.
Let them take part in the selection.
Like restaurant choices inform where folks go to eat,
Let students’ background inform our selection of texts.
Background knowledge and selections guided by students
Greatly enhance our understanding of them.
We learn about our students as they talk and write about the texts.
I like your technique, Anna. Your poem almost feels like a summary of the page, which I think could be another great way to use the prompt. Well done!
Anna-here is my favorite line–“Let them take part in the selection./Like restaurant choices inform where folks go to eat,”
You could save your students so much time and just give them this poem!! It pretty much says it all.
Anna, thank you for another sound poem! I was just about to write about the lines that attracted me the most when I glanced down and saw Gayle’s comment. These are exactly the lines I was going to discuss. I was just writing about the importance of knowing the students and how we do it via their writing, so your poem rings a very familiar tune to me.
[Poem crafted from this week’s The New Yorker article that explains the 2025 plan in this week’s “Letter From Washington” by Jonathan Blitzer. Mo, your prompt forced me to read this article that I wanted not to read because I knew it would hurt my very soul, but I thank you for it at the same time, as it is important to see what is boiling just below the surface. Egads.]
BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE
Pull back the covers.
look under the bed;
there are files
and piles of a hate culture,
a dollar culture,
a mighty power culture
waiting for you to look away,
to be too busy, too stressed
to read the signals
of an America
you will not recognize,
of courts that act upon loyalties
fealty and revenge,
where your neighbors are corralled and purged
while you cringe
to watch your house burn down.
by Susie Morice, July 22, 2024©
Nailed it, Susie. All those cultures waiting for us to turn away- that’s exactly how I feel. And yes, the house seems to be burning down while so many of us out just shaking our heads in disbelief. You’ve really captured how so many of us feel right now.
Yikes – what a great synthesis of this disaster of an idea. I cringed reading your poem and worry about our houses burning down too! Ugh to the ideas – not your poem
My heart hurts, too, and yet it’s comforting to read and know I’m not alone in naming our pain! Visceral flies and piles of hate culture—perfect description of disgust.
Wow, Susie!! You bring us all that is wrong today. Wow. Just wow.
Egads, is right! Holy smoke your poem is on fire, Susie. I thought the last part of your poem was particularly powerful because it focuses on the America we will not recognize, and I already feel the revenge tactics at play. I pray we will not see our houses burning down, but I am deeply worried about the future.
Susie, I’m behind in my TNY reading, so I haven’t read this one yet, but I love what you have done here to share the prophesy of the world as we may soon know it – nothing like what we know today. It’s a different day. But one thing is for sure: we can always count on the cover of our shared dear magazine to spark some joy – – or at least to make us think.
Mo-! I could spend hours – days, even – playing with this, losing all track of time! I will absolutely try it with students this coming school year. I love the artistic weavings of your found words into this poem on conservation and need, plus the humorous wordplay (“not so grande”). Just wonderful.
I reached into a handy stack of old magazines (I do have a plan for these, just sayin’), took one out, turned to the last article, which happens to be about a beach flower and legend, and my imagination went on a wild ride. Had to rein myself in or the poem would never be posted…here it is, in all its raw newness. Hope y’all enjoy. Thank you, Mo 🙂
Blanketflower
If you go
to a certain shore
you will find
the ghost
of Eleanor.
Legend says
she walks here
at dusk and dawn
in a pale yellow dress
with garland on
her arms cradling
an empty basket
woven with leaves
of ancient trees
blown by winds
of western seas
which, people say,
swept the love of her life
away
one long-ago
fateful day.
They say it was
the undertow
but they don’t know.
No one has the courage
to ask
Eleanor
whose translucent face
is streaked with tears
of interminable years
a most uninviting mask
of weary tolerance.
Some say she’s grieving
for her late love
who disappeared in the waves
while she was setting out food
for their picnic
and that the basket
was his
which is why
she cradles it so…
all speculation,
this spectral vacation.
I have a new theory.
After many a query
of the inhabitants
along this shore
I’ve come to believe
that Eleanor
lost more.
You see,
one old, old woman
told me
that when she was a girl
she hid in the brush
for several days
to watch the ghost
through several
glimmerings
and gloamings.
She even heard her groaning
to no avail
then, then,
a baby’s wail—
the old woman’s face
beams as she boasts.
I hear truth’s ring.
Here’s the thing:
It leads me to believe
Eleanor lingers
for the sake
of that invisible child
and that the basket
isn’t empty
at all.
Moreover,
the curators
of the local arboretum
by the shore
say that the only place
a certain flower grows
is on the skittering path
where Eleanor goes.
Blanketflower, you see.
For a picnic
or baby?
You tell me.
*******
Composed of words touching an X drawn through the article “Blanketflower” in the August 2013 edition of Our State: Down Home in North Carolina:
if, blanketflower, which, was, grieving, cradling, food, boasts, yellow, leaves, uninviting, tolerance, new, leads, people, says, his, legend, western, late, find, arboretum.
WOW!!! Excellent- that is so cool! The rhyme and beat is fantastic with a mystified story!💯💯💯🔥
Oh my, Fran, what a eerie tale. I love what you did in the poem to carry us with an undertow of an unknown story pulling at us. Very effective! The heavy air of melancholy is so strong in your images…cradling a basket…spectral… only that certain flower grows. All so mournful. Very captivating. Thank you. Susie
What an amazing, otherworldly tale you have spun, Fran! This feels like a tale that could be told around a campfire. Your rhythm and rhymes echo the movement of the sea and make me feel like I’m right there.
Wow Fran. Once again you amaze me. And I was so drawn in by the story of Eleanor and the blanketflower as she skitters on the path
Oh, my goodness! How to suck a girl into your story! (I took your idea and delved into a pile of old magazines. Mine took a very different route than your epic story) This poem could be a children’s book. Beautiful word choice, beautiful legend.
Fran, you are the master of the mystique, the mystery, and so much more. Oh, dear Eleanor – – like the shore ghosts of the Eastern Coast, so mysterious and so endearing. I think of Savannah’s Waving Girl and the Grey Ghost of South Carolina too – – you told her story so well, and even the flower that only grows where she goes. That basket – – the best laid plan for a picnic turned so quickly, as does life – all the Plan Bs we never expected. You inspire me to read more about her. I am a true fan of a ghost story. Hey, I once had a friend who actually mail ordered her own ghost. 🙂
I am amazed how this prompt played out in this ballad of sorts, a tale as old as rhyme. Intriguing, mystical, and magical.
Fran, I loved this “wild ride” of your imagination! The rhythm and rhyme you’ve crafted throughout was so good! “[T]o watch the ghost / through several / glimmerings / and gloamings. / She even heard her groaning / to no avail / then, then, / a baby’s wail– / the old woman’s face / beams as she boasts. / I hear truth’s ring. / Here’s the thing.” Your craft pulls us along through the mystery of your narrative. Perfection!
Hi, Fran! I greatly enjoyed your poem, its rhythm and flow. I know the legend of Eleonor–have read an novel based on it a year ago or so. It is a fascinating story. Thank you for reminding me about it.
Mo, now this is just fun! Your prompt and poem show how poetry is everywhere if we look hard enough and put a creative spin on it! I can see high school civics and history teachers loving this way of bringing in the creative slant on their research and reading articles. Thank you for hosting us today. I love that the last lines of your poem really emphasize the land ethic and planet stewardship we have for our future generations.
I chose the article Best Inbreed: The Rise of Canine Clones by Alexandra Horowitz from the July 1, 2024 edition of The New Yorker, the article beginning on page 22 and my X from a section at the bottom of page 26 including these words: you, few, believe, zebra, individual, seminar, opens, question, you, your, her, especially, another, the, cherished, cloned, cognition, question, lost, subject, white, her, she, eyes.
The Open Seminar
few believe
she cloned
her zebra
individual
questions
led me here
to see
the white
of her eyes
this cherished
subject
Hi, Kim — Ahhh, what a terrific article to have chosen (I am sitting here with my own copy of The New Yorker, I’m terribly biased…LOL). I love the extended meanings of “to see/the white/of her eyes.” and just love the title! Monday morning hugs to you, dear friend. Susie
Well now… the claim of cloning a zebra would certainly lead a person to scrutinize! I am always amazed by how much you can communicate in so few words, Kim. Imagery, mood, tone – all there. Even a sense of mystery.
Kim, your opening stanza really grabbed my attention. I am mesmerized by the idea of looking “to see/ the white/ of her eyes.” Very clever poem! I should have thought to list my words in the comment box.
Kim, I guess my comment earlier never got posted-oops! Anyway, I totally agree that this could be such an amazing cross-curricular activity. I’m even envisioning using it as a formative assessment at times.
My favorite part of your poem is the last stanza. The word cherished is such a powerful one. It really made me stop and think. I also love how few words you used.
Kim, I like your recommendation for non ELA teacher to consider Mo’s idea as a way to have student turn to old or new passages or articles and apply this strategy to get a fresh sense of the topic. This could be an in class activity formative assessment strategy before a major exam. Hmmm. Gotta pass this along.
Oh, the fact that writing, as we see in your poem, need not be long to be effective either. Less grading time. Hmmm. My favorite is your middle stanza. States an important fact about reading for understanding.
A fool’s stone
Strong are the spines of fools,
Forearms bulging with hand tools,
Busting rocks, following rules,
with hopes of circling mules.
And the elects,
with feeble connects,
Tax another chain around our necks,
two choices, both wrecks.
Three hundred thirty- three mill,
None look like us, still,
Pretending callous hands-don’t know the deal.
Both shoot, and shoot to kill?
Yet? extra bread ain’t on our table,
Both say change? But neither is able,
Ain’t seen nothing, but fabricated fables,
While y’all acting like Cain and Able.
And the rock pile stacks high,
There’s no rainbow in our sky,
No caviar, we chew on rye,
while ya’ got billions, we denied!
Split us into teams,
we busting rocks and our dreams,
No difference, it seems,
Y’all the ones —stacking da’ green.
And the news is a house fly,
Reporting half truth lies,
Makin’ us fuss and deny,
Life,
as we try and try.
So, I suggest,
a commoner would be the best,
one with an eagle across his chest,
and carrying a bible to bless,
Folks dat have some zest,
and
Uphold our beliefs on a crest,
who has failed and passed life’s test!
Allow stone breakers to rest,
A true reflection of us, at best!
The message and dialect ring true, Boxer – this stanza is my absolute favorite:
Yet? extra bread ain’t on our table,
Both say change? But neither is able,
Ain’t seen nothing, but fabricated fables,
While y’all acting like Cain and Abel
-preach!
Boxer…. INDEED…and heard! The choices … oh geez. I want them to erase the slate and completely start over…maybe with a teacher who knows us, feels us, and has the honesty and heart for the planet and thereby all of us….a “true reflection” … I dream of the moment when “da’ green” doesn’t propel our every step. I so appreciate this clear voice, this fine poem. Thank you. Susie
Correction on Able to Abel- 😊
Yep. Yep. Yep. It’s all true. I love the Cain and Abel allusion. It really works well here. And I think you’ve described the perfect candidate that we need right now.
Not to Be Forgotten
Jerusalem news of Sunday:
while Biden declined, lifting Harris
to the headlines bursts of violence
opened a new battle front
in the air where aid entered and
fuel and power fortified fight.
Now in flames,Yemenis align
with Gaza; Houthis parade
their missiles through streets
while we ready memes of presidency.
Note: I am not sure I understand everything in this article, but I tried to remember that the world likes it when the US is distracted: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israel-shoots-down-a-missile-fired-from-yemen-hours-after-carrying-out-airstrikes-on-houthi-rebels
Sarah, I have been thinking much about our current vulnerability on the world stage – we’re living in increasing unsettledness. Your title captivates me, as does the weavings of those phrases into this striking (no pun intended, for sure) poem. Your comment hits home, too, about the world liking it when the U.S, is distracted. In word: opportunity.
Sarah — So compelling and scary. Your note is particularly accurate and frightful. When we’re “distracted” …some very dark corners, that. Let peace find you and all of us this morning. Hugs, Susie
That last line rings so true for me, Sarah. I worry so much that we, as a country, don’t seem to be taking a whole lot seriously lately. Your vulnerability in the note adds so much to the reading of your poem.
Ouch. You nailed it, Sarah. 😔
Sarah, this is a powerful reminder of the way that leadership changes bring changes, fear, response, and comfort too. So much is wrapped up in the lines, and so much is wrapped up in our distraction.
That was an interesting way to find a poem, Mo.
Kevin
He wanted
(something)
but only
between
(the) sleeve
(of) my shoulder(s);
(these) hands
(were ones) that took
photos
(it was) a library
from feelings,
(but he) found nothing,
right?
But I heal;
(and) I had (a) friend,
there,
smiling
I used “Bot Therapy” by Mary Norris, via New Yorker, and words in parentheses are mine. All others come from one line of my X
Kevin, I think the parentheses add a really lovely text feature that works as an intrusion or acknowledgement and interpretive commentary. There is a gathering of voices here, too that this poem form invites, and you do well to create a conversation. Nice. The sleeve and shoulder have me wondering.
Sarah
Kevin — Yes, a very interesting way of finding a poem. And you did indeed do that. The healing smile…ahhh…perfect ending. Susie
What a great use of parenthesis, Kevin! It was a library from feelings is such a perfect image. I love it.
Kevin, you mention the same experience I had. Most of my poem uses the words in the order they appeared along the line of the X!
That may be a second level of challenge for writers. “In what way(s) does the order of the words crossed by the X summarize this page, paragraph or article? Write a pantoum poem about what you notice.”
So many ways to adapt this usual prompt across the content area with students in so many grades and first languages.