Thursday, September 21, 2017

#PeaceDay DMC: "A Mother's Advice" by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes


"Peace Dove" by Dylan Metrano


While the world and current events can feel vast and uncontrollable, on a much smaller scale, here is an offering to my teenagers toward a more peaceful future.


A MOTHER'S ADVICE

Along the way…

     Be yourself.

     Collect wonder.

     Do good deeds
     Every day.

     Find a reason to be
     Generous—


     Help when you are able.

In life…

     Joy, Kindness, and Love
     Matter most.

     Needing Others
     Pulls us together.

     Questions
     Require listening,

     Speaking requires
     Thought, and

     Understanding, not Violence,
     Weathers the storms.

eXplore your horizons—         
     Your time has come.

                        Zig,
            zag,
                                    and zoom….



© 2017 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.


The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by a unanimous United Nations resolution. Celebrated annually on September 21, it is devoted to “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.”

Visit the International Day of Peace padlet for a collection of peaceful books, poems, images, activities for the classroom, and websites.


Click HERE to read this month's interview with Carole Boston Weatherford. She has challenged us to write an abecedarian poem.

Generally each line (or word) of an abecedarian poem begins with A and continues in alphabetical order until you reach Z. For this challenge, you may start and end with whichever letters you choose, as long as they are sequential.



Post your poem on our September 2017 padlet. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties this month, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, September 29th. One lucky participant will win a copy of Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Candlewick Press, 2017).

23 comments:

  1. I am thinking of my children and grandchildren today, Michelle. Your poem is just right to wish for everyone.

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  2. Good advice, M.! Beautifully done. xo

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  3. Well done, my friend! Happy day of peace to you.

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  4. Good advice for a turbulent world. Happy Day of Peace, all.

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  5. Speaking requires Thought. A lot of people could use this poem right now! It's great. Thanks.

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  6. Remembering to "Zig,
    zag,
    and zoom…."
    is often hard when we are becoming adults and such a wonderful, refreshing perspective to keep on our journey–It goes along with collecting "wonder," and sharing "Joy, Kindness, and Love."
    Thanks for your lovely Peace poem Michelle, sending wishes of Peace to you and your family!

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  7. Such wisdom here, Michelle. I got teary. I love these words and love that I would not have known it was an abecedarian if you had not said so. So simple and natural - I will share it with my own teens. Thank you. Peace. xxxx

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  8. Wise advice, wonderful words--well done, Michelle!

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  9. Such great advice, especially the zig, zag, zoom part.

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  10. I love this....especially the ending...it suits my little boys (now big) so perfectly. A treasure.

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  11. This is wonderful, Michelle. Simply lovely!

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  12. So beautiful! I wish I'd said out loud all these things to my kids. I hope we have led by example but it would have helped to say these exact words.

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  13. I LOVE the ending this is a beautiful poem with rich meaning to our lives

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  14. Not just a poem! Makes your mom and dad very proud of you. ❤️❤️

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  15. Thank you all for the beautiful comments! You warm my heart.

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  16. Wonderful advice for children. It should be in a book of inspiration, Michelle. Collect wonder./Do good deeds/Every day.

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  17. Talk about rocking an abecedarian poem! Michelle this one is amazing! Thank you.

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  18. I haven't read an advise on before, but it fits the form well. Great one.

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  19. What wonderful advice--and in an abecedarian form as well. Impressive!

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  20. I'm glad you linked this today -- clearly I missed it the first time around, and I LOVE it!!

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  21. I love this poem! Not only the form of it, but the words you chose to offer advice. Well done!!

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