CALLING ALL KIDS
Inside of you:
dreams,
ideas,
potential.
Wildness, maybe.
Athletic skills,
eyes that show
your hands what to draw,
music that only you may hear.
A tender heart
full of caring.
Words that want to find
their place on a page,
feet that tap a rhythm,
a brain that seeks
to learn, to know.
Curiosity.
You, the real you.
Like the sky lit
by fireworks,
you are brilliant.
You can light up the world.
© 2019 Janet Clare Fagal. All rights reserved.
Click HERE to read this month's interview with Karen Boss, Editor at Charlesbridge. Her challenge this month is to write a poem in second person, speaking directly to a kid or kids about something that you think is important for them to know.
Post your poem on our June 2019 padlet. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties this month, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration this Friday, June 28th. One lucky participant will win a copy of I Am Someone Else: Poems About Pretending, collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Chris Hsu, available online for preorder, and coming to a bookstore near you on July 2, 2019.
Spoken like one who knows! :) I like how your poem builds in intensity, Janet. Starting with dreams and potential and ending with brilliance. (Now I've got Katy Perry running through my head—"Baby you're a firework..."!)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle. In hindsight I think I need to edit out the last line!!! I love this ditty challenge because it is so up my alley and finally I have some time!!!
ReplyDeleteJanet Clare F.
I agree that you don't need the last line, Janet, so I took it out. So glad you were able to participate this month!
DeletePS I have to let Laura Salas know that I was thinking of her new book which I love and its cover when the lines came to me. But the Katy Perry song, well I like that. We all need to be strong and vibrant and share our light whatever it may be!!! (Almost an earworm but in a good way!)
DeleteJanet Clare F.
Great advice for all of us, not just kids! Fireworks are perfect for this time of year too! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jesse ! I agree, we all have so much goodness to offer. I would hope we could all focus more on that.
DeleteLovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liz.
DeleteJanet
Terrific! This should inspire a lot of kids. Thanks for the poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rosi. I hope so!! I was a teacher for 40 years and still sub and do poetry visits. I want ALL kids to have hope and reach their potential. Or make plans to, and never give up.
DeleteWhat a grand list of potentials and wonders. A celebration of all that makes up a kid and one who is young at heart.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Margaret for your comment. I hope that this poem will resonate with children young and old. They all need to believe in their own potential. I know you know that. And encourage it every day you are teaching. Janet
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sydney, you really picked up on what I was saying to so many kids. I taught for 40 years and then continue to sub and visit schools. I love looking at students through the eyes of untapped potential. I loved this challenge. My friend who teaches 3rd grade where I subbed and did a lot of poetry read it to her class. I know they really liked it. I spent a lot of time with those kids this year.
ReplyDeleteJanet Clare F.
"Wildness maybe." Love that line. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rebecca. I love the kids who show that part of them, and know so many others are "hiding" it. I love kids. All of them. Janet
ReplyDelete