Thursday, June 20, 2019

DMC: "When You Wish upon a Star" by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes


Yuliya Libkina


WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR

Hold it loosely,
          say goodbye,
                        let it go—
(it’s fine to cry).

You might not see
that wish again.

But one day,
when a long
lost friend
blows into town
from far away,
ask her
“Would you like to stay?”

Look deeply
in her twinkling
eyes—
                see
if  you can recognize
your wish from many
moons ago,
changed somehow
yet still aglow.

Sometimes
wishes
don’t come true,
                      but others
       will come back
to you.


© 2019 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. 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 on 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.





Review for The Best of Today's Little Ditty 2017-2018 is underway! Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in being on this year's ditty committee. As far as this month's challenge goes, our padlet is filling up with some terrific advice poems for children! Featured ditties this week included ones by George Heidenrich, Michelle Kogan, Robyn Campbell, and Linda Baie. Also be sure to check out Carol Varsalona's poem for her granddaughter at Beyond LiteracyLink.


Join Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise for this week's Poetry Friday roundup and a "Clunker Exchange." What a great way to give old words new life!

22 comments:

  1. Yes, others will come back to you! Thank you, Michelle... may all your star-wishes come true. xo

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  2. It's so filled with hope, Michelle, soft words for everyone who makes those wishes. I love the idea you've offered.

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  3. Absolutely love this, Michelle - I'm putting this on my shortlist for the next anthology! ;)

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  4. What a beautiful poem, Michelle. This is a must read aloud for my granddaughter.

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  5. Oh, this is lovely--and so encouraging! I love the gentle, reassuring tone.

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  6. Ah, so nice. Strikes just the right tone!

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  7. Hi Michelle,
    I read this late last night. I love how you rhymed so nicely. A well-crafted poem, and I love the formatting, too, but the whole thing gives goosebumps and it doesn't preach. That is for sure, it shows. It is nice to hope our wishes will come true; kids hope so hard and yet so many don't, but we are lucky for all the blessings that do come our way. I really hope this one is shared with kids. Janet Clare F.

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  8. This poem is perfect for class reunion season!

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  9. I love this! Perfect for all those parents facing sending their kid(s) off to college.

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  10. Perfect. You know why? It's because of the voice. Whoever reads it will think they could have written it. Because it fits life. You wrote a classic poem. Thank you.

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  11. So sweet. This is just lovely. Thanks for sharing this one.

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  12. Thank you for sharing this sweet and poignant poem, Michelle.

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  13. A little melancholy mixed with hope. So lovely to read.

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  14. Lovely, star dust touched poem Michelle–how fanciful–though I do think we all have a bit of star dust in us… Thanks for wishing…

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  15. So lovely, so wise... all of that and more. Thank you, Michelle.

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  16. It's beautiful, Michelle, a heart-tugger. After only a read through, the possibilities for using it as a writing prompt leap out. Thank you.

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  17. I left this poem in my inbox and found it waiting for me again this morning, like a wish coming back to me. I love the subtle rhyme and the form and the sweet hopeful message.

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  18. "Changed somehow,
    yet still aglow."

    Yes, a wise poem indeed about patience, if you ask me! Let's hang up your star and my sun side by side near a window...

    Now then--what advice do I have to give children?

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  19. Oh, I love your poem and the idea of what happens to the wishes.

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