DMC: "What's Happening Right Now" by Breighlynn

WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW

What's happening right here and now
I sit and think
writing
words
most things flowing
some fly
birds 

© 2020 by Breighlynn. All rights reserved.

TLD reader Margaret Simon has challenged us to write a mindful poem about the present moment. Click HERE for more details and to add your poem to the padlet. While some poems will be shared as daily ditties this month, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, May 29th.

Reader Spotlight: Margaret Simon + DMC Challenge

MARGARET SIMON

I'm so excited to welcome another beloved Poetry Friday icon to our Reader Spotlight series! An author, poet, and elementary school teacher for more than 30 years (most recently teaching gifted students in Iberia Parish, Louisiana), Margaret Simon writes about creative, personal, and teaching explorations at her excellent blog Reflections on the Teche. Lately, she's also been reading poems aloud and offering mini lessons in writing poetry at her YouTube channel. She has such a calm and inviting way about her, it's no wonder her students love her so! Click HERE to read several wonderful poems by Margaret (and a few of her students, as well) featured on Today's Little Ditty.

During the school year, Margaret spends much of her time teaching and planning. She is passionate about teaching gifted students a differentiated curriculum that includes choice writing and reading. She says that her superpower is inspiring kids to write poems, and I don't think anyone would argue with that!

“I taught a workshop at a local art museum, and Annie, 4 years old, wanted
to write a poem with me. She said her poem and I wrote it down, then she
wanted to write it herself by copying each word. I've never seen such patience
for writing in such a young child.”  – Margaret Simon

Bayou Song was featured
in a Classroom Connections
post on Today’s Little Ditty.

Her own writing is another a priority in her life. She especially enjoys writing about nature, mindfulness, and spiritual awareness, as getting in touch with her spiritual creative self is also a passion of hers. Margaret meets with three different writing groups—one local, one online, and a regional SCBWI group—and has published novels for young readers (Blessen and Sunshine), and collections of poetry for adults (Illuminate) and children (Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape). Forthcoming, she has a biography in poems of Emma Wakefield, the first African American woman to receive a medical degree in Louisiana, tentatively scheduled for release this November.
 

With grandsons Thomas and Leo (Nov 2019)

On the weekends, Margaret balances things out with family time, which actually tops any list of things she is passionate about. She loves dancing with her husband and spending time with her two grandsons. She also sings in the choir at her church (a historical Episcopal church built in 1858) and volunteers and serves on the board of a local food bank.

When asked about book recommendations, Margaret mentioned that Kate DiCamillo is a favorite author, but if she had to choose just one favorite book for her students, it would be Wonder by R. J. Palacio. Told from multiple viewpoints, this story about a boy living with a facial deformity teaches wonderful lessons about empathy. For her dear female poet friends, she recommends The Woman in this Poem—a beautiful collection of accessible poems by Georgia Heard.


Let's find out a few more of Margaret's favorites, shall we?

Margaret's Five Favorites:

• Favorite poets: Mary Oliver, Barbara Crooker, Naomi Shihab Nye

• Favorite artist: John Gibson (her father)

• Favorite sounds: wind chimes and dual fiddles

You can hear wind chimes in many of the videos Margaret's posted on her YouTube channel, but I'm partial to this one. Steve Riley and Kevin Wimmer are local dual fiddlers that Margaret enjoys. They play in a band called Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.

• Favorite smell: gardenia

• Favorite word: inspiration

Poetry is—
. . . food for the soul with deep lyrical song.

How did you come to poetry?

As a teenager I wrote poems in my diary.  I never really showed them to anyone.  I came back to poetry when I was a fellow in the National Writing Project in 1995.  Children’s poetry came to me after Linda Baie invited me to join Poetry Friday.

How does poetry fit into your life?

My husband calls it an obsession; I call it passion.  Either way I have a substantial collection of poetry books.  I read poetry daily, seek out poetry online and in podcasts, the latest being Poetry Unbound.  Writing poetry comes from being in love with what poets do and wanting to be a part of that creation.

Dot Day is a classroom tradition. 
Margaret’s student, Karson,
created his own Dot Day t-shirt!

Describe three of your writing habits.

1. I write at all times of the day. My favorite time to write is with my students. I give them a prompt daily and write alongside them.


2. When I'm not with students, I write at my computer in the kitchen, often with my dog on my lap.

Writing with Fancy, her new kitten, and Charlie, her schnoodle.

Margaret's notebook
(click image to enlarge)

3. I carry a journal with me everywhere, even to church, in case inspiration strikes. On dog walks, I carry my phone and record thoughts in Notes.


What is the best advice you've ever gotten?

I cannot help but compare myself to others.  We all do it, but the best advice I’ve ever gotten and try to remember is to be yourself on the page.

The best writers are the ones who give themselves 

the most permissions.

– Sandford Lyne, Writing Poetry from the Inside Out

What is the best advice you can give?

Read a poem every day. It will enrich your soul.

And finally, what have you chosen as this month's ditty challenge?

Poems of Presence.

The practice of writing poetry is an exercise in mindfulness. To be open to the universe of words and to put them down on a page is nothing short of a miracle.  Mary Oliver said, “There is no nothingness—With these little atoms that run around too little for us to see. But, put together, they make something. And that to me is a miracle. Where it came from, I don’t know. But it’s a miracle, and I think it’s enough to keep a person afloat.”


Write a mindful poem about the present moment.

My poem:

Residing

If we could make of everything
a sacred moment—

This coffee topped with milky froth,
warm on my lips.

This digging in the earth,
mud under my fingernails.

This painting on of eyeshadow,
touching my own skin.

This songof the wind chimes,
ringing a hymn.

Each moment of my day
would become a poem.

© 2020 Margaret Simon. All rights reserved.

Oh, that's lovely! 
And what a perfect challenge for these troubled times.

You'll find the padlet embedded below. Add your mindful poem about the present moment at any point during the month or scroll through to check out what others are contributing.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

By posting on the padlet, you are also granting me permission to feature your poem on Today's Little Ditty. If you have not participated in a challenge before, please send me an email at TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com so that I can contact you, if necessary.

HOW TO POST YOUR POEM
In the lower right corner of the padlet you'll see a pink dot with a plus sign. Click on it to open a text box. I find it works best to type your title on the title line and paste the rest of your poem where it says "Write something...". Single click outside the text box when finished. This board is moderated to prevent spam. Once your poem is approved, it will appear publicly.

PROTECT YOUR COPYRIGHT
Remember to include your name as author of any work that you post!

TEACHERS, it's great when students get involved! Ditty of the Month Club challenges are wonderful opportunities to learn about working poets and authors while having fun with poetry prompts. Thank you for spreading the word! For children under 13, please read my COPPA compliance statement in the sidebar to the right.

BLOGGERS, thank you for publishing your poems on your own blogs–I love that! Please let me know about it so I can share your post. Also remember to include your poem (or a direct link to your post) on the padlet.

If you prefer to open this padlet in a new tab, click HERE.

There's no doubt that Margaret enriches the Today's Little Ditty community. As a writer and a human being, she is as gracious and authentic as they come. Generous with her time and talents, she always inspires the best from others, whether in person or on the page. Please join me in thanking her for being with us today!

If you would like to be featured in a future reader spotlight, I invite you to complete this form.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thanks once again to everyone who participated in last month's exploration of Patrice Vecchione's My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: A Guide to Writing Poetry & Speaking Your Truth! If you missed our collection of poems, you'll find it HERE.

Random.org has determined that the winner of a copy of My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice, courtesy of Seven Stories Press, will go to . . .

FRAN HALEY — Congratulations, Fran!

Elizabeth Steinglass is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup. Don't miss the wonderful video of her sharing selections from Soccerverse: Poems About Soccer. (If you would like to read more about Liz and her debut children's poetry collection, click HERE.)

Poetry in Action: Poem Movies and a Postcard for My Pocket

congerdesign

"You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket."
              – John Adams, in a letter to his son John Quincy at the University of Leiden


One of the silver linings that has come of all of us being stuck at home for National Poetry Month is the number of folks who have taken to reading their work aloud on YouTube. While I have not braved those waters yet, I'm grateful for those who have, and to two poet friends in particular who have shared poems from The Best of Today's Little Ditty—Robyn Hood Black and Margaret Simon. It's been such a treat to hear their poems in their own voices!

So today, on the last day of National Poetry Month, I would like to share those four short videos, with a heart full of dittylove and appreciation.

Paperback and Kindle versions available for purchase at Amazon.com.

From the first volume of The Best of Today's Little Ditty (2014-2015), "I turn" by Robyn Hood Black was inspired by Bob Raczka's November 2014 challenge to write a haiku about a monster. The poem is short, but packs a wallop. Make sure to watch all the way to the end for a special surprise. But don't be scared—it's just a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1tTEbD9LaQ

From the second volume, The Best of Today's Little Ditty 2016, Robyn shares a beautiful poem titled "Blank," inspired by Douglas Florian's January 2016 challenge to "write a poem about nothing."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAkdeTKyPSI

And from the most recent volume, The Best of Today's Little Ditty 2017-2018, we have two poems. The first is a performance of Robyn's "Epitaffy" that's good, spooky fun! It was inspired by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen's February 2018 challenge to write an epitaph poem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUn5cX5KNI

The second selection from the same volume comes from Margaret Simon—"Window Impressionism." It's a gorgeous, mindful poem inspired by Julie Fogliano's May 2018 challenge to write a poem that comes from staring out the window and writing what you see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdO0CXpm15o

Finally, since today also happens to be Poem in Your Pocket Day, I'd like to share a postcard I recently received from the Poetry Project, under the supervision of Jone MacCulloch.

Isn't Rylee an impressive first grade artist? Wow!

I do hope Coco doesn't get up to too much mischief in my pocket!

You can read more student postcards I received in past years by clicking HERE.

If you missed last week's wrap-up celebration of poems inspired by My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice by Patrice Vecchione, you can find it HERE. Leave a comment on that blog post by 5pm today for a chance to win your own copy!

DMC: "Palm Sunday" by Margaret Simon

PALM SUNDAY

These hands
weeding, discovered palms,
and wondered...
Will these old palms
make supple crosses?

These hands
cut long strips
of granite green.
A mind-memory of angle to knot,
thread through, criss-cross.

These hands
delivered simple gifts
to lonely, sheltered neighbors,
a churchless congregation
praying together. 

© 2020 Margaret Simon (draft). All rights reserved.


Our first of three challenges from My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice: A Guide to Writing Poetry & Speaking Your Truth by Patrice Vecchione (Seven Stories Press, 2020) is to write a poem about the place empathy has your life. Click HERE for more details.

Post your poem on our April 2020 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, April 24th, and one lucky participant will win a copy of My Shouting, Shattered, Whispering Voice, courtesy of the publisher.

DMC: "An Umbrella-Floating Day" by Breighlynn

AN UMBRELLA-FLOATING DAY

An umbrella-floating,
wind-howling,
color-observing day.

It is a sun-shining,
hawk-squawking,
umbrella-looking day.

Yesterday was a rain-falling,
person-frowning,
cloud-covering day.

Tomorrow will be a book-reading,
computer-typing,
person-silent day.

I want to be a queen-smiling,
sun-shining,
notebook-writing friend.

© 2020 by Breighlynn (4th grade) in Mrs. Simon's class. 
All rights reserved.

(Mrs. Simon wrote a poem about a rainy day as well! Read it on our February 2020 padlet.)


Buffy Silverman has challenged us to write a poem that uses combined or invented words. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our February 2020 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, February 28th, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of her nonfiction poetry picture book from Millbrook Press:

DMC: "Plant a Word Garden" by Margaret Simon

PLANT A WORD GARDEN

What is your favorite word?
Dragonfly,
Rainbow,
Watermelon?

Plant a word seed in your heart.
Water with music.
Weed out worries.
Watch your word grow.
Harvest a poem.

© 2019 Margaret Simon. 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.

DMC: "Instructions to a Bird's Nest" by Margaret Simon

INSTRUCTIONS TO A BIRD'S NEST

Hold
     leaves,
         twigs,
             snake skins
woven into
the shape of a bowl
perfectly sized for
      three
          small
                eggs
laid in late spring
in the crepe myrtle tree.
Do not sway
          lean,
              loosen
in the wind.
Stay
still & quiet
waiting patiently
to watch wild birth. 

© 2019 Margaret Simon. All rights reserved.

Elizabeth Steinglass has challenged us to write a poem giving instructions to an inanimate object about how to do its job. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our May 2019 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, May 31st, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of her fantastic debut poetry collection from WordSong:

DMC: Instructions for a Merry-Go-Round and a Notebook, by Chloe and Madison

Margaret Simon introduced her gifted students to this month's challenge to show them "how we can write about the most ordinary of things in a very extraordinary way." Not surprisingly, she got some extraordinary results! Read more of her students' poems on the May 2019 padlet.


INSTRUCTIONS FOR A MERRY-GO-ROUND

Make me dizzy
Go round and round
Blow a soft breeze
Shhhhhhh Shhhhhhh
Create a tornado of sand
Spinnnnn Spinnnnn
Don't let me fly off
Ouch!!!!!!!
I hit a bushhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
 
          © 2019 Chloe 3rd grader GT. All rights reserved.


INSTRUCTIONS FOR MY G.T. NOTEBOOK

Your vertebra must stay strong,
Your spindly blue ribcage holds beating words and breathing doodles.
You must stay a well-functioning organism, doing your job efficiently.
Hold together until you grow weary and old and begin to weather.
When you fall apart, let your destruction become recycled into the next generation.

          © 2019 Madison, 5th Grade G.T. student. All rights reserved.


Elizabeth Steinglass has challenged us to write a poem giving instructions to an inanimate object about how to do its job. Click HERE for more details and to read this month's Spotlight ON interview.

Post your poem on our May 2019 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, May 31st, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of her fantastic debut poetry collection from WordSong:

Classroom Connections with Margaret Simon

TODAY'S READ

Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape

Margaret Simon, Author
Anna Cantrell, Illustrations
Henry Cancienne, Photographs

Univ of Louisiana at Lafayette (June 18, 2018)
ISBN: 978-1946160232

For ages 8-12

Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Barnes & Noble
Purchase via Indiebound.org


SYNOPSIS

Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape is a poetic journey along Louisiana’s Bayou Teche. Through poetry and art, explore the plants and animals that live along and in the bayou.  Teachers will find ideas and prompts for teaching students about the habitat of Louisiana wetlands through poetry and creative writing. Invitations to write and draw make this book an interactive journal for those of all ages who wish to admire and be inspired by South Louisiana’s landscape.


A PEEK INSIDE

I AM A BECKONING BROWN BAYOU
 
I am a beckoning brown bayou.
I wonder where my water runs.
I echo egret, heron, and ibis.
I watch waving leaves of cypress trees.
I call your name.

I am a beckoning brown bayou.
I twist and turn like a water snake.
I touch fur and scales and fins.
I nurture nutria, raccoons, and gators.
I want you to come in.

I am a beckoning brown bayou.
I remember tales of Acadians and explorers.
I say courage lives here.
I reveal my secrets at twilight.  
I hope you’ll stay awhile.

© 2018 Margaret Simon, from BAYOU SONG, all rights reserved.

© 2018 Anna Cantrell, from BAYOU SONG, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margaret Simon is a Mississippi native who married into a Louisiana life. She lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana with her husband Jeff. Their now empty nest once housed three daughters, Maggie, Katherine, and Martha. Margaret has been an elementary school teacher for 31 years, most recently teaching gifted students in Iberia Parish. She has published poems in the journal The Aurorean, in anthologies for Today’s Little Ditty, in the Poetry Friday Power Book Here We Go, and in National Geographic’s The Poetry of US. Border Press published her collection of poems with her father’s Christmas card art, Illuminate, in fall of 2013. Blessen, a novel for young readers, was published in April 2012, also by Border Press. In 2018, UL Press published her first book of children’s poetry, Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape. In her teaching profession, she has a Masters degree in Gifted Education and certification by the National Boards for Professional Teaching Standards. Margaret blogs regularly at Reflections on the Teche.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS

Why is bringing poetry into the classroom important?

Having a sensitivity to poetry from a young age is important to developing a good human, one who wonders about the world, is kind and empathetic, and sees new possibilities. Poetry helps children learn language, the unique patterns of words as well as the many uses of words for metaphor and emotional meaning. When students write poetry together, they make connections and discoveries. Poetry is essential to a child's imagination.

How might your book be incorporated into an educational curriculum?

I am excited about the formatting that UL Press used for Bayou Song. The binding is spiral, so a teacher can easily photocopy a page spread for use with students. Each poem has an accompanying photo page and nonfiction information about the topic. The book is like a personal journal in that there are blank pages with writing and drawing prompts, so kids (and adults) can write and draw their own creative pieces. The book can be used for reading and writing or for a geographical study of ecosystems in science.

Can you suggest a specific classroom exercise related to your book?

Using "I am a Beckoning Brown Bayou" as an example, students can write their own "I am" poems with this template.

What is a simple, practical tip for teachers when it comes to incorporating poetry in the classroom?

Don't wait until National Poetry Month. Poetry needs to be incorporated at least once a week. I set aside Fridays, but I also use poetry on special days like Valentine's Day (we wrote love poems without using the word love) and Pi Day (writing pi-ku poems from circle designs).

Can you recount a specific instance of when poetry impacted a student or group of students in a positive way?

This happens every week in my classroom. There are aha moments and moments of joy over just the right word and moments of laughter over irony. I have also had students win a state wide writing contest, and seeing the joy that this award brings to whole families is rewarding. 


CONNECT WITH MARGARET SIMON

Website: http://reflectionsontheteche.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BayouSongPoetry/
Twitter: @MargaretGSimon

Many thanks to Margaret for participating in our Classroom Connections series for National Poetry Month, and for offering a copy of Bayou Song to one randomly selected TLD reader! (US addresses only.)

To enter, leave a comment below or send an email with the subject "Bayou Song Giveaway" to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com by Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 2nd, so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Check out the other Classroom Connections posts and giveaways on offer this month by clicking the names below!

• Eric Ode (Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails: Poems from the Wetlands)
• Kip Wilson (White Rose) 
• Carole Boston Weatherford (The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop)
• Skila Brown (Clackety Track: Poems About Trains) 
• Janet Wong (A Suitcase of Seaweed & MORE) 
• Debbie Levy (This Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality)
• Susannah Buhrman-Deever (Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse) 
• Charles Ghigna (The Night the Forest Came to Town) 

Digital art © 2018 by Miranda Barnes,
based on a line from "Ghazal" by Tracy K. Smith.

TO FOLLOW:

The best way to keep up with the Classroom Connections series is by subscribing to Today's Little Ditty via email, which you can do in the sidebar. I will also be announcing the posts on social media. Like me on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter (also in the sidebar) to stay informed that way. Catch up with Classroom Connections posts you may have missed by clicking on the "It's time to INSPIRE" icon in the sidebar, or by visiting my "Poetry in the Classroom" board on Pinterest.

DMC: "What is a Body Worth?" by Margaret Simon

What is a Body Worth?

Holocaust Museum: millions die
Faceless sculptures
Piles of gray shoes
A wall of hair
What is a body worth?

Facebook reports: two suicides
Someone’s daughter
Someone’s friend
Someone we lost for losing
What is a body worth?

On all the news: John McCain
An American hero,
Warrior, senator,
One life forged for many.
What is a body worth?

National Book Festival: one father
reads my poem
to his infant son.
My heart beats stronger.
My body stands taller.
Such a small thing can
make a life worthy. 

© 2018 Margaret Simon. All rights reserved.

For more about Margaret's experience at the National Book Festival, visit this blog post.


Click HERE to read this month's interview with Naomi Shihab Nye. Her DMC challenge is to write a letter to yourself in which you ask some questions that you don't have to answer. (Please keep in mind that your poem does not need to be in standard letter form.)

Post your poem on our September 2018 padlet. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties this month, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up presentation on Friday, September 28th, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of her latest collection of poetry from Greenwillow Books:

Hungry Dinosaur Poems by Dawson, Trace, and Lynzee

T-Rex with Broccoli by Dawson

These dinosaur poems about food are like potato chips, you can't stop at just one! Many thanks to all three of these students from Margaret Simon's gifted classroom.


VEGAN DINOSAUR
          by Dawson, 4th grade, © 2018

A T-Rex, big and fierce,
hard to imagine one eating broccoli.

Well It's as true,

as celery.

Sharp teeth,

good for meat,

but a T-Rex eating a salad,

how that idea is going extinct.

I WILL DO DA DINOSAUR
          by Trace, 5th grade, © 2018 

You can ask a T.Rex lots of questions.

Like why does it eat meat.

But never ask why their arms are so short.

If you do, when you're running, you'll feel the heat. 

You can ask why they don't eat plants.

Never say they should go on a diet and eat like a triceratops.

If he answers, it will scare your socks off.

But that is your loss.
 
If you do ask one of these,

hide in a tree.

His stubby arms won't reach you.

( Don't tell them I said that.)


I CAN'T IMAGINE

          by Lynzee, 3rd grade, © 2018 

a T-Rex going to the gym,
lifting weights,
saying,
"I gotta get fit, lose the triceratops bacon I ate for breakfast!"
Straining to pick it up,
he puts it down and goes,
"CHOMP!"
He says,
"Oh, great, now I need replacements,
AND my wife is going to sign me up for anger management classes."

Mrs. Simon's students also wrote a couple of non-food-related poems that you can read on our April 2018 padlet.


Click HERE to read this month's interview with Deborah Bruss and Matt Forrest Esenwine. They've challenged us to write a poem about something you would not expect a dinosaur (or another kind of animal) to do.

Leave your poem on our April 2018 padlet. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties this month, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration this Friday, April 27th, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of their fun new rhyming picture book from POW! Kids:

DMC: "Use Them" by Margaret Simon

Click HERE to read this month's interview with Nikki Grimes. She has challenged us to write a golden shovel poem using a line from one of the poems in the post.

Leave your golden shovel on our March 2018 padlet. While some contributions will be featured as daily ditties this month, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, March 30th, and one lucky participant will win a copy of her new companion novel to Bronx Masquerade:

DMC: "Writing is" by Margaret Simon

WRITING IS

Writing is
        hearing the birds
                wake up the morning.

Writing is
           the time between sleeping and waking
                      hypnagogic, semi-dreamy.

Writing is
          a butterfly emerging
                          then flying quickly away.

Writing is
            hosta poking through the soil
                  announcing spring’s arrival.

Writing is
          elusive
                    and present—
                              time changing time.

© 2017 Margaret Simon. All rights reserved.


Click HERE to read this month's interview with Melissa Manlove, Senior Editor at Chronicle Books. Her DMC challenge is to write a poem that explores how writing (or a book) is like something else.

Post your poem on our May 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, May 26th. Two lucky participants will win a book published by Chronicle earlier this year: LOVING VS. VIRGINIA by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Shadra Strickland, or LOVE IS by Diane Adams, illustrated by Claire Keane.

DMC: "Rainy" by Madison

Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day! 
          What poem are you carrying in your pocket? 

For our final featured ditty of National Poetry Month, I've chosen to share what's in my pocket today. It's a cinquain by a 3rd grade student named Madison. Not only is her poem perfectly pocket-sized, but it also suits Laura Purdie Salas's challenge to a T! (You can read more water-themed cinquains HERE.)

But there's another reason I chose this poem for today. It has nothing to do with what I'm carrying in my pocket, it has to do with what I carry in my heart—the reason I write children's poetry. If all of our children saw the world through poets' eyes and had teachers like Margaret Simon to nurture and help them express their thoughts and feelings in this way; if all of our children were given the opportunity to develop observational skills, foster compassion, and broaden their understanding of life through poetry, how could we not, as a society, be better off for it? Our world and our future are in their hands. Read more poetry by the students of Mrs. Simon's Sea at their blog.


Rainy
Cadet Blue Sky
Thunder Beating on Drums
Lightning Marching Through the Clouds
Pouring…

© 2017 by Madison, 3rd Grade


The DMC challenge for National Poetry Month is to contribute to our Ditty Potluck. Follow the guidelines for any one of the last 28 challenges, choosing from the following recipes:

Click HERE for an alphabetical list of all the DMC challenges.

Click HERE for an alphabetical list of all the Spotlight interviews.

Post your poem on our April 2017 padlet and be sure to indicate which challenge you are responding to.  All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration tomorrow, Friday, April 28th, and one lucky participant, chosen randomly, will select from the following:

Option 1: A set of 8 copies of The Best of Today's Little Ditty: 2014-2015 to use with a classroom or extracurricular group.

Option 2: One copy of The Best of Today's Little Ditty, plus a $20 gift card to purchase a poetry book(s) of your choice.

Option 3: A $25 gift card if you already have all the copies of The Best of TLD you need.

DMC: "Septercet of a Septercet" by Lynzee

SEPTERCET OF A SEPTERCET

TEACHER:
Three lines, Seven syllables,
Is it hard? No, it isn't,
Go on try a septercet.

STUDENT:
Fine, I'll do it! how 'bout this?
Moon, why are you awake now?
What time do you go to sleep?

TEACHER:
I saw the moon yesterday,
Bright in early morning sky,
Give a septercet a try!

© 2016 by Lynzee, 2nd grade student of Margaret Simon. 
All rights reserved.


Jane Yolen has challenged us to write a septercet that features reading or writing this month. What is a septercet?  Click HERE for more details.

Post your poem on our September 2016 padlet. All contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration this Friday, September 30th, and one lucky participant will win a personalized copy of her fabulous new collection of science poetry: