I once told Mary Lee Hahn that I loved how she managed to live her life as one long poem. (I still consider her a role model in that regard.) Now, in celebration of her retirement from 37 years of teaching and the beginning of a new "stanza" in her life, I am delighted to be able to pay tribute to her publicly.
No doubt there are hundreds of former fourth and fifth
graders who are better human beings for having experienced Ms. Hahn's
benevolent guidance in the classroom, but I'd like to speak to the impact Mary Lee has had on me and the TLD community. The first time I sang her praises was in 2014 when she was a featured guest in the Haiku Garden. Since then, she's become a friend as well as a dependable presence on Today's Little Ditty. She's contributed to numerous DMC challenges (with six poems selected for The Best of Today's Little Ditty anthologies) and has inspired readers not only with her words, but with her drive to stretch limits and make her voice heard—creatively and otherwise.
There's a song called "Pulling on a Line" that reminds me of Mary Lee whenever I hear it. It makes me think of her passion for fly fishing and her association with Casting for Recovery, but it also brings to mind the creative process that is a constant presence in her life. For me, it represents the thread of that lifelong poem that stays with Mary Lee from day to day, month to month, and year to year.
It sways in the air when there's wind enough to lift
The fine ones are boundaries when there is a rift
I'm just pulling on a line, on a line
Oh I'm just pulling on a line I'm just pulling on a line, on a line But sometimes it pulls on me
The line, it inks across the freshly fallen snow Where only those embracing coldness would go In whistles and in whispers and sometimes in howls It sings to me sweetly from trees and in vowels
I'm just pulling on a line, on a line Oh I'm just pulling on a line I'm just pulling on a line, on a line But sometimes it pulls on me
The line, it writes itself across the dark sky In the air, electric flashes ending with a sigh It weaves itself into a fabric so true And flows just like the river, graceful and blue
I'm just pulling on a line, on a line Oh I'm just pulling on a line I'm just pulling on a line, on a line But sometimes it pulls on me
Many thanks to Michelle Schaub for featuring my poem "Look for the Helpers" on Poetry Boost this past week! Click HERE to read her wonderful blog post about using poetry in the classroom to encourage empathy and spread kindness.
Christie
Wyman hosts this week's Poetry Friday roundup with an abundance of
heartfelt tributes to #MarvellousMaryLee. You'll find the festivities at
Wondering and Wandering.
Today I'm contributing to a collective celebration of the life and work of Lee Bennett Hopkins with an original poem inspired by a line from one of Lee's poems.
The merry-go-round horse has a tear in its eye left by the spring rain.
From The Sky is Full of Song (Harper & Row, 1983)
The Show Must Go On for Lee, by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
The carousel horse has a tear in its eye. No fairy floss wants to be spun. Flowers are wilting, curtains are drawn, jugglers say they are done.
The dreamers felt helpless, chose not to believe it— "It's just an illusion!" they cried. But words had collected, trembling in corners, afraid that The Muse had died.
They hoped for a rainbow— a sign or a vision of what their future might be, when along came a child who picked up a poem and eagerly started to read.
My poem was also inspired by Jesse Anna Bornemann's ditty challenge to use selected words from a well-known song. And because I'm not very good at keeping secrets, here's the song that helped to inspire my words. Feel free to sing along with Kermit. It might make you feel better—it did for me.
The winner of last week's giveaway for a signed copy of Once Upon a Twisted Tale, by Gayle C. Krause, illustrated by Caroline O'Neal (Clear Fork/Spork, 2019) is...
MARGARET SIMON — Congratulations, Margaret!
Only one week to go for this month's challenge to write a poem inspired by song lyrics. Click HERE
for full instructions, and to post your poem for the challenge. Don't miss the new contributions this week by Donna JT Smith, Cory Corrado, Kathleen Mazurowski, Carol Varsalona, and Molly Hogan; and join us next Friday for a rockin' end-of-month wrap-up celebration!
For more tributes to Lee Bennett Hopkins, visit this week's celebration of his life, words, and works, hosted by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm. #DearOneLBH
TLD reader Jesse Anna Bornemann has challenged us to write a poem inspired by song lyrics this month. Click HERE for full instructions, and to post your poem for the challenge. Can you guess which songs inspired the other poems on the padlet?
While some contributions may be featured as daily ditties, all
contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday,
August 30th.
For a video of a giant squid, click HERE; for more info, click HERE
Tamera Will Wissinger has challenged us to come up with a parody or
tribute poem this month. (Click HERE for details.) There are only two more days to
join in the fun! Send your poem no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 31st to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot)
com or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right.
All participants will be entered to win a copy of Tamera's
Come live with me and be my mare
and we will every pleasure share.
I’ll save my treats and give you all
the apples when they start to fall.
And we will graze in glorious grass,
and I’ll not let a moment pass
when I am not as close to you
as I can be through chomp and chew.
We’ll share the stable past Duck’s pond,
and there we’ll strengthen our deep bond.
I’ll give you first dibs on the hay
and I will never say thee neigh.
Tamera Will Wissinger has challenged us to come up with a parody or
tribute poem this month. (Click HERE for details.) There are only three more days to
join in the fun! Send your poem no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 31st to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot)
com or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right.
All participants will be entered to win a copy of Tamera's
Tamera Will Wissinger has challenged us to come up with a parody or
tribute poem this month. (Click HERE for details.) There are only four more days to
join in the fun! Send your poem no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 31st to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot)
com or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right.
All participants will be entered to win a copy of Tamera's
Tamera Will Wissinger, our spotlight author for July, chose the parody or tribute poem as this month's ditty challenge. What a fun challenge it's been! Thank you to everyone who kept me smiling and laughing all month long.
Once I tuned in, I was surprised at just how common parody poems are. When Margaret Simon gave me this link to her former student's parody of "Let It Go," I thought about how many other versions of that song were floating around social media a while back.
There was the time I found my children surfing YouTube earlier this month, looking for Minecraft parodies of popular songs. Or what about this hilarious "Weird Al" parody, "Word Crimes", that's circulating right now?
Seriously, they're everywhere!
On Carrie Finison's blog, Story Patch, I recently won a copy of THERE WAS A WEE LASSIE WHO SWALLOWED A MIDGIE, by Rebecca Colby. Wouldn't you know, another delightful parody picture book!
Not long after, I spied this hilarious parody based on Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman," also by Rebecca Colby. (Make sure to click on the sound recording as well.)
And then, of course, there were all of these:
Santa had a heaping pack
– by Kristi Veitenheimer
Sung to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
Santa had a heaping pack, heaping pack, heaping pack, Santa had a heaping pack which was filled up with toys.
He needed to find boys and girls, boys and girls, boys and girls. He needed to find boys and girls who had been good all year.
Santa looked at this year’s list, this year’s list, this year’s list. Santa looked at this year’s list and plotted a fast route.
He loaded the pack on his sled, on his sled, on his sled. He loaded the pack on his sled and called his best reindeer.
Red-nosed Rudolph led the way, led the way, led the way. Red-nosed Rudolph led the way to each and every home.
Christmas morn they all woke up, all woke up, all woke up. Christmas morn they all woke up to see what Santa brought.
All the children laughed and played, laughed and played, laughed and played. All the children laughed and played with Santa's Christmas loot.
Back home Santa took a nap, took a nap, took a nap. Back home Santa took a nap that lasted through the day.
A Grand Old Frog
– by Gayle C. Krouse
Based on "You're a Grand Old Flag" by George M. Cohan
He’s a grand old frog,
who can leap through the bog,
and forever in spring may he croak. An Olympian; Amphibian;
the best of the high-jumping folk.
Ev'ry polliwog wants to be this grand frog. He’s a champion, who soars through the sky,
But they don’t know that his secret is … He’s just catching a grand old fly.
The Five-Lined Skink
– by James "Jim" A. Duke
Parody on Burl Ives "Blue Tail Fly" ("Jimmy Crack Corn")
I'll betcha that you'd never think Today you'd meet the blue-tail skink but I am tellin, I'll betcha Helen will wink and blink and find your skink.
CHORUS: Ha, ha, ha; here we be
The blue tail skink and you and me
I’m singing corn, but I don’t care The skink done gone away
The skink is an insectivore Eating bugs and little more She helps keep down our flies and fleas Helps control a lot of these
Blue tail skink hidin' in the rock She don't need no lollypop Eating bugs and fleas and flies Quicker'n you can bat your eyes
Do you think a skink can think? Then think about that tail of blue! Should our snake grab that tail of blue The skink sheds it: "I fooled you"
Don't think they stink, the blue-tail skink Can catch a fly in just a wink More than most folk really think We'd better thank the blue tail skink
Take Me Out of Your Backpack
– by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
Sung to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer.
Take me out of your backpack.
Reach inside the black hole,
Past the detritus and paper mess–
What's inside could be anyone's guess,
But please root, root, root till you find me.
Sniff me out with your nose.
For with 1-, 2-, 3-day old chicken That's how it goes!
Blessings on thee, little girl, flip-flopped feet, with hair of curl! With thy tee of rainbow hues, And thy ripped up jeans so blue; Your red lips show make-up done I see tan shoulders, kissed by sun. You laugh with friends all feeling tall, Holding bliss—you’re at the mall! I remember those days well: Carefree giggling rings a bell! Princess crowned—the grown-up girl Layering the future in a swirl. Allow this moment, never hide; Flip flops, tees, and friends abide. Thou hast more than eyes can see Keep it close, err loss will be. Outward sunshine, inside, seed pearl. Blessings on thee, little girl!
Two UFDs (Unidentified Flying Ditties) appeared out of nowhere from Carrie Clickard:
UFD #1: Based on the traditional lullaby, "Hush, Little Baby" Hush, little Martian, don't flap a wing, Mama's gonna give you a radar ring. And if that ring won't work in fog, Papa's gonna buy you an android dog. And if that android dog won't bark, Mama's got a pass for the Milky Way park. And if the Milky Way runs dry, Papa's gonna build you a saucer to fly. And if that saucer hits the sun, Mama's gonna buy you a laser gun. And if that laser never shoots, Papa's gonna buy you some rocket boots. And if those boots won't reach a star, We'll stop by Earth and buy a car.
– Carrie Clickard, all rights reserved
UFD #2: Sung to the tune of "This Old Man"
Down from Mars, spaceships fly - saucers spinning in the sky with a click clack power pack, rocketa-pocketa, zoom! We buzz Earth with a sonic boom.
On a farm, our ship drops making circles in their crops with a click clack power pack, wurble-burble whirr (shhhhhh!) We sneak past in a spinning blur!
Time to go, we blast off watching Earthlings blink and cough with a click clack power pack, rocketa-pocketa, zoom! Back to Mars with a sonic boom.
– Carrie Clickard, all rights reserved
‘Twas the Day Before Pesach – by Jan Gars
The version HERE includes a glossary of Yiddish terms.
'Twas the day before Pesach, and all
through the shul,
Not a rabbi was stirring, they were at
Hebrew school;
In the basement below that my zayde had
leased
My bubbe and tante set a Passover
feast.
The yids were all coming! There’s
aunt Jo and aunt Sophie,
Then Zelda schlept in with her mensch,
such a trophy.
Cousin Ann couldn’t make it because
of a job,
When she started to dress, her nose
started to throb.
My sister is making the matzo ball
soup,
About fifteen quarts to feed this large
group.
Then to the bank, I fly in a flash,
To finance this simcha, we needed more
cash!
The herbs and the bitters were put by
the sink;
The gefilte fish Jo brought had started
to stink.
Shari was gagging until she would
wretch
Then she started complaining, oy vey
what a kvetch.
Aunt Margie said Milty the family
sinner,
Had chutzba by bringing a shiksa to
dinner.
Uncle Brucey is dancing and doing his
schtick,
While cussing in Yiddish and twirling
his stick.
The sun’s going down and it’s time
for the Seder,
But Murry’s not here, is he coming
later?
Then there’s a clatter outside of the
door,
And out of a Caddy steps Murray and
four.
Now Shlomo, now Moisha, now Sara, now
Irv,
Der tate oysn oyg, stepping off of the
curve;
Shlomo has macaroons, Mo’s in magenta
Sara “the kibitz”, she’s such a
yenta.
Then there is Murry, a jolly soul he,
Twinkling eyes and plump as can be;
He had a round face and a belly that
shook,
Mogen David in one hand and the other a
Nook.
He sat at the table and started to
read,
The Nook was in Hebrew, “now follow
my lead”.
A modernized Jew, I think it’s an
omen,
But where has he hidden this year’s
Afikomen?
“The meshugganah pharaoh would not
let us leave,
Then God told old Moses he had to
believe;
So ten plagues were given the ancient
Egyptians”.
Mazel tov Moses
for your Bible inscriptions!
We pray and we eat the unleavened
breads,
With kosher tradition embossed in our
heads.
Then he made a toast, as he took his
last bite
L’chaim to all, and to all a good
night!
And a few more, somewhat "littler" ditties from Jan Gars, based on traditional nursery rhymes:
Jack's Cat
Jack's cat was very fat
His dog was very lean
So when Sylvester sat on him
Old Ruff could not be seen
Bye Bye Black Sheets
Bye bye black sheets
They are made of wool
A little bit too itchy
So at my skin I pull
Into the laundry
Into the trash
It doesn't make a difference
They're not worth the cash
Little Miss Muffit
Little Miss Muffit
Sat on a tuffit
Reading the news on the way
She invested in SPDRs
And tips from insiders
And is still very rich to this day
Little Jack Horner
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner
Drinking a quart of rye
He got very numb
When he added some rum
Then stuck his face into a pie
– Jan Gars, all rights reserved
Their-there-they're
– by Tabatha Yeatts
Sung to the tune of Do-Re-Mi
Let's start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with A-B-C
When you write you begin with their-there-they're (their-there-they're)
Their-there-they're
The first three words happen to be their-there-they're Their-there-they're
Their-There-They're-Its-It's-Your-You're-
(Oh, let's see if I can make it easier)
Their- belongs, belongs to them
There- a place where you can go They're- is only when they are Its- is something it can show It's- is solely when it is Your- is something just for you You're- you are the way it is
Sometimes only their will do (oo-oo-oo)
(Repeat)
When you know the words to write
Then you can write to delight
From Diane Mayr with "apologies to Basho," though I'm pretty sure he had brilliant sense of humor and would have appreciated the tribute:
Come live with me and be my mare
and we will every pleasure share.
I’ll save my treats and give you all
the apples when they start to fall.
And we will graze in glorious grass,
and I’ll not let a moment pass
when I am not as close to you
as I can be through chomp and chew.
We’ll share the stable past Duck’s pond,
and there we’ll strengthen our deep bond.
I’ll give you first dibs on the hay
and I will never say thee neigh.
So if this life seems good to you,
then bid your former life adieu.
And if you smell love in the air,
come live with me and be my mare.
The Ballad of Odyssey
– by Keri Collins Lewis
Sung to the tune of "Oh My Darling, Clementine"
In a cavern, in a canyon
at the bottom of the sea
lived a ancient, giant squid
and his daughter, Odyssey.
Through the darkness
this pair hunted
for the fish that brought them glee,
but the old squid found a new love
and abandoned Odyssey.
Then a sperm whale
snuck up on her
as she swam alone and free,
all those tentacles could not save her
and he ate dear Odyssey.
Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling, Odyssey,
You are just part of the food chain,
that’s the way it’s meant to be.
From Keri: For a video of a giant squid, click HERE For more info, click HERE
Deck the Hulls
– by Donna JT Smith
Based on the traditional Christmas carol, "Deck the Halls"
Deck the hulls with lights so jolly!
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
Even trim the traps, by golly!
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
Don we now our boots and oilskins,
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
While we sing of lobster boilin’s,
Fa la la la la, la lobster la!
See the rolling waves before us,
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
They delight a New York tour bus,
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
Bobbers, buoys and other treasures
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
They’ll remind of seaside pleasures
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
Fast to sea the low tide rushes,
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
Now the high tide inward gushes
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
Stack the traps and buoys together
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
We’ll withstand the lowry weather!
Fa la la la, la la lobster la!
Today's Piggies
– by Buffy Silverman
Based on the traditional nursery rhyme
This little piggy had an ipad
This little piggy skyped home,
This little piggy watched youtube,
This little piggy ran Chrome,
This little piggy went...
Tweet, tweet, tweet,
all the way home!
It's a Parodypalooza and July isn't even over yet!
You have until 5:00 pm EDT on Thursday, July 31st,
to send me your tribute or parody poem.
HEY! WHO'S UP FOR A GIVEAWAY?
Everyone who participates in this month's challenge will automatically
be entered to win a personalized copy of Tamera's new picture book, THIS OLD BAND. (One entry
per participant, not per poem.) Alternatively, you may earn an entry into the giveaway by commenting below. If you
contribute a poem and comment below you will earn two entries in total. Comments must also be received no later than 5:00 EDT on Thursday July 31st, 2014.
The winner will be determined by Random.org and announced next Friday, August 1st, when we feature our new Spotlight ON interview and ditty
challenge.
Keep those ditties coming!
Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong are hosting a Poetry Friday party over at Poetry for Children. Stop by for some festive news and an abundance of poetry offerings.
