We’ve been having some fun with poetry this year. On many Fridays we’ve read great poems by Valerie Worth, Laura Purdie Salas, Joyce Sidman, and many others. I have also shared some poems that I wrote.
This project started with us looking carefully at a simple object: a photo of an egg on a table. As we looked, we tried to see beneath the surface, to find beauty and meaning in where our minds took us. I’m very impressed with the work the children did, with the care and openness and depth they showed in their writing.
You see, I have this sense that there is a difference between looking and seeing. To me, the difference is time and care. Poets (and scientists) try to really see, which means they have to spend some time with their eyes, mind, and hearts wide open. Which makes writing poetry on the last days of school a really great thing to do. It’s good to spend some time at the end of the year with our hearts wide open.
I have really enjoyed reading what the children saw. As Teagen put it so well: “I see/ an egg/ with powers/ powers that/ make you/ feel/ full.” These poems make me feel full. We hope that you enjoy them, too.
There will be more to come!
