Poetry Friday: Poems for Your Pocket and Poetry Month Project
Our host for the week is Irene at Live Your Poem. If you don’t subscribe to Irene’s newsletter, you MUST. This past week, she sent out a newsletter FULL of links to so many great poetry things for poetry month.
Poem in Your Pocket
I have been wanting to put together some poetry printables for this occasion.
Here they are! If you click on the image, there are four different poems in the download.
Feel free to send the link to a teacher or librarian you know or print them and give them away.
Poetry Project for 2024
Last week we were traveling, so I didn’t get a chance to post about my project for Poetry Month.
I keep a stack of interesting articles. Most of them are ripped out of magazines that I subscribe to. Sometimes, I’ll print an interesting article I read online. I’ve been shoving them into a folder for a long time thinking I’d go through them at some point.
For Poetry Month, I decided I’d dig through the file each day and write a poem inspired by a nugget of information.
I stumbled across Consilience Journal and loved how each poem has a science note along with it.
I was a little worried I’d bitten off too big a project (and maybe I have). However, two of my top 5 strengths in StrengthsFinder are Learner and Input, so this is really bucket filler for me! I get to explore something new everyday.
I’ll try to share one poem a week (doing a daily post isn’t doable for me). This is just a draft that still needs work!
A Pocket for Rock
Otter has a pocket—
a pocket for her rock.
It’s like a little tool belt
for her finest tool in stock.
The rock inside her pocket
can crack a tasty snack.
She hunts for scrumptious shellfish
then gives them a quick whack.
With a rounded belly,
otter puts her tool away
and stores her shellfish crumbs
in her pocket-sized cafe.
Otter has a pocket—
with rocks and yummy scraps
now all she needs is some time
for a sunny, floaty nap.
Science: Sea Otters have loose skin under their forearms where they can store a favorite shellfish-cracking rock. They can also store food to eat later.
Source: National Geographic “These Creatures Come with Specialized Storage”
Haiku of the Week
lone beauty
among curmudgeons
crocus springs up
Photo Taken: March 8, 2024 in our yard
Haiku Written: April 3, 2024
Poem as Picture Book
by Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
Clarion Books, 2023
This is a 169-word poem told from the point of view of branches, using the collective we voice.
Poetry Connections
- Persona/Mask Poem
- Repetition
- Alliteration
- Assonance
- Imagery
- Word choice (verbs!)
Links
Grow
I’m pushing myself to write a poem a day (besides my normal haiku-a-day practice). It’s been good to stretch myself into writing a DRAFT of a poem, trying new things, even when I know it will need lots of work later.
26 Comments
Irene Latham
Marcie, you and I have this insatiability for information in common! Have you ever seen the movie SHORT CIRCUIT? Ally Sheedy and a robot…the robot flies through all books and says “need more input”. “need more input” — I have always related really heavily to that, and I bet you do too. Thanks for all you give! xo
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It’s been YEARS since I’ve seen that movie, so I may have to dive back in! “Need more input” is something I can DEFINITELY relate to!
Tracey Kiff-Judson
Thank you for the tip to subscribe to Irene’s newsletter – and yours! You are so creative, Marcie. Your printables are perfect! AND, I did not know about otters pockets. How interesting!
Tracey
* otters’
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
They are fascinating!!
Linda Baie
I have stickies on various magazine articles I want to return to so love that you have this big collection. I know about otters, have even seen them using the rocks on a trip long ago with students. I love your poem, and the ending, very fun, Marcie. Ah, that crocus photos, love the ‘lone beauty!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I have a gigantic stack of magazines I need to comb through too!
Alan j Wright
Marcie, your poem in the pocket project brings back memories of my time living and working in NYC. I brought the idea home with me to share with Australian schools. Wishing you every success with this pearl of an idea.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much! I hope it’s helpful for teachers.
Margaret Simon
I love your otter poem. My husband has been into watching otter videos to calm himself after a hard day. He keeps wanting to show me the silly things they do. Thanks for the pocket poems. I printed them for my students. I wonder if you are open for a Zoom class visit on or around Poem in your pocket day. Email me at masimon at iberiaschools.org.
Thanks!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Hooray! I emailed you. Hopefully something will align and we can Zoom.
Janice scully
Your posts are chock full of ideas. It’s a great plan to have a folder to store interesting stuff for later and now you have a source of ideas. I enjoyed the otter with a rock in its pocket and your haiku and gorgeous photo. Thanks for sharing all of it.
Mary Lee
Your otter poem would pair well with Liz Garton Scanlon’s A SOCK IS A POCKET FOR YOUR TOES!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Gosh I love that book! so fun!
Buffy Silverman
I’m guessing you’ve read Odder (which I have reread many times while working on a NIV.) Your pocket reminded me of it–love the toolbelt simile. And curmudgeon is such a perfect word to describe the non-croci in early spring!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes! I’ve read it (only once), but it was lovely.
Rose Cappelli
Love that otter pocket! What a sweet poem. Thank you!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you, Rose!
PATRICIA J FRANZ
I’m trying to think of my daily poems as drafts, too. And pondering when to return to them to help them grow into real poems! I love what you’ve put together with Otter!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes! We have to think of them as drafts–works in progress.
PATRICIA J FRANZ
I’m trying to think of my daily poems as drafts, too. And pondering when to return to them to help them grow into real poems! I love what you’ve put together with Otter! So kid-friendly!
Laura Purdie Salas
Otter pockets? Fabulous! Marcie, what a fun poem–and lovely haiku. Nonfiction poetry is everything to me, though I’m trying to diversify a little :>)
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I adore nonfiction poetry!
Carol Varsalona
Marcie, your love of researching interesting information is a constant joy. I enjoy reading your posts and always want more so I go back when I miss one of your haikus and ideas. I copied today’s links to refer to and your haiku is as lovely as always. Crumdgeon is one of my favorite words. Spring is here so my family took a walk in the woods in our community. I thought of your photos as I passed by trying to find nature’s small miracles.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
What a huge compliment. 🙂 Thank you, Carol!
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