Poetry Friday: Cicada Poem Process
Carol at Beyond Literacy Link is our host this week. Hop on over there for the line up.
Cicada Poem Process
Last week I posted about “Axolotl” my poem process in Clara’s Kooky Compendium of Thimblethoughts and Wonderfuzz.
“Cicada” was a much faster process because I knew I wanted to incorporate onomatopoeia, and I wanted to try out a variation of Joseph Coelho’s one-word poems.
First Draft
Final Poem
As you can see, I didn’t make huge changes to “Cicada” from idea to final—unlike “Axolotl.”
Chalk + Ink Podcast about Writing
I was thrilled to be on a panel with other teachers about writing. I talked about writing in the library, and I was so encouraged to hear about all of the awesome things that are happening in the panelists’ various classrooms.
If you’d like to give the episode a listen, it’s been released here. You can listen to episode 81 here or on your favorite podcast app.
Haiku of the Week
white hydrangea
ages in to autumn
beauty in the cracks
Photo Taken: October 4, 2024 in my moon garden
Haiku Written: October 9, 2024
Poem as Picture Book
By April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre
Illustrated by Juliet Menendez
Godwin/Henry Holt, 2023
This 154-word poem is about baby birds and baby mammals (including humans) and how their parents take care of them.
Poetry Connections
- Rhyming
- Repetition
- Alliteration
- Strong verbs
Links
Grow
I spent some time this week creating a spreadsheet of various projects in progress and trying to think through what stage I’m in with each. I keep a pretty organized digital filing system, but I love creating at-a-glance pages where I can quickly take stock. It’s also helpful for me to have this at-a-glance so I can tweak my quarterly plans.
28 Comments
Linda Baie
Oh, I love the hydrangea poem, a close look (if only everyone would “see” as you do, Marcie). My blooms are long gone, sad to say. As for the cicadas, I hear a tiny call outside now, but most are gone. I have a granddaughter who loves to collect insect bodies, so I’ve found a few for her, but no crunch here! Have a nice weekend!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I LOVED the year we had Brood X visit us. There were cicadas everywhere. It was fascinating. This year, we just had the annual cicadas–noisy but not nearly as widespread as the 17 year cicadas.
Linda Mitchell
I was finally able to listen to Chalk & Ink! It’s a wonderful episode. Thanks so much for being on that panel. I do love how Hydrangea’s age…maybe I can retain some beauty, too, as the years pass. I hope so!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yay! Glad you got to listen. I was amazed by the people on the panel and all the awesome things they do. And you WILL retain that beauty! 🙂
Rose Cappelli
Thanks for all of this goodness, Marcie. Once again you have inspired me to plan out a moon garden for next summer. The white hydrangea is beautiful. It makes me feel like I am in good company aging into cracks.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
It’s so fascinating how they turned this beautiful rose color after being so bright white all summer.
PATRICIA FRANZ
Your haiku hits home, Marcie — I’m feeling like a white hydrangea…Lotsa beauty in the cracks! -lol
I’ve become a fan of translating my 12 Weeks for Writers weekly tasks on to excel and time blocks. There is truly something satisfying about seeing the requisite blocks for each task. I think I rely on it more than my normal calendar!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yay! I love organizing stuff in that way! Having things contained into a spreadsheet sometimes feels more manageable.
Tracey Kiff-Judson
I have that same white hydrangea by my back door, but you have shown it to me through fresh eyes! Patricia’s personification of it is perfect as well! Now I am feeling white hydrangea!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Is yours pink now too? It was bright white all summer and it has aged into rose color. So beautiful.
Carol Varsalona
Marcie, your haiku sends a message to me. Autumn understands impermanence., aing is part of the life cycle. and we can find beauty in unusual places. I am sorry that I missed the ChalkInk event . I hope It was fabulous. Onoomatopeia worked well in your cicada poem. I love how played with sound and images: bumpbles through the air…
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you! The Chalk + Ink is a podcast, so you can listen to that episode and all of the many other ones she’s done wherever you listen to podcasts.
Laura Purdie Salas
Eeeuw, that crunch! Thanks for all the goodness, Marcie. I wonder if SKYSCRAPER BABIES is April’s final project. I love that it’s by her and Jeff. Going off to look for this one.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I don’t know if it was her last project. I was surprised to find it!
Margaret Simon
I love hearing about your process. Onomatopoeia is a favorite poetic element of mine. It’s so appealing to the young ones. Your haiku perspectives please me, the beauty in the cracks. Yes. Thanks.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes to beauty in the cracks!
Alan j Wright
Process is as unique as we are as poets and writers. How we got to the final product is both fascinating and worthy of sharing with fellow writers. I thank you, Marcie for the insight this reveal delivers.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much!
Mary Lee
Ooh! A new April Pulley Sayre book! I love that Jeff keeps sending her words and ideas out into the world.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Me too!!!!
Liz Garton Scanlon
I love nothing more than process! Thanks for sharing that draft, Marcie!
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I’m a big fan of process too!
Carol Labuzzetta
Thanks for sharing your process, Marcie. Do you always start on paper? Just curious.
Congratulations on having your poem in CLARA.
Hydrangeas are one of my favorite shrubs – they offer so much – beauty and inspiration.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Yes, I always start on paper–even for my verse novel I started on paper at first. I often start on paper for my first draft of picture books too. For Wait, Rest, Pause, I wrote the stanzas on index cards.
Ramona
I love how this poem came together quickly. Like you, I prefer to write poetry on paper, so that none of my ideas are lost during the revision process. It’s fun how you incorporated onamatapoeia into each part of the poem.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you! Yes, some poems come out quickly and I have a clear vision. Others… not so much!
Karen Edmisten
Marcie, I love “beauty in the cracks.” So true and relatable.
You are so organized — you should put togehter a workshop on digitial organization and time management. 🙂 I love to be organized but I feel like an amateur next to you. 😀
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Oh thanks! Not everyone wants to have as many systems as I have going. 🙂 But for me it’s “outer order, inner calm.”