POETRY FRIDAY ROUNDUP

So you are really still looking for a poem?

Seriously? Well let me tell you, 

I really was going to write a poem today,

but then son #1 needed my computer

 because he really wanted me to see that 

his grades have moved from "Yikes" to "Somewhat Acceptable."

So you are really still looking for a poem?

Listen, I really was going to write a poem,

And then Son #2's coach called

And needed me to drive the carpool 

because he was stuck across town in traffic.

So you are really still looking for a poem?

Listen, I really was going to write one, 

but then the dogs got out,

two black streaks, flying joyously across the park. 

And I had to chase them.

Twice.

I promise. Really. I will write a poem tomorrow. 

If life doesn't get in the way.

OK, so not quite thirty hours ago, I opened the door to host Poetry Friday. First in the door, and a first time Poetry Friday-er was Susan, from Book Chook. Susan came all the way from Australia to share some poetry pleasures. Susan introduced me to the term phoetry, which I can't wait to share with kids on Monday. Susan was followed by a whole herd of poets and poetry lovers…

Leading the herd in honor of National Poetry Month…

• If you have not visited Gregory K. at gottabook, gallop there directly. Every day this month, he is featuring a brand new poem from a much-loved children's poet. This week's poets have included X.J. Kennedy, Ann Whitford Paul, Jaime Adoff, Marilyn Singer, Adam Rex, and Joyce Sidman. Today's poem,  is "Rules for Spot" by Bruce Lansky
• From there, drop by Kelly Finerman's neighborhood. Kelly is taking us through the classics. Every day she chooses a new poem, today is "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In a dazzling display of wordish acrobatics, Kelly  uses subject, theme, or style to link that classic to the poem from the day before.
• Then mosey on over to Year of Reading. Mary Lee and Franki have been sharing a different poetry book every day. I've learned about some great new books, that I have to have, after I pay taxes, which is what Mary Lee is thinking about today as she shares the poem "Money."
  
• Sylvia, of Poetry for Children fame, is also reviewing a wonderful poetry book every single day. Today's book, Charles R. Smith's picture book interpretation of MY PEOPLE sounds absolutely wonderful. 
• From there, tie your horse to the hitching post at readwritebelieve. Sara is featuring a quote about poetry every day this month. Today she throws in a bonus poem, "Hands,"
• Take a walk in a very lovely garden of haiku- Susan Taylor Brown has been writing about California wildflowers every day this month. Today she also shares the audio version of "The Rock" from her verse novel, HUGGING THE ROCK.
• Found out this morning that Liz Scanlon is also writing haiku every day. And the stories that go with the haiku are great writing in and of themselves. Check them out here.

Graze in some sweet clover with these original poems…

• Ms. Mac brings us some wonderful, and I mean wonderful adaptions of William Carlos Williams, "This is Just to Say," written by her oh-so-talented fifth grade students.
  
• Eleven-year-old Maya sent a late contribution on Saturday. Check out her blog- think she will show up on the Thirty Days/Thirty Poets in the not-too-distant future!
• Laurie Purdie Salas has a link to an interview with Tracie Vaughn Zimmer about Laura's brand new book, STAMPEDE. Laura also invites you to participate in a new online poetry workshop or try your hand at a 15-word-or-less poem. 
• Julie Larios at The Drift Record  shares "Like Bees Over Clover," and several other interviews and tidbits. Scroll down a bit and read her April 6 entry, which is a link to a great article about memorizing poetry.
  
• Kelly Polark celebrates "Tell a Lie Day" (which was actually April 4 in case you were planning on participating)! and Tabatha's poem, "Two Small Pieces of Glass," celebrates the creation of the telescope four hundred years ago.  Try pairing Tabatha's poem with "A Worker Reads History," posted on the Stenhouse blog. Then check out "Formal Application: a poet's attempt to become a modern man."
• For all of you 21st Century literacy folks, David Elzey has rounded up all of his original twitku (twitter haiku for those of us who are still making our way into the 21st century) from the past week or two. A clever new-to-me genre!
• Two beautiful "found poems," one by Gautami Tripathy, all the way from Delhi, India, taken from a short story,  and the other a pantoum (these amaze me- and someday, when I have 5.2 free minutes, I really am going to try to write one) at Deo Writer.
• Lisa Chellman wrote "Downturn" in response  Miss Rumphius' bite-sized sonnet poetry challenge. 
• Lorie Ann Grover gives us a wonderful example of phoetry with "Converse."
• Feel the sand between your toes in Tiel Aisha Ansari's, "Beach Reverie." After that pad on over and read Ms. Erin's free verse.
• Angela's poem, "Morning Ritual," made me cry because my boys are big and grumpy and eat poptarts and get mad when their "morning glory mother" tries to converse in the morning. 

And a few long-in-the- teeth oldies but oh so goodies…

• John Mutford came from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, with some extended versions of favorite nursery rhymes like "Old Mother Hubbard" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Jack and Jill."
  
• For a little Shakespeare-ish fix, head over to Political Verses, where Elaine has a parody of the Double, Double, Toil and Trouble scene from Macbeth.
  
• Laurie Ann Grover takes me back to my poet-tree roots with "A Little Nut Tree." I remember my grandmother reading this poem to me when I was four or five years ol

Book Reviews

• Andrea at Just One More Book invites us to leave the plains and travel back in time to enjoy  a visit to a castle in thirteenth century England. All that brawling and burping sounds a little like a night at the chuckwagon!
  
• Amanda at Patchwork of Books reviews Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's STEADY HANDS: POEMS ABOUT WORK. You will also see a review in this weekend's New York Times!
• Andromeda Jazmon brings us the THE CUCKOO'S HAIKU, by Michael J. Rosen. Just looking at the beautiful cover makes me feel like I neeeeed to own it. 
• Anastasia Suen sent a review of  BASEBALL HOUR by Carol Nevius and the Rockies won their home opener and are now 3-1!
• At Wild Rose Reader, Elaine posted a quick review of Georgia Heard's FALLING DOWN THE PAGE, a new book of list poems, and  then shared some second grader poets lists. This would be a fun piece for a multi-genre research project. 
• I didn't know that Nikki Giovanni had a new book coming out, but now, having read about BICYCLES: LOVE POEMS at Kurious Kitty, I'm definitely going to have to look for it.
• April 13 is Lee Bennett Hopkins' birthday. Check out Linda's review of BEEN TO YESTERDAYS.

All Things Spring and Easter

• First, April simply could not be April without a posting of Sara Teasdale's "April" and T.S. Eliot's "April is the Cruelest Month."
• Besides hosting this month's fabulous "Poetry Maker" series, and besides having fabulous giveways, Tricia, at Miss Rumphius Effect, shares another classic,  "Spring Carol" by Robert Louis Stevenson. 
  
• But typically, Springtime in the Rockies, looks more like this photo from Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. 
• Tanita Davis shares a beautiful Passover poem. Just listen to the last line, "Let all who are hungry join us." Wow, just wow…
• Ruth brings us the words to one of her favorite hymns, "Abide With Me."
• In one of the last poems of the day, (which has slipped into Poetry Saturday), Lisa sent "Good Friday in My Heart."

And a few more…

• Little Willow posted At Autumn Fitting by George Cotterell at Bildungsroman.
  
• Poetry teaches such important life lessons. Here is a terrific one for kids and adults. 
  
• From Lee, a poem about a young man's relationship with his grandfather
  
• Shelf Elf  shares a deep and meaningful poem for the inner child. 
  

And now it's very late. 

And I am going to bed. 

Because tomorrow I might write a poem…