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Friday, July 5, 2013

Poetry Friday

I want all of my students (children and adults) to view themselves as lovers of poetry. For that reason, I often share several poems at one time. Sometimes they are related to a particular theme. Sometimes they are related to a specific form or technique. Sometimes they are all by the same poet. Usually one is intended to delight- a lighthearted poem that everyone will love. Others are deeper and  take a little more thinking or processing. We read them all, then I ask students to choose a favorite and work with it a little more. Generally, over the course of the year, kids fall in love with lots of different poems and poets…

Watermelons

  by Charles Simic
Green Buddhas
On the fruit stand.
- See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15260#sthash.bK48irmO.dpuf



USDA Photo by Scott Bauer- Wikimedia Commons

 "Watermelon Bird"

In mid-July, my friends and I
were drinking lemonade
and eating watermelon
in the comfort of the shade.
We spat the seeds among the weeds.
We spat them east and west.
I spat one in a pine tree, where
it landed in a nest.
And there it lay till late in May,
when it sprouted as a vine,
and soon there grew a melon
in the branches of the pine.
A mother bird without a word
then settled in the tree
and nested on that melon
for a week or maybe three.

Read the rest of the poem here.

Eric Ode

Image from Wikimedia Commons by Beyond Silence
"Watermelon"
Green buddhas
on the fruit stand.

Read the rest of the poem here.

Charles Simic

Watermelon half by Lemur 12 from Wikimedia Commons

"Poetry"
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.

Read the rest of this poem here
(Truthfully, these are my favorite few lines, and generally, these are are the only ones I ever use).

Wassermelon  by Togo from Wikimedia Commons

Sometimes I even share one of my own poems…

Watermelon
Crunchy green rind yields
juicy red flesh then
slippery black seeds
perfect for spitting
More juicy red
followed by paler pink
then bitterish white
and a return to
crunchy green rind.
Watermelon.

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2013

Poetry Friday is at Keri Recommends. Head over there for lots  more juicy offerings.


10 comments:

Keri said...

I love the colorful journey through the watermelon in your poem. We have a GIGANTIC green ball of a watermelon presiding over our counter right now. Now I want to cut it!

Rebecca Gomez said...

Good thing I bought a watermelon today. These poems are giving me a craving for the juicy stuff!

Linda B said...

I love the one by Eric Ode, can see why kids would love it. I do wonder how many kids get to have watermelon seed spitting contests? Do they only buy seedless these days? I love the Strand lines-keep them at the beginning of all my writers notebooks! And your poem, Carol, all the parts. One of my husband's aunts made watermelon rind pickles-they used everything in the past. Thanks for all the marvelous watermelon approaches!

Ruth said...

Working on creating poetry lovers here, too! Thanks for this!

Tabatha said...

Nice watermelon collection, Carol! You made me curious about more fruit poetry and I found this at Poets.org: http://www.poets.org/notebookdetail.php/prmNotebookID/376314

Mary Lee said...

Yum! I haven't had watermelon yet this summer and now I'm craving it!

Tara @ A Teaching Life said...

Loved your "Watermelon" poem, Carol - I am now craving some, as well!

Carol said...

Glad people liked the watermelon poems. They are on sale this week in Denver, maybe other places too! We bought our first one of the summer-- Son #1 is home for about ten days and he's a huge watermelon lover- he can eat a whole one by himself in one sitting. The one I chose was not all that sweet, but it was still pretty darn yummy! Linda, the Eric Ode poem is off the Giggle Poetry website. Lots and lots of funny poems there. Tabatha, I love the fruit poems. Quite a collection!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

Thoroughly enjoyed your watermelon poem smorgasbord, Carol! I also admire your process of sharing poetry with your students, allowing them to take hold individually and gradually.

Liz Steinglass said...

I love the idea of sharing a variety of poems at once so everyone is exposed to many and can find favorites for themselves.