POETRY FRIDAY

This week I attended a district literacy training. One of the sessions that I attended, they talked about Overdrive, a tool that allows kids to access books on their computers and phones and tablets. While I was messing around with that app, I stumbled across A MAZE ME by Naomi Shihab Nye. I first thought it was a new book, then discovered it was originally published in 2005, then re-published, (maybe with a different cover?) in 2014. At any rate, I loved the poems. I also loved the foreword, which I think will be perfect to use with sixth graders the first week of school.

From the back cover: 

Life is a tangle of
twisting paths.
Some short.
Some long.
There are dead ends.
And there are choices.
And wrong turns,
and detours,
and yield signs, 
and instruction booklets,
and star maps,
and happiness,
and loneliness.
And friends.
And sisters.
And love.
And poetry.

Life is a maze.
You are a maze.
Amazed.
And amazing.

Naomi Shihab Nye

"Every Day"
My hundred-year-old next door neighbor told me
every day is a good day if you have it.
I had to think about that a minute.
She said, Every day is a present
someone left at your birthday place at the table.
Trust me! It may not feel like that
but it's true. When you're my age
you'll know. Twelve is a treasure
and it's up to you
to unwrap the package gently,
lift out the gleaming hours
wrapped in tissue,
don't miss the bottom of the box.

Naomi Shihab Nye


"If the Shoe Doesn't Fit"

you take it off
of course you take it off
it doesn't worry you
it isn't your shoe

Naomi Shihab Nye

Karen Edmisten is hosting Poetry Friday this week. She shares "Sustenance," a beautiful poem by Barbara Crooker, and then her own "Sustenance" poem, which is equally beautiful.