OPEN WRITE: Poetry Treasure Hunt

This week I'm joining Ethical ELA for a 5-day writing opportunity for teachers. It's called Open Write and there are posts with a prompt everyday. Teacher writers are invited to try the prompt and share in the comments. Today the prompt was to gather found items from outside and the invitation was to use write found poetry inspired by #teachinglivingpoets' We're going on a treasure hunt!

I meant to look for things while walking Perdi or when we went out to eat for Father's Day but I ended up finding a snatch of text from an interview I listened to. It was Michael Silverblatt interviewing Zadie Smith about On Beauty and it was too perfect not to write down.

On How To Be Human

It's summer

And I can read again

I can write again

I can create again

I have headspace 

And I'm not used to it

Sometimes I scroll on my phone

Sometimes I feel listless

Other times I get busy

And I crave more

Like I'm watching YouTube

But I'm also listening to an interview

Like I'm programmed to do all the things at once

And then I'm struck with beauty

Words that are so true

Words that I feel so deeply

The reading of novels and poetry

was instruction 

on how to be human

Michael Silverblatt's voice sears 

straight to my soul

I stop

And listen to them again

Write them down

Read them one more time

It's summer

And I can read again

I can write again

I can create again

OPEN WRITE: Things You Can Do With a Garden Hose

I've followed Ethical ELA for a while now and this week I noticed that they have a 5-day writing opportunity for teachers so I decided to join in. It's called Open Write and there are posts with a prompt everyday. Teacher writers are invited to try the prompt and share in the comments. For the first day, the prompt was from Allyson Berryhill and the invitation was to use Ally Visser's poem Things You Can Do With an Orange as a mentor text. I used the wheel to spin a noun and got "garden hose" so here's my poem.

Things You Can Do With a Garden Hose

celebrate
for summer is here

time to
unwind
let loose
release the kinks

time to
quench
the lawn
the flowers
the garden
your thirst and your soul

time to
slip and slide
sprint through the sprinkler
splash a sibling

time to
fill a bucket
a baby pool
water balloons

and celebrate
for summer is here

Can you tell I'm so excited that summer is here? I am reveling in the time to be still and quiet and to be outside and to read and write and visit with friends.