Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)
So much to tell you this week, but our home is in disarray (covid has struck again, and yes, we are fully vaccinated and boosted). So I’ll keep this brief and not overwhelming :>)
1. Friends–I’m doing a virtual library storytime on Monday, Jan 10, at 6pm Central Time. Family and friends with kids in the 4–9 range, hope to see you there! I’ll be sharing picture books about water, winter, and getting yarn from sheep. Learn about states of matter, animal adaptations and behaviors, and the miracle of sheep shearing–and friendship :>D You can register at https://dakotacountylibrary.libcal.com/event/8414177 Spread the word, and we’ll celebrate books on a chilly winter evening. 
2. I’m way behind on my dreaming and planning for 2022 because of many family things that happened in Nov/Dec. But, I’ve chosen my One Little Word for 2022: feelings. I want to work on evoking emotion in my writing, giving my poems more heart, and sharing my own emotions more when I’m writing for teachers and such.
3. Irene Latham mentioned in her newsletter a free program she’s doing with homeschool families. When I read that, I thought, “Brilliant!” Homeschooling families plus many public schools can’t afford author visits, even virtual ones. So I want to try out a free Zoom where I chat with (mostly) elementary school students. I’m doing this on Thursday, January 27, at 1 p.m. Central. If you subscribe to my eletter for educators, my January issue (coming your way on Tuesday) will have a registration link. If enough people sign up, we’ll have a blast and I’ll do another one next month.
3. Finally, a poem! This is from my out-of-print poetry collection, Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School. Although I wrote the poem about a kid at school, I feel like it kinda captures how I’m feeling about 2022. Don’t call on me yet! I’m not ready. Also, did you know you can get the text of ALL the poems from Stampede if you subscribe to my monthly newsletter for educators?
For much more, be sure to mosey over to the Poetry Friday Roundup with poet-educator Carol Varsalona at Beyond LiteracyLink!
21 Responses
Today I was teaching “Out of the Dust” and we were talking about feelings, emotions in poetry. I love that you have decided to express more emotion in your poems. I can’t wait to see where this leads you. And I’m over the moon excited about the possibility of a Zoom with you. I actually have students at 1:00 Central. I’ll look for your newsletter.
Hooray! Hope to see you and your students later this month–newsletter coming Tuesday!
Thanks for always sharing so much inspiration, Laura! Love the poem — yep, that would have been me, trying to hide in my turtleneck!
Thinking of you and hoping you will pop back to health and energy. Thanks for this poem. I still feel that way at times! Haha.
Thanks, Karen–me, too!
What a great word and goal for 2022. Can I add just a touch of challenge? This word is perfect for any age but MIDDLE school age is especially receptive to poems about feelings. Just sayin’ ;). And, I love that you are also reaching out to home schoolers. We need all students to be immersed in rich language including your poems. Bravo! Someday, I’d love to take LLL again and study the craft with intensity.
LLL and Renee are both fabulous! What’s interesting is that I expect I’ll write about feelings occasionally, but what I’m really wanting to focus on is evoking more feelings in a reader’s heart–even when I’m writing about something that’s not an emotion at all. If that makes sense. I probably need to do some more thinking to clarify exactly what I’m trying to work on! :>D
Laura, I am so sorry that your household is experiencing COVID, We had to take my son to a testing site 45 min. away on New Year’s Eve because his horrible cold had similar symptons of COVID. Luckily, he did not have COVID. This Christmas we were all on high alert. What he had passed on from grandkid to grandkid to my daughter and then to my son. Stay well. I signed up for Jan. 10th and hope to be able to make it. It is so wonderful that you are providing home schooled children with an online visit. Exposing children to poetry is such an inspiring calling.
Thanks for the good thoughts, Carol–this time, it was our older daughter with covid. She lives alone, so we had her come stay with us and isolate downstairs. So relieved her case was on the mild side! And very happy to hear that your son and family did NOT have covid. Hope to see you tomorrow night in the library storytime. And the late January author visit is for all students–homeschool OR public OR private school :>) If the teachers can make the time work, I hope they’ll register for my newsletter and then for the event! And YOU should know about inspiring children with/to poetry!
Laura, your turtleneck poem is delightful and so true a feeling. Love your new one word.
Your turtleneck poem brings back old school memories, yikes, don’t notice me, please! I like how much you’re reaching out, Laura. Teachers will be so excited. And I am sorry about Randy and covid. Nearly everyone I’ve spoken to has a ‘story’ about the holidays & exposure somehow. Hope he’s recovered quickly.
Thanks, Linda. This one was our daughter, not Randy. Luckily, a milder case, but taking care of someone isolating in your home is a lot of work!
Oops, sorry for the error. I hope all is better soon.
Oh, no worries! I just figured if you’re sending good wishes, I’d have you direct them to our daughter :>D
So sorry you are hit with covid (again?) but it doesn’t seem to be slowing you down. Thanks for sharing all these options and activities–since the beginning, Laura, you’ve been one of my models of how to go about this business, and as I look forward to retiring from the classroom, I’m watching your moves carefully, especially your generosity. Yes, step into those feelings!
Yep, this is the 2nd person in my immediate family to have it. Not me either time, but lots of worry and work each time–even though both were mildish cases. So much empathy for people juggling many worse things than I am…Thanks for your kind words, Heidi. I, in turn, am also inspired by so many in our poetry community. Figuring out how to pay bills, write what you love, and give what really matters to others–it’s a real puzzle to figure out!
I have the ‘feeling’ 2022 is going to be wonderful for you, Laura! Looking forward to all your exciting happenings. 🙂
Laura, I’m sorry to hear Covid has struck. It seems to be everywhere. I love your olw, but I think you and your writing are already filled with heart and emotions. I can’t wait to see where you go with your word. Wishing you good health and happiness!
Love TURTLENECK! Also love that you’re offering a free zoom for students/teachers… I have to figure out how to connect my kindergarten-teacher-sister and her class to you!
Thanks, Patricia! Just have her subscribe at https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001nInsvTYVCuCPTnOVx5rypAFNNkG29XIzN1FvpIN3SGs84IFKqke38LTy9w8iPVs9efJtIJU1WcLx5f_BNS000hrmuFV5YfuR5l47Rf0KaN6dDS2yRB92tL9hPbYmgp1KUs7FXrjZbeVQalA1yklbXw%3D%3D The newsletter going out Tuesday will have registration details!
Sometimes we just need to pull into our shells and let the world go by for a bit while we gather ourselves together. Here’s to better health and some time to catch up. The last few months have been fairly relentless in sending you challenges. Enough already!