Poetry Friday
It was May 3rd and I was leisurely reading all things poetry shared by my #PoetryFriday friends.
That is when I came across Michelle Heidenrich Barnes’s DMC challenge for May on Today’s Little Ditty. Michelle asked us to write a poem giving instructions to an inanimate object about how to do its job, an idea based on Elizabeth Steinglass‘s poem “Instructions for the Field.”
I was intrigued and in the mood to write something whimsical.
And so, I started out with some instructions for a swing (an inanimate object). But my thoughts turned to the tree. I love trees. And I ended up with instructions to a tree (which of course isn’t inanimate).
Like that student in your classroom who tweaks the writing assignment directions to follow his/her writing heart, I posted my poem “Instructions to a Tree” on Michelle’s May 2019 padlet … even though it didn’t wholly follow her specifications.
And guess what!
On May 7th, Michelle celebrated my poem on her blog without a word about my misstep in following directions. {Thank you, Michelle!}
I wonder, in how many classrooms . . .
Would my poem have been pushed aside because I failed to follow directions explicitly?
Would I have been asked to redo the assignment?
Would my poem have been celebrated?
I wonder . . . ?
Instructions to a Tree
Make a branch thick—one
that is low but not too low,
and keep it parallel to earth.
Let it grow strong so
it won’t shake in a breeze
or bend in strong winds.
Then a man will come to you.
Don’t resist when he flips
a heavy rope over your branch,
the thick one parallel to earth.
Let him pull the rope tight so
it doesn’t slip with the weight
of a tire he will hang at the end.
Then a boy will come to you.
When this boy sits on the tire
pushing off with his feet to
swing higher and higher,
You will feel the rope jerk
as he drops high to low, back
and forth, and up… up again.
Be strong when the rope
twists and rubs. Don’t bend,
no matter how great the weight.
© 2019, Alice Nine (draft)
#PoetryFriday Roundup
is hosted by
Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
*
Poetry Friday Schedule
Jan – June 2019
I’m so glad you visited today,
and I do enjoy hearing from you!
Your reply will become visible as soon as I read it.
I love your instructions. I didn’t consider that a tree isn’t inanimate. Your poem reminded me of The Giving Tree.
I read this on Michelle’s padlet, and it was one of my favorites. Great job, Alice!
Alice, you make a good point about what classroom directions and free choice. We need to concentrate on the celebration of writing rather than cast negative tone. As for your poem, it is delightful and captures the fun of swinging on a big, old tree. It speaks to my “writing heart”. Thanks for sharing and congratulations for having a spot on Michelle’s blog.
I love this poem. We have an old oak in our yard with a rope swing. I’ve invited little boys to swing on it. Big boys enjoy it too. It’s so exciting to write a poem that is featured on Michelle’s blog. Two of my students were celebrated this week. The principal read aloud their poems to the school. Nothing beats this!
I read the post, Alice, & you’ve seen my comment. It is a fabulous poem, feels right to me for the challenge, but I had already forgotten the ‘inanimate’ requirement, too. I think this could make a lovely picture book!
This made me laugh, Alice. It didn’t even occur to me that a tree wouldn’t qualify for the challenge. I guess you could say I’m more concerned with the *how* of these challenges than the *what*. I actually did tell two people that their poems didn’t quite meet this challenge, but it wasn’t because of the subject matter, it had more to do with their approach. I loved your poem when I first read it, and I still love it now!
Thank you, Michelle. And now I’m the one grinning.