icon caret-left icon caret-right instagram pinterest linkedin facebook twitter goodreads question-circle facebook circle twitter circle linkedin circle instagram circle goodreads circle pinterest circle

Life on the Deckle Edge

POETRY MONTH - Last Week of Mini Movies Starts with "Food for Thought" from THE POETRY OF SCIENCE

Click here to hear Robyn read her poem, "Food for Thought," from THE POETRY OF SCIENCE (Pomelo Books). 

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Here we are, beginning the last week of National Poetry Month.  I'll post my mini-movies through Thursday, and then on Friday - look for a blooper reel from this month's videographical adventures. ;0)

 

Today's poem is another one from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY® FOR SCIENCE (Pomelo Books, 2014) and THE POETRY OF SCIENCE (the "for kids" edition, 2015), compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, with illustrations by Frank Ramspott and Bug Wang.

 

It's called "Food for Thought," and it's about food labels!  I hope your pantry is still full after weeks of sheltering at home.  (If it is, and you still have your income, remember your local food banks in these challenging times.)  Click here for the mini video, and click here for my YouTube Channel

 

Thanks for visiting - Happy Monday!

Be the first to comment

POETRY MONTH/Poetry Friday - Short Poetic Diversions Soothing or Silly

Click here for my YouTube Channel, featuring all my Poetry Month mini poem movies! 

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! I hope in the midst of these jarring days you are finding comfort through poetry.  I've got two short diversions today, depending on whether you need something calm and soothing, or something downright silly.

 

My National Poetry Month mini-movies project continues with "I Pause for Poems" and "I Pause for Haiku" offerings.  Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in April, I'm posting a video featuring one of my published children's poems, and each Tuesday and Thursday, its a haiku suitable for kids. (18 down... four to go!)

 

First, yesterday's haiku video. It features the poem and picture above.  The haiku is from THIS WORLD, Haiku Society of America 2013 Members' Anthology:

 

 

lingering afternoon

the ebb and flow

of birdsong

 

 

©Robyn Hood Black

 

Now, I had been out in the neighborhood this week, recording bird chatter and also taking pictures of leafy oaks and twisty vines, which I was planning to use as the background for the poem text. Then Morgan sent the amazing photo above in a family text on Wednesday.  (She teaches third grade in Georgia; her teaching from home since March was the biggest inspiration for me to record these short, teacher-friendly videos!)

 

Morgan and hubby Matt have been hosting a bluebird pair in their back yard.  So I borrowed the wonderful image, added my haiku, and shared it with Caraol Varsalona as well, for her beautiful #NatureNurtures2020 gallery this month. (Here's the link to the video again.)

 

If you need something a little wackier, might I serve you up some of today's little movie?  It features this poem from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY - K-5 Edition (Pomelo Books, 2012) edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.  [Interrupts to wave madly at Janet and say CONGRATS to you and all the other fine folks on the NCTE Notables List announced this week!!]

 

Here's the poem:

 

SNACK RULES

 

Don't talk with your mouth full - 

full of peanut butter.

Anything you try to say

wll cmmm out as a mmmttrr.

 

©Robyn Hood Black

 

If you click here for this video, you'll see Rita in a cameo role.  She celebrated her eighth birthday this month, by the way. 

 

Be sure to follow along with the Progressive Poem - it happens to park at Wondering and Wondering today, where the generous and talented Christie is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup, too!

Thatsalotta hosting! 

 

(I've got to come up with Monday's line... wish me luck and circle back around after the weekend.) Thanks for coming by!

 

--Children under the age of 13 need demonstrated parental consent to leave a comment - Thanks!--

 

PS - The Authors Guild techno-wizards are trying to fix my comment section, which has been making it seem that comments don't go through.  They advised me to keep comments set to 'moderated' in the meantime, so I'll do that this week. 

24 Comments
Post a comment

POETRY MONTH - Celebrate EARTH DAY with a Poem Movie about Stick Insects!

Click here to hear Robyn read "Rocky Rescue" from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR SCIENCE from Pomelo Books.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers - Thanks for joining me this month for my National Poetry Month project:  mini poem movies each weekday in April, featuring some of my published poems. 

 

Know what today is?

 

It's EARTH DAY!  And, it's the 50th Anniversary!  Click here for more info or to take some earth-friendly action. 

 

The poem I'm sharing today is "Rocky Rescue" from THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY® FOR SCIENCE (Pomelo Books, 2014) and THE POETRY OF SCIENCE (the "for kids" edition, 2015), compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, with illustrations by Frank Ramspott and Bug Wang.  This poem is in the section, "Endangered & Extinct."  Curious? Don't worry... it has a happy ending. 

 

Click here for the poem movie, and click here for my YouTube Channel. And learn more about all the wonderful poetry books and resourcess offered by Pomelo Books here

 

Thanks for visiting, and Happy Earth Day!

Be the first to comment

POETRY MONTH Mini Videos Continue with "Epitaffy" from THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY 2017-18

Click here to hear Robyn read "Epitaffy" from THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY 2017-18, compiled by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes with cover art by Miranda Barnes.  

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Ready for today's installment in my National Poetry Month Project?  (Mini poem videos each weekday:  on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it's one of my published poems for kids; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's haiku suitable for kids.) 

 

Warning - Today's is a little s-p-oooo-k-y...Mwah-ha-haaa.

 

Click the link above or head to my YouTube Channel for "Epitaffy" from THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY 2017-18 compiled by the ever-lively Michelle Heidenrich Barnes.  (Michelle's daughter, Miranda, was the cover artist for this edition, which came out last year!)  And check out all the Ditty goodness over at Michelle's place, Today's Little Ditty, always a favorite haunt.  

 

(Children under 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent - Thanks!)

4 Comments
Post a comment

Poetry Friday and Poetry Month - "Hidden in the Seams" from IMPERFECT

Click here to hear Robyn read "Hidden in the Seams" from IMPERFECT.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Happy Poetry Friday, and Happy (Continued) National Poetry Month!

 

My mini-poem movies project continues today with my poem from IMPERFECT - poems about mistakes: an anthology for middle schoolers (History House Publilshers, 2018)This is the wonderfully welcoming project our own Tabatha Yeatts shared with the world.  Here's Tabatha's author/editor website, with links to how you can purchase this collection. (And - NEW - it's now available as an e-book purchase on Amazon, too!)

 

My poem is called "Hidden in the Seams," and rather than complex emotional mishaps, it deals with the many wrong turns one often takes in a creative adventure, before a final finished project emerges! 

 

A little timely this week, actually, as I dusted off my old sewing machine, found some quilting fabric I've stored for a couple of decades (yes, I washed it!) and snipped ties from some hanging name badges I had to make some cloth masks.  We had been using a couple kindly made and shared by our wonderful 92-year-old neighbor, Ms. Betty, but needed a few more, with regular washing and all.

 

The process went as all my sewing projects do:  1.) Do it wrong first, untangle mangled threads, and re-do; 2.) veer from the actual directions because I like doing things my own way; and 3.) Voila! (Eventually....) Done. Imperfections and all!

 

I hope you enjoy the short poem movie. Each weekday in April, I'm pausing for some of my published poems for kids on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and for haiku suitable for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Thanks to all who have taken a look, and shared, too!  Here's a link to today's poem, and here's a link to my YouTube Channel.

 

Since it IS Poetry Friday, here's the poem typed out:

 

 

Hidden in the Seams

 

 

Measure.

Cut.

Pin paper pattern. Pin paper pattern. 

Thread machine.

Chikita, chikita, chikita, chikita

chikita, chikita, chikita, chikita

chikita, ckiki-chkkktghkCLNK

 

(Ugh!)

Untangle thread.

Press pieces. 

Hold up.

 

(Argh!)

Seam ripper:

Rip rip rip rip

rip rip rip rip

Pin pin pin pin

Chikita chikita chikita chikita

chikita chikita chikita chikita

Zipper-time

Zippity stitchety

zip zip zip ziGGRRRP

 

(Ugh!)

Untangle thread.

Zippity stitchity

 

Zip zip zip zip

Backstitch - stitch - back - backstitch

Snip.

Press.

 

"You made that?"

"Yes!"

 

©Robyn Hood Black.  All rights reserved. 

 

 

Visit the lovely and creative Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for this week's Roundup - Thanks, Molly! :0)

 

(Children under the age of 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent - Thanks!)

40 Comments
Post a comment

POETRY MONTH - Mini Poem Movies continue with "Lunch Lady" from SCHOOL PEOPLE

Click here to hear Robyn read "Lunch Lady" from SCHOOL PEOPLE.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  We're halfway through my National Poetry Month project, "I Pause for Poems" and "I Pause for Haiku"!  On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I share a new mini poem movie with one of my published poems for kids; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's haiku suitable for kids.

 

Today I'm sharing a reading of "Lunch Lady" (©Robyn Hood Black) from SCHOOL PEOPLE (Wordsong, 2018) by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Ellen Shi.  Monday would have been Lee Bennett Hopkins's 82nd birthday, and everyone in the children's literature world still mourns his loss last August.

 

Lee kept requesting rewrites of this poem.  And, rewrites.  It finally clicked to me that he wanted a picture of a REAL person, someone who works very hard at his or her job and who is tired at the end of the day! 

 

In this unprecedented season of remote school, I'm sure students and school people of all ages are missing the folks who serve tasty food to nourish bodies and minds.  I know many school systems have gotten creative to continue to provide meals to kids, and sometimes their families, too.  At the beginning of this school closures adventure, my teacher-daughter's county began a program to deliver meals to stops along the bus routes.

 

Here's to all the men and women who work in food service!  You are appreciated, and I'm sure everyone will be happy to gather in the cafeteria again in the fall.

 

Click here for this mini poem movie, and here for my YouTube channel.

 

Thanks, and I hope you're having a wonderful Poetry Month amidst these challenging times. 

 

(Children under 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent – Thanks!)

Be the first to comment

POETRY MONTH Mini Poem Movies Continue with "Word Wanted" from POEMS ARE TEACHERS

Click here to hear Robyn read her poem, "Word Wanted," from POEMS ARE TEACHERS.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  My "I Pause for Poems" National Poetry Month project continues this week... 

Each weekday in April, I'm sharing a mini video featuring one of my poems.  On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it's poems for kids; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's haiku suitable for kids.  Thanks so much for joining me!

 

Today's poem is "Word Wanted" from POEMS ARE TEACHERS - How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater (Heinemann, 2018).  This is a terrific resource for the classroom, and Amy is hosting a publisher's giveaway EVERY WEEK this month over at THE POEM FARM.  She also hosted this week's "Poetry Friday" - Click here for the Roundup.  And be sure to follow her wonderful Poetry Month offerings each day from her writing camper!  Here's a link to Amy's YouTube Channel, where you can create poetry with a roll of the dice this month. 

 

To catch up with all my videos so far, or to subscribe, hop on over to my YouTube Channel, too!

 

Wishing you all the right words today - XO

 

(Children under the age of 13 may comment only with demonstrated parental consent - Thank you!)

Be the first to comment

Poetry Friday/Poetry Month... Mini Poem Movies Continue with "Mural Compass"

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  I'm still "pausing for poems" each weekday in April with mini poem movies featuring some of my published poems and haiku. Today, it's "Mural Compass" from THE POETRY OF US, edited by J. Patrick Lewis (National Geographic, 2018). Here's the video link, which goes live at 12 a.m. April 10. 

 

Thanks to Matt Forrest Essenwine for last week's heads' up that this anthology was chosen as the April 2020 "Book of the Month" for Read Across America by the National Education Association. A great choice for folks unable to travel right now! Click here for a teaching guide from NEA.   

 

My poem takes readers to Philadelphia, celebrating the country's largest community outdoor art project.  It is a 'kyrielle' - and that was a fun challenge!

 

 

Mural Compass

 

Tall figures rise from city ground.

They speak to me without a sound

from vibrant faces, facing sun - 

these paintings are for everyone.

 

Chartreuse and purple pop the street,

kaleidoscoping at my feet.

Graffiti marks are now long gone.

These paintings are for everyone.

 

On buildings bare and bridges wide

where history and hope collide

shine songs of freedom, fame, and fun -

these paintings are for everyone. 

 

©Robyn Hood Black

 

 

For a bit more about this poem and book, you can read a post of mine from Sept. 2018 here.  [I don't think I mentioned in that post how this poem was written in the middle of a hurricane evacuation... a story for another day!]

 

Here's a link to my YouTube Channel, where during April I'm posting published poems for kids every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and published haiku suitable for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Subscribe if you like, to catch all of them!

 

Oh, and if you want to visit artsyletters land, here's a link to my fresh-off-the-virtual-press Spring newsletter. (You can subscribe to that, too!  I only have my act together to send one out three or four times a year.)

 

Wishing you safe poetic travels as you enjoy all the offerings rounded up for us this week at one of my all-time favorite destinations, THE POEM FARM.  Thanks for hosting, Amy!

 

(Children under the age of 13 may only comment with demonstrated parental consent - Thank you!)

27 Comments
Post a comment

POETRY MONTH Mini Movies Continue with "We See with These" - a Found Poem

Click here to hear Robyn read "We See with These" from THE ARROW FINDS ITS MARK.

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  I'm enjoying making these "I Pause for Poems" mini poem movies for you!

 

Today it's a FOUND poem -  "We See with These," (©2012 by Robyn Hood Black) from THE ARROW FINDS ITS MARK - A BOOK OF FOUND POEMS (Roaring Brook Press, 2012), edited by Georgia Heard and illustrated by Antoine Guilloppé.

 

Where can YOU find a poem today?

 

Click here for the poem.

 

Click here for my YouTube Channel.

 

(Children under 13 must have demonstrated parental consent to leave a comment - Thank you!)

Be the first to comment

POETRY MONTH - Mini poem videos continue with "Blank"...

Click to hear Robyn read "Blank" from THE BEST OF TODAY'S LITTLE DITTY 2016

 

Greetings, Poetry Lovers!  Thanks for all the kind comments and shares about my mini-poem-videos project, I PAUSE FOR POEMS, via YouTube.  I'm glad teachers are finding useful!  Today's poem is in response to a Today's Little Ditty challenge posed by Douglas Florian in 2016 - to write a poem about nothing. Mine is called "Blank." ;0)  Thanks to Michelle Heidenrich Barnes for all her Ditty magic. 

 

I'll continue sharing poems for kids on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and haiku suitable for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

 

Here is today's poem, and here is my YouTube Channel

 

Stay safe, and have a poetry-filled Monday.  

2 Comments
Post a comment