MotherReader

So excited to share the winning poetry book for the Cybils Awards!

Forest Has a Song
by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater, illustrated by Robbin Gourley
Clarion Books, 2013
(review copy received)
Poems document the seasons in the woods with sensory reflections on everything from the spongy feel of a dead branch to the sound of a proposal in a tree frog's song to the taste of a wintergreen plant. The beautiful watercolor illustrations capture the gentle feel of the forest and the poetry itself. Simply a lovely book to enjoy and share. So with the sharing in mind, here is one small sample poem. And yes, I am showing my weariness of winter in selecting one about spring.

April Waking
Ferny frondy fiddlehead
unfurl curls from dirty beds.
Stretching stems they sweetly sing
greenest greetings sent to Spring.
-Amy Ludwig Vanderwater

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Karen Edmisten.

I haven't done a pure Poetry Friday entry in a while, but I came upon this poem during this past week of bitter cold and it felt just right.

The Snow Man

One must have a mind of winter
to regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.
-- Wallace Stevens

For more verse, look to our Poetry Friday host, Mainely Right!

Another in my song as poetry series, in a throwback sort of way. It came back to me when Teen shared another Paul Simon song, Me and Julio, from her playlist and so I suggested this one. I had forgotten how great it was.

People say she's crazy
She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes
Well that's one way to lose these
Walking blues
Diamonds on the soles of your shoes

She was physically forgotten
And then she slipped into my pocket
With my car keys
She said you've taken me for granted
Because I please you
Wearing these diamonds

Poetry Friday is hosted today at Merely Day by Day.

Certainly more relevant in the song-as-poetry series than last week's The Fox (but c'mon, wasn't that one fun?) is a tune I heard on the radio and ran inside to google. Since I get most of my cooler music from my teen daughter, it was exciting to find something on my own. So from Avicii, here's "Wake Me Up:"

Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can't tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start
They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes
Well that's fine by me
So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost

It's an interesting storylike video too.



Poetry Friday is hosted today at Teach Mentor Texts.

Honestly, this is a stretch even for me in the song-as-poetry series, but it's so freakin' awesome that I can't keep it to myself. This song is a techno cross of "Gangnam Style" and a Wiggles video with a huge helping of psychotropic drugs. And while I still can't decide if its sincere or satire, I know it's absolutely brilliant. Because, yeah... what does the fox say? So from the middle of the song, "The Fox" by Ylvis:

The secret of the fox
ancient mystery
somewhere deep in the woods
I know you're hiding.
What is your sound?
Will we ever know
Will always be a mystery
What do you say?

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Author Amok.

Yesterday I got back from a short vacation and I'm feeling, well... happy.

My in-laws treated the families to a stay at The Homestead, and it was lovely. Beautiful place, fun activities, good food, and lots of family time. With my own family, I mean. Yes, we shared meals and swimming with our relatives, but the core of it was us four. And I liked it. And I like how much I liked spending time with these people, my family. We get along so well as a group, and when split off in different pairings, that's great too. We joke and talk and sing so easily. Yes, sing.

One of the songs we couldn't stop singing is Dan Bern's "Jerusalem." It starts off very Bob Dylan in sound and lyrics, but gets really fun along the way. So that's today's contribution to the songs-as-poetry series:

When I tell you that I love you
Don't test my love
Accept my love, don't test my love
Cause maybe I don't love you all that much
Don't ask what kind of music I'm gonna play tonight
Just stay awhile, hear for yourself awhile
And if you must put me in a box, make sure it's a big box
With lots of windows
And a door to walk through
And a nice high chimney
So we can burn burn burn everything that we don't like
And watch the ashes fly up to Heaven

...and then it starts to go off road with the rest of the lyrics, but in an awesome way. Usually I pick a video with some actual video-like content, but the live shows weren't as good to me as just listening to the song. The payoff starts at about 1:20. Stick with it.



Visit our Poetry Friday host at Steps and Staircases. Hope that your summer is treating you even half as well as this:

Teen's contribution to the song-as-poetry series is a number for wallowing in despair, because there are songs for that too. The Mountain Goats have captured the dysfunctional relationship too perfectly in "No Children."

I hope that our few remaining friends
Give up on trying to save us.
I hope we come out with a fail-safe plot
To piss off the dumb few that forgave us.
I hope the fences we mended
Fall down beneath their own weight,
And I hope we hang on past the last exit.
I hope it's already too late.
And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here
Someday burns down... and I hope
The rising black smoke carries me far away
And I never come back to this town.



Visit today's Poetry Friday host, Check It Out.

Pug and Other Animal Poems
by Valerie Worth, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Farrar Straus Gioux Books for Young Readers, 2013
review from library copy
While these poems capture the nature of cat, rat, and pug, there is often another layer of depth that I don’t always see in children’s poetry. Instead of going for the fun pun or obvious observations, this collection is one about lovely wordplay and imagery. The marvelous artwork of Steve Jenkins, as always, adds to the collection of eighteen poems. The detailed cut-paper animals accentuate the poems, but leave enough solid colored background in each two-page spread to give the poem center stage. I had many favorites from the book, but this particular poem takes place in a city, with illustrated echoes of the city where I’d very much like to be today.

Sparrows and Pigeons

Even in winter, along
Streets of stone
Where a thin sun
Warms nothing,
Sparrows and pigeons
Seem at home,
Where there appears
To be no home,
Fed, where no hand
Feeds them: flying,
Alive, on roofs,
On ledges of windows,
Down in the alleys,
They seem at home
And warm – as if
It were the country
And summer here,
Summer always,
And high gold corn.
-Valerie Worth

For more poetic selections, visit our Poetry Friday host, Teaching Young Writers.

Another in the songs as poetry series, Shop Vac by Jonathan Coulton was requested specifically for inclusion by TeenReader. Well, it is a favorite of our family. Suburban angst, yo.

We took the freeway out of town
We found a place to settle down
We bought a driveway and a swingset and a dog
You got your very own bathroom
I got my very own workshop in the basement
We sit around staring at the wall-to-wall
Take field trips to our favorite mall
Waiting for the day
When all the kids grow up and leave us here

So if you need me
I'll be downstairs
With the shop vac
You can call but I probably won't hear you
Because it's loud with the shop vac on
But you'll be OK
Cause you'll be upstairs
With the TV
You can cry and I probably won't hear you
Because it's loud with the shop vac on

Check out the Poetry Friday offerings with our host Ed at Think Kid, Think!.

Today I planned to share some actual poetry from a book and everything, but I've been set upon by a terrible cold that's sapping my concentration. I started feeling unwell on Tuesday, and am pretty annoyed that the worst of it has been yesterday and today. Last night I was so sick I dreamed I was sick. It was like Inception for the hapless.

So you're getting another song as poetry and another Smash song. The poetry of this one isn't solid - lots of repeats in the song - but the few lines are haunting, especially in the music. Even better is the video of the pop diva with some beautiful ribbon dancing.

Tonight when the bright stars
are burning high over Manhattan,
All washed out in neon
And hidden from view.
But when the power goes out
and you look up from Brooklyn,
Will you reach for me
Reaching out for you...

Sorry about the cut to the show's storyline at 2:24, but if you stick it through you'll see some daring moves. TeenReader has given her endorsement to this as one of the hip songs that I share to illuminate those among you not so blessed with teen music knowledge.

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Laura Salas. Stop by there to enjoy the best from around the web.

What an awful week it has been. As I write this, police are searching for the second suspect in the Boston bombing. It's hard to get away from the feeling of a world gone wrong.

So today for my song as poetry series, I wanted a piece of escapism where the video is as engaging as the words and music. This song from Smash is part of the "new" musical that they are creating on the show portraying the love of a regular guy and a girl on a path to stardom. The song is amazing, but I'm obsessed with this video because the dancers as obstacles is perfection.

Nothing comes easy when everyone's rushing
The signal's got speed but there's no real connection
I tried reaching out but it was just my reflection
'Til I heard your voice in a dream

So sing to me and I will forgive you
For taking my heart in the suitcase you packed
Sing to me like the lights didn't blind you
Like you blinded me when I heard your voice in a dream


Poetry Friday is hosted today by Irene Latham. Be safe, everyone. Be well.

This is a better share of music as poetry than usual for the KidLitosphere because it is from the "Evening of Awesome" at Carnegie Hall with Vlogbrothers John Green and Hank Green. Yes, they introduced us to this song and I fell in love with the chorus - I'm going to make it through this year if it kills me - as a sentiment I need to express so, so often. But I might have made this a new favorite based on this video itself, because John and Hank Green are having so much fun onstage with the band, the Mountain Goats (jump to the 1:20 mark to see). Enjoy!

I broke free on a Saturday morning
I put the pedal to the floor
Headed north on Mills Avenue
And listened to the engine roar

My broken house behind me and good things ahead
A girl named Cathy wants a little of my time
Six cylinders underneath the hood crashing and kicking
Ahh, listen to the engine whine

I am going to make it through this year
If it kills me

If you didn't get to see this show, the whole Evening of Awesome is available and features some pretty cool people. Uh, Neil Gaiman. Lots of fun. For the Poetry Friday roundup, please visit Random Noodling.

Here's another entry in the series of songs as poetry, "Daylight" by Matt & Kim. I took some liberties here cutting out the repeating lines, but I think it works. For the real stuff, visit our Poetry Friday host, Sheri Doyle.

We cut the legs off of our pants
Threw our shoes into the ocean
Sit back and wave through the daylight
Slip and slide on subway grates
These shoes are poor mans ice skates
Fall through like change in the daylight
I miss yellow lines in my roads
Some color on monochrome
Maybe I'll paint them in myself
These sidewalks liquid then stone
Building walls and an old pay phone
It rings like all through the daylight

Today features another installment of music lyrics as poetry from TeenReader's hipster song collection. Enjoy this little break from Mumford and Sons and then head over to our Poetry Friday host, A Teaching Life for the round-up.

Weep for yourself, my man,
You'll never be what is in your heart
Weep Little Lion Man,
You're not as brave as you were at the start
Rate yourself and rake yourself,
Take all the courage you have left
Wasted on fixing all the problems
That you made in your own head

Another installment of song as poetry, this time with a side of story.

Last weekend my daughter and I went to New York so that she could attend workshop through the Broadway Artists Alliance program she does there. She was very excited to participate because it was set up around the theme of Smash and one of the ensemble members of the cast, Wesley Taylor, would teach a class. What we didn't realize until later was that the other part of the day would be run by Ceasar Rocha, the casting director of Smash and many Broadway shows. So my girl sang this song for him and he told her she had a great voice. Just, wow. And look how perfect the song is. And watch how perfectly she sings it:

Crazy Dreams
Hello, you longshots, you dark horse runners
Hairbrush singers, dashboard drummers
Hello, you wild magnolias just waitin’ to bloom
There's a little bit of all that inside of me and you
Thank God, even crazy dreams come true
I stood at the bottom of some walls I thought I couldn't climb
I felt like Cinderella at the ball just runnin’ out of time
So I know how it feels to be afraid
And think that it's all gonna slip away
Hold on, hold on

Here's to you free souls, you firefly chasers
Tree climbers, porch swingers, air guitar players
Here's to you fearless dancers, shakin’ walls in your bedrooms
There's a lot of wonder left inside of me and you
Thank God, even crazy dreams come true
Never let a bad day be enough
To go and talk you into givin’ up
Sometimes everybody feels like you
Oh, feels like you, just like you
Thank God, even crazy dreams come true

This video is from a showcase, so ignore the terrible piano, but let the message come to your life, "There's a lot of wonder left inside of me and you."

Poetry Friday is hosted at The Opposite of Indifference. Tune in to the blogs on Monday for the results of the ALA Youth Media Awards.

Another in the ongoing installment of songs as poetry is this one from Florence & The Machine. As usual, I've included just part of the lyrics and cut the song-like conventions, which in this case includes the title bit. So watch the video and enjoy!

Shake It Out
Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It's always darkest before the dawn

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around
And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it's always darkest before the dawn

I have to admit that I first heard this done on Smash by Katherine McPhee, and given my love of that show and singer, I prefer that version, though this is certainly a better video. I'm also back on a Smash kick since The Kid and I are headed to New York tomorrow so that she can attend a Broadway class with the theme of the show and led by one of the ensemble cast members. Very cool! Anyway, for real poems look to Poetry Friday, hosted today by Violet Nesdoly.

In my continuing series of songs as poetry, I checked with TeenReader for some of her favorite hipster songs because she finds the best music. "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men is one we've been enjoying a lot recently. The video is super trippy too.

Little Talks

I don't like walking around this old and empty house.
So hold my hand, I'll walk with you, my dear.
The stairs creak as you sleep, it's keeping me awake.
It's the house telling you to close your eyes.
Some days I can't even trust myself.
It's killing me to see you this way.
'Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore

There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back.
Well, tell her that I miss our little talks.
Soon it will be over and buried with our past.
We used to play outside when we were young
And full of life and full of love.
Some days I don't know if I am wrong or right.
Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear.
'Cause though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore.

Pretty cool, right? Poetry Friday is hosted today at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme.

For Poetry Friday, another installment of music as poetry. This song by Elvis Costello is stunningly haunting - now especially.

As i walk through
This wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time i feel like this inside,
There's one thing i wanna know:
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

And as i walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
'cause each time i feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.
'cause each time i feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

While it would make perhaps more sense to include a pure version of the song to reflect the serious nature of the words, I'm not that person. I like a little bit of levity wherever I can find it, and this Colbert adaptation does that - though I'll say that the bear makes a lot more sense if you watched the Christmas special.



Poetry Friday is hosted today at My Juicy Little Universe. Merry Christmas, everyone. And for the new year, a hope for peace, love, and understanding.

In the past, I've posted some videos on Poetry Friday with the belief that some of our best, new poems are coming in the form of lyrics. This is a song that I've wanted to highlight for a while, but I found the original video distracting instead of illuminating the words. While I'm only a casual watcher of Glee now - and just because I love some of the musical choices - this is one of my favorite performances on the show. In the Glee universe, it addresses my ongoing problem with the show that a show choir would focus on group, not solo, performances. But in Poetry Friday context, because the video keeps the focus on the words and the feelings behind them:

Well, some nights, I wish that this all would end
Cause I could use some friends for a change
And some nights, I'm scared you'll forget me again
Some nights, I always win, I always win...

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know

Do check out the original song by the group Fun, which is fuller than this version and has an intense vocal mix that you won't soon forget. Poetry Friday is hosted today at The Poem Farm.

I have a lot of chores to do today, so let's get right to the book.

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It
by Gail Carson Levine, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
HarperCollins 2012, reviewed from library copy

Start with the idea that William Carol Williams' famous poem about plums in the icebox was pretty lame as a plea for forgiveness. Then turn the template of that poem into a series of false apologies and you have one entertaining poetry book for kids. Many of the poems allude to other familiar stories like Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin, while others refer to everyday situations. Well, with a bit of a stretch as to the normalcy of a kid's world, but it's all in good fun. The humorous, lightly sketched illustrations add to the entertainment value of a book of poems all entitled, This is Just to Say. My favorite:

This Is Just to Say

while you were buying
doll dresses
I sanded off
your Barbie's face

which
you constantly
patted
and praised.

Forgive me
her beauty
was only
skin deep.

Find more Poetry Friday selections with our host Teaching Young Writers. Also, don't forget to get in your Cybils nominations which are coming to a close (checking calendar....) on Monday, and consider sending a book to Ballou (which sounds like a Seuss village) the fall book drive which ends on Sunday. Go Nationals!