REVVING UP FOR NATIONAL POETRY MONTH: Calling all Elementary School Students

and teachers! Let's get ready for April--National Poetry Month by writing some lists. I am making lots of lists of things I need to do for the BIG MONTH. What I'm talking about, though, is list poetry. A "list poem" like this one by Bruce Lansky. (http://www.gigglepoetry.com/POETRYCLASS/bugshelp.html)

What Bugs Me

When my teacher tells me to write a poem.
When my mother tells me to clean up my room.
When my sister practices her violin while I'm watching TV.
When my father tells me to turn off the TV and do my homework.
When my brother picks a fight with me and I have to go to bed early.
When my teacher asks me to get up in front of the class and read the poem I wrote on the school bus.

I could write many list poems about what bugs me! I can also write some about what I love waking up to:




Waking Up

I hear Byron snore on the bed at my feet.
I hear Ace of Dogs sigh on the floor by the bed,
waiting for me to say, "Come on up."
I hear Bro shake his 80 pounds of fur,
saying "Let me out of here!"
And now I hear Bro and Poo Bear barking at nothing
outside. I feel Ace's
tongue on my hand hanging over
the bed. I hear rain
falling on the roof,
and I look out the window
where daylight comes slowly as falling
asleep comes when I don't want the day to end.

OK, let's write some list poems together. You send me yours over the next few weeks, which I will post on this site, up and down the side bar, as well as in special posts. And when April, National Poetry Month is over, I will pick one or more poems whose authors I will send special notebooks, where you can continue to write lists, lists, and more lists!



(A Visual List Poem!)