A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children edited by Caroline Kennedy and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. I confess that when I first saw this book, I thought it would have the same old children's poets you find in every other children's anthology. I was surprised to see that she included poems by Christina Rossetti, William Blake, Dylan Thomas, Elizabeth Bishop, and even Sylvia Plath! And the illustrations are beautiful. So, it's not just a book for young children; it's good for middle school and high school, too.
Editor (and poet) Liz Rosenberg has a number of poetry books for teens, my favorite of which is Earth-Shattering Poems. It includes a beautiful poem by Pablo Neruda called If You Forget Me, with the lines,
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.
I also like her anthology The Invisible Ladder; it's all contemporary poets, and has a short biography of each.
One last book: Unleashed, Poems by Writers' Dogs, edited by Amy Hempel and Jim Shepard. Here's the beginning of Daisy, Five, Speaks to Sophia, Two by Ralph Lombreglia
I was here first.
I'm the real baby.
In a former life, it was me
who was cute, cute, cute.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Poetry Reading May 2
The 2006 Poetry Anthologies will be available at a book release party and poetry reading at the Westwood Public Library on May 2, 7:00 p.m. Come pick up your copy of the book and read your poem! We'll have food!!
CALLING ALL POETS!!
It's time for us to start collecting poems for the Westwood Public Library's 2006 Poetry Anthology of Original Poetry by Middle and High School Students. And because so many younger students have asked us about having their poetry included, we've decided to publish another book, The Westwood Public Library's Poetry Anthology of Original Poetry by 4th and 5th Grade Students.
This year we'll be accepting submissions by email as well as at the Westwood elementary school libraries, the libraries at the Thurston Middle School and Westwood High School, and at the Westwood Public Library. But you don't have to be a Westwood resident!
Send your poem to: westwoodpoetry@yahoo.com. Be sure to include your full name, grade, school, email address, and phone number. 30 line limit, family friendly language, and only 1 poem per student. If you send more than one, we'll pick which one to publish. Poems accepted until April 13.
This year we'll be accepting submissions by email as well as at the Westwood elementary school libraries, the libraries at the Thurston Middle School and Westwood High School, and at the Westwood Public Library. But you don't have to be a Westwood resident!
Send your poem to: westwoodpoetry@yahoo.com. Be sure to include your full name, grade, school, email address, and phone number. 30 line limit, family friendly language, and only 1 poem per student. If you send more than one, we'll pick which one to publish. Poems accepted until April 13.
One Night by Patrick Feeney, grade 9
One night when all was dark as pitch,
The only source of light was that of,
The stars and moon so bright,
Each of them so right,
For a night such as this.
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2002 Poetry Anthology
The only source of light was that of,
The stars and moon so bright,
Each of them so right,
For a night such as this.
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2002 Poetry Anthology
Rhyme by Craig Byer, grade 10
There's nothing like a cup of tea,
Sweet and hot made just for me.
It tastes so good late at night,
But I enjoy it most at morning light.
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2003 Poetry Anthology
Sweet and hot made just for me.
It tastes so good late at night,
But I enjoy it most at morning light.
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2003 Poetry Anthology
Spring Flowers by Alex Jundanian, grade 6
Oh flowers, you wade by the wind,
And stop by open grass meadows.
You stay by the sun, the rain and the moon,
And you also know when it's time to bloom.
Oh flowers, you live and thrive under the bright mid-day sun.
And you take a quiet nap in the shimmering night.
Your bright colors attract many noses,
Especially orchids, daisies, and roses.
Oh flowers, you are so beautiful,
And your petals shine brightly in the daylight.
Your home is to bees and many other things,
And then you know it's time for spring.
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2004 Poetry Anthology
And stop by open grass meadows.
You stay by the sun, the rain and the moon,
And you also know when it's time to bloom.
Oh flowers, you live and thrive under the bright mid-day sun.
And you take a quiet nap in the shimmering night.
Your bright colors attract many noses,
Especially orchids, daisies, and roses.
Oh flowers, you are so beautiful,
And your petals shine brightly in the daylight.
Your home is to bees and many other things,
And then you know it's time for spring.
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2004 Poetry Anthology
Dreaming on an Empty Stomach by Carly Moniz, grade 11
Some days, I want to paint the sky in green,
Just to see what color the sun will shine.
And other times I wish to be unseen,
To be forever lost beyond the line.
At noon I'll sail my ships upon the seas,
But row back into shore when I'm too far.
A bee? Who is the queen that I must please?
Will those in front please leave the door ajar?
"The Road goes ever on," a great man said.
Another spoke of two diverging paths.
A map may steer me out of my own head,
But can I face the world and all her wraths?
When I decide to fly and not to crawl,
Will I circle the clouds or will I fall?
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2005 Poetry Anthology
Just to see what color the sun will shine.
And other times I wish to be unseen,
To be forever lost beyond the line.
At noon I'll sail my ships upon the seas,
But row back into shore when I'm too far.
A bee? Who is the queen that I must please?
Will those in front please leave the door ajar?
"The Road goes ever on," a great man said.
Another spoke of two diverging paths.
A map may steer me out of my own head,
But can I face the world and all her wraths?
When I decide to fly and not to crawl,
Will I circle the clouds or will I fall?
Reprinted from The Westwood Public Library's 2005 Poetry Anthology
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