Mentors and Poetry ~ SOLS 26

       In less than a week we will bid farewell to March and the write-everyday challenge. It will be time to spring into National Poetry Month. April is a busy school month shortened by our Spring Break week and intensified by testing that begins a couple days after our return to school. It’s the perfect time for some extra perusal of poetry. Even though poetry is not an April houseguest, I like to pamper and fuss over it a bit more during April.

       Since I am pondering some plans for poetry, there are some ideas I would like to try on my own first. I have been thinking about mentor texts that are especially meaningful to me. While I appreciate all that I have learned from my professional reading about excellent mentor texts, I would like to find my own ways to use some of my favorite books and authors. I have heaps of children’s literature that I am connected to already, so I am thinking this may be a project to dabble in now with the bulk of my research coming later. When I can haul piles of picture books  home for the summer, when I have time to linger, to read and reread for potential writing mentors. 

       For now I have a couple in mind. A while back our reading teacher gave us a classroom set of the Imagine books written by Sarah L Thomson with paintings by Rob Gonsalves. These beautiful, thought-provoking picture books are a wonderful gift to be read, reread, and savored.

Tonight I am spending some time with Imagine a Day, imagining the possibilities. Each page starts with imagine a day…followed by a thought written in a poetic, dreamy, yet wise voice. One of my favorites from the book is:

Imagine a day…

when your sand castle

can withstand

even the highest waves.

       One of my attempts:

Imagine a day…

…when the mountains are

a challenge to embrace

with confidence

knowing that life does not

have to be a race.

       Not terribly creative. Perhaps this will be my mantra to greet the angst of stressful days. Surely we can come up with other variations and inspiration from these lovely books. Right now I should do more than imagine what a good night’s sleep would be like. Sweet dreams.