Things Do To Today
by Liz RosenbergOpen eyes, check for sunlight.
Get feet somehow from bed to floor.
Brush teeth, spit. Greet
That girl in the mirror. Stretch.Pick a color for the day. Wear it.
Pick a flavor. Eat it.
Get from kitchen to front door,
Down
The
Steps. Hold on tight.
You can read the rest of this poem
in Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems edited by Georgia Heard. I fell in love with this book the first time I read it last year. The original poems found in this collection are not only fun to read but offer wonderful models for writing poems with students. I think it is a 'must have' for any classroom poetry collection. Apparently a lot people agree with me since it was recently named to the the NCTE's 2010 Notable Children's Books in Language Arts list.
Happy Friday everyone!
Posts
Thanks so much for sharing this poem. I'll look for the book.
ReplyDeleteLaura Evans
I agree that is a wonderful book to read and to hold, too. I like a tall book with tall poems.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your first Poetry Friday post, and best wishes for all your important work.
Hello, Good Friend I've Never Met In Person!
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a 4/5 looping teacher at heart!! The best 8 years of my career were my looping years! I am "stuck" in 4th grade currently, because our 5th grade team is using a middle school model (one teacher per subject) as a result of complicated and ridiculous issues of licensure.
Glad to meet you here in Poetry Friday Land, and looking forward to keeping up with your thinking -- just added you to my Google Reader and our blogroll at A Year of Reading and became your newest follower!
Mary Lee,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by! I have followed your fabulous blog since making the switch from K to 4th/5th three years ago. I am super honored to have you as a 'follower'. Thank you for adding me to your Blog Roll also.
I thought since you enjoy poetry that I'd invite you to contribute your list of favorite poems to my survey. Read more about it here: http://www.semicolonblog.com/?p=9520
ReplyDeleteLove this poem (and this book)! It's on my desk right now, in fact, as I prepare for a three-day poetry residency with 4th graders:>)
ReplyDeleteThis one esp. hits home because I'm a compulsive listmaker. My husband makes fun of my lists--"Did you put breathe on there?"
Always comforting to know I'm not the only one!
In mid-May, my daughter, 11 years old, and I attended the Georgia Heard conference at Penny Kittle's high school in North Conway, NH.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia signed our copy of this book and had a one-on-one conference session with my daughter to demonstrate her conferencing techniques.
It was so exciting for us!