Happy Poetry Friday!
Part of my delight in participating in this year’s Sealey Challenge (to read a book of poetry every day in the month of August) is my decision to revisit some old favorites. This week I picked up my beloved copy of Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli. Not only are the poems and storylines heartwarming and excellent models, but the illustrations by Matt Phelan are delightful. I fell in love with this book when it was first published in 2007 and have shared it with many teachers and students since. It’s about friendships, the comfort and security of home, and adjusting to new situations.
One of the storylines in Where I Live is about a family of wrens who nest in, then depart from, a wreath on main character Diana’s front door. For some reason that part of the story struck me harder this time around. Perhaps I was thinking about the birds in my yard who come and go, or perhaps about my own empty nest, even though it’s been empty for quite a while.
Empty Nest
the nest is empty
all too soon
no more chirps and cheeps
no begging beaks
where you live matters
a place of warmth and comfort
a place to hang your heart
Draft, 2023 Rose Cappelli
Other books I read this week for the Sealey Challenge include:
Falling Down the Page – edited by Georgia Heard
Water Voices – Toby Speed and Julie Downing
Feathers: Poems About Birds – Eileen Spinelli and Lisa McCue
Ordinary Things: Poems From a Walk in Early Spring – Ralph Fletcher; drawings by Walter
Lyon
I’m Someone Else: Poems About Pretending – Collected by Lee Bennett Hopkins; illustrated by
Chris Hsu
Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash – Donald Graves
Molly has the roundup today at Nix the Comfort Zone where you’ll find a lovely collection of haiku and photos and lots more poetry goodness.
Imagine the Possibilities 
Rose, “no more chirps and cheeps, no begging beaks” breaks my heart a little. Beautifully written!
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Thank you!
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I had this book for years and loved it, Rose. It’s wonderful. Your poem is beautiful and bittersweet. ❤
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Thanks, Laura.
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“A place to hang your heart’ is so touching, Rose. I think you’ve found a place in that special book.
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Thanks, Linda. I like that line, too.
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I don’t know this book, but I love Eileen Spinelli and will definitely have to look for it. In your poem, the lines “no more chirps and cheeps
no begging beaks” really resonated. I just spent time watching wren hatchlings in a bird house on my in-law’s porch. We all loved the daily show and all mourned a bit when the wrens departed.
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I watched a song sparrow fledge this morning!
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Oh, lucky you!
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“a place to hang your heart” is perfect. Beautifully written.
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Love these lines, Rose: “the nest is empty/all too soon”
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Rose, so many fun books you read this week. I do appreciate revisiting old favorites. You chose a good plan this month. Home as “a place to hang your heart” is lovely.
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Your poem possesses a poignancy, Rose. To be influenced by what we read is a magical experience. A spark is lit and we respond to its light. Your willingness to read with such commitment has delivered you a poem that also shines brightly.
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I’m happy to learn about this book, especially because I’ve been on the lookout for poetry books for kids that tell a story–like a verse novel/picture book! And I’m a big Eileen Spinelli fan too, so how did I miss this? My nest is not exactly empty but youngest, while here, is never here–for me that’s much harder!
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Oh, I hope you check out Where I Live. It’s such a gift.
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It is always so fun to see what you’ve read each week — it’s like a trip down my very own shelf of children’s poetry! Your response to Spinelli’s book is poignant.
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“no begging beaks” – reminds me of my little grandson who is very aware of food in other people’s hands! I love how you connected birds’ nests to our human ones, Rose.
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Oh that line “no more begging beaks.” Love that. I also love FALLING DOWN THE PAGE–one of my favorite collections.
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Rose, once again I read your post and thought I added my comment but it didn’t appear so here I go again. Your post caught my eye because we had two bird visitors inside our house this past month. The first was a tiny bird who just laid on my decorating boxes in my garage. It was dead and I just could not do anything so my son took care of it for me. The second one joined out household this past week and flew all around from the loft to the great room and then could not be found. Your ending stanza touched me. Thanks for your Sealey list.
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Thanks, Carol.
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What would we do without our lovely sparrows and birds, especially when our own nest’s become empty–lovely poem Rose! Thanks for sharing Eileen Spinelli’s “Where I Live” and “Feathers” I have a few of her books and will look for these too!
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