It’s Poetry Friday! Heidi has the round up today at my juicy little universe. Be sure to stop by for some fabulous art and poems by kids. It makes me think that our future is in good hands.
Keeping up with my Call and Response: Picture Book and Poetry project, this week I read a new picture book, Small Things Mended, written by Casey Robinson and illustrated by Nancy Whitesides. In it we meet Cecil, a kind and elderly man who has recently suffered a loss. When his young neighbor is concerned that her treasured pocket watch is broken, Cecil offers to fix it. Soon other kids are bringing Cecil an array of things to fix, including a stuffed elephant with a broken heart. As Cecil’s circle of friends grows, he understands what his own heart needs to mend. This is such a special book that I highly recommend.
All Better
Glue can fix a broken cup,
tiny stitches hide a hole.
One pastes a paper torn in two
or nails a fence together.
When strong winds cause a nest to fall
weavers will repair it
but only love can mend a heart
and hold it till it’s better.
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli
And a little something in honor of Earth Day on April 22 inspired by In the Past, a collection of poems by David Elliott and illustrated by Matthew Trueman.
Step Back
to the wonder of what was
and what has become life
on our planet
remembering it’s up to us
to keep it going
Imagine the Possibilities 
Thanks Rose for your post filled with sensitive poems and flowing with love! 💕
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Ah! I love these, Rose. This is such a great NPM project.
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Rose, I love your mending poem–beautifully crafted–and so appreciate the books you are highlighting!
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I was moved by Small Things Mended, too. I love “only love can mend a heart.” Thanks for the reminder that “it’s up to us.”
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Aw, a stuffed elephant with a broken heart!! That could be an entire book of its own. I love the rhythm of your poem, Rose!
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This project reminds me of LPS’s poetry action. Love is the glue, the stitch, the nails.
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Laura’s Poetryactions were the inspiration for this project.
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All Better- such a hopeful poem. Thanks for sharing books, too!
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Just beautiful responses to these calls. The second seems musical to me…the first two lines are a great chorus. Keep up this project. It’s pretty amazing. And, I love the book recs. Great titles.
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Thank you, Linda.
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Love these! I have Casey’s book on hold at the library. I can’t wait to read it.
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I think you’ll really like it. I’m going to use it as a comp for a ms I’m working on.
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Rose, your ending line is inspirational. I love how your whole poem folds into that one line. Thank you for the David Elliot poem that is perfect for the upconing Earth Day celebration.
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Your ‘mending’ poem is marvelous, Rose, something special to hold onto. I have requested the book from my library, too! And I love your nod to Earth Day, too. We cannot wait for ‘someone else’ to fix it! Thanks for a post of goodness!
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More to read! Thanks, Rose! Love the poem!
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Rose, that is so lovely! Those last two lines, set up by all the nice specifics before them–the weaver birds, the glue, etc.
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In this world we need maakers, not breakers and your poem, ‘All Better’ speaks to this. A gentle reminder, Rose. Thank you.
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Love your post, Rose. I love the repairing with love.
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I loved “All Better” right to the end. A good reminder of our ability to do our part to make everything better. (And you know I’m off to check out your project.)
Also, I’ve added this book to my library cart. I can’t wait to check it out.
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Cathy, I don’t have my whole project posted anywhere, just sharing a few on Poetry Fridays. After all these years, I’m still not completely confident in sharing everything. Thanks for reading!
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Rose, lovely post. Thanks for sharing for process and books and poems. Your Earth Day poem is my favorite. So simple, yet with such profound truths. It would be a perfect poem to share at Ethical ELA today, where we are writing Earth Day poems, if you might be interested. https://www.ethicalela.com/thank-you-mother-earth/
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Thanks, Denise. I’ll check it out.
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