Poetry Friday: The First of April

Posted on April 2, 2021 by rosecappelli

Happy Poetry Month!

Because it’s April, I’m challenging myself to write a poem every day this month. I thought about trying to find a theme, or a direction, but in the end I just decided to let my writing go where it wants to go, noticing, observing, and trying to find poetry in the rhythm of the day. And since my OLW for 2021 is TRUST, trusting my instincts seems like a good plan.

Yesterday began gray and chilly after some particularly warm and sunny days. Was April playing a joke?

The First of April

April enters drearily,
dreamily
in a gray-white sky,
in raindrops suspended in time.
But…
in greening grass dotted with daffodils,
and in tulips begging to burst,
No fooling!
There is promise of a brighter tomorrow.

Mary Lee has the Poetry Roundup today. And I’ll be back on Wednesday with my contribution to this year’s Progressive Poem that you can follow. Check here for the daily links.

Posted in Poetry Friday | 18 Comments

Spring Fling Contest: Suzy’s Bracelet

Posted on April 1, 2021 by rosecappelli

I love writing contests! Maybe it’s the challenge, maybe it’s the focus, or maybe it’s just because it’s fun. Yesterday I received word that I got an honorable mention in Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words Contest, and I was thrilled. Today I’m back at it again for the 2021 Spring Fling Kidlit contest organized by Kaitlyn Sanchez and Ciera O’Neal. Basically, it boils down to matching a story of no more than 150 words to a spring GIF (or creating your own GIF). Hope you enjoy reading it! The link to the GIF is here.

Suzy’s Bracelet (145 Words)
by Rose Cappelli

The link to the GIF is here.

Suzy skipped along, her new bracelet shimmering in the sun. What fun to celebrate spring with a picnic in the park! Before joining her friends, Suzy laid her bracelet on a bench. She couldn’t risk her treasure slipping off and getting lost or broken.

The friends raced and climbed and tumbled. When it was time to eat…

 “My bracelet!” shrieked Suzie. “It’s missing!”

Suzy checked beside the bench. She dug around the snacks in her lunch bucket and combed through the tall grass.

Her friends helped, too. Tanya overturned rocks. Billy poked in a leaf pile. Marcy rummaged under trash. Yuck!

They searched and searched and searched until…

Caw! Caw!

Was someone laughing?

Instead of looking down and through and in and under, they all looked…

up!

There, in the crabapple tree, perched two cackling crows, a nest…

and Suzy’s bracelet shimmering in the sun.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Sharing Our Stories: The Sunset Challenge

Posted on March 20, 2021 by rosecappelli

When Ruth challenged us to write about a sunset, my mind immediately drifted back in time to one of the most magnificent sunsets I’d ever seen. It was at the end of a kayaking trip with some friends (I previously wrote about it here). The challenge was to write about the sunset without using color words and to give a sense of the season without using seasonal words.

At the End of the Day

We pulled our kayaks to shore
aware of the heron standing guard.
A gentle breeze rippled the water,
crept inside our jackets,
cooled our sweaty arms.
The sky glowed,
blushed with a sailor’s delight.
We turned to the fire in the clouds,
the embers of a perfect day
bidding farewell.

Posted in Sharing Our Stories Magic | 7 Comments

Poetry Friday: Moonbeam

Posted on March 19, 2021 by rosecappelli
Olhar Digital

One morning a few weeks ago, I was scrolling through the New York Times headlines on my phone and came across an article titled “The Moon Has a Comet-Like Tail” by Robin George Andrews. With words like “beam” and “magical” in the short preview, it sounded so poetic. In addition to being a fascinating read, I thought it might provide material for a found poem.

Moonbeam

Meteorites bombard our volcanic pearl,
cause sodium atoms to fly…
high.
A mystifying moonbeam
in twilight skies
dusts earth with dandruff,
creates curiosity…
wonder…
magic…

Thanks to Linda who has the Poetry Round Up today at Teacher Dance.

Posted in Poetry Friday | 15 Comments

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Birdsong

Posted on March 12, 2021 by rosecappelli
Amazon.com: Birdsong (9781771644730): Flett, Julie, Flett, Julie: Books

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Birdsong

Title: Birdsong

Author: Julie Flett

Illustrator: Julie Flett

Publisher: Greystone Books

Audience: Ages 4-8

Themes: seasons, nature, intergenerational friendship

Opening lines: It’s a mucky spring morning as we pack up the last of our belongings and leave our little home in the city by the sea.

I’m going to miss my friends and cousins and aunties and uncles. I’m going to miss my bedroom window and the tree outside.

Synopsis: (from the jacket flap) When a young girl moves to her new home far away from the sea, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door, who shares her love of nature and art. As the seasons change, can the girl navigate the failing health of her new friend?

Why I Like This Book: I was grabbed by the lyrical language from the first page. The simple illustrations are perfect, enhancing the text but never overpowering. The words and art combine to help us feel Katherena’s loneliness and her delight in finding a new friend. I especially like how the passage of the seasons marks Katherena’s growth in dealing with her emotions and the gradual decline of her friend, Agnes.

Resources: There is a downloadable Companion Guide for Teachers and Parents on Julie Flett’s website (www.julieflett.com) that has discussion questions and many art related activities.

For a list of wonderful picture books, please visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Posted in Picture Book Friday | 4 Comments