It's that time of year again, a time of school supplies, teaching nightmares (mine always find me teaching chemistry for some unknown reason), and heatwaves. I was browsing around for teaching poems this morning and this one--"A Teacher's Lament"--struck me as funny for many reasons:
A Teacher's Lament
by Kalli Dakos
Don't tell me the cat ate your math sheet,
And your spelling words went down the drain,
And you couldn't decipher your homework,
Because it was soaked in the rain.
Don't tell me you slaved for hours
On the project that's due today,
And you would have had it finished
If your snake hadn't run away.
Don't tell me you lost your eraser...(read the rest here)
I love this poem, because we do have a cat who eats homework and I often have the same problem as the poem's "I" (read the end of the poem).
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Poetry Friday Roundup: Old School Edition
Sara Lewis Holmes leaves us with a wonderful verse original--39 Reasons to Write. (Sara has a great photo, doesn't she?)
Liz Garton Scanlon is on the road with Wallace Stevens and children. (You should have stopped in Iowa, Liz!)
John Mutford experiments with wordless poetry over at The Book Mine Set.
Literacy Teacher shares Ted Kooser's wonderful "A Spiral Notebook" at Mentor Texts & More.
Suzanne shares A.A. Milne's "Alexander Beetle" for a neighbor and all of us at Adventures in Daily Living. (Suzanne also has THE BUTTON for you all in code.)
Alkelda the Gleeful contributes "Tarantella," by Hilaire Belloc, at Saints and Spinners. (And she's taking a break until September 1. We'll miss you, Alkelda!)
Michele of Scholar's Blog is back with John Keat's "Endymion."
Mary Lee has school on the mind too at A Year of Reading. This week she shares Esme Raji Codell's "How to Teach Learning."
Kimberley brings us Emma Lazarus' "The New Colussus" at lectitans.
Elaine reviews Toad by the Road, by Joanne Ryder, at Wild Rose Reader, and shares from Maurice Sagoff's humorous take on Beowolf at Blue Rose Girls.
Tricia contributes William Brighty Rands' funny "Topsy-Turvy World" at The Miss Rumphius Effect.
Cloudscome reviews Conversations with Ryokan, by Mary Lou Kownacki, at A Wrung Sponge.
Kim shares "I Sit Beside the Fire and Think (Bilbo's Song") at Hiraeth.
Stacey shares a wonderful original on her engagement at Two Writing Teachers. (A blog to add to my teaching section.)
MotherReader also shares an original (inspired by Tricia's challenge) this week. (Very sweet, MR!)
Sherry, while contributing Kipling's "Recessional," is looking for the Great American Poem at Semicolon. (Head on over and leave your suggestions!)
Christine M. has Oz on the mind and shares the wealth with "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" at The Simple and the Ordinary.
A Fuse #8 Production contributes Susan Ramsey's "Letter to Matt on the Opening Day of Deer Season." Susan is Fuse's mother and has just won a poetry award. Congrats, Susan!
Becky shares Michael Hearn's classic "In the Library" at Becky's Book Reviews.
Adrienne breaks into song with the Born Ruffians (and audio links!) at What Adrienne Thinks About That.
Tadmack contributes a great poem--"Lost," by by David Wagoner--at Finding Wonderland: The Writing YA Weblog. I think I'm going to print this one out and hang it on my bulletin board at work. Beautiful.
Song is the thing this Friday. Little Willow shares "Blue Wind," by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, at Bildungsroman.
Eisha stretches the concept of Poetry Friday and we all benefit. Check out her post at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
Susan Taylor Brown has Photo Poetry (and a great prompt) up over at Wordy Girls
MsMac knows you can never go wrong with Valerie Worth! Ms.Mac also gearing up for the school year and, so, chose Worth's "Book" for Check It Out.
Nancy at Journey Woman searched for a crazy weather poem (I wonder why...) and selected "In General," by Pattiann Rogers. It's hot as heck here in Smalltown with a humidity to match.
Sam Riddleburger shows us what we already suspected: kids like an element of the disgusting in their poetry. Check out his post--Kid Haiku. It will have you in stitches.
The Old Coot brings some dignity back to the haiku (no offense, Sam!) with haiku lessons and examples in form.
And there are more:
Next week's host, Kelly Fineman, is in with "Whenas in Silks by Julia goes," by Robert Herrick.
Becky shares "When Father Carves the Duck,"by E.V. Wright, at Farm School. (Note: Not for Vegetarians.)
Julie contributes "Mrs. Moon," by Roger McGough, at a Reader's Carousel. (Another new blog for me to mark down. I love Poetry Fridays.)
Karen E. is suffering from the heat with the rest of us. She managed to find a Jane Austen quote that will make you smile, despite the heat and humidity. Thanks, Karen!
Amy is in with "Epicurean Indulgence" at another new-to-me blog, My Breakfast Platter.
And more...
Katie at Pixie palace reviews and quotes from a very interesting book--Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. It's on my list now, Katie!
Miss Erin shares some Emily Dickinson with "EXHILARATION is the Breeze..."
Liz B. reviews Kid Tea, by Elizabeth Ficocelli and illustrated by Glin Dibley, for Poetry Friday at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy.
Still more...
Susan at Chicken Spaghetti links to a very interesting article on dyslexia and reading poetry. Wow, is all I can say.
Becky is also thinking school with Aileen Fisher's "I Thought I'd Take My Rat to School" at In the Pages.
Sarah Miller is in with a short, but incredibly sweet Emily Dickinson poem.
Oooh! Another original...this time a parody. Sheila Ruth links to her husband's poem "Georgie at the Bat" at Wands and Worlds.
