Blog

Poem-a-Day: #18 (Plus Poem in Your Pocket and a BookSpeak Giveaway)

on riser’s top row first-grader flashes?white smile sun lights up the gym –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- That one is for my beautiful niece, Lily, whose first-grade music show last night was fantastic! Poem in Your Pocket Day is next Thursday, April 26. What poem will you be carrying around? You have a

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #17

honeysuckle buckles, tucks green shoots and?fuschia buds? through warm, weathered fence –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- I’m visiting Irene Latham’s blog today (she of the progressive poem brilliance) and talking about metaphor in poetry, in 2 of my BookSpeak! poems in particular. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out!

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #1 6 and Nonfiction Monday: What We Wear (Maya Ajmera)

pink, red, blue daisies dance and sway to draw your eyes– dying for drama –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Plants in their natural state are always gorgeous, but I do love the totally fake and cheerful colors of dyed daisies! So, that’s where I got my haiku from today. ————————————————————————————— Photos of joyous kids

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #15

atop your shoulders, taller than I hoped to be, I see other worlds –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- Cue sappy poem music. But BookSpeak! won the Minnesota Book Award (Children’s Literature category) last night, and I’m in a floaty/sappy mood today! And in that banquet hall full of writers and readers and booksellers

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #14 and a BookSpeak! Award

crumpled index cards abandoned confetti scraps after the awards –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————- I’m jotting a couple of notes on an index card for the Minnesota Book Awards banquet. I don’t expect BookSpeak! to win, but when Stampede was a Finalist, I panicked when they started the announcements, because I had been

Read More »

Poetry Friday and Poem-a-Day: #13

crab dances on beach tickling sandy ivories ???? playing summer’s song –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Happy Poetry Friday! This haiku was inspired by a crab running across the beach on Survivor this week. Those tiny pointy legs that run so lightly across the sand always surprise me (as much as those periscope eyes

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #11 and Bank Street’s Best Books of 2012

(for J.P.) Her hand winds through air. Her mind stretches toward sun– Reaching for meaning. –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ?—————————————————- Great news! BookSpeak! Poems About Books is on the Bank Street’s Best Books of 2012, Ages Five to Nine. Woohoo! At least, that’s what I’ve been told. I can’t get the pdfs to

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #10

Crisp brown stalks project, Tall tombstones?among new green– Daylily graveyard –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ?

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #9 and (Gulp) a Poem Video

Beagle’s Easter treat: forbidden Gobstoppers. Dread resurrection. –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ———————————————————— One of my goals for 2012 was to put some videos online. Videos of me reading poems.?A few clips from school visits or public events. Bits with me and Lisa Bullard answering some writers’ questions on behalf of Mentors for Rent.

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #8

storm rises from ground… sand dispenses dust to sky… clouds tan leather sun –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved ———————————————————— I almost wrote today’s haiku about our beagle getting into the Easter candy, but then I read this great interview with David Harrison about his?new collection, Cowboys. It’s at Sylvia Vardell’s website, and just reading

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #7

new pen ink rushes like snowmelt from spring mountains– quenching winter’s dry throat –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved  

Read More »

Poetry Friday and Poem-a-Day: #6

she waves her red stick– goalie in matador pads– welcomes charging bull –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved Happy Poetry Friday! My daughter Maddie had lacrosse tryouts recently, and she’s going to be goalie for the varsity team. Yikes. It’s nerve-wracking watching her defend the goal–but she loves it. Robyn Hood Black at Read, Write,

Read More »

15 Words or Less and Poem-a-Day: #5

I interrupt this regularly scheduled 15 Words or Less post to direct you to David Harrison’s blog, where he is featuring BookSpeak today–thank you, David! Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! Sorry for the delay, you earlybirds–computer issues this morning! Photo: Dietrich Krieger I think horses are just about

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #4

regal lion suns, soaks spring from weathered veldt: beagle on the deck –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved I love watching our beagle, Captain Jack Sparrow, sun on the deck right outside the window where I’m writing. He just soaks up the sun out of the planks of the deck. Cheryl Wilke sent me the

Read More »

Poem-a-Day: #3

eyes–dry, sandy beach packed down by day’s heavy feet– welcome high tide’s sweep –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————————————————————————- I know more and more poets (including me) are at least thinking about e‑publishing as print publishers buy fewer and fewer poetry collections and anthologies. Terrific poet David L. Harrison has fought in those trenches

Read More »
Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,548 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be…Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be…art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be… bookscan be… poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnccbcCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter booksCharles Waterschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura’s board booksLaura’s booksLaura’s poemsLaura’s readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLine Leads the WayLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymagnipoemsmargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMatt Forrest EsenwineMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoneymoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)National Poetry Month 2024 (magnipoems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar’s VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreview copiesreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be…Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be…wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat’s InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZapZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."