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 best email ever! It said, in part:

“My young daughter first opened your book, A Leaf Can Be, while waiting with me in a very long line at the post office at 4:30 p.m. (Yikes!) She started reading it aloud, and it wasn’t long before you could hear a pin drop. She and your story held the full house at standing attention. Beautiful!”

Those are the kinds of emails that make you chomp at the bit to get back to your writing, right? How nice of Cheryl to take the time to write me this note and to give me permission to share it. Thanks, Cheryl! And Cheryl’s daughter–oh, how I wish I could have seen her do this:>)

26 Responses

  1. Oh my goodness! That email gave me goosebumps! What an image it conjures — really, that’s something I would not think possible nowadays. So glad I’m wrong.

    And a beagle named Captain Jack Sparrow? 🙂 Sweet haiku tribute.

    (Did you get my email re interview?)

    1. Thanks, Renee. Doesn’t it? Now *that’s* something I wish I had on video!

      I did get your ?s, and I’m aiming to get answers to you by Friday:>)

  2. Oh my goodness! That email gave me goosebumps! What an image it conjures — really, that’s something I would not think possible nowadays. So glad I’m wrong.

    And a beagle named Captain Jack Sparrow? 🙂 Sweet haiku tribute.

    (Did you get my email re interview?)

    1. Thanks, Renee. Doesn’t it? Now *that’s* something I wish I had on video!

      I did get your ?s, and I’m aiming to get answers to you by Friday:>)

  3. I like that ‘soaks spring’, Laura. And what an awesome story via e‑mail. Lucky to receive it. I wish more people would take the time to say thank you like that. The world would be a happier place!

    1. Thanks, Linda–and yes it would. I’m trying to get better at stuff like that. I’ve vowed that every time I give a book 5 stars (or a strong 4) on goodreads, which doesn’t happen that often, I’m going to post my comments on my blog and/or Facebook and/or Amazon/Barnes & Noble, etc.

  4. I like that ‘soaks spring’, Laura. And what an awesome story via e‑mail. Lucky to receive it. I wish more people would take the time to say thank you like that. The world would be a happier place!

    1. Thanks, Linda–and yes it would. I’m trying to get better at stuff like that. I’ve vowed that every time I give a book 5 stars (or a strong 4) on goodreads, which doesn’t happen that often, I’m going to post my comments on my blog and/or Facebook and/or Amazon/Barnes & Noble, etc.

  5. Oh, that post office story should give you juice to run on for weeks! How very special, and thoughtful of that mom to share it. I like Renee’s poetry flash mob idea.… ;0)

    1. It really does, Robyn.

      And yes, now I have that flash mob poetry thing going through my head. Wouldn’t it be fun to do that with a group of junior high students or something? I’D have a hard time doing it, but I’d sure love to be in a room when a bunch of people came in and started performing poetry out of the blue!

  6. Oh, that post office story should give you juice to run on for weeks! How very special, and thoughtful of that mom to share it. I like Renee’s poetry flash mob idea.… ;0)

    1. It really does, Robyn.

      And yes, now I have that flash mob poetry thing going through my head. Wouldn’t it be fun to do that with a group of junior high students or something? I’D have a hard time doing it, but I’d sure love to be in a room when a bunch of people came in and started performing poetry out of the blue!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

Join 2,492 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 FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral 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 SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy 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)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 poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming 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 conferencesYouTubeZap 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."