What Didn’t Make the Cut in One Minute ‘Till Bedtime [Poetry Friday, Part 1]

Happy Poetry Friday–eerrr.…Thursday. Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)

This week is a Poetry Friday two-fer. Somehow, whenever there’s an outside thing I’m participating in for Poetry Friday, it’s always the first Friday of the month. So, that means I’m juggling two poems this week! Here’s the first one, and the other post will go live tonight.

Poem 1:
What Didn’t Make the Cut for Kenn Nesbitt’s Anthology

It is always exciting to get an invitation to submit work for an anthology–but it’s also a little bit stressful. You’re (OK, I’m–maybe nobody else feels this way) trying to read the anthologist’s mind. What is the perfect fit for this book? What will seem just right and yet be unexpected? What will make the anthologist say, “Yes! This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for!”

When Kenn contacted me about submitting work for this fun project, I combed through my poems–a couple hundred of them, I think. I narrowed it down to 17 possibilities and took them to my writing group (thank goodness for writing groups!). Based on their feedback, I narrowed it down to 6. I sent those 6 to Kenn, and my note said, in part: “It contains six possibilities–if we’re only supposed to submit one, just take a look at the first page.” That’s because I put them in order, 1 to 6, of how likely I thought they were to fit what he needed. I’m sure glad I included more than 1!

You can probably guess what’s coming here. He chose poem #6, “We’re Bats!” Hehe. I wonder if Poem 17 was REALLY the perfect fit for the anthology! But we won’t go there.

Anyway, I thought I’d share here Poem #1, the one I felt was most likely to fit.

Don’t Stare!

Please pretend you don’t notice
his tiny doll hands.

Sue, at Chicago’s Field Museum (Photo: Connie Ma)

Don’t stare at the lumbering
way that he stands.

He’s new to our school
and unbearably shy,
and we don’t want to make the
tyrannosaur cry!

–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

To enjoy more poems that didn’t make the One Minute Till Bedtime cut, visit a roundup at Jackie Hosking’s blog, which has the text of many other poems submitted but not accepted into OMTB, plus links to other Poetry Friday regulars who are sharing their poems on their own blogs, like I am here. Thanks, Jackie–this was a fun idea! And thank you, Kenn, for including my poem in this lovely, multi-starred anthology!

For more poetry fun on FRIDAY, go visit the Poetry Friday Roundup with Bridget at Wee Words for Wee Ones.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

15 Responses

  1. I love that ‘We’re Bats’ was number 6 — and the whole backstory behind the submission. And that I’m not the only one who overthinks these things!!! 🙂

    1. Heehee. Not at ALL. Love your school bus and how you can enter the poem really anywhere, because it’s that cycle over and over. And the “My Dad” poem with its great child voice. Happy to be in there with you!

    1. Thanks–was it Dinosaur 13? That seems long and involved for a 6yo, but it was an interesting film. Love your forest poem–all the wonderful specifics make me feel like I just had a real visit:>)

  2. Such a fun poem, Laura! Congrats on your “We’re Bats” acceptance!

  3. Oh, perfect for the theme of community, Laura! My copy of OMTB is on its way from Amazon as we speak. I’m looking forward to seeing all the poems that made it in. =)

  4. This is perfect to share with my youngest granddaughter, with whom I have many conversations about the look of the dinosaurs (bones) we see at our science museum. Fun story about the choice of poem, too! Thanks, Laura!

  5. Love it, Laura and love your poem in the anthology as well. Yes, I agree, it is challenging deciding what to send! Nice to share pages with you!

    1. Thanks, BJ–and your skateboard poem is awesome. I love the positive attitude–and that the dad doesn’t take over the skateboard!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

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

Join 2,546 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

Discover more from Laura Purdie Salas

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

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