Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)
All the poems are written from the point of view of kids talking to our planet, and Joyce has talked about how she wants kids to not only love the earth but to feel the earth loving them back. I adore that! Here’s a poem from this fantastic collection.
Long Memory
You were so different once:
a huge spinning cloud of gas,
a vast swirling sea of lave.
Finally your crust cooled
and settled into land
and water.Even then, you kept changing.
You’ve felt giant footsteps
trample your back,
ancient roots dig into your soil,
fantastical leaves and flowers
breathe your air.Earth,
you must have a very long memory.
Which was your favorite part?–Joyce Sidman, from Hello, Earth! All rights reserved
Here’s a video from Joyce, in which she shares the background of the book and also reads the first two poems from it.
And here’s a mini-book you or your students can print out, create, and wonder about…This book is a treasure, and I think you’ll love it!
Two more things:
- Joyce has a wonderful poem in this month’s issue of POETRY Magazine. Every poetry lover and teacher will adore this poem.
- I’m hosting one more Write Alone Together next week–Wed, Mar 10 at 6pm Central Time, for one hour. Click the image for the free registration page. Feel free to share with anyone you think might be interested!
For more poetry to love, don’t miss this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup with Aussie writer Kat Apel, who’s celebrating a new picture book!
The poem, “One of Us,” absolutely drenched me in goose bumps.
Special love for Joyce Sidman’s last line about our puzzle of a planet!
Appreciations for sharing, so richly, this beautiful poetry collection debut & one with such stunning artwork from Miren Asian Lora.
Such serendipity with our blogs dear Laura, as this week at my post I’m sharing a poem in picture book debut, a poem story, also about Earth ~~ Once Upon Another Time.
Like other books and poetry by Joyce Sidman, this looks wonderful, Laura. I’m sure it’s full of wonder for our earth. Don’t you love that final question in the poem? I wonder what the answer would be! Thanks, hoping I can read it all soon!
Thank you for introducing us to Joyce’s new book. It was lovely to hear her speak , and I love the title poem.
Thanks, Laura, for the introduction to Joyce’s latest book and her One of Us poem – wow! I wish I could join your “Alone Together” gathering, but the timing just doesn’t work. Darn time zones! 😉
A whole collection of poems to (and about) earth. That sounds intriguing. The ancient roots really got me with this one. So tangible – I can almost feel them niggling/wriggling into me!
I love Joyce Sidman’s work and this book look fabulous. So interesting to hear her describe how she came to this project and how she found the voice to write to this artwork. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for the introduction to this beautiful book. I enjoyed the video.
Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
You are right! I zapped ‘One of Us’ right into my library files to share in a poetry Friday share with students. It’s wonderful. Slowly, slowly more and more students join in our Friday’s poetry discussion link. It makes me so happy to also find, ‘One of Us’ kids. Thank you! And, thank you Joyce Sidman for this beautiful new book from the voice of kids that the earth loves back. I included Joyce in a Women & Science for Women’s History Month at school. I so want poetry to be linked with science as it should be!
Thanks for this peek into Joyce’s newest book!
Another poetry book I want to read! Thanks for sharing it. I love the thought of kids talking to the earth. There is so much wonder and awe in the poem you shared.
I love these closing lines to Joyce’s poem:
Earth,
you must have a very long memory.
Which was your favorite part?”
Yes very long, and I wonder to… gorgeous book Laura, thanks for sharing it with us!
This book sounds so compelling Laura – thank you for this. I’m thinking how timely your post is, with Earth Day not so far away – sharing this with students would be a lovely way to commemorate.