I love Ubiquitous, by Joyce Sidman, and here’s one of my favorite poems from it! I wish you could see the delicate, beautiful art that goes with this poem.
The Mollusk That Made You
Shell of the sunrise,
sunrise shell,
yours is the pink lip
of a pearled world.
Who swirled your whorls and ridges?
Was it the shy gray wizard
shuttered inside you?
I hear he walks on one foot
and wears a magic mantle,
trailing stars.
O Shell,
if only I could shrink!
I’d climb your bristled back,
????? slide down the spiral
???????????? of your heart.
I’d knock on your tiny door
????? and ask to meet
????? the mollusk
????? that made you.
–Joyce Sidman, all rights reserved
Here’s my reading of it, but you should read this one aloud yourself–it’s a pleasure!
Teacher, blogger, poet, speaker, author (holy moly!) Mary Lee Hahn has the Poetry Friday Roundup today! Enjoy!
A mentor text if ever I saw one. I will run upstairs and find my copy so I can read it with its art. Thanks for sharing this!
Yes! This book is pretty darn close to perfect to me. Well worth a good study by all poets:>)
A mentor text if ever I saw one. I will run upstairs and find my copy so I can read it with its art. Thanks for sharing this!
Yes! This book is pretty darn close to perfect to me. Well worth a good study by all poets:>)
Beautifully written, and joyful to read…thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Matt–it is one of my favorites!
Beautifully written, and joyful to read…thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Matt–it is one of my favorites!
I love how she so slyly teaches us about mollusks as we read this love song!
Exactly–her poetry avoids didacticism (something I struggle with) but still teaches so much.
I love how she so slyly teaches us about mollusks as we read this love song!
Exactly–her poetry avoids didacticism (something I struggle with) but still teaches so much.
Joyce is one of my favorite poets, and this example illustrates why. Absolutely beautifully executed, and still a learning experience. Ubiquitous is one of faves, too! Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Yep, she teaches with poetry that doesn’t feel teach-y at all. Amazing…
Joyce is one of my favorite poets, and this example illustrates why. Absolutely beautifully executed, and still a learning experience. Ubiquitous is one of faves, too! Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Yep, she teaches with poetry that doesn’t feel teach-y at all. Amazing…
Such a lovely poem! Joyce perfectly captures the beauty of the shell’s “pink lip/ of a pearled world.” Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Thanks, Catherine–glad you enjoyed it!
Such a lovely poem! Joyce perfectly captures the beauty of the shell’s “pink lip/ of a pearled world.” Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Thanks, Catherine–glad you enjoyed it!
Joyce Sidman teaches so much through her clever poetry. Wish I’d had this one at the beach, Laura. Thank you!
Yes! I need to start taking poetry books with me on outings that match the setting I’m going to. I tend to just take whatever books I’m currently reading, which is fine, but I’m probably missing out on an even deeper connection with both places and poems by not experiencing them at the same time!
Joyce Sidman teaches so much through her clever poetry. Wish I’d had this one at the beach, Laura. Thank you!
Yes! I need to start taking poetry books with me on outings that match the setting I’m going to. I tend to just take whatever books I’m currently reading, which is fine, but I’m probably missing out on an even deeper connection with both places and poems by not experiencing them at the same time!
A wizard wearing a magic mantle trailing stars… Perfection! Thanks for sharing, Laura.
Glad you liked it, Eric–it’s such a wonderful combo of fact and fantastical!
A wizard wearing a magic mantle trailing stars… Perfection! Thanks for sharing, Laura.
Glad you liked it, Eric–it’s such a wonderful combo of fact and fantastical!
Amazing poem. Joyce Sidman’s poetry has a way of making you look at the world in a whole new way. Thanks for sharing this with us today, Laura. = )
She observes so beautifully, doesn’t she. She really accomplishes that kind of poetry that makes you see familiar things in entirely new ways. Glad you loved it!
Amazing poem. Joyce Sidman’s poetry has a way of making you look at the world in a whole new way. Thanks for sharing this with us today, Laura. = )
She observes so beautifully, doesn’t she. She really accomplishes that kind of poetry that makes you see familiar things in entirely new ways. Glad you loved it!
My favorite book!
Jeanne Poland
Wow–no higher praise!
My favorite book!
Jeanne Poland
Wow–no higher praise!
This is a beautiful poem I love her poetry I don,t have this book I,ll have to look for it thanks for sharring this poem hope you have a nice weekend
You too, Jessica. Joyce is a master!
This is a beautiful poem I love her poetry I don,t have this book I,ll have to look for it thanks for sharring this poem hope you have a nice weekend
You too, Jessica. Joyce is a master!
Beautiful poem. I haven’t found this book yet, but loved THE SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN.
There are so many gorgeous poems in this one, Monica (though I love SONG, as well). Night creatures entice me even more than pond creatures, though:>)
Beautiful poem. I haven’t found this book yet, but loved THE SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN.
There are so many gorgeous poems in this one, Monica (though I love SONG, as well). Night creatures entice me even more than pond creatures, though:>)
How gorgeous is that! I love how Sidman’s poems are interesting to adults as well as kids. It’s as if she’s inviting us to join her in becoming our wondering child selves again.
Oh, that’s beautifully said, Violet!
How gorgeous is that! I love how Sidman’s poems are interesting to adults as well as kids. It’s as if she’s inviting us to join her in becoming our wondering child selves again.
Oh, that’s beautifully said, Violet!
This is beautiful. A perfect poem for just reading and enjoying, but I could also see myself using it to talk about describing or detail or as a model for kids writing nonfiction poetry.
Exactly–Joyce’s techniques are always so skillful that her poems make lovely mentor texts.
This is beautiful. A perfect poem for just reading and enjoying, but I could also see myself using it to talk about describing or detail or as a model for kids writing nonfiction poetry.
Exactly–Joyce’s techniques are always so skillful that her poems make lovely mentor texts.
Joyce Sidman is a personal favourite of mine. I think I’d be sharing more of her poems for our upcoming reading theme in September/October. She manages to make scientific stuff sound so marvelous and magical. Love these lines most of all:
I?d climb your bristled back,
slide down the spiral
of your heart.
She does illuminate the magic of science, the heart of it…Those lines are my favorite, too!
Joyce Sidman is a personal favourite of mine. I think I’d be sharing more of her poems for our upcoming reading theme in September/October. She manages to make scientific stuff sound so marvelous and magical. Love these lines most of all:
I?d climb your bristled back,
slide down the spiral
of your heart.
She does illuminate the magic of science, the heart of it…Those lines are my favorite, too!
Ha! I shared this same poem as a favorite from UBIQUITOUS. 🙂 It simply glows, doesn’t it??
You know what’s really bad? I apparently shared this exact poem before. But it DOES glow. You can’t help falling/sliding into it!
Ha! I shared this same poem as a favorite from UBIQUITOUS. 🙂 It simply glows, doesn’t it??
You know what’s really bad? I apparently shared this exact poem before. But it DOES glow. You can’t help falling/sliding into it!
Beautiful poem. This image strikes me: “I?d climb your bristled back,
slide down the spiral
of your heart.”
I love all Sidman’s poetry.
Isn’t it perfect? Those are the lines I excerpted when I shared this post on Twitter/Facebook, etc. Sigh…
Beautiful poem. This image strikes me: “I?d climb your bristled back,
slide down the spiral
of your heart.”
I love all Sidman’s poetry.
Isn’t it perfect? Those are the lines I excerpted when I shared this post on Twitter/Facebook, etc. Sigh…
Masters at work– the mollusk and the poet. Thank you for sharing Joyce’s poetry, Laura.
Glad you enjoyed it, Michelle!
Masters at work– the mollusk and the poet. Thank you for sharing Joyce’s poetry, Laura.
Glad you enjoyed it, Michelle!
I love the sense of wonder that flows through this poem (while still infused with so much mollusky science!)
Me, too!
I love the sense of wonder that flows through this poem (while still infused with so much mollusky science!)
Me, too!