Laura Purdie Salas

Small Reads for Brighters Days

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Laura’s Books
  • Poetry
    • Poems Published Elsewhere
    • My Poetry–a Sampler
    • Poetry Videos
    • How To Write Poetry
      • Poetic Pursuits
  • For Teachers
  • Presentations
  • Freelancer
  • About
    • Press Kit
      • Short Bios
      • Awards & Honors
      • Author Photos
      • Book Covers
      • Book Reviews
      • In the Press
    • Who Am I?
    • How I Became a Writer
  • Blog
    • Review Policy
  • For Writers
You are here: Home / Poems for Teachers / Poetry Friday: Recycled

Poetry Friday: Recycled

October 22, 2010 By Laura



I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the freelance life lately, and discouraged by my writing career–where it’s at, where it’s going, how long I can keep up the work necessary to satisfy both the family budget and the writing I love to do. I know some things need to change, but I’m not sure what…or how.

So it was lovely to talk yesterday with Susan Taylor Brown about reinventing ourselves and our careers. She’s in town for Kidlit Con 2010, and we’re spending the afternoon today exploring the topic further and maybe coming up with some concrete plans.

My feeling of renewal made this poem feel like the right choice this morning. It’s by Lilian Moore, from Something New Begins (Atheneum, 1966, out of print, but you can sometimes find used copies around):

Recycled

Plank
by plank and
beam
by beam
they opened up the barn,

unsealed
each solid seam,
revealed
its corners to the sky,
and took its wood.

Wood
with weather in its
grain,
its flanks windrubbed and
stained by
rain
and holding deep the pungency
of cow and
hay.

Beam
on beam and
plank
on plank and
miles away,
the barn wood rose, and
closed
around a home.

This sheltering wood is
not yet
done
with ice,
with sun.

–Lilian Moore, all rights reserved

Isn’t that gorgeous? I feel windrubbed and stained, but I’m feeling a little hope that I can continue on with what I love to do, plank by plank, word by word.

Andi at A Wrung Sponge has the Poetry Friday roundup today. Go recycle your spirits with some beautiful poems and posts!

Tagged With: Lilian Moore, poems, poetry books, Poetry Friday

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

« Tech Wreck: Good News, Bad News
The Kidlitcon Party’s Over, But the Idea Hangover Remains »

JANUARY NEWS

I loved the holidays! And I'm so glad they're over. A quiet, snowy January is just what I need. This month, I'm working on two board book manuscripts, and I'm making materials to go with my 3 spring 2023 books.

I'm also busy prepping for upcoming author visits and setting my goals and priorities for 2023. Wishing you a lovely start to your own new year!

Are You Looking For…?

  • Poems for the Classroom
  • Poetryactions
  • 15 Words or Less Poems
  • Poetry Activities for Teachers

Tags

15 Words or Less Poems 30 Painless Classroom Poems anthologies A Rock Can Be... BookSpeak! Can Be... books classroom connections conferences and conventions equation poems events free verse haiku imagepoems image poems J. Patrick Lewis Kidlit Combos Laura's books Laura's poems my writing process National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku) National Poetry Month 2016 nifty news nonfiction books personal photopoetry poems poemsketch Poetry 7 poetryactions poetry books Poetry Friday Poetry Princesses poetry prompts poetry sisters Putrid rhyming nonfiction rhyming poems Riddle-ku school visits snowman-cold student poems teen/adult poems the business side videos Water Can Be...

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Laura’s Press Kit Components

Who Am I?
Short Bios
Awards & Honors
Author Photos
Book Covers
Book Reviews
In the Press
How I Became a Writer

Laura’s Author Visit Info

VISITS TO SCHOOLS
A Video Intro to Laura’s Author Visits
Virtual Visits with Laura
Small Writes: Write-Along Videos
Printable Flyer (print page 1 only)
Author Visit Programs
Typical Schedules
Author Visit Materials
Multi-Day Visits
Fees
Ordering Books for Events
Where Laura’s Been
Laura’s Report Card from Educators

OTHER PRESENTATIONS

For Libraries & Book Festivals
For Educators
For Writers

Post Categories

Copyright © 2009–2023 · Laura Purdie Salas · WordPress · Log in