The Poetry Friday Roundup Is Here!

Poetry Friday logo by Linda Mitchell

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

I’m so happy to be hosting today! I’m out all day today teaching at a Young Authors Conference, but I’m looking forward to visiting all of your posts over the weekend.

First up, I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of you who have reviewed, liked, commented, or shared anything about my spring 2023 releases. They are all out in the world now, and I’m so relieved!

And also a huge thank you for the well wishes for my family member. The biopsy was clear–no cancer. What an enormous weight and anxiety off our shoulders. I felt your good thoughts–thank you!

I also want to remind you that I’m having an in-person storytime launch party in St. Paul, MN on April 1, 2023, and I’m nervous nobody will show up. It’s going to be a fun, active event, and I’d love it if you’d share with your Minnesota friends. There’s even a little giveaway. Details here.

Finally, I want to invite you to join my National Poetry Month Digging for Poems project. My sample poem will be my poem for today! Here’s a 90-second video to explain.

Basically, I’m going to write a very short poem each day, based on two things:

  • a handful of magnetic poetry words
  • a topic chosen from five words on a game board card

For instance, when I took these words

and chose a topic off the five answers (yellow, hey/hay, scarlet, Saturday night, and fever) on this card,

I wrote this poem.

Each day on my blog link, I’ll share items 1 and 2 for you. And I’ll also share the poem I wrote based on the previous day’s items 1 and 2.

As you can see from my example, these won’t be polished poems! I’m sure there will be days I won’t want to share. Maybe I’ll only have a phrase. Maybe it won’t make sense to anyone but me. Maybe it will be grammatically…creative. But that’s okay! This is a game, an exercise, a way to twist your brain up in a way that you don’t do every day.

I hope you and your students might play along occasionally or every day–in whatever way feels like a good fit for your group! [Edited to add: For example, students could choose any topic they want and ignore the card with the five answers on it.] Please feel free to leave poems in the comments. I always think it’s utterly amazing to see what different people write, even when given the same word pool and same topic choices.

So, I’ll put up the first magnetic words and Linkee card on March 31. See you then? (And please share this post if you have any educator or poet friends who might like to play–thank you!)

Mr. Linky is rounding us up today, so please fill out the doohickey below to both leave your link and to check out all the other links you can explore. Thanks for being part of this warm and supportive Poetry Friday community, and I look forward to reading all of your posts throughout the weekend!

46 Responses

  1. What a fun project for April. It will be fun to follow along and play, too. Good luck with you book launch. I will plan to review one or more of your books soon. That would be fun. So glad that your medical tests were negative. What a relief!

    1. Thanks, Janice, on all counts. Yes, lovely to see a negative test result. Huge weight lifted. xo

  2. Hey

    I wave
    my book
    I sing
    a summer laugh
    I float

    What fun, Laura! I hope you get lots of participation when you post this in April; I’ll be checking in. Thanks for hosting us today.

  3. Dear Laura, I am very glad that your family member is well…and so happy for you and your new books and the world of readers who will enjoy them! Congratulations and all best of goodnesses for your event. Your April project will be exciting, the writing part and the reading part. How on earth can April be right around the bend? Thank you for hosting all of us…and happy rest of March celebrating your books! xo, a.

    1. Thank you, Amy. Me, too. Whew. Many other health issues and crises, but at least not cancer on top of them. Thanks for all the good wishes–and how April can almost be here is a mystery!

  4. Sounds like a fun NPM Project. I’ll add the info to my Kidlits Event Roundup. Thanks for hosting this week!

  5. Congratulation on all your spring successes, my friend! And your poetry “digging” sounds fun — love what you’ve done! (Also, good to hear about your family member — wishing them all the best)

  6. Lots happening Laura. The Digging Project sounds intriguing and the magnetic poetry always attracts my attention. Thank you for hosting.

  7. Definitely fun Laura, I like your ” sunshiney wave,” and I’m looking forward to your project! Here’s a quick poem,
    DAZZLING SUMMER TONGUE TRUTH

    Tongue wave s
    as flower whisper s
    head for my
    petal batter
    summer fl oat — oat + y +er friend.
    Hint: it’s a summer flying insect

    Glad all is well with your family. Thanks for hosting us too!

  8. I’m so glad you had good news for your family’s health, Laura. Wow, you are one busy writer and poet! I have one idea I believe I’m going to do and sometimes that means I will play along with you, too. Thanks for taking time from your busy life for hosting!

  9. I didn’t realise I was going to land on your blog, when I linked in today. (I didn’t realise that was the name of your blog, so I thought was had a new Laura onboard.) I am so glad your family member is well. Such a relief, after worry. Your poetry project looks fun. Enjoy that! And thanks for hosting us, lovely Laura. 🙂

  10. Yay for the good news on your family member and your spring book babies and your in-person event! I wish I lived closer as I would love to attend your storytime launch party. And your NPM activity looks terrific! I look forward to playing along. Thanks for hosting, Laura! 🙂

    1. Yay! Can’t wait to see your poems, Bridget, whenever you have time to participate!

  11. Have fun with kids today! And, what fun–for your April Poetry Project!

  12. I love your NPM poetry project! I feel like you just opened a new playground and invited everyone in to play with you. Poetry party at Laura’s! I’m also so glad you had good news for your relative. Health scares are…well, scary! What a huge relief that must be. Thanks so much for hosting today.

    1. Thanks, Molly–ooh, a poetry playground, yes! And it is a relief. Hugely. Many other health issues for this person, but at least not dealing with cancer on top of them!

    1. I SO wanted to take magnetic poetry with me to the Young Authors Conferences I’m doing this year, but the logistics were too rough for the 40-minute sessions…It’s amazing what they come up with, isn’t it?

  13. Thanks for hosting, Laura, and congratulations on all your wonderful new books out in the world. Your April poetry project sounds like fun. I haven’t come up with my own yet, so maybe I’ll tag along with you!

    1. Would love to have you join in if that’s what works out, Rose! Or I look forward to seeing how you otherwise celebrate NPM!

  14. Thanks for hosting us today! Your good news (books/health) lifts my spirits from a distance! I’m impressed that you have nailed down your Poetry Month project so thoroughly. I’m tempted to join, but still weighing a few other options. Stay tuned!

    1. I know, Mary Lee–it’s a miracle that I figured it out far enough in advance to share like this! I always feel a bit guilty in April because my own NPM absorbs me so thoroughly. We absolutely each need to feed our poetry souls that month especially in whatever way most resonates :>)

  15. Congratulations on the new books, Laura! I love the way you’re using your NPM project to play and have fun with words and language.

    1. Thanks, Laura. I realized I needed some more play and less expectation this year :>)

  16. I love that you are a speaker at a Young Authors Event! My oldest son (now 28) went to one of these events and it was phenomenal! I know the kids will enjoy you! I like the poetry you created from the word tiles! I’ll want to join in that exercise in April. Thanks for hosting!

    1. Thanks, Carol–Friday was fabulous! (It usually is at these things, though they’re tiring, too.) I love hearing about your son and that you still remember the event or its impact. I look forward to your joining in when you can in April!

  17. Laura, so happy about your family member’s good health news! Your NPM project looks like so much fun! Enjoy the Young Author’s Conference and thank you for hosting today.

    1. Hey, Patricia–I see you at #29, so I’m guessing you fixed the issue. Or it just took a few minutes to show up!

  18. Giving our brains a twist sounds like a worthy endeavor! I’m not surprised that you came up with something creative. Congrats on the books and the good news! Thanks for hosting 🙂

  19. Laura, what fun the poetry challenge sounds like. I have printed out the haiku words from Marcie, so maybe they will be helpful for this challenge too. I like your Fever “sleep float.”

    Praise God their was no cancer! Thank you for hosting today.

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