Teachers, last week I posted about a picture book I love, My Blue Is Happy, by Jessica Young. It would be fun to take this book and 
then brainstorm what you see each color as and write a list poem based on it. You could dim the lights and project a solid screen of each color while you brainstorm (or let kids individually mind map) things they associate with that color. Encourage kids to get concrete, touchable items in their poems, so they don’t become just a list of emotions. Abstract words are the enemy of poetry. They’re the enemy of all vivid writing, in fact.
Here’s mine:?
My Rainbow
Red is a roller coaster, swervy and curvy and wild Orange is a monkey bar show-off, shouting, ?Look at me!? Yellow is never-ending’summer, hot and boring and sweaty Green is a forest, quiet and still--a?mystery Blue is a river, moving but always in the same direction Indigo is the night’sky, vast and endless Violet is light bouncing off a crystal ball, magic and quick
--Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved
I love a good poetry challenge, even at 5:30 in the morning on Monday. I love so many of your lines, the forest, the night sky, and the crystal ball. I took a watercolor class on Saturday, and my teacher sent us a list of colors. I am using those colors for my poem.
Watercolor Class
Alizarin Crimson is hot like Tabasco on my tongue–mean.
Cobalt Blue is flying like a kite in the sky–free.
Lemon Yellow is shining like the center of a daisy–happy.
Hooker’s Green is open like a field fresh in spring–waiting.
–Margaret Simon
Ooh, that’s nice, Margaret! It’s fun to do color poems with paint colors, nail polish colors, printing colors, etc. An excellent twist! I extra love your flying cobalt blue kite.
Such delicious-sounding colors. Very nice.
The art class sounds wonderful I love how you used the colors of your paint in the poem
The art class sounds wonderful may I ask what your painting is of I like how you used the paint colors for your poem
I love a good poetry challenge, even at 5:30 in the morning on Monday. I love so many of your lines, the forest, the night sky, and the crystal ball. I took a watercolor class on Saturday, and my teacher sent us a list of colors. I am using those colors for my poem.
Watercolor Class
Alizarin Crimson is hot like Tabasco on my tongue–mean.
Cobalt Blue is flying like a kite in the sky–free.
Lemon Yellow is shining like the center of a daisy–happy.
Hooker’s Green is open like a field fresh in spring–waiting.
–Margaret Simon
Ooh, that’s nice, Margaret! It’s fun to do color poems with paint colors, nail polish colors, printing colors, etc. An excellent twist! I extra love your flying cobalt blue kite.
Such delicious-sounding colors. Very nice.
The art class sounds wonderful I love how you used the colors of your paint in the poem
The art class sounds wonderful may I ask what your painting is of I like how you used the paint colors for your poem
Laura, your poem brought on a huge, Monday morning smile. The acronym for the colors in the rainbow is forever etched in my brain – learned it way, way back: Roy G. Biv! Thanks for the memory. I may try my poem later.
Me, too, Martha. It’s still how I remember it today. There’s a lot of use for those mneumonics! That was just one reason I was sad to see Pluto de-planeted. It ruined my My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pumpkins saying!
I would love to hear more about deplaneted Pluto and your mother’s nine pumpkins!
Here’s my Then There Were Eight acrostic, from the book of the same name:
Poor ball of ice, we know you exist; but you?re
Little and solid and we must insist on
Undoing the past, so though you?ll be missed, we?ve
Taken you
Off of the ?real planet? list
So sad.
You can adopt the saying I learned in third grade:
Man very early made jars. Served useful needs. Period. (easy to delete the period which seemed like an afterthought to my third-grade sensibilities.)
Love your color list, especially the roller-coaster, river, and forest lines.
Thanks, Buffy, and for the new mneumonic–though that doesn’t flow, does it. Oi. I want Pluto back. :>)
Laura, your poem brought on a huge, Monday morning smile. The acronym for the colors in the rainbow is forever etched in my brain – learned it way, way back: Roy G. Biv! Thanks for the memory. I may try my poem later.
Me, too, Martha. It’s still how I remember it today. There’s a lot of use for those mneumonics! That was just one reason I was sad to see Pluto de-planeted. It ruined my My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pumpkins saying!
I would love to hear more about deplaneted Pluto and your mother’s nine pumpkins!
Here’s my Then There Were Eight acrostic, from the book of the same name:
Poor ball of ice, we know you exist; but you?re
Little and solid and we must insist on
Undoing the past, so though you?ll be missed, we?ve
Taken you
Off of the ?real planet? list
So sad.
You can adopt the saying I learned in third grade:
Man very early made jars. Served useful needs. Period. (easy to delete the period which seemed like an afterthought to my third-grade sensibilities.)
Love your color list, especially the roller-coaster, river, and forest lines.
Thanks, Buffy, and for the new mneumonic–though that doesn’t flow, does it. Oi. I want Pluto back. :>)
Summer Daze
Red wagon and trike speed down the walk,
Orange popsicle on tongue and teeth when I talk.
Yellow daisy on flip-flop, summer dress too;
Green leaves on each add a finishing hue.
Blue blow-up pool provides squeal of delight, as
Indigo swim noodle keeps me upright.
Violet-streaked sunset blankets sweet dreams.
I love the way you did a summer-specific poem, Martha! Love the orange teeth and violet-streaked sunset:>)
Summer Daze
Red wagon and trike speed down the walk,
Orange popsicle on tongue and teeth when I talk.
Yellow daisy on flip-flop, summer dress too;
Green leaves on each add a finishing hue.
Blue blow-up pool provides squeal of delight, as
Indigo swim noodle keeps me upright.
Violet-streaked sunset blankets sweet dreams.
I love the way you did a summer-specific poem, Martha! Love the orange teeth and violet-streaked sunset:>)
Love your Roy G Biv poem, Laura. I’m working with a poetry group now, & will share it with them. I wonder if they know this way to remember?
Kids on school visits have usually known, at least those in 3rd or 4th grade or older, I think. Thanks!
Love your Roy G Biv poem, Laura. I’m working with a poetry group now, & will share it with them. I wonder if they know this way to remember?
Kids on school visits have usually known, at least those in 3rd or 4th grade or older, I think. Thanks!
Laura I like your poem I’m visiting wit my mom today day so I won’t be sharing a poem but I sent you three in a massage that might might of worked for this the pic are mime also hope you are having a nice day
Thanks, Jessica–hope you had a good visit with your mom.
Laura I like your poem I’m visiting wit my mom today day so I won’t be sharing a poem but I sent you three in a massage that might might of worked for this the pic are mime also hope you are having a nice day
Thanks, Jessica–hope you had a good visit with your mom.
Colors of seasons
Sunshine-yellow
Dandelion-feet
Ran droop boots
Jumping brown puddles
Giggles-giggles
Blue bubbles
Splashing diving
Swimming in blue
Mom’s grape juice ice- pops
Orange-read dragon leafs
L
ets run jump
Orange-read tumbling down
Purple sky-stars
Crunches foot steps
Blue rolling balls
Blue star people
P
ink noes
Pink cheeks
Silver smile
Giggles
I love those autumn orange-red dragon leaves!
Colors of seasons
Sunshine-yellow
Dandelion-feet
Ran droop boots
Jumping brown puddles
Giggles-giggles
Blue bubbles
Splashing diving
Swimming in blue
Mom’s grape juice ice- pops
Orange-read dragon leafs
L
ets run jump
Orange-read tumbling down
Purple sky-stars
Crunches foot steps
Blue rolling balls
Blue star people
P
ink noes
Pink cheeks
Silver smile
Giggles
I love those autumn orange-red dragon leaves!
Whispers of seasons
Sunshine-yellow
Dandelion-slipper feet
Green rain drop boots
jumping in brown puddles
Giggles-giggles
Blue bubbles
splashing diving
swimming through
blue ripples
Mom?s grape juice ice- pops
Orange-red dragon leafs
let?s run and jump toss
Handfuls towards open sky
Orange-red
Tumbling down
Turkey handprints cover our wall
Purple sky-stars
cover roof-branches
Footsteps Crunching
down sidewalks
Blue rolling star balls
cool blue star people
pink wiggle noes
Pink rosy cheeks
Silver smile
dragon breath giggles
feel the air
Whispers of seasons
Sunshine-yellow
Dandelion-slipper feet
Green rain drop boots
jumping in brown puddles
Giggles-giggles
Blue bubbles
splashing diving
swimming through
blue ripples
Mom?s grape juice ice- pops
Orange-red dragon leafs
let?s run and jump toss
Handfuls towards open sky
Orange-red
Tumbling down
Turkey handprints cover our wall
Purple sky-stars
cover roof-branches
Footsteps Crunching
down sidewalks
Blue rolling star balls
cool blue star people
pink wiggle noes
Pink rosy cheeks
Silver smile
dragon breath giggles
feel the air
RAINBOW THOUGHTS
Red is a flamenco dancer twirling her dress like a blushing mushroom.
Orange is a breakfast greeter, pumping your hand, supporting your day.
Yellow is a daylight streamer warming its way to your closed off interior.
Green is nature?s foliage at full strength, showing off their wares, without a care.
Blue is a hug from Momma, your favorite meal, and staying up late as you want.
Indigo is an out of your grasp mysterious tease, like a breeze.
Violet is a flower announcing to the universe that ?spring is here!?
(c) Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.
RAINBOW THOUGHTS
Red is a flamenco dancer twirling her dress like a blushing mushroom.
Orange is a breakfast greeter, pumping your hand, supporting your day.
Yellow is a daylight streamer warming its way to your closed off interior.
Green is nature?s foliage at full strength, showing off their wares, without a care.
Blue is a hug from Momma, your favorite meal, and staying up late as you want.
Indigo is an out of your grasp mysterious tease, like a breeze.
Violet is a flower announcing to the universe that ?spring is here!?
(c) Charles Waters 2014 all rights reserved.