Respond to 3 teachers today in the spirit of reciprocity. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. To carry within us these staves with messagesįlying above the rice fields on dark November days Reverberating songs full of life and hope Their trills and outreach from neighborhood to neighborhood, The chants of the birds, their call and response, Here are two short poems about birds that I’ve written in the past. Notice how smart they are and what we can learn from them, then write the messages you receive from the intelligence of birds. Look up and notice how a gaggle of geese take turns leading their arrow-shaped flying party. Maybe a round of robins scratch for worms in your front yard. Perhaps it alights on your deck in the morning and you see it from your kitchen window. Take a moment to listen or watch for the birds, or a bird. ProcessĪ great artist and songwriter, Leonard Cohen, wrote of his awareness of this unique intelligence of birds in his song “Anthem:” “The birds they sang/At the break of day/Start again/I heard them say/Don’t dwell on what has passed away/Or what is yet to be/” “Birds are so smart,” she whispered….and those were her last words. That’s when the birds come down from trees and bushes to feast. A mourning dove came to land beside her as she recalled how smart she thought birds were because they harvest worms so easily after a rain when the ground is softened. I was recently watching the last episode of a pioneer saga series, where the main character was taking her last breath. Whether you see or hear the birds, they never fail to gather our attention, especially this time of year. The trill of a bird in the morning awakens us to the sun, to hope, and to a unique intelligence. She facilitates yoga and writing workshops in her local community. She is a long-time member of NCTE and ALAN and a past-president of the Arkansas state NCTE affiliate. Dixie is Director of the Arkansas Delta Writing Project at A-State, a National Writing Project site. She collaborates as a teacher educator with both preservice teachers and experienced teachers attaining advanced degrees in reading. Dixie Keyes lives near the base of the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, in Jonesboro, where she teaches at Arkansas State University.
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