Poetry Day!

I am heading to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference later this morning, the prize for winning the short story category of the Pikes Peak Writers Contest. I am looking forward to seeing people I met last year as well as those I know from blogosphere.

So then, to the contests! The contest yesterday was won by Corey! She wins a copy of Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick, an urban teacher and novelist and whose writing, especially in Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pies, made me laugh while crying.

(For those interested in the state of education in this country, I found a video of him speaking from his experiences as a teacher. The subject can become political and heated very quickly and since this is not a political blog, I won't be hosting debates on the subject. Thanks for being understanding.)

And Sherrie, you've won the movie contest! The Margaret line is from a Emma Thompson- Kenneth Branaugh flick from the early nineties, Dead Again. I was hoping someone would include "party on, Garth!" which is, of course, from Wayne's World. :)

Corey and Sherrie, send me email with your addresses. Thanks.

Because of Poetry Friday, the quote today is a poem:

Roads Go Ever On

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journety new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet."
J.R.R. Tolkien

For more poetry, check out the roundup at Under The Covers.

Today's contest: in honor of Poetry Friday and National Poetry Month, please read/write/recite/sing/memorize/listen to a poem, then tell me what you've done by leaving a comment. If you compose a poem and want to share it, that would be fantabulous.

Call me Ish-a-geek

A new public library branch opened last weekend in my town. Now there are three public libraries within very reasonable driving distances from my house. I am so thrilled to live in a town that values books!

Here are some pictures of the new library:

The children's section
[Incidentally, I saw a friend there and she seemed amused that I had brought my camera to the library.]

Look whose book I found displayed prominently in the children's poetry section?

The book of yet another of my Poetry Friday cohorts!

Happy second day in the National Poetry Month. Just from the poem-a-day I have received in my email inbox, I'm learning so much more about different types of poetry (new one for me: language poetry) and poets. You can sign up for it too.

National Poetry Month

I know it's April Fool's day, but I'll leave the tricks and jokes to the pros. Instead, I'm focusing on the other big event of the day: the start of National Poetry Month.



At the poets.org website, you can find out how you can participate. Sign up for a poem a day. Read a poem to your child, your children's class, your mother. Write a haiku, a sonnet, a limerick.

Here are some other events taking place that you may want to check out:

If you love children's poetry, as I do, poet and professor Sylvia Vardell will be reviewing a children's poetry book a day. Anastasia Suen has collected school poems from students and will share them at Pencil Talk. Tricia at Miss Rumphius Effect will be posting her interviews with children's poets daily.

Read, enjoy, laugh, celebrate!