fathering forth, mothering forth, June 16, 2013

Dear friends,

I am moving ahead with plans to edit/coordinate a lesson plan book for California Poets in the Schools' 50th anniversary next year.

Soon there will be a Kickstarter campaign. I'll use this blog to preview some of the visuals, and poems that will ultimately be on that website.

Both will showcase some of the results of the lessons that I and more than 100 other poets around the state of California are privileged to teach with students grades K - 12.And to whet your appetite, maybe there will be an occasional lesson plan.

Here are visual self-portraits from kids in Mrs. Godfrey's and Mrs. Allen's 5th grade classes at Monroe School in Santa Rosa and below them, poetry self-portraits of the same kids. Note: Permissions have been obtained for all student artwork and poetry that will appear on this blog.

These poems were inspired by Scott Momaday's "The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee," but the "Song of Amergin" also works well. Both Grace Grafton and Susan Kennedy introduced me to related lessons.  

Stay tuned! Phyllis

Panther – FRANCISCO NIGOA

I am a black panther that wanders the jungle at

midnight and dawn

and runs all day long.

I am a moon that is bright

and I shine in the night.

I am a breeze that cools

down the heat.

I am a bee that wanders

the world at night.

I am an angel that wanders

the heavens and earth, too.

Beautiful but Mysterious Life – DIANA VALLE

I am a little dolphin dancing gracefully at dusk.

I am a blue bird singing as sweet as honey.

I am a silver doe hiding in the dark.

I am a star shining down at you.

I am the universe rotating the galaxies

with millions of stars and light and

the mysteries of life.

I am a seedling sprouting in the earth

alive and ready for a beautiful life.

Artistic – ALEJANDRO ROJAS

I am the art of Artistic.

I am a green thumb as green as the grass.

I am purple like grapes and spicy like onions.

I am bright as yellow when I’m happy and

dark as black when I am sad.

I am red as an apple.

I am tall as a giraffe.

I am bright as a star.

Me/Daughter – ANDREA SOLORZANO

I am a monkey running through the meadows.

I am the twilight eclipse of dawn.

I am a snowflake falling in the house.

I am a breeze that fills people with sunshine.

I am a plum that is filled with purple.

I am a starlight from the crack of dawn.

I am a cherry that has red like blood.

I am a flag that flows through the sky.

I am a peach filled with daylight.

I am a strawberry filled with rainbows.

I am a God with love in my heart.

I am an ice cream that’s gone.