April is National Poetry Month

Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.

There is no happiness like mine.

I have been eating poetry.

—from "Eating Poetry" by Mark Strand

Here are several poetry websites to choose from and share with your students. We also have a great selection of poetry books in the library to share with your students.

Poets.org:  has a Poem in your pocket project with many to print out and share.  The idea is to have a poem close at hand to read and share with friends.  I love this idea and the poems on this site though are meant for older elementary.  You could still do this project with younger students with a variety of other websites.  Here are a few:

Kenn Nesbitt is a funny guy and his site is very kid-friendly.

Classis Shel Silverstein

Poems kids like

Classic poems for kids

Kalli Dakos poetry

Douglass Florian

A Teacher's Plea

Listen to me when I say,

I NEED MORE HOURS IN A DAY!

Six little hours is not enough

For all the work; it's much too tough!

Spelling, writing, computers and math,

Art, phys ed, and music class.

For adding numbers, and taking scores,

Checking assignments,

There's always more!Listen to me when I say,

I NEED MORE HOURS IN A DAY!

Haiku poetry, Chatterpix and Mr. Wagner's class.

Thank you to Mr. Wagner's class for sharing their recent poetry project.  It is wonderful when students get to try new online tools with something timeless like haiku.  Enjoy!

Poetry creation from Mrs. Schulte's 2nd graders.

The Miracle of Second Grade

People helping---

Banding together.

People learning…

Using your brain.

Making!  Life!  Better!

April and poetry just go together.

If you have students working on poetry projects or you are reading poetry and find a good one, email me and I will post it here and send it out.

I pulled poetry books this morning for a 3rd grade class and found this one:

Just before Springtime

The birds are still out of town,
The branches are still bare.
The earth is still colored brown.
I don't care!
I don't care!
I can smell the green smell in the air-it comes
Just before springtime.

The wind still bends my head low.
Slush sloshes my boots.
Everyone's talking more snow.
I hear flutes!
I hear flutes!
It's the music that says, World wake up-it comes
Just before springtime.

The ground hog's shadow was long.
Bad winter in store.
That ground hog legend is wrong.
I know more!
I know more!
There's a sweetness that licks at my mouth,
And it tastes not of North, but of South.
There's a vision that fills up my eyes
With wings making waves in warm skies.
There'a  a softness that writes on my skin
The announcement that spring's coming in.
Earth-bird-tree
I am you.
You are me.
We are one!
We are one!
In that gentle moment that comes
Just before springtime.

Judith Viorst
If I were in charge of the world (1981)