Our Community Poem (Park and Recreation Month Challenge)

July is Park and Recreation Month, a time to be grateful for the service provided by parks. During the pandemic, parks became places of comfort to roam freely in the open air, congregate with others, and satisfy the urge to travel to local scenic places without worry. This month, the National Recreation And Park Association is partnering with renowned poet and bestselling author, Kwame Alexander, to create "a community poem - one poem compiled from many voices". They would like to hear "community's stories about what their local parks and recreation mean to them".

I decided to join in the fun and write a poem in appreciation for the service offered by my local park in Long Island where I lived prior to moving to Northern Virginia in mid-March. As one voice among many, I offer my thoughts for the poetry challenge fully described at Park and Recreation Month: Our Community Poem. From the many poems and inspirational thoughts offered, Kwame will craft an original community poem to be shared online at the end of the month. The challenge requires using the prompt, "Everything  around you is." Submissions are due by tomorrow, July 9, 2021.

Our Community Park

Everything around you is bathed in beauty.

Gentle morning light shines across majestic trees.

Visitors perambulate through expansive spaces.

A whiff of smoke scents picnic grounds.

Ducks wade across a diamond-studded lake, 

Glistening in the breeze while birds circle the sky.

As a place of comfort, you welcome travelers to your grounds to

Breathe in the scent of pine, find peace and solace, congregate

With family and friends, walk through scenic woods, and commune

With nature in the great outdoors. You gather untold stories. Discard

Thoughts hindering spiritual growth, and leave visitors refreshed. 

Everything around you is soon to blossom from a deep pandemic sleep.

©CV, 2021

While searching for inspirational thoughts, I found this quote by Toni Morrison that offers a new perspective for pondering: At some point in life, the world's beauty becomes enough. I paused. reflected, and wrote another poem using Marilyn Nelson's poem, Weir Farm, as a mentor text. In a short video that can be found here or on YouTube, Kwame Alexander suggested researching Marilyn's poem. Her line "Feel the welcome of small particulars," resonated with me as a self-care recipe for living. It suggests taking a closer look at life by observing the small details and savoring the moments, a notion particularly suited for today's return to a partial normalcy  way of life.  

Nature's Touch

Everything around you is nature-scented.

Step onto earth's welcoming paths.

Feel a closeness with life: 

the felled log, a home for small insects

the leaves strewn across the horse trail.

With a fresh look and perspective, see 

orange bittersweet and berries popping,

daylight shadows playing in the sun.

Find a detour along the trail.

Walk down a small slope to the lake

where a log becomes a bench.

Listen to the quiet laps lulling earth,

Let nature paint a world of tranquility

bringing back a sense of calm to life

Be at peace in a new normal world.

Everything around you is touched

by nature's ever-loving hands.

©CV, 2021

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Please join me in celebrating our local parks. 

Tell your community's story about what your local parks and recreation mean to you. 

Be sure to submit your poem here by tomorrow, July 9, 2021.

If inclined, also post on social media.

Twitter: @NRPA_news, #OurParkAndRecStory, @kwamealexander. Instagram: @NRPA

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I'm off to post at the Poetry Friday Roundup where teacher-poet-author, Margaret Simon, is hosting at Reflections on the Teche. Margaret shares her good news about her contributions to the new anthology, Bridge the Distance. Teacher-Poets Writing to Bridge the Distance, An Oral History of COVID-19 in Poems.

March Musings 11: Celebrate Learning

As in a past year, March snow arrived as Long Island educators arrived for the LILAC/NRC Annual Conference but nothing was going to stop the teachers from a day of learning with Pam Allyn and Kwame Alexander. I was thrilled to have a bonus surprise from Kwame's songwriter/guitarist friend, Randy Preston who delighted the 300 attendees with original music that he wrote for Kwame's new books. Beside the keynote presenters, during the morning sessions, an amazing list of workshops were offered by New York and Long Island educators. The reviews of the conference proved that learning is to be celebrated. 

This lovely collage was easily created with FotoJet,  "the all-in one online tool for graphic design, photo collage, and photo editing" that can be accessed at https://ww.fotojet.com/. 

While the snow fell around us, the attendees learned together, networked with colleagues in an engaged atmosphere, and visited the vendors who support Long Island educators. The glass enclosed front lobby allowed us to see the winter landscape that was just lovely by the end of the day. 

I will provide inspiring snippets from the presenters in my next postings. Suffice it to say that the LILAC/NRC Annual Conference was a success from the committee's perspective and from attendees' responses.

This post is the 11th in the series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge and offered also for Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week.

Feasting at the Table of Learning

The weekend before Thanksgiving 7000 educators traveled to Atlanta not to break bread but to be nourished at the table of learning. I was one of them. What awaited for us was a neon-colored surprise. NCTE celebrated a rebranding of its logo and a technicolor explosion of voices advocating for enhanced learning experiences.

Arrival to Atlanta was smooth and check-in not a problem until my colleague, Michele Haiken, and I entered our room to be faced with a strong odor, a not so appealing mix of deodorizer pumping in from the vent. We called the front desk and had the hotel come up with options while we went back to the convention center for the Secondary Get Together with my friend, Kwame Alexander. Between the power of Kwame's presence, the news of his first YA book to be released, and the Mac and Cheese fest, I almost forgot the hotel incident. 

Staying positive, we returned to the hotel and our patience was rewarded with a new room that overlooked the CNN Center.

When I closely notice what is around me, learning never ceases to amaze me. From the arrival in Atlanta to registration at the Georgia Congress Convention Center, to a magnificent sunset at the end of the day, my noticings led to wonder, new learnings, and the realization that the table of learning is a marvelous space for all in the field of literacy to be nourished. 

While in Atlanta, I met many slicers I write alongside weekly. Please visit Two Writing Teachers where Slice of Life Tuesday has been populated with many savory posts. 

Celebrating #ILA16

#ILA16 in Boston last weekend was an amazing compilation of #learning, meet-ups, & strong voices celebrating #literacy. It is not often that you can be in a space of learning with committed educators and literacy luminaries who share the same mindsets and vision to impact teaching and learning. I celebrate the #ILA16 experience through visuals.

My family and I arrived in Boston in time for my #edcampliteracy session where I met Twitter friends face-to-face for the first time. There were many hugs and aha moments before I presented, Discovering Wonder and Joy Through Inquiry Via Family Literacy. As Wonderopolis' Wonder Lead Ambassador, I was happy to shed light on various family literacy programs that allow students and parents to notice and wonder about new topics.

There was high energy the morning #ILA16 opened. Keynote presenters, Kwame Alexander and Adora Svitak, wowed the audience.

During the day, I met up with connected educators and authors.

My colleagues, Dr. Michele Haiken and Laura Purdie Salas, presented Transforming Writers' Lives With Digital Tools as Powerful Agents to Impact Literacy Instruction, Authenticate Voice, & Present Positive Perspectives with me to an full house, engaged audience.

After my two presentations, I felt excited to have engaged with many interested educators and ready for additional learning and meet-ups.

The short video I created expresses my interest in impacting digital literacy. You can access it here. You can read my post on a Courageous Conversation led by Cornelius Minor at #ILA16 here.

Since I missed Celebrate This Week last weekend due to my busy weekend at #ILA16, I am recounting the first part of my celebration of the International Literacy Association Conference in Boston with this post. Please visit Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week site to read how Ruth celebrates her family this week. 

Drum Roll Please for Kwame Alexander

When Michelle H. Barnes challenged writers to her Ditty of the Month Challenge, I knew that I would try to write a clerihew on one of my favorite authors who has risen to celebrity fame this year.

Drum Roll please for Kwame Alexander

The story began one fall day in 2007. A tall, young man stood in front of a crowded New York State English Conference session. His smile lit the room and his words swirled like magical stars across the sky. His passion spilled over and drew in the participants. I was there. I was mesmerized by his words. This young man's name rolled like sugar across the tongue. From that serendipitous meeting, I knew that Kwame Alexander would rise to fame so I decided to bring him to Long Island to wow students and adults with his talent for word weaving. 

I enjoy words and enjoy when you can make children and adults have an emotional response to words. -Kwame Alexander

A friendship grew over the years. Kwame enthusiastically filled Long Island classrooms and conference rooms with engaging poetry read-alouds. His infectious love for language made others appreciate his artistry. I have had the pleasure of introducing him as the keynote speaker at the Long Island Language Arts Council/Nassau Reading Council Spring Conference, making him a spaghetti dinner (one of his favorite foods), and calling him friend. I have watched his career grow and soar and have applauded him for the many accolade he has received, the latest being the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, The Crossover.

Over the Years:

2011

2014

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Clerihews were introduced to me by Kwame in 2007 so in honor of my friend, I pen this one for Michelle Barnes' Clerihew Ditty.   

Kwame is the current word weaver king,

spreading "the love" that language will bring.
As poet extraordinaire, family man, and spaghetti lover,
he tells great tales, but from his little one runs for cover.

Please visit this site to read more poetry from a variety of writers.

Lastly, visit Two Writing Teachers where the Tuesday Slice of Life community is meeting after our month long challenge of slicing.