Back-to-School Thoughts

While visiting Fire Island on Tuesday, I caught glimpse of the school bus. This started me reflecting on the opening day of school. 

• Would the students be as eager to set sail across a sea of learning as I was to cross the Great South Bay on the Fire Island Ferry?
• Would all the teachers embrace a growth mindset to honor all voices? 
• Would a spirit of trust and positivity be established during the first week of school?   

I presume that all Long Island school districts have started school on a good note and are addressing the above questions. 

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To spark a conversation, teachers may ask their learners the following question from Mary Oliver's poem.

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"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

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Below is a digital inspiration to spark conversation.

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You can access some back-to-school poems for students and teachers from Poetry Foundation that will be sure to engage students as young poets at the beginning of the year.

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Interested in some hacks to shift the literacy landscape toward student-led literacy learning? 

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This week children's author and poet, Matt Forrest Esenwine, is Poetry Friday's host. Please visit Matt's blog site, Radio, Rhythm, & Rhyme for more poetry fun.

Inspired

"Inspiration does exist, but it has to find you working."
Pablo Picasso

Being open to a new idea and a new path to explore is at the heart of my writing but trying a new format comes only through research and practice. Inspiration is everywhere but harvesting it into a ripened fruit of merit is something that requires time and effort. Now that school is officially over in my locale, summer mode is starting. 

Today, to push me out in the open spaces of summer, my husband decided that a short jaunt to the beach was in order. I have to say that the sunshine and different environment proved to be very inspirational. As I am in the midst of designing the Spring's Symphony Gallery, new ideas keep popping up. To say that I am between spring and summer in my passion projects is an understatement. To honor the betwixt and between feeling, I was inspired to create the following pieces that combine the gardens of spring with the rippling waves of the beach.

To further connect my thoughts, I found the following poem at Poetry Foundation. 

This week, I have been working on Spring's Symphony Gallery while being inspired by the "splashings" of summer. As the sea called to me, my husband, son, and I mulled over the names for the next gallery and new ideas. After I unveil Spring's Symphony I will offer an invitation to the newest gallery challenge and look forward to your comments. Staying inspired...

Now, please visit Poetry Friday at Carol's Corner where Carol welcomes us to Denver where the rain just doesn't seem to stop. 

Skyline Serenity

Watching the glow of dusk moving over Manhattan's skyline elicits a range of emotions in the 9/11 post-years. As picturesque as an artist's rendering, the city spins a story of power, might, and perseverance. On this clear summer night there is a magical quality settling over New York City that inspires a writer to express her thoughts in poetic fashion. Listening intently to the sounds, observing the sights, and feeling the night's transformation from hurried hoofbeats to quietude, settles the hurt once felt in 2001. Broken into fine dust it spreads evenly over Ground Zero. Hope emerges from the bright lights of bridges, skyscrapers, and reflecting pools of water while stillness blankets the Manhattan skyline with a gentle softness. Quiet peace hovers over avenues and streets. A feeling of serenity is elicited. Travelers and city goers revel as words spin to form independent thoughts. 

Capturing a single scene in a photograph and blending it with expressive words is a collaboration of the heart and the mind. Combining two art forms, photography and poetry, opens channels of creativity releasing emotions and feelings. The sensations evoked are transferred from writer to readers and viewers. You can become immersed in this process when the REFLECT WITH ME: Summer Serenity Gallery is unveiled at the end of August. The scene below is one of many settings showcased in the virtual gallery. 

How to appreciate the fusion of a poetic expression with a striking image in the upcoming Summer Serenity Gallery:

1. Engage in a close read of the photograph. 
2. Observe the setting and details.
3. Reflect upon the literal.
4. Focus on the underlying reason why the picture was taken. 
5. View the photo through a different lens enjoying the scene or making connections. 
6. Read the poem focusing on how the words merge with the photo. 
7. Allow for a certain emotion to surface during the process. 
8. Question: What resonates in the pairing? Does the pairing of the poetic expression with the picture of a natural surrounding or man-made structure transport you to a place of stillness, even if it is for a brief time? 

Why should we engage in a viewing of a virtual gallery of artistic expressions? 

• The Poetry Foundation believes that poetry should have a "vigorous presence in our culture."
• Marc Polonsky who wrote The Poetry Reader's Toolkit says, "Poetry is an imagination machine. Good poetry, given patience, lights up your imagination in some way. It surprises you, tickles you, gives you a nudge, or even awes you. It might reveal a new perspective, dazzle your mind's eye, broaden your inner vision." 
• Finally, watch the late Robin Williams as John Keating in Dead Poets Society deliver his thoughts on Why do we read and write poetry? 

I hope you enjoy this short poem that I wrote while in New York City two weeks ago. 

Manhattan Skyline
You can hear the poem read aloud at Audioboo.

This week's Poetry Friday is being hosted by my juicy little universe.

Please stop by to read other submissions by a variety of writers.  

Exploring Summertime Serenity

The sea has its way of drawing me to its shore for moments of quiet reading and reflection. It is my special place to step back, relax, and find serenity. 

Summertime calls us to shed cumbersome clothes of past seasons and soak in the sun's rays as we find places of peace and relaxation to call our own. Whether it is a garden fragrant with nature's perfume, hills and mountains with hiking trails and winding paths, a still lake, or poolside there is a place that will bring a sense of serenity to your life. So kick back, reenergize your spirit of adventure, and explore life in your own way to find nature's spot that refreshes your senses.  Join me this summer on a journey of discovery and reflection to open a virtual gallery of artistic expressions. All it takes is a keen eye, a reflective spirit, and a creative spark. 

In summer, the song sings itself.

William Carlos Williams

Find your summer voice, let it speak of serenity in a place of peace, your special locale,

and

REFLECT WITH ME: Summer Serenity

Consider engaging in a reflective writing experience about your special place that brings serenity to your life and help me build a collection of poems and pictures to fill the REFLECT WITH ME Summer Serenity Gallery.

Easy Steps to Follow:

1. Photograph your special summer place that allows you to luxuriate in serenity.
2. Write a poetic expression or poem to accompany the photo.
3. Send me the poem and photograph or a link to my Twitter account (@cvarsalona), Google +, or gmail (cvarsalona@gmail.com).
4. Anticipate the mid-August launch of the REFLECT WITH ME: Summer Serenity Gallery.

In addition:

• If you are interested in sampling other writers' works and commenting, please stroll over to either or both of these sites: REFLECT WITH ME Gallery of Poetic Expressions or April Awakenings Showcase of Artistic Expressions.

• Poetry Foundation has a sampling of summer poems to "make you one with the sun."

• Linda Kulp at Write Time is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-up today. Please see the featured contributors' works. (Thanks to Linda for hosting July 11th's selections.)