It's time for the 14th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge!
My theme for the Challenge is CELEBRATE.
One of my favorite poetry books for children is Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill, illustrated by John Wallner. The poems within the beautiful book celebrate colors. Today, as I was walking in a glorious temperature of 68 degrees, I passed by one of my favorite spots on our lake trail. It brags one of the early harbingers of spring - daffodils and crocuses. Today, the daffodils are all green with a hint of yellow tips. I don't know the people who live in the house that is surrounded by all that loveliness, but I imagine they must be poets. They must have planted all those bulbs, after all. Anyone who digs into cold, autumn earth to plant a hope of spring must be a poet. I don't plant bulbs, but I'm going to attempt a poem anyway, using O'Neill's "Green" as inspiration...
What is Green?
Green is the wisp of an early spring flower.
Green is the sharp smell of approaching showers.
Green is a cucumber and crunchy iceberg lettuce.
Green is a climbing vine all over the trellis.
Green is a feeling when you are brand new.
Green is a dollar or maybe a few.
Green is a deep breath when you're feeling afraid,
A calm green coolness spreads over you like the shade.
Green is a grape that squirts in your mouth.
It gets even greener as you travel North to South.
Green is an emerald, a peridot, a jade.
When digging in the garden, green is a spade.
Green is St. Patrick's Day and a 4-leaf clover.
Green is a new season when winter is over.
Green is Kermit the Frog
and a moss-covered log.
Under a canopy of leaves it is green.
Green is a feeling of squeaky clean.
Green is a lime on the rim of a glass.
Green is a rock skipping over the pond
with a splash.
I love that book as well. It is so fun to read aloud. Your take on green is a great way to start my day this morning. Not only is green my favorite color, but your poem has a spirit and rhythm to it that awakened my happy place. Thanks for this, Holly.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great poem about green and you even rhymed! I want to use it as a mentor text for students to write about green, the color of March and spring. This is my favorite line, "Green is a feeling of squeaky clean." (Margaret Simon)
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