Celia Door's Poetry, and More Attempts from Me

What IS poetry? I looked it up. So many meanings! I like how it was used in folk songs from long ago - I always think of songs as a type of poetry. I also like how it doesn't always have to rhyme. That's the type of poetry I like best (other than songs). Do I need to know what poetry is before I can move on? I don't believe so. I have a general idea, and I'll just keep trying to write poems to see if it fits with a general description.

So I need to keep writing. Celia Door (of The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door) wrote when she was upset, usually. There were other times she wrote when she was excited or happy. I'd bet that poets write when they are inspired - by their passions or by what irks them. What am I passionate about? Photography, singing, teaching...  If I want to be "dark," like Celia believes she is, I'll have to channel what bothers me...
  1. People who judge quickly, without knowing the other person or situation.
  2. When children are focused more on materials, rather than just plain fun or learning.
  3. Drivers who cut people off and think that only THEY are important.

I could go on and on, but I stopped early, because I think I have to go with the judgement idea - my students are very quick to judge, and this may be something I can use to help make the world a tiny bit better. Last year, when I read aloud Where Children Sleep, by James Mollison, they were quick to respond when I put up a picture of a child. I heard, "What IS that on her head?" "Is that a boy??" "Woah!" "Ew!" And I responded with, "Ouch." It hurt me to know they were not empathetic until they heard a part of the child's story in with one paragraph.

I thought of an idea for a product. Where could I put whatever it is I end up making? The girls' bathroom stalls. Girls in middle school can be so mean to each other, and to themselves, as well.

I've been brainstorming... This is in no particular order.

I know that this needs to be a picture, not written out in lines like this.

------------BRAINSTORMING ONLY------------

What do you see?
  Perfect hair
     Her hair would look better long.
     I cut my hair because my cousin is going through chemo.
  Weight
     She needs to lose weight.
     My doctor says my thyroid glad is out of whack. I've been so sleepy.
     She is so scrawny.
     I have to lose weight or the popular girls will make fun of me.
  Nerd
     She asks too many questions
     I just don't understand anything the teacher says.
  Unwashed hair
  Brand name jeans
  Clothes from Goodwill
  Pretty pens
  Stubby pencil
  Lipgloss
  Bushy eyebrows
We want people to be unique, yet we put them down for being different.
What is perfect?
Who are you to judge?
Who am I to judge?
The only judgement we should base on looks is
  facial expression - scowl? frown? smile?
What do you hear?
  Whispers
  Shouts
  Chuckling
  Nothing, but a look can say it all.
What do you know?
  You know what she wears, but not why she wears it.
  You know how she looks, but not the story behind it.
Get to know the PERSON, not the skin she's in.
  Have you talked to her? Asked her a question? Made a connection?
THIS will get you far in life.

Celia Door's Poetry, and a Bit of Mine

One week later...  I had to get the book out of the library, because Celia makes sure she does NOT write certain words in her poetry. I had to find out what they were again, to see if I use them or not! After a long search, I found it - chapter 24...

   I, Celia the Dark, vow that I will never write love poetry.
   Additionaly, here is a list of the eight words that I believe should never be used in writing poetry: love, soul, heart, dream, sad (sadness), pain, awesome, and above all other words that should not ever be used in poetry, beautiful. Beautiful has been so overused in poems that it has no meaning anymore.
   I call this my list of "Never Words."
~The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door, by Karen Finneyfrock

I think I'll be okay. I'd written a poem to my husband before we were married, and it may have had some of those words in it, but a poem about trees doesn't have to! And trees is where I was heading next. I had jotted down a few ideas from last week's bike ride, and I finally came up with this:

Red, from a Tree's Perspective


Red X
  There is no worse fate.
  Selected to be killed.
     That one is in the way.
     That limb has fallen long ago.
     That one? Can't you see it's dead?
        If it's not quite dead yet, it will be soon.

Red Flag
  Not as bad.
     That branch grew over the path.
     That one obscures the view of the lake.

Red Dot
  A mark of distinction.
     Leading the way.
     Showing the path.
     Blazing a trail.

Red Jacket
  Not mine, but I'll take it.
     Leaning against me.
     Needing shade, resting.
     Assured I won't move from the middle of the meadow.
         Faithful.
         Strong.
         Steady.
  Red core
     discarded to the ground.
          Soon to be eaten
              by a creature who'll live long...
      just
         not
            as
                long
                    as
                       me.

Before writing, I thought of these questions: Should I make it in the shape of a tree? No. Can I indent? A lot? To make a point of some sort? Yes. Should I get a picture of an X, flag, dot, and jacket? No. But... I'm still thinking of a product of some sort. What if I found a picture to represent each idea of red? The rest of the picture can be black and white. I saw the red on the trees on my bike ride - I could go back and take pictures, and learn how to make just the red portion colorful. Then put the words on top of the pictures?? Maybe make a video of some sort? I'd need to fabricate the red jacket. But... how would this help others? ??

I need to brainstorm more, because writing like this is NOT my passion. I just don't feel it.

Celia Door's Poetry

So. I just finished a book. (Big deal. I read a lot.) It was a "new" YA book - The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door, by Karen Finneyfrock - recommended by a teacher I follow on Twitter. And at 40 years old, I think I'm ready to try some poetry once again. This will be a Genius Hour project that will take me out of my comfort zone. I'll need to share it, and I know it will be criticized. Why do it then? Because I've been going back and forth on joining Teachers Write with Kate Messner this summer, and I know I don't want to write a picture book, novel, or nonfiction. So this is my compromise. I know I'll be writing SOMEthing.

When I was in high school (high school??), I wrote five poems for a poetry contest. Didn't win a thing. Sadly, the only one I remember being proud of was about my dog's poop. Yes. You read that right. In high school?? Ugh. I'm proud to say I've come a long way!!

Celia Door kept her poetry to herself. What good does it do there? So I know that my project is out of my comfort zone, will be difficult for me to perfect, and I could be made fun of. But I'm going to do it. Because I expect some of my students to take the same risks.

When I got home from my bike ride, I wrote this attempt at poetry to my husband, who is out of town until tomorrow.

     Glad I went.

     First, not so much.

     Traffic.

     Three minutes in, chain fell off when shifting.

     Three black fingers later, chain fixed.

            It even kissed my calf.

            (Tattoo still there after showering.)

     Next up - big lawn mowers - off! Phew!

     Spotted an oriole!

     Careful across Higgins.

     A poem idea swirling in my head regarding trees.

     People stats - passed four walkers, one roadie passed me.

     Weather? Perfect for a ride.

     At the dam...

             A young deer and a grey heron on the "island!"

     Numbers - 9.6 miles (?), AVS 12.?, 46 min.

     Wave to Rick.

     Home safe.

Doesn't much look like poetry to me. Just train of thought rambles. What IS poetry? Rick is our neighbor, by the way. While I was biking, I thought of a poem I could start with, even though I technically started with this one... It's "safe" to write about nature, right? Trees are pretty neutral. I'll think on it. I also need to think about what my final "product" will be. Do I want to change the world? No. What's my goal? Maybe to inspire others to write something? It's a small goal, but it's a start. Next steps: think of a "product," keep writing, and find out what poetry really is (because I don't think what I wrote today fits in that category).

One more side note - I realized, while writing this post, that I'm not doing all I asked my students to do last quarter. I'm not following the rubric. Why should I? It's not natural to write a reflection with a rubric by my side. Yup. Another thing that's will probably in the trash next year...