A special thanks to Travis Crowder for inspiring us with verse days six through eleven. The poems crafted and shared here show the power of poetry to notice, remember, heal, and nurture community. Inspiration A Space of Meaning. I love the outdoors, as do many …
Inspiration: Emotional Memory I’m always haunted by memories, especially those associated with emotions such as grief, betrayal, and hurt. I know these are negative emotions, but part of healing is accepting and acknowledging their presence in our lives. Poem Process Choose an emotional memory. It …
Inspiration Today, we welcome Kwame Alexander’s poem “In My Closet, On the Top Shelf, is a Silver Box.” (Crush: Love Poems for Teenagers, 2008). Alexander’s poem serves as a mentor text to collect thinking. I love this poem because the short lines, divided with commas, …
Inspiration Poems from images. How do images evoke strong reactions? How can we turn those reactions into poems? I love to start writing from images. Pictures, especially ones with deep stories, compel my writing, both in my notebook and with my students. Poem Process Choose …
Inspiration What books have nudged you as a reader? What books have burrowed themselves in your heart and will not let go? Those books that linger are special and beg to be remembered. Books enter our hearts by first touching our hands. An activity. Trace …
Inspiration What words stand out to you in the texts that you are currently reading? What words seem to be encouraging you to collect them and mold them into something beautiful? Process Pointers Collect pieces from personal reading, such as individual words, short sentences, descriptive …
Inspiration The temperature in Chicagoland is warming up. Where do you live? Can you go outside? Yes? Perhaps today’s poem can be inspired by your neighborhood or literal (even figurative place) in the world. Go to the place. See if your sidewalk (or street, or …
Inspiration You have learned a lot in your lifetime. I bet you have some advice to give that would, if not make life easier for another, comfort them in their journey to make sense of this world. If you are up for it today, write …
Inspiration Writing poems can be intimidating. One exercise that spoken word artist Sarah Kay suggests to make poem-ing more accessible is making lists. The list itself can be the poem or the list can be a springboard for creating other poems. There are many list …
Some Inspiration Something I have noticed about teaching is that my identity tends to get wrapped up, even defined by my role in the life of students. I sometimes forget who I, Sarah, am — the quirks and gifts that I have carried with my …