Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Following the words

at Two Writing Teachers!
I've been meaning to write about an exciting project happening in my classroom, and I was going to write about it today...

but then I drove home with the windows open, and the sky was so blue, and the air had that delightful fall feeling that's somehow warm and chilly at the same time,

and then lines of a poem were bouncing through my mind, begging to be wrestled with and laid out into something real.

So please check back later this week for a peek into the cool things that are happening in my classroom for the next few weeks!  Meanwhile, here's the poem, which started out as a nature poem, and then when I decided the first line was going to be "now", it turned into something that wanted to feel like "After Many Springs" by Langston Hughes.



Autumn Echoes

Now,
when the tired sun sinks low a little earlier,
stretching long shadows that twine together
reaching for something they can't quite grasp

and wispy clouds spread like freshly carded cotton
suspended in a sky so blue you might fall up
and soar away like diving into clear water,

the playful breeze carries whiffs of chill,
teasing ghosts of goosebumps across my arms
that vanish almost before they appear.

What are those faint echoes shimmering on the wind?

Fleeting shouts and giggles,
splashes of color on a silvery bell,
spindly shadows marching as one.

8 comments:

  1. I think all I can say is WOW! But you know I can't just say that. I had to Google "After Many Springs" then reread your poem. Shall I admit it, I liked yours better. You caught the magic of autumn that slips in and out for days. Love the shadows that twine together reaching but not able to grasp.
    You've been missed. Glad you wrote today. :-)

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    1. Aw, thanks elsie. You always know just the right words to use to make someone feel really special. I'm so glad I've gotten to "know" you and learn from you!

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  2. Jennifer,
    You described the scene for today's evening sky so well-I noticed how the shadows are getting longer too-and the warm yet chilly air-and the spindly shadows. Just an imagery buffet here! Thanks for the delicious feast!

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  3. You capture the weather we are having this week in IN perfectly. I love those fall days.

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  4. I'm glad you captured the essence of this beautiful autumn evening. The other post will still be there in a few days!

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  5. Jennifer, this is so beautiful! After all our rainy days, we finally got one of "these" days today-gorgeous, the kind I revel in. I love it all but especially "and wispy clouds spread like freshly carded cotton
    suspended in a sky so blue you might fall up
    and soar away like diving into clear water," Love the image!

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  6. What beautiful images you painted on the page! I'm glad you let this poem trickle out and put the other post on hold.

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  7. "teasing ghosts of goosebumps across my arms"
    This line begs to be savored. It is a powerful image, and one that captures the approach of fall weather perfectly--in image and in mood.

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