Friday, May 8, 2009

Kicking it up for Poetry Friday

My Northfield ES third graders had a great time yesterday, taking of their shoes, examining them (one boy had the word "raptor" on his trainers), looking at the pebbles they'd picked up.
Kids' "Odes to My Shoes" tomorrow...for Poetry Friday, here's a shoe ode from Charles Simic.
My Shoes Shoes, secret face of my inner life: Two gaping toothless mouths, Two partly decomposed animal skins Smelling of mice-nests. My brother and sister who died at birth Continuing their existence in you, Guiding my life Toward their incomprehensible innocence.
The rest of the poem, and an article about shoe-poetry here. More Poetry Friday entries at Picture Book of the Day. I'm home for the day with a sick kid. Glad to have poetry to keep me company!
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9 comments:

  1. jamaMay 8, 2009 at 9:42 AM

    Cool poem. Today you've got shoes, and I've got socks (or not). :)

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  2. Author AmokMay 8, 2009 at 10:07 AM

    I'll have to check those socks out, thanks! Don't get me started on shoes...I'll have to post photos of my art-glass shoe collection.

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  3. susanMay 8, 2009 at 12:39 PM

    Love this! I'm so unaware. Knew nothing about sockless day. lol

    Hope the kidlet feels better.

    Thanks.

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  4. Author AmokMay 8, 2009 at 1:13 PM

    Thanks for the good wishes, Susan -- the sweetie pie's fever seems better. Me either about the socks. I'm wearing teacup socks today.

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  5. Andromeda JazmonMay 8, 2009 at 2:52 PM

    I find this an odd poem. But the more I think about it... the truer it is that my shoes are a true likeness of myself. Sole imprints, so to speak.

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  6. Amy Planchak GravesMay 8, 2009 at 3:37 PM

    Ah, Simic. A New Hampshire treasure. I can relate to shoe odes. I have a pair of converse that I haven't worn in years...I can't wear them because they're on the verge of falling apart, but I can't get rid of them because they're sort of a symbol for that stage in my life.

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  7. Irene LathamMay 8, 2009 at 3:40 PM

    The image that leapt into my mind was from the documentary film(s) about the Titanic... one of the things they found repeatedly was shoes... the leather withstood the ocean. And how heartbreaking, the children's shoes lodged there in the muck... Great idea, the Ode to Shoes!

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  8. Author AmokMay 8, 2009 at 4:08 PM

    I love the two images you shared -- the imprint of our soles inside our shoes; those shoes from the Titanic. I had so much fun with the third graders, taking off our shoes and really noticing them in order to write our poems. Kids are still wearing Converse All Stars!

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  9. Author AmokMay 8, 2009 at 7:21 PM

    Thanks for visiting, everybody. I was bummed last week (my first PF in months), when I only had one blogger stop by. You've restored my faith in the sharing-nature of Poetry Friday.

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