THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY

THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY
April 12, 2016

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Poetry Friday: The Dead

Put on your tap shoes, my dear friend
Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
is hosting Poetry Friday today!
Writerly friends, it is Poetry Friday and I will take any excuse to extend the magic of Halloween.



Today is All Hallows, also known as All Saints Day, celebrating all of the Saints--if you are Christian--looking down on us from heaven.

Here is Billy Collins, reading his poem "The Dead."



THE DEAD by Billy Collins

The dead are always looking down on us, they say.
while we are putting on our shoes or making a sandwich,
they are looking down through the glass bottom boats of heaven
as they row themselves slowly through eternity.

Be sure to stop by MG author Elisabeth Dahl's's guest post for a book giveaway!

If you are, like me, refusing to take off your costume and wishing carved pumpkins lasted a little bit longer, here's a way to extend your Halloween fun: visit Susanna Leonard Hill's Halloweensie contest. The contest is over, but many of the 100-word entries are spooky children's poems. Enjoy!

16 comments:

Matt Forrest Esenwine said...

Nice to see Billy Collins getting so much love lately - he's a tremendous talent. Thanks for sharing!

Tara @ A Teaching Life said...

Such a haunting poem.

Linda B said...

It's always special to hear what Billy Collins has to say about things, and also interesting to hear about heaven from others. It is something to wonder about, isn't it? I enjoyed your story for the contest Laura, and thanks for this too. Hope your Halloween spirit just floats right on through the weekend!

jama said...

Love Billy Collins. It's always interesting to witness how his mind works. This poem is haunting and comforting at the same time.

Been ages since I heard "Spooky." Thanks for posting that video too.

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

No one could ever accuse you of not doing Halloween right! Love the Billy Collins, of course, and thanks for the mood music too. :)

Buffy Silverman said...

Love the Billy Collins poem and the animation--and your spooky Halloweensie poem, too!

Bridget Magee said...

I've never read this Billy Collins poem before, Laura. Thank you for sharing it. It is the perfect poem for today. Great story, too. =)

Violet N. said...

I agree with Bridget about the perfection of the Collins' poem on All Saint's Day! All the best as you go through Halloween withdrawal.

Mary Lee said...

I love the thought of the glass bottomed boat of heaven!

Carol said...

I love Billy Collins. It's fascinating to me, though, how hearing him read his own poetry, or seeing an animated version, totally changes the poem for me. Thanks for sharing this.

Renee LaTulippe said...

What a beautiful poem and a beautiful thought. Love!

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Nicely spicy, spooky post, Laura! Just wanted to let you know that I linked to your Last Fifth Grade series in my post this week as I embark on MyPoPerDayMo challenge. Thanks for the many inspirations as I get through this stage of my life by the seat of my pants.

Liz Steinglass said...

I love this one. I love his unique way of looking at things.

Fats Suela from Gathering Books said...

Love the animation and his poetry reading. Makes the poem even more haunting than it already is. Thanks for sharing this! =)

BJ Lee said...

Love Billy Collins and this poem! I just got some Collins to listen to on disc. Looking forward to it! The glass-bottom boats of heaven - wonderful!

Robyn Hood Black said...

Yep - a perfect pic for this weekend. I like Jama's notion that it's haunting and comforting at the same time. Thanks for sharing!