 Happy Poetry Friday y'all! Penny is hosting the round-up this week, so mozy on over to her site A Penny and her Jots to join in the fun! I have been wanting to write an invitation poem, like the one I am sharing today for a very long time. I have collected many entries and lists in my notebook of the things I would want to invite others to experience if they were walking here on the ridge with me. There are so many things I want to share with all of you! I never thought that when I took my pen in hand, that I would struggle as much as I did. With the flood of ideas rushing through my brain, I started feeling stuck. How could I get all my thoughts down on paper when there was so much I wanted to say? Then, I remembered that all writers face this situation at times. That's when I realized it was time for me to take a step back and return to the notebook. My son, who is in fourth grade, calls it "brain dumping." So whenever you're stuck, you just take your thinking and "dump it" onto the page. I gave it a try and my "dump" became a very specific list. I used this list to help me stay focused on what I really wanted to say in my poem. I am so grateful to him for sharing such a wonderful strategy. Today, I invite you to join me on the ridge where there are signs everywhere!  Here are a few pictures of the things I listed in my poem.
Invitation to Write:
Sometimes when I am writing a poem, I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head that it's hard for me to stay focused on what I really want to say. Having a list or two in my notebook about my topic really helps me. I don't feel so overwhelmed when I have a list to keep me on track with my thoughts. I have lists for all kind of things in my notebook. You can try making lists in your notebook, too! Lists can be wide and contain many ideas around a topic or they might be really specific. So whether you are generating ideas or circling around a topic, lists are a great tool to help you find your way.
5 Comments
9/3/2016 06:04:07 pm
A beautiful poem of listening, noticing, and just being, Kiesha. Thanks for sharing!
Irene Latham
9/3/2016 07:21:48 pm
I DO feel the worth, I do, I do! Love your list and the gorgeous photographs. Thank you! 9/5/2016 10:23:33 am
Your invitation is so compelling that I accepted. And your poem took me through the pasture with you and I noticed and appreciated the Signs of Late Summer. 9/5/2016 03:05:45 pm
Great strategy that yielded a lovely poem, Kiesha. Thanks for sharing. =) Somehow I found your painting site first - glad I finally landed here! Beautiful poem and process. The brain dump is sometimes how I start, too! I think writing can get all tangled up in there with all the other extraneous stuff - like emptying the kitchen drawer when you need the can opener! There's a poem there... hm. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWelcome! I'm Kiesha Shepard, and I have a love for writing and the teaching of writing. Whispers From the Ridge is a place where I can share my words and ideas for teaching writing. It's also a place for you to find inspiration for writing the words inside of you. I invite you into my world of writing as I capture the whispers from the ridge. 
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Schedule of Round Up:
January 4 Sylvia at Poetry for Children 11 Kat at Kathryn Apel 18 Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect 25 Tara at Going to Walden February 1 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference 8 Laura at Writing the World for Kids 15 Jone at Check it Out 22 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge March 1 Linda at TeacherDance 8 Catherine at Reading to the Core 15 Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe 22 Rebecca at Sloth Reads 29 Carol at Carol's Corner April 5 Karen at Karen Edmisten* 12 Irene at Live Your Poem 19 Amy at The Poem Farm 26 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink May 3 Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup 10 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass 17 Michelle at Michelle Kogan 24 Dani at Doing the Work That Matters 31 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading June 7 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche 14 Laura at Laura Shovan 21 Linda at A Word Edgewise 28 Buffy at Buffy's Blog |
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Kristine Paulus, Ryan Hodnett, Marie Hale, gurdonark, btrentler, Kelly Colgan Azar, jeffreyw, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region
