Poetry month 2012 nearly complete.....

When you learn a poem by heart, it becomes a part of you. You know it in your mind, in your mouth, in your ears, in your whole body. And best of all, you know it forever. From the creators of the bestselling You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series comes this new collection of poems especially suitable for learning by heart and saying aloud. With personal introductions by former Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman -- as well as her own time-tested tips and tools for memorization and recitation -- and vivid illustrations by Michael Emberley featuring his trademark wit and lively characters, Forget-Me-Nots includes more than 120 works from both classic and contemporary poets, from childhood favorites to lesser-known treasures. This anthology will inspire a love of learning poetry!

 Another great book I recommend is "How to eat a Poem: A Smorgasbord of Tasty and Delicious Poems for Young Readers. Here are some poems from the book:



 The First Book by Rita Dove: 


 Open it.
 Go ahead, it won't bite.
 Well....maybe a little. More a nip, like. A tingle.
It's pleasurable, really.
 You see, it keeps on opening.
 You may fall in.
 Sure, it's hard to get started;
 remember learning to use knife and fork? Dig in:
You'll never reach bottom.
 It's not like it's the end of the world-
 just the world as you think you know it.



 Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
 like a colour slide
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem's room
 and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.
 But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
 to find out what it really means.


 How to Eat a Poem by Eve Merriam

 Don't be polite.
 Bite in.
 Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that
    may run down your chin.
 It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.
 You do not need a knife or fork or spoon
 or plate or napkin or tablecloth. 
For there is no core
 or stem
or rind
 or pit
or seed
 or skin
 to throw away.

 Have a joyous weekend. Read some poetry to your kids. Laugh and rhyme together. Let the language flow. Read on in poetry. Blessings.