As Billy Collins says, "poetry is the history of the human heart." None of the poems I wrote early every morning this month is perfect. All are practice, which helps me find my voice every day. #AmWriting #WriteforYourLife #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #NationalPoetryMonth
THREAD: It's April! Which means #NationalPoetryMonth. This year is less about volume & more about mining notebooks to write "micro" pieces. I’m prioritizing wellness and discovery over a polished product with short, sustainable daily poems. #AmWriting #PoetryasPractice #WriteforYourLife
April 30, 2026 at 10:17 AM
As Billy Collins says, "poetry is the history of the human heart." None of the poems I wrote early every morning this month is perfect. All are practice, which helps me find my voice every day. #AmWriting #WriteforYourLife #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #NationalPoetryMonth
Last #ThesisoftheWeek for November is inspired by "It Matters," by Laura Foley, which pays homage to Mary Oliver. Use it if you'd like, and share it if you'd like! #PoetryasPractice #FormativeAssessment #2ndaryELA #WriteBesideThem #PracticeMakesProgress
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...
November 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Last #ThesisoftheWeek for November is inspired by "It Matters," by Laura Foley, which pays homage to Mary Oliver. Use it if you'd like, and share it if you'd like! #PoetryasPractice #FormativeAssessment #2ndaryELA #WriteBesideThem #PracticeMakesProgress
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...
Day 8: Another poem written beside "Ode" by Zoe Higgins, but this one is from the P-O-V of a book that hasn't been read. #AmWriting #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryasPractice #PointofView #Poetry #Perspective #Personification #MentorTexts #WriteBesideThem
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
April 8: A Note From the Novel Not Yet Started
You used to read everything, no bookmark left mid chapter. You'd sort through titles missing not one minute to set eyes on words. ...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 8, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Day 8: Another poem written beside "Ode" by Zoe Higgins, but this one is from the P-O-V of a book that hasn't been read. #AmWriting #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryasPractice #PointofView #Poetry #Perspective #Personification #MentorTexts #WriteBesideThem
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
Day 10: I love how poetry can take me through time in a matter of lines, to remind me that every day we are all reshaped into our next selves! #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryasPractice #PointofView #NWP #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting #Poetry
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
April 10: Thanksgiving 2025
Each of you began first as a flutter, a blurry grain of rice, a beating heart, taking up at most a half inch onscreen. Now, how many more ...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 11, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Day 10: I love how poetry can take me through time in a matter of lines, to remind me that every day we are all reshaped into our next selves! #NationalPoetryMonth #PoetryasPractice #PointofView #NWP #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting #Poetry
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
Day 15: This was written beside "Water" by Rudy Francisco. It reminds me of Flannery O'Connor's statement: “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” #PoetryasPractice #NationalPoetryMonth #WriteforYourLife #WriteBesideThem poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
April 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Day 15: This was written beside "Water" by Rudy Francisco. It reminds me of Flannery O'Connor's statement: “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” #PoetryasPractice #NationalPoetryMonth #WriteforYourLife #WriteBesideThem poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
Only three days remaining in #NationalPoetryMonth and here is my 28th poem of 2025, written beside “A Drink of Water” by Jeffrey Harrison. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 28: A Ribbed Tank Top
When my eighteen year-old son steps into the kitchen in a tight ribbed tank top and reaches into the pantry I think of my grandfather more...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 28, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Only three days remaining in #NationalPoetryMonth and here is my 28th poem of 2025, written beside “A Drink of Water” by Jeffrey Harrison. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Day 11: Today's poem was written beside Naomi Shihab Nye's "Red Brocade." It reminds me that sometimes it takes years to see the results of your parental efforts 🥰 #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #MentorTexts #NationalPoetryMonth #Poetry #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
April 11: Hospitality
My grandmother used to say Don't go empty-handed… I never heard her speak the words, words I've inherited from her daughter, my mother, ...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 11, 2026 at 11:58 AM
Day 11: Today's poem was written beside Naomi Shihab Nye's "Red Brocade." It reminds me that sometimes it takes years to see the results of your parental efforts 🥰 #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #MentorTexts #NationalPoetryMonth #Poetry #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
Happy Sweet Day 16 of #NationalPoetryMonth! Today's poem, "Living Will" is #Ecopoetry & TBH didn't realize it at first. But that's what working with @katebaker.bsky.social can do for a gal! #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #AmWriting #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Happy Sweet Day 16 of #NationalPoetryMonth! Today's poem, "Living Will" is #Ecopoetry & TBH didn't realize it at first. But that's what working with @katebaker.bsky.social can do for a gal! #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #AmWriting #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Halfway through #NationalPoetryMonth today! I wrote today's poem "thanksgiving and rains finally come" after returning home from #CEL24 in Boston. It's a tiny homage to E.E. Cummings #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 15: thanksgiving and rains finally come
thanksgiving and rains finally come out of the thatch float browned patches muddy bald spots a splotchy patchwork so much waiting for th...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 15, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Halfway through #NationalPoetryMonth today! I wrote today's poem "thanksgiving and rains finally come" after returning home from #CEL24 in Boston. It's a tiny homage to E.E. Cummings #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Finally got around to "When I'm 84: The World Still Needs Ringo Starr" by Mark Leibovich. Collected mentor excerpts to write beside. Great #MentorText for biography writing and for music lovers! #MentorTexts #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #MovingWriters docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Mentor Sentences from "When I'm 84" by Mark Leibovich
Original article Mentor Sentence Craft moves: What does the author DO? Try it: Why? He is among the most scrutinized, fetishized, analyzed, and catechized people in history. List of -ed verbals to...
docs.google.com
May 3, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Finally got around to "When I'm 84: The World Still Needs Ringo Starr" by Mark Leibovich. Collected mentor excerpts to write beside. Great #MentorText for biography writing and for music lovers! #MentorTexts #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #MovingWriters docs.google.com/document/d/1...
I've made it to the end of #NationalPoetryMonth & met the goal of writing a poem each day in April. It meant making dedicated time VERY early in the AM to do this, but it was worth it! 🥳 🎉 #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #AmWriting #WriteForYourLife #edusky
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/
Poetry as Practice
To challenge myself as a writer, I compose and write one poem a day every year during National Poetry Month.
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 30, 2025 at 9:32 AM
I've made it to the end of #NationalPoetryMonth & met the goal of writing a poem each day in April. It meant making dedicated time VERY early in the AM to do this, but it was worth it! 🥳 🎉 #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #AmWriting #WriteForYourLife #edusky
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/
Day 9 of #NationalPoetryMonth is looking fine! Sun forecasted today amidst all these April Showers. Today's poem, "Girl on the Hillside" was mined from a #WritersNotebook entry! #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 9, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Day 9 of #NationalPoetryMonth is looking fine! Sun forecasted today amidst all these April Showers. Today's poem, "Girl on the Hillside" was mined from a #WritersNotebook entry! #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
One third of the way through #NationalPoetryMonth today and my 10th poem is a sonnet. Maybe not purely speaking. But it's 14 lines. And more Petrarchan perhaps than Shakespearean. But: poem! #WriteBesideThem #AmWriting #PoetryasPractice #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 10, 2025 at 9:56 AM
One third of the way through #NationalPoetryMonth today and my 10th poem is a sonnet. Maybe not purely speaking. But it's 14 lines. And more Petrarchan perhaps than Shakespearean. But: poem! #WriteBesideThem #AmWriting #PoetryasPractice #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Here's a small set of mentor sentences from a recent article I read. Writing beside well crafted sentences strengthens my practice and gives me ideas for what to write about in the future. #MentorTexts #EduSky #CraftMoves #WritingCraft #WriteBesideThem docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Mentor Sentences from "The World" by Sophie Gilbert
Mentor Sentences Craft moves: What does the author DO? Try it: Why? Just as Anderson was making futile attempts to protect her own image, an unknown college student was becoming the first woman to...
docs.google.com
May 10, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Here's a small set of mentor sentences from a recent article I read. Writing beside well crafted sentences strengthens my practice and gives me ideas for what to write about in the future. #MentorTexts #EduSky #CraftMoves #WritingCraft #WriteBesideThem docs.google.com/document/d/1...
April 27th! How is #NationalPoetryMonth almost over? Today's poem is dedicated to my voice teacher from Old Town School of Music in Chicago. She is still going strong all these years later! #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 27: She Taught Me To Sing
She taught me to sing, showed me first to breathe deep from the toes, to expand capacity… So much shame abiding, I never held my voice...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 27, 2025 at 10:52 AM
April 27th! How is #NationalPoetryMonth almost over? Today's poem is dedicated to my voice teacher from Old Town School of Music in Chicago. She is still going strong all these years later! #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Day 22: Today's poem was written beside “Locust” by #JuliaAlvarez & a reminder: It's never too late to be patient w/ ourselves & try something again or for the 1st time ever! #PoetryasPractice #NationalPoetryMonth #AmWriting #MentorTexts #WriteBesideThem
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
April 22: Poems
Poetry returned in menopause reunited white space expanse of words awaiting kinder reception of a brain besotted… I’d built success o...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 22, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Day 22: Today's poem was written beside “Locust” by #JuliaAlvarez & a reminder: It's never too late to be patient w/ ourselves & try something again or for the 1st time ever! #PoetryasPractice #NationalPoetryMonth #AmWriting #MentorTexts #WriteBesideThem
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
Day 19: One of two poems I wrote beside “Ribollita” by Donna Hilbert. Reminds me that #MentorTexts function in a plethora of ways. This one helped me to zoom in, then out on a simple act. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #NationalPoetryMonth #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
April 19: Partner
I praise the way you make the bed left to air too long, thwack of blanket hitting air— smack of pillows too deflated ever for show, bu...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 19, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Day 19: One of two poems I wrote beside “Ribollita” by Donna Hilbert. Reminds me that #MentorTexts function in a plethora of ways. This one helped me to zoom in, then out on a simple act. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #NationalPoetryMonth #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/apri...
We have arrived at the final day of #NationalPoetryMonth here is poem 30, written beside “In Memoriam” by Leo Dangel. ✍ 📓 📜 📝 💻 💕 #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #AmWriting #WriteForYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 30: Folded
When I arrived home on school days, Mom was doing laundry. I’d peer down the cellar steps to greet her, I guess, and she’d call back. I w...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 30, 2025 at 9:28 AM
We have arrived at the final day of #NationalPoetryMonth here is poem 30, written beside “In Memoriam” by Leo Dangel. ✍ 📓 📜 📝 💻 💕 #WriteBesideThem #PoetryasPractice #AmWriting #WriteForYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
2nd to last day of #NationalPoetryMonth & I don't want it to end! Wait a sec... it doesn't have to! Today's poem memorializes a small something in my maternal memory to treasure in my heart #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 29: Diagnosis
Snow and ice were imminent, so when he complained of pain, named the discomfort in words, and after failed phone calls, we just went, ...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 29, 2025 at 8:46 AM
2nd to last day of #NationalPoetryMonth & I don't want it to end! Wait a sec... it doesn't have to! Today's poem memorializes a small something in my maternal memory to treasure in my heart #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Day 26 of #NationalPoetryMonth & this was written beside “Taking a Walk Before My Son’s 18th Birthday” by Mary Elder Jacobsen. Made edits to it just now. Poetry revision = agency. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 26: On a Riverside Walk
On a riverside walk, I spied a muddy slab of ice, glistening wet, melting a bit for the sun, wandered there on that path and made a wish ...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 26, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Day 26 of #NationalPoetryMonth & this was written beside “Taking a Walk Before My Son’s 18th Birthday” by Mary Elder Jacobsen. Made edits to it just now. Poetry revision = agency. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Poem 25 of #NationalPoetryMonth was drafted beside Kooser's "Those Summer Evenings," but started w/ a quick write I did in 2021 in a summer writing group led by @heatherrocco.bsky.social #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 25: Slippers
My father would, on Saturday mornings, go purposely on errands in his slippers, which covered his feet entirely, so you’d be likely to mi...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 25, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Poem 25 of #NationalPoetryMonth was drafted beside Kooser's "Those Summer Evenings," but started w/ a quick write I did in 2021 in a summer writing group led by @heatherrocco.bsky.social #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
Day 24 of #NationalPoetryMonth and I’m rounding the home stretch! This one was written beside “Those Summer Evenings” by Ted Kooser. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 24: Soda Bread
my mother would in mid-March when gray hinted at fading take out a ceramic bowl measure flour sugar salt and soda flat in the measuri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 24, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Day 24 of #NationalPoetryMonth and I’m rounding the home stretch! This one was written beside “Those Summer Evenings” by Ted Kooser. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
23 days of #NationalPoetryMonth! Today's poem is about one of the pets I had as a child. It's modeled after "Lily" by Ron Koertge. Short and bittersweet: poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/day-... #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
April 23: Lady
She kept hopping the fence, running off to Asha and Ramesh five houses down the road. It’s true: she loved them more. They were a childl...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 23, 2025 at 9:32 AM
23 days of #NationalPoetryMonth! Today's poem is about one of the pets I had as a child. It's modeled after "Lily" by Ron Koertge. Short and bittersweet: poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/day-... #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife #AmWriting
Day 22 of #NationalPoetryMonth & today's poem, "It Can Happen Like That" was written beside & gets its first line from “Everyday Grace” by Stella Nesanovich. Both open in the supermarket. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #AmWriting #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 22: It Can Happen Like That
It can happen like that standing in a grocery line noticing the book nested next to the register for the checker to read between cust...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 22, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Day 22 of #NationalPoetryMonth & today's poem, "It Can Happen Like That" was written beside & gets its first line from “Everyday Grace” by Stella Nesanovich. Both open in the supermarket. #PoetryasPractice #WriteBesideThem #AmWriting #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
3 weeks into #NationalPoetryMonth & today's #PoetryasPractice is about my worst Valentine's Day 🤣 drafted beside "After You Get Up Early on Memorial Day" by Susanna Lang. Holiday memories can prompt poems! #AmWriting #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...
April 21: For What It's Worth
Well, for what it’s worth, he said on the phone Happy Valentine’s Day. I wanted to say then but didn’t: It’s not worth much, and neither is ...
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com
April 21, 2025 at 10:04 AM
3 weeks into #NationalPoetryMonth & today's #PoetryasPractice is about my worst Valentine's Day 🤣 drafted beside "After You Get Up Early on Memorial Day" by Susanna Lang. Holiday memories can prompt poems! #AmWriting #WriteBesideThem #WriteforYourLife poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/04/apri...