Here in New Hampshire, the Poetry Out Loud State Finals are scheduled for March 15 at the State House in Concord, NH - and am both very excited and just slightly disappointed.
I'm excited because the daughter of a fellow kidlit creator friend of mine won her area state semi-finals and will be competing in the state finals for the second time in two years! (that's right, she won last year's state finals and is now competing in them again!)
Why am I disappointed? Well, simply because I can't be a performance judge at the state finals like I'd been planning, because organizers would not want there to be any impression of impropriety. Last year, I didn't realize she was competing until I arrived at the state house, so I recused myself from voting for her - and she STILL won!
So I'll be cheering from the sidelines this year, and hopefully will be back in the judge's seat in 2025. If you'd like to learn more about Poetry Out Loud, check out my post from a couple of weeks ago.
So for today I wanted to share a powerful poem from Dilruba Ahmed that is one of the many poems students can choose to recite. Ahmed, an American of Bangladeshi descent, has an incredibly insightful way of looking at life's struggles, and although her subject material and connections can be deep, her words are very accessible. Here's one that is particularly arresting:
.
Apella
This morning, a light
so full, so complete
we might ask why
the god of sun
is also god of plague,
why the god of healing
also god of archery.
The children under trees—
unaware their hearts
have become targets
red and inflamed...
.
- ©2019 Dilruba Ahmed, all rights reserved. Read the complete poem HERE
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For even more poetry, head over to Laura Purdie Salas' little home on the web, where she is hosting today's complete Poetry Friday roundup with a spotlight on her first picture book of 2024, Oskar's Voyage!
~~ SCHOOL VISITS still available! ~~
I'm booking author visits for the 2024 spring semester and still have a few dates available. If you think your school might be interested in having me visit, check out all the presentations I offer, then email me at Matt (at) MattForrest (dot) com!
I love chatting with elementary and middle school classes about writing: why poetry is fun to read and write, the importance of revision, and how imagination and creativity can lead to fantastic careers! My presentations are tailored to fit the needs of the classes and students' ages. One day I might be sharing details of how a picture book like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) was created; the next, I'll be discussing dinosaur breath or crafting origami sea turtles!
Student presentations include:
- The Making of a Picture Book
- How a Child Saved a Book
- "Once Upon Another Time"
- The Most Imporant Thing about Writing Poetry
- "I Am Today"
- "A Beginner's Guide to Being Human"
- "Everybody Counts: Counting to 10 in Twelve Languages"
Adult presentations include:
- The Making of a Picture Book
- The Most Important Thing about Writing Poetry
- Free Yourself with Free Verse
- Tight Language, Loose Narratives: Crafting a Non-Traditional Picture Book
Learn more at MattForrest.com!
If you or someone you know might be interested in having me visit your school, library, or other organization, please email me
at matt(at)mattforrest(dot)com!
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Order a PERSONALLY-SIGNED copy of this or or ANY of my books
from my local independent bookstore!
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I'm now on BOOKSHOP!
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Ordering personalized signed copies online? Oh, yes, you can!
You can purchase personally-signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Astra Young Readers, 2017), Don't Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly EVERY book or anthology I've been part of!
Click here to view all my books and to order!
Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send a comment to the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH requesting my signature and to whom I should make it out. (alternatively, you can log onto my website and do the same thing) They'll contact me, I'll stop by and sign it, and then they'll ship it! (Plus, you'll be supporting your local bookseller – and won't that make you feel good?)
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Thank you to everyone for your support!
FLASHLIGHT NIGHT:
DON'T ASK A DINOSAUR:
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