January Joy

Hello, and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit for our resident beekeeper-poet at Keri Recommends for Roundup.

January has already been a full month for me -- this week our youngest son turned 16 (I am officially off carpool duty! A new chapter has begun...), and I got back in the saddle with my first school visit after a long break. I'm grateful to teacher/librarian-student Bethany Venable at Lake View Elementary who made my visit so smooth and wonderful... and to the students for their curiosity and enthusiasm! Here are a few pics:

writing workshop!
a card signed by all 300 + students who attended the assembly!
Bertha, part of the front office welcoming committee :)
the whole crew, ready to get on with things!
(we had the lights dimmed to better see the powerpoint)
And now a  poem I love, from a book I featured before (and will feature again!): A CHILD'S CALENDAR by John Updike, illus. by Trina Schart Hyman.

January
by John Updike

The days are short,
The sun a spark
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.

Fat snowy footsteps
Track the floor,
and parkas pile up
Near the door.

The river is
A frozen place
Held still beneath
The trees' black lace.

The sky is low.
the wind is gray.
The radiator
Purrs all day.
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Finally, I invite you to read my Spiritual Thursday post which includes an original poem "I Could Say I Believe in the Ocean." Wishing everyone a warm, happy weekend!