Slow, but Busy Week

The kids at school are preparing for exams. In poetry class, they all finished their Shakespeare Monkey submissions on conflict. Now they are revising their aquarium themed poems for Fuselit. I also submitted to both magazines-no word yet on either submission. I've been polishing my poem "Almost Saved by Gutsmuth's Bell". The whole burying a person while he or she is still alive rather creeps me out a bit. I ordered John Amen's new book and just received Thirst(by Mary Oliver) in the mail today. One rejection,Southern Humanities, came this week. Have you written poetry today?

Teaching Poetry

Teaching poetry to high school students, including my daughter, can be quite the challenge. Everyone wants to capitalize the first letter of the first word of each sentence. I always have a few ee. cummings and the rhyming can be atrocious. However, when the children's work is accepted for publication--all is well. Six kiddies will have poetry in Western North Carolina Woman magazine. The editors, Julie and Sandi, are absolute saints. The day after the letters of acceptance were sent--all the kiddies were hammering away on their key boards like woodpeckers on an oak tree. The school has agreed to a Poetry II class next year--I just pray that enough children sign up for the class... Any teachers out there with ideas for the students????If so, let me know