.
Greetings from NCTE in Anaheim! I wrote this poem in our session this morning (our being Margaret Simon, Laura Shovan, and me), using as my mentor text Margaret’s I Am poem form which is featured in the lead poem of her book, BAYOU SONG.
Jama has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup at Jama’s Alphabet Soup. Happy Thanksgiving!
A(nother) Year of Reading 
Oh the memories that those letters, NCTE, spark. Wish I was with you, girls!
Also, I am a Pacific Palm.😹
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, you are indeed a Pacific Palm — tall, grand, proud, and throwing no shade! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
HA!
LikeLike
You were my Pacific palm today sheltering me with calm. Thanks for being there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for shining on us, even your shadeless part of the palm Mary Lee. I can feel the warmth all the way here in our Burrr cold midwest. Enjoy the conference, thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re in my hometown – I grew up in Anaheim!
You’re definitely in the perfect place to ‘Keep Palm and Carry On’. (except the traffic 😉 )
Hello to Margaret and Laura – you are surrounded by goodness. Enjoy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have a wonderful time at NCTE! Wish I could be there with all of you and the Pacific Palms, but I’m definitely there in spirit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! A lovely reminder that we all have our own gifts (and needn’t be everything to everyone). A palm is a palm, and that is exactly right. Thank you! xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes!
LikeLike
Have a marvelous time, Mary Lee, being you, describing the palms right there where you must be having a super time. I imagine your session with Margaret & Laura was amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We had SO much fun, and a good crowd for Thursday morning!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like how proud and assertive the Pacific Palm is. It is what it is. Enjoy your time at NCTE!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m obsessed with them. They are amazing. Magical.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing this poem Mary Lee! I’m a special fan of the line “textured trunk” — 3 ts, 2 words– a delightful sound and a recall to my fondness for the intricacies of tree bark. 🙂 Happy Poetry Friday!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful session that must have been. I love this poem and how fun and accessible for young people it is. I can’t wait to hear how NCTE was! I’m waving at your waving from here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your poem with its defined structure and use of repetition is visually arresting Mary Lee. Clearly prompted by your surrounds, it is a fine example of poetry of place. Your attendance at the NCTE Conference brings back memories of my time in the US and presenting in Pittsburgh. Enjoy your time in such a stimulating setting.
LikeLike
Oh, have a great time at NCTE!
LikeLike
How I wish I had been there! Glad to hear you got a good crowd–fresh on Thursday morning, right? Excited? If you have slides to share I’d love to see them, and your obsession with the palms is adorable.
LikeLike
“Forgivably shadeless” — oh, how well she knows her own appeal! 🙂 Loved this.
LikeLike
aren’t our palms lovely 🙂
“forgivably shadeless” – makes me laugh because it perfectly captures both the trees AND — perhaps the LA vibe??
…so jealous of time to be at ncte and seeing so many author/poet friends! Enjoy!
LikeLike
Oh I’m so sad I didn’t get to go to NCTE this year. Maybe next year!
I love those palms. “Forgivably shadeless.” Yes!
LikeLike