Welcome to Poetry Friday! I’m happy to be your host today–please leave your links at the end of this post. I’m looking forward to visiting your blogs.
I appreciate being able to spend time outside every day when the world news is so difficult. We’ve had a spectacular fall, but winter was eager to make an early appearance. Our first snow fell on Halloween, and the hound and I ventured out to take a few photos of the seasonal mix-up. That inspired a first-draft poem:
Dance Recital Maple Leaf dons her crimson costume for autumn’s final performance. She waits in the wings while one leaf after another pliés, pirouettes, and leaps--a grand jete´ into the air, spinning, circling, melting to the leafy ground. She is alone on the branch when the audience overflows with the season’s first flakes, applauding her tenacity, swirling, whirling blanketing her with praise. She sways from front to back, side to side then springs up into the wind’s strong arms that carry her as she glides, spirals, dips bows with the others. The audience erupts in cheers. They roar and bury her in appreciation-- a show-stopping performance. --©Buffy Silverman
Although I’m not a fan of rushing the seasons, there’s a reason for me to celebrate the snow flying! I had a new book come out in October: ON A FLAKE-FLYING DAY: Watching Winter’s Wonders. Thanks to Mary Lee Hahn, Marcie Flinchum Atkins, and Sue Heavenrich whose blog posts offer some great ideas for using the book in the classroom. I hope you’ll ask for FLAKE-FLYING DAY at your local library or school. And if you’re looking for a fiction story to pair it with, check out Travis Jonker’s wonderful new book: JUST ONE FLAKE.
Thanks for joining me today! Please leave your links here:
Thank you for hosting, Buffy! I adore your crimson-clad Maple Leaf and her “show-stopping performance.” Our maples were hit with a fungus this summer and our fall colors were very muted, so I appreciate you sharing yours. Congratulations on A Flake-Flying Day. It’s at the top of my Christmas gift list for my grandchildren!
CONGRATS on the new book, Buffy!!
What a beautiful poem, Buffy, and congratulations on your new book. I love your books and can’t wait to add another one to my collection.
Hooray for your beautiful new book!
“They roar and bury her in appreciation–” is a delightful description.
Thanks for hosting!
Buffy, the new book is beautiful! Can’t wait to get my copy. I always love being present for Tahoe’s first snow. I imagine the trees, the leaves, the remaining blooms kibbitzing over the weather like small-town diners. As always, the photos are gorgeous. Thank you for hosting!
I presented your poem paired with Joyce Sidman’s “Pelican” (from Amy LV’s book Poems are Teachers) to teach my students about extended metaphor. They are still working on their poems. Can I email them to you? We also used Taylor Mali’s metaphor dice, and I asked them to write about an ordinary object.
Here is mine:
The future will be an old spell
which is to say
the coffee grounds mean something,
a spell of steam,
scent of autumn spice
as witches’ hats are stored away,
the future finds solace here
as I sip my daily café au lait.
Of course! I’d be honored to read them (and am tickled pink that you shared my maple leaf with your students–who maybe have never seen red maple leaves with snow stuck to them?)
I love the personification in your poem! I’m not a big fan of Halloween snow, either–it sure brought the leaves down around here! Congratulations on your new book–I’m looking forward to reading it.
Beautiful poem, Buffy. Watching leaves twirl and drift in the fall breeze is one of my favorite things. These seasonal books of yours are so lovely! And if teachers want a math tie-in book, they could read Bob Raczka’s POWER OF SNOW (exponential numbers). It’s fun–though my heart belongs to a purely pure enjoyment of a new season, as you celebrate in your books :>) THanks for hosting.
Buffy, a show stopping performance, indeed! I love the poem, and these books are so so marvelous — I’m so glad they exist in the world. I don’t want to rush the seasons either, but dang, could we get some rain around here??! Thank you for hosting. xo
Your poem is a lovely example of extended metaphor, taking the maple leaf through its dance. When I was in New York a few weeks ago, I took two maple leaves. We don’t get these marvelous colors. I want to capture them in an art piece somehow. Ideas? Congrats on the new book. Will they be available at NCTE?
Probably Lerner will have them? At least I hope so!
What a delightful poem and congratulations on the book, Buffy. I am so glad the snow showed up on cue to celebrate your latest publication!
Buffy, This maple leaf recital poem is enchanting! It is one of those poems that will change how I see something – thank you. Your book will be loved by children – there is something so magical about snow and flakes and the blanketing of it all. Congratulations and thank you for hosting! xo, a.
Buffy, thank you for hosting and sharing your new book, “On a Flake-Flying Day.” The cover looks so inviting. Congratulations on adding another seasonal book to your collection. “Dance Recital”
is a delightful clever poem with ballet as its backdrop. These lines are memorable in light of the changing weather. “She is alone on the branch when the audience/overflows with the season’s first flakes.” We had our first frost yesterday and I was not ready. My basil was just as surprised as me. Your action word choices paint such an active flow to the movement in the poem.
PS: If you would like another book review, I would enjoy writing one.
Thanks so much for offering to review! I will email you a pdf of the book.
Buffy, thank you for hosting and sharing your new book, “On a Flake-Flying Day.” The cover looks so inviting. Congratulations on adding another seasonal book to your collection. “Dance Recital”
is a delightful clever poem with ballet as its backdrop. These lines are memorable in light of the changing weather. “She is alone on the branch when the audience/overflows with the season’s first flakes.” We had our first frost yesterday and I was not ready. My basil was just as surprised as me. Your action word choices paint such an active flow to the movement in the poem.
PS: If you would like another book review, I would enjoy writing one.
Your photos and poem collaborate perfectly for that unbe-leaf-able performance. Congrats on your latest book – another must read. Thanks for hosting. 🙂
Hi Buffy, I love your poem/story, the lively, and loving, interaction between the flakes & the leaf plus the photos, wow! I’ve loved your other books and look forward to reading this new one! Thanks for hosting!
Great to hear about your new book! I’ll look for it. I have often thought of weather like a stage performance and you captured it with your poem and photos. You’re not rushing winter. It’s certainly here in Upstate NY!
How lovely that the weather cooperated and gave you a fantastic poem that goes perfectly with your new book! I love that ending!!
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for the lovely poem and pictures. I’m so glad you shared. Congratulations on your newest book.
Congratulations, Buffy! What a perfect way to usher in the season. “Dance Recital” captures all the wonder of transitioning to winter. Great pics, too!
Buffy, congrats on the new book (is it a complete set yet? I think there’s one more…) and thanks for hosting! I loved best your maple ballerina springing into the wind’s strong arms. Hope to see you promoting early-flying flakes at NCTE!
Buffy, congrats on the new book (is it a complete set yet? I think there’s one more…) and thanks for hosting! I loved best your maple ballerina springing into the wind’s strong arms. Hope to see you promoting early-flying flakes at NCTE!
Loe the poem, Buffy – we just saw our first flakes of the season yesterday! And congratulations on the new book, I can’t wait to see it. Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for hosting! And for sharing your poem and a lovely kickoff to the cold season. 🙂 Congrats on the new book!!!
Buffy ~ Congratulations on your new book baby! The personification that strikes me is: “the wind’s strong arms” ~ the image of big brother or a fellow dancer who catches talented Maple Leaf will stay with me.
Thank you for hosting today <3
PS: My post goes live on Friday morning: https://www.teachingauthors.com/2023/11/hope-in-world-out-of-order.html
As you note the early arrival of winter wonders, Buffy, in my part of Southern Australia, we are experiencing soggy spring weather and overcast skies. Spring as we know is having stage fright. You have combined words and images so very smoothly in your post. I love the use of personification in your poem in referencing the Maple Leaf. It works a treat. You celebrate the remarkable tenacity of this leaf. Such things are worthy of our attention. Thank you also for hosting.
Great to see you hosting, Buffy, and happy to see that nature yet again provided you inspiration for a beautiful poem. I don’t have a blog post to contribute but wanted to send my congratulations on your latest book. Nice plug for Travis Jonker’s book, too. With national and worldwide news being especially heavy and personal this week, I’ve been thinking of you. Take good care.
Oh, this is fabulous! I also wrote about crimson leaves today–tis the season, I guess 🙂 Thanks so much for hosting this week and congratulations on your newest book.
Thank you for hosting, Buffy. Congratulations on your release of “On a Flake-Flying Day.” I am excited to get a copy. I am sure that you, like the swirling crimson leaf, will be buried in appreciation!
What a fabulous floating journey this lovely crimson maple leaf takes. And I agree with Jama, your “poem and your new book are both show stoppers,” I’m looking forward to reading your book– many Congrats!!! ❄️
Thanks for hosting the Roundup!
Buffy, your poem is lovely and the new book looks so good. Congratulations! Thanks for hosting, too. 🙂
Buffy – I was thinking of you today; came across my wee Lake Michigan fossils, which I still love! Then I saw you were hosting. Thanks! (I didn’t get a post conjured up, as I’m on the road again, but I left a signpost pointing to your blog.)
CONGRATS again on another amazing book, which kids & teachers are going to adore. How nice of the weather to accommodate your post theme this week! I was right there in the audience with the snow as your star maple leaf made her dramatic dancing leap. Lovely poem and photos. Stay cozy. :0)
LOVE your poem!! It’s perfect!! Snowflakes are the best applause. This poem and your new book are both show stoppers (my review coming in December). 🙂
Thanks so much for hosting this week!!
Thank you, Jama–can’t wait to see Mr. Cornelius enjoying the book!
Buffy! I read your beautiful new book at the AASL conference last month. It is beautiful. You must be so proud. Congrats! I’m hoping you keep writing spring and summer.
So happy to read that FLAKE-FLYING DAY was at AASL!