There is only one page left to write on. I will fill it with words of only one syllable. I love. I have loved. I will love.
~Audrey Niffenegger
The Dove
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Out of the sunshine and out of the heat,
Out of the dust of the grimy street,
A song fluttered down in the form of a dove,
And it bore me a message, the one word—Love!
Ah, I was toiling, and oh, I was sad:
I had forgotten the way to be glad.
Now, smiles for my sadness and for my toil, rest
Since the dove fluttered down to its home in my breast!
*******
Have you heard about having a Poetry Escape Room? Sounds like something students would really enjoy! Here are more escape room ideas.
Mainely Write has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Donna!
Love both the quote and the poem, Tabatha. Thanks for the link, too. An escape room sounds wonderful. :)
ReplyDeleteHow softly and gently those words flutter down, from The Dove.
ReplyDeleteLovely. And - that is innovative, a poetry escape room! This teacher must be a favorite. (I'm too claustrophobic to want to try the whole Escape Room thing, but kudos for creativity!)
ReplyDelete"I had forgotten the way to be glad." It's a lovely poem, small thing, important, too. I'll have to return to check on those 'escape' rooms-intriguing! Thanks, Tabatha!
ReplyDeleteThanks, all! Robyn, I'm not sure you are too claustrophobic, just because the only time I've ever done one was in my kitchen! And the ones I'm talking about would be done in a regular classroom. They are puzzle-solving games, rather than actually being trapped anywhere.
ReplyDeleteAh, well, I could handle that then! Especially if I lived close enough to do one in YOUR kitchen! ;0)
ReplyDeletePS - Today's Poem-a-Day from poets.org is "Beyond the Years" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. :0)
ReplyDeleteI love it all--quote, photo, poem. And the escape room looks like a blast!
ReplyDeleteThe photo is the perfect accompaniment to Dunbar's poem, which is lovely. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe world would be a better place if more people had songs like that fluttering down into their breasts.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Dunbar doesn't use the word "peace" in this poem, I feel it implied here -- settling into the speaker's heart and mind.
ReplyDelete"The Dove" is gorgeous Tabatha–what a grand poem to read in February, for love, for getting through whatever, and for "remembering to be glad," Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have so many of Audrey Niffeneger's novels - but I have yet to read any of them. I do know her The Night Bookmobile - did you know about that? It's a graphic novel that she illustrated herself - blogged about it here:
ReplyDeletehttps://gatheringbooks.org/2013/04/03/the-night-bookmobile-by-audrey-niffenegger/ - pretty creepy stuff. Nothing like the declaration of LOVELOVELOVE in this beautiful post. :)
Such a wistful poem, Tabatha. I am so intrigued by the idea of a poetry escape room - definitely plotting one for March, our dreariest and most hard to get through school month. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThere's something so comforting about that last line—a release and relief, a peaceful sigh.
ReplyDeleteSo much depends on the white dove arriving just where it should. An escape room sounds like a sanctuary. Are you escaping from or to? Is there a bit of divine in being alone? Perhaps that's the divine in us all.
ReplyDelete<3
ReplyDeleteI would have to make that poetry escape room more than what they describe! I want a little place to go...then do the work there maybe. But it sounds more intriguing than it is! I used to bring sheets from home and put them on the student tables to make reading tents some days. I guess that's what I was picturing!
ReplyDeleteLove this poem.
We've actually done an escape room style program at the library, but never with a poetry theme - what a fun way to help students look at poetry with fresh new eyes!
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