Gift Tag: Poems for the Holidays

It’s the season in which we think of gifts and try to remember that some can be light enough to slip in a pocket, pure pleasure to track down and pass along. Gift Tag is a digital collection brought together in such a spirit, compiled by Sylvia Vardell, who keeps track of just about everything you need to know about poetry for children and teens (click on her link if you don’t  believe me), and poet Janet Wong (have I ever worked with an editor who’s made me laugh so much? No.)

We were asked to write very short poems, suitable for appearing on small screens, perhaps for people with short amounts of time to read. The poems were based on photographs taken by Sylvia which appear in the collection before the poem. My favorite holiday rituals include making wreaths and baking cookies, so I chose this picture:

And I wrote this poem:

Surprise!

Sift sugar.

Squish butter.

Stir batter.

Shape spheres.

Sprinkle cinnamon.

Set dough on sheets

to swell in the oven.

Smell goodness.

Share sweetness.

We hope readers will be inspired to write their own poems, and teachers will organize similiar games of poetry tag. You can click on this link to learn more about the collection with wonderful short work by Jen Bryant, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Margarita Engle, Douglas Florian, Helen Frost, Joan Bransfield Graham, Lorie Ann Grover, Avis Harley, David L. Harrison, Sara Holbrook, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Bobbi Katz, Julie Larios, J. Patrick Lewis, Pat Mora, Ann Whitford Paul, Laura Purdie Salas, Michael Salinger, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Charles Waters, April Halprin Wayland, Carole Boston Weatherford, Robert Weinstock, Steven Withrow, Allan Wolf, Janet Wong and Jane Yolen. Maybe it will be a gift to yourself.

For more Poetry Friday links, please visit Carol’s Corner.