Happy National Poetry Month, everyone! To kick off this month-long celebration of poets and poetry, I used Bob Raczka’s contribution to The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations, “Some Reasons To Write A Poem” as a model, and came up with my own list of reasons to write a poem.
More Reasons to Write a Poem
Because a dew-laden branch looks like
a string of diamonds in the morning sun
Because mixing soap and water creates
iridescent bubbles
Because the ice is gone and swans have
returned to the river
Because the fluffy orange cat curled up
next to you is purring
Because the moon is hanging in the afternoon sky
like a gauzy cotton ball
Because you surprised your mother with
a bouquet of yellow roses
and she smiled.
© Catherine Flynn, 2015
![Les Roses jaunes, Pierre Laprade, 1920 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://readingtothecore.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/pierre_laprade_-_les_roses_jaunes.jpg)
Looking for resources and ways to celebrate National Poetry Month? Head over to Jama’s Alphabet Soup, where Jama Rattigan has collected a treasure-trove of helpful links.
Reading to the Core 
LOVE your poem–especially the yellow roses couplet because it celebrates surprise gifts!
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Love that you see swans on your river, Catherine. This is beautiful. Glad you are writing for poetry month.
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This is beautiful! Such a perfect stringing of perfect moments! I want the CELEBRATIONS book!
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So many small moments to celebrate in your poem!
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Catherine, I love this poem so much. I will use it as a mentor text for my students. The specificity and imagery is delightful.
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[…] am going to be vulnerable with you guys today in honor of National Poetry Month. I was reading More Reasons to Write a Poem and was inspired to share a poem I wrote a few years ago, probably the only poem I have written […]
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This is lovely!
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I love your version of this poem! I read Bob Raczka’s poem today to the third graders I was subbing for. They enjoyed it very much. I love your orange purring cat and all of this poem. I hope I can share yours with them after the vacation.
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Catherine, I’m so excited about your poem. This month, I’m trying out list poems during my third grade poetry residency. I know the students will love this one.
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[…] writing critique partner and blogging friend, Catherine Flynn, wrote her own version of Some Reasons to Write a Poem by Bob Raczka from the newly released Poetry […]
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This is lovely Catherine. (I just came over from Margaret’s blog after viewing her video inspired by your poem.) I have to try one of these.
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[…] was inspired to create my own poem after reading Catherine & Margaret‘s blog poems (inspired by Bob Raczka‘s “Some Reasons to Write a […]
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[…] here that is personal to her mothering a four-year-old girl. Catherine Flynn’s version is here. My digital version […]
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So glad I clicked over here, Catherine. I’m printing out this poem to inspire me daily!
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