#SOL
Everyone has a story. ~ Neil Labute
Every day during the month of April, my ELA class begins with a poem prompt – a mentor poem. After we read the poem aloud a few times, the students take turns “noticing” things about the poem – its form, rhyming or not, topic, word choice etc. As the month goes on the “noticing” really induces great discussion about author’s craft.
The students then try their hands at writing in the form of that poem. Sometimes they work in pairs, sometimes alone. They usually have a choice. I always write with them and sometimes share my “best” lines with the class.
This poem was inspired by “Every Cat Has a Story” by Shihab Nye.
Every Pen Has a Story.
The blue one from Beneficial Bank
was her favorite.
It wrote in blue ink
She always used it
to write in her writer’s notebook.
The green one from Lansdale Catholic
was only used at faculty meetings.
It wrote in black ink and had a syllus tip too.
It seemed important.
One pen sat
at the bottom of her schoolbag.
One pen sat on her desk
waiting to get the chance
to correct papers.
One pen wrote
in gel ink.
One pen was all dried up.
Rita DiCarne 
I used to think every pen was just a pen. Not so! I have my favorites and recently have taken to hiding my classroom favorites because I was finding them in my students’ supplies. Obviously, they are too young to appreciate the certain feel and glide of the perfect writing utensil…or maybe not. Loved the poem!
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One pen was all dried up! I feel like that a lot. I remember a favorite pen I used to write with in my journal when I was in high school. I developed a kind of code that I can no longer even read! But I still like the way the words look on the page, written in just the right shade of blue. It was a Parker Pen. Remember those?
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