{"id":741,"date":"2019-12-26T12:22:23","date_gmt":"2019-12-26T20:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nebulous-oyster.flywheelsites.com\/blog\/?p=741"},"modified":"2021-11-29T08:40:26","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T16:40:26","slug":"exchange-poems-instead-of-gifts-during-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jennifermargulis.net\/exchange-poems-instead-of-gifts-during-the-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonsense Poem (or is it?) Your Kids Will Have Fun With"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever thought you could exchange poems instead of gifts? That’s what we do on Hannukah. We exchange poems instead of gifts.<\/p>\n

Reading poetry<\/h3>\n

I have something of a love hate relationship with poetry. I think reading poetry is good for your brain, I love evocative writing, and trying to understand a poem helps slow you down, but I struggle to make time to actually do it.<\/p>\n

When I have time to read for fun, I like fast-paced novels<\/a>, compelling\u00a0memoirs<\/a>, and meaningful nonfiction<\/a>. I have some favorite poets, like Emily Dickinson, ee cummings, and Robert Frost, but I don’t spend a lot of time reading them.<\/p>\n

Except in the winter.<\/p>\n

In our family we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. So on Hanukkah we don’t give gifts. Instead we eat latkes with homemade applesauce and yogurt and we exchange poems instead of gifts.<\/strong> We gather up all our poetry books, bring them to the table, and take turns reading our favorite poems out loud.<\/p>\n

\"On

On each night of Hanukkah we enjoy exchanging poems instead of giving gifts. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.<\/p><\/div>\n

Exchange poems instead of gifts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

My kids<\/a> have memorized many poems over the years, partly because of our holiday tradition of reading poems out loud.<\/p>\n

This poem has generated furrowed brows and interesting conversations in our house.<\/p>\n

See what your children make of it:<\/p>\n

On a dark, dark day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A deaf policeman, who heard the noise, ran and shot the two dead boys.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you don’t believe my story’s true, ask the blind man. He saw it too.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Our family’s favorite books of poems include:<\/p>\n

Talking Like the Rain<\/a>:<\/strong> the illustrations by Jane Dyer are as wonderful and beautiful as the poems themselves.<\/p>\n

Everything On It<\/a><\/strong> by Shel Silverstein: these poems are so much fun, and lend themselves to being read and recited over and over again.<\/p>\n

The Poetry of Robert Frost<\/a>:<\/strong> I got this as a gift for my high school graduation<\/a> from my soccer coach, who has remained a lifelong friend. This is a book I cherish and go back to again and again.<\/p>\n

(Note to parents with children of all ages: a beautiful, hardcover poetry book makes an excellent graduation gift.)<\/p>\n

Related posts<\/span>:
\n<\/strong>13 Parenting Hacks<\/a>
\n11 Perfect Presents for an 11-Year-Old<\/a>
\nI Gave Away 50 Gifts for my 50th Birthday<\/a>
\nThe Power of Haiku<\/a>
\nReading Charles Dickens<\/a><\/p>\n

First published: May 9, 2011
\nUpdated: November 29, 2021<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever thought you could exchange poems instead of gifts? That’s what we do on Hannukah. We exchange poems instead of gifts. Reading poetry I have something of a love hate relationship with poetry. I think reading poetry is good for your brain, I love evocative writing, and trying to understand a poem helps […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[8275,764,8162],"tags":[141,142,143],"yoast_head":"\nExchange Poems Instead of Gifts? Make Poetry a Family Tradition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A nonsense poem I think you'll have fun with! 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