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Over the Weather
We forget about the spaciousness
above the clouds
but it’s up there. The sun’s up there too.
When words we hear don’t fit the day,
when we worry
what we did or didn’t do,
what if we close our eyes,
say any word we love
that makes us feel calm,
slip it into the atmosphere
and rise?
Creamy miles of quiet.
Giant swoop of blue.
Copyright© Naomi Shihab Nye. Used by permission of the author.
Writing Prompt
The poem asks, “what if we close our eyes,/say any word we love/that makes us feel calm”? Think of a word that makes you feel calm. Then write a poem or a paragraph explaining why.
This poem was originally published in the March 2022 issue.
Listen to Naomi Shihab Nye read her poem aloud.
Poetry Read Aloud
Listen to Naomi Shihab Nye read her poem aloud.
1. READING THE POEM
2. ANALYZING THE POEM
3. WRITING
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