Cats Playing Patty-cake, what they were saying...

Gemma's blog has some great things to check out...you must look for the baby hummingbird! But here is one of the videos she found and it goes with a very old poem you might know:

Here is the old and traditional rhyme that goes with this video! :)
The earliest recorded version of the rhyme appears in a play from 1698!!!
(How many years AFTER Medieval Times was that...? Anyone?)

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Pat it and prick it and mark it with B,

Put it in the oven for baby and me.

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Roll it up, roll it up;

And throw it in a pan!

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.

Maybe you could post a "nursery rhyme" that you know....is it poetry?

Let's Vote for our Favourite Poem!

Since we are starting a new year, it might be a good time for us to look back at our blog so far and to vote for our favourite poem...After reading some of your comments and ideas, I feel I must remind you that I HAVE NOT WRITTEN ANY OF THESE POEMS! I only found them ( in books or online) and thought they were interesting, so I wanted to SHARE them with you. You certainly do not need to like every single poem, but I am really interested to hear your ideas and what you think. Sooooo....

1. I would like you to look at the list of all the poems we have read so far (in the blue column to the right of your screen) and
2. vote forThe Best Poem (so far) and tell me WHY and
3. vote for your Least Favourite Poem, and tell me WHY.

Everyone needs to vote....Thanks! I am looking forward to hearing your ideas :)

Happy New Year!

...and Welcome Back! Hope you had a fabulous holiday! Here are two great poems and one "musical" entry for the New Year 2011...The first is only part of a poem by one of our favourite poets, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who wrote The Eagle (such a great poem, don't you think?). The second is an uncomplicated poem, that I happened to stumble across. It was published as a "haiku", but in English, the syllables don't cut it as a haiku...(5-7-5). Puzzling, but maybe it works out in Japanese?The thrid entry is a **link to a little video made by somebody not much older than you are. It is a "Soundscape" (we'll be talking about this in music....). Is this music? art? poetry? What are your thoughts about these first 3 entries of the new year?

By the way, I saw a total of  THREE gorgeous hawks over the holidays, right by my house and on the same day -- this made me think of Tennyson and The Eagle. It was a rather magical experience, as one does not often see these specatacular (and HUGE) birds of prey so close to the city. Anyway, a special thanks to those hawks for choosing a tree by me to perch on...and also for reminding me to post these 3 little gems on our blog! Best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Year!

In Memorium
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Poem for the New Year
by Kobayashi Issa

New Year's Day --
everything is in blossom!
I feel about average.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm9AonuPivQ   (If you have any trouble using this link directly, try copying it into the top bar on your screen...it is on Youtube.)