Our librarian has been culling our collections and leaving a box of books for us to look through before these withdrawn books are…(I’m not sure what, maybe sent to the Island of Withdrawn Books?) Of course I peruse the box each day, hoping to find a treasure or two. So you can imagine how happy I was to find this the other day:
I’ve always loved Fisher’s poetry. Her keen observations and sense of humor make her work timeless. This spring, we have wrens nesting in the roof overhang of our new porch. They are dedicated parents, making countless trips back and forth from the nest to the nearby bushes for insects. As usual, Fisher gets their behavior exactly right in this sweet poem.
“The Wrens”
by Aileen Fisher
The wrens who rent our birdhouse
come back before it’s May.
They hang their hats inside the door
and settle down to stay.
We never have to send a bill,
so punctual are they…
They start each morning loud and clear,
to sing the rent away.
On another note, I am thrilled to share that two of my poems appear in The Quickwrite Handbook, Linda Rief’s new book full of mentor texts to “jumpstart…student’s writing and thinking.” Both poems first appeared here and here. Thank you, Linda, for including my work in your book!
Please be sure to visit Carol at Carol’s Corner for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
Reading to the Core 
What a joyous poem! We have a new bird here this season – who has a verse novel named after him, of all things! I’m loving having the spangled drongo in residence. He’s a cheerful chatterer – though I don’t know that he ‘sings’ as such. 🙂 And congratulations on your two published poems!
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My brother often talks about his wrens who return each year. What a wonderful poem and ‘find’ for you, Catherine. Thinking of singing the rent away is so wonderful! And your poems published are wonderful, too, love that “Sometimes snow. . .” Laura Purdie Salas wrote about snow today too, a respite for the heat!
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Congratulations, Catherine, to be a part of Linda Reif’s new book! We have wrens at the farm, who build their nests in the same places every year – love w-renters like that (sorry could not resist!).
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This poem reminded me of watching wrens nesting at my parents’ house last year. I wrote a poem about them in this post: https://reflectionsontheteche.com/2017/06/23/poetry-friday-carolina-wren/
Congratulations for being featured in Linda Reif’s new book. I can’t wait to get a copy!
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What a lovely find! Thanks for sharing it. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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Catherine, many congratulations to you on having both your poems included in Linda Rief’s new book. How exciting that your poems are so rich and based on mentor texts. I went back into Winter Whisperings to see how you designed your poem for the gallery and see that it came out quite lovely http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2015/04/winter-whisperings-unveiled.html. I am delighted to share in your joyful news.
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A lot to celebrate this week! Congratulations, first, on having your poems published in Linda’s book! I will definitely be buying a copy in the not too distant future! And then on finding this lovely poem in a culled book box! I can never pass by one of those boxes!
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Congratulations on your poems finding another home in Linda Reif’s book. That poem about the wrens is just perfect. We had a nest of birds (affectionately known as little brown birds since I’m not sure exactly what kind) move onto the wreath on our door and robins settle into the fern hanging on the front porch. I’ve enjoyed watching them and writing about them.
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Congratulations on your excellent find (I snagged a copy of HEY HOW FOR HALLOWEEN recently in the same way), and especially for your featured poems in Linda’s book! I love love love “Answer to the *uestion”–one of your best, surely! Especially charmed by the line about flames licking at the teepee of logs…
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Congrats on having two of your poems published in “The Quickwrite Handbook” Catherine! I loved the dancing movement you created in your poem “sit by a crackling fire.” What a treasure you found in this discarded book, thanks for sharing it with us!
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What a find, Catherine! I love that the wrens pay their rent in song. Congrats on your poems finding a new home in Linda’s book. Such great news!
PS–I want to go the “Island of Withdrawn Books!”
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