Holiday Poetry

Share these bilingual performances of 35 selected Spanish/English poems from The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations with students of all ages! This hour-long audio sampler of poems is meant to be used in conjunction with both the Children's Edition and the Teacher/Librarian Edition of The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations, an ILA Notable Books for a Global Society selection.

Friends and family gathered. Flowers everywhere. The casket. Days that just melt into each other. Sleepless nights. The pain in the pit of your stomach. Feeling all alone. I wrote this book because I remembered how hard it was when I lost my mother. That first holiday was the absolute worst. I ached as I imagined everyone being with their families, and yet, we sat with her empty chair. I just didn’t want anyone to feel as alone as I felt. With each loss, I found myself experiencing the same cycle of emotions.

There is a day in March when people of Irish descent, in whole or part, and those who just wish to partake of the Shamrock Isle’s legendary hospitality, come together the world over to celebrate the world’s most popular national festival: St Patrick’s day. That day is March 17th, the traditional anniversary of his death in 561. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is acknowledged as the one who brought Christianity to its shores and drove out the snakes.