• Furious Flower Home
• Furious Flower Fund
• Learn More About the Center
  • Calendar of Activities
  • The Staff
  • Contact Us
• Community Outreach
• Poetry News
• Video Recordings
• Publications
• Furious Flower Market
• Database of African American Poets
• Poetry Resources
• Archives/Past Programs
• Word Is Born Writers' Society - JMU Creative Writing Club

Community Outreach

2012 Thomas Harrison Middle School Poetry Slam

The local newspaper, Daily News Record, called the latest poetry slam at Thomas Harrison Middle School a "Stanza Bonanza."  Seventeen middle school students read original works to a packed library on Friday, February 24, 2012.  The theme of this year's event was multiculturalism and was part of a series of Adventures in Arts afterschool workshops.  James Madison University students served as both emcees and judges.  Kayla Runion, Furious Flower Poetry Center's student assistant, worked with members of the Thomas Harrison Middle School's faculty and PTO to coordinate the event.

JMU Community Poem

Joe Boelsche, Furious Flower Poetry Center's student assistant, collaborated with James Madison University students, staff, and faculty from November 7-11, 2011 to write the "Longest JMU Poem." The form is based on the ancient Japanese form of the Choka, which begins with a haiku followed by any number of two-line stanzas in which the first line contains seven syllables and the second line contains five.  Click here to read the poem. 

2011 WVPT Kids' Book Festival

The WVPT Kids' Book Festival was held on Saturday, June 4th at JMU's Memorial Hall. This free family event was filled with games, activities, entertainment, and a free book for all children under 10.  FFPC's Kayla Runion, Jill Wade, and Kalela Williams helped children get ready for summer by planting watermelon seeds to take home.  In addition, the children received a vegetable and fruit coloring book designed by Ms. Runion.

Poetry Gets Better With Age!

Furious Flower Celebrates National Poetry Month

On Saturday, April 9, 2011, Kalela Williams and Jill Wade led workshops for adults and children at the Augusta County Library's National Poetry Month event "Play with words...write furiously...BLOOM!"  In Ms. Williams' workshop, participants learned how to use sensory detail to write vivid poetry.  They studied poems by Cornelius Eady, Rebecca Wee, Luisa Villani and Susan Ludvingson.  Mrs. Wade shared some favorite rhyming poetry with the children, who ranged from 5 to 12 years of age.  The children then wrote some rhymes of their own.  Enjoy reading their wonderful work below!

We saw waves
and saw some caves.

We went back
and heard a duck quack.

After that, we went to the park
and walked in the dark.

We saw a pig and a cat
a rat and a cat.

In the house - we sparkled
with make-up...farkle, tarkle.

The cat and the rat sat
with hearts of joy.

Written by Grace, 5
-----

I was walking and something gave me a shock
there was an alligator on the dock.
I got to close and it bit of my sock
then I ran and fell on a rock.

I looked at the rock with a shimmer
the light from the sun became dimmer.
I started to get cold
the day was getting old.

I felt bold,
because I stood up to an alligator when I was just 11 years old.

Written by Kyle, 12
-----

I saw the snake slither
hit he went mither.

He went to the woods
he saw a hood.

And the snake went under,
because of the crashing thunder!

Written by Karley, 8
-----

"The Fireworks Exploded"

The fireworks exploded with a big Kaboom
It is the Fourth of July
People blew their big kazoos
The(n) someone showed up named Julie

She was looking for her friend June
June was watching the beautiful fireworks
She wad loving the red, yellow, green, & blue
Then she went next door to autoworks

She was looking for May
May ws shooting the fireworks in the air
She thought it was cold, so she swayed
She put on her hat to keep her hair

May left and went to find April
She looked and looked
But her ideas kept stapling
But April doesn't like noise so she was --
Asleep and May was goosed