Rhyme Schemer (15 page)

not bent or scuffed,

no plastic cover.

The author's name is K. Jamison

just like me.

My heart speeds up, my eyes focus tight.

A hand rests on my shoulder, it's a quiet smile.

Inside the book,

my poems.

The ones I showed Mrs. Little.

Bound together.

In a real book.

Like a real poet.

Shelving books, just like every day.

No detention needed.

This is my job now.

A job that needs shining eyes and soft fingers.

Jagged stones need not apply.

I take deep breaths of the library smell,

the book smell,

the soft, shiny, safe smell.

A note from Mrs. Little says:

There's another poetry night in one month
.

You better get started, yes?

And the only easy prey

as far as my eyes can see

are a million words

on a million pages

just waiting.

I pull a pen from my pocket,

open up my notebook.

So many

words.

So little

time.

I'd like to thank my incomparable agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, who gets all the credit in the world for seeing this manuscript and saying yes. (She gets extra credit for all the times she shakes her head at me and says, “Not quite, but keep trying.”)

I'd also like to thank the supportive and fiercely talented group of women I spent a lovely autumn week with at a Highlights Foundation workshop in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Extra sloppy kisses go to our faculty: Sonya Sones, Virginia Euwer Wolff, and Linda Oatman High. (And special thanks to Linda for saying, “Ooh, I like the band name parts of this manuscript, you should add more of that.”)

Thank you to my critique group, Bethany Hegedus, Vanessa Lee, and Sara Kocek, for not only knowing how to give a great critique, but for knowing when it's time to just stare at the ceiling and quietly eat chocolate.

Thanks to my Spiderhouse coffee shop crew for not judging me when I eat breakfast tacos instead of writing. (And a high five to E. Kristin Anderson, who mentioned found poetry and how she thought it would improve the first draft.)

To everyone in the Austin, Texas, SCBWI, you guys are the epitome of awesome. (And a shout-out to Nikki Loftin, Donna Bowman Bratton, and Liz Garton Scanlon for reading early drafts and assuring me I wasn't insane to want these words to be a book.)

Even though they hate my comfy writing pants, I will still thank my kiddos, Sam, Georgia, and Isaac, for dealing with the whims of a crazy mom writing a book. And an extra million billion thanks go to my husband, Steven, for knowing that sometimes I have to run away and write write write.

Last but most definitely not least, huge, huge thanks to everyone at Chronicle, especially Tamra Tuller, who has laughed and agonized and sniffled over Kevin just as much as I have.

K.A. HOLT
is a writer

a mama

a bad (but fearless!) cook.

She has written three

(three!)

books for kids.

Also?

She shelved books

in the library

during grade school.

Ms. Holt claims

(claims!)

she never had a detention.

Believe what you want.