"All this happened, more or less."

12/4/23 When I need inspiration to write, I often read a poem-of-the-day on one of the following sites: Poets.org - https://poets.org/poem-a-day   PoetryFoundation.org - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/poem-of-the-day   12/4/2023 Inspiration: “Yiddishland” by Erika Meitner https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57958/yiddishland   My poem… “Memories, Forgotten” by Amber Counts I listened to my grandmothers’ stories. I swear I did. I leaned forward with anticipation each time They shared their experiences, Told tales of our ancestors whom I would never know (But whose choices still shape reality), Or allowed glimpses into who they were– Separate from my grandmothers–           Who they really were–           I listened. And I remember a great deal, but not enough. My ancestors’ names have begun slipping through Gaps in my memory. How many siblings accompanied each of my great-grandparents Along his or her life’s journey? Why did my maternal family move to Texas (An

 

With a busy and diverse holiday season approaching, my creative writing students and I read and appreciated Alberto R í os's poem " November 2: Día de los Muertos ." After discussing the poem's craft and vivid imagery, we talked about how families celebrate, or do not celebrate, various holidays in their own ways. Students felt comfortable writing a poem of at least 15 lines (in honor of  R í os's stanza length) on a holiday of their choice in any tone and structure. I believe it is important to approach such topics with an inclusive attitude rather than the traditional "what do you love about Christmas?" approach. Since Halloween was on the horizon, I modeled the following writing process as my students worked on their poems. I have included my draft with revisions as well as the final product. I like to show them that writing is always a process, so they see me look at what I've written, make a face, take time to think of elusive words, and choose

 

Mentor text (from movingwriters.org): My list using the above mentor text as inspiration:

Mentor Text:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/?noredirect=on Quote from mentor text used as inspiration: “ Public mass shootings account for a tiny fraction of the country’s gun deaths, but they are uniquely terrifying because they occur without warning in the most mundane places.  Most of the victims are chosen not for what they have done but simply for  where they happen to be . ” “Where they Happen to Be” by Amber Counts Statistically, the chance of a school shooting occurring at any one given school is small. Yet it constantly weighs on my mind. Lest I forget, even for a second, that this hypothetical horror could become a reality, we have the annual compliance training to remind me. Avoid. Deny. Defend. Lockdown: Locks! Lights! Out of Sight! I just read that “victims are chosen not what they have done but for simply where they happen to be.” But what if they happen to be in school? They ha