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Sunday, June 19, 2022

OPEN WRITE: Poetry Treasure Hunt

This week I'm joining Ethical ELA for a 5-day writing opportunity for teachers. It's called Open Write and there are posts with a prompt everyday. Teacher writers are invited to try the prompt and share in the comments. Today the prompt was to gather found items from outside and the invitation was to use write found poetry inspired by #teachinglivingpoets' We're going on a treasure hunt!

I meant to look for things while walking Perdi or when we went out to eat for Father's Day but I ended up finding a snatch of text from an interview I listened to. It was Michael Silverblatt interviewing Zadie Smith about On Beauty and it was too perfect not to write down.


On How To Be Human

It's summer
And I can read again
I can write again
I can create again

I have headspace 
And I'm not used to it
Sometimes I scroll on my phone
Sometimes I feel listless

Other times I get busy
And I crave more
Like I'm watching YouTube
But I'm also listening to an interview

Like I'm programmed to do all the things at once
And then I'm struck with beauty
Words that are so true
Words that I feel so deeply

The reading of novels and poetry
was instruction 
on how to be human
Michael Silverblatt's voice sears 
straight to my soul

I stop
And listen to them again
Write them down
Read them one more time

It's summer
And I can read again
I can write again
I can create again


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