The kiddies

It's amazing how creative kids can be when you just let them loose. A week or two ago, I struggled through the poetry unit. They didn't think too much of Annabel Lee (my heart broke) but they loved Shel Silverstein's "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would not Take the Garbage Out." We read the Giving Tree which most of them had actually memorized and I threw in a bit of Dr. Suess as well. I have some very artistic kids so after seeing how rapt they were with the Dr. Suess books, I decided we would make books of our own. They are in the midst of crafting some amazing creations. A few of my student's poems actually brought tears to my eyes. I sat at my desk reading some of them, wondering how a twelve or thirteen year old could have already felt and experienced some of the emotions they so eloquently write about.

Now, when I sit down to write, it is not poetry that flows onto the page. No, no. I dabbled in poetry in my early twenties but not since. But I wanted to write a book with the students, so I chose to compose a narrative poem. I'm not much for rhyme and rhythm, so I went with the free verse option. The next post on my blog is the book I put together and gave to my friends here who have helped make Thailand feel a little more like home. It explains how Sunny, Courtney, Daylin and I have tried to create something of a festive holiday atmosphere over here in Thailand. Enjoy!