Poetry Friday: Rules rules rules
It’s Poetry Friday and, after a few weeks’ absence, I am really happy to be posting again today.
Last Friday as an actual Poetry Friday for me. I spent the day at a conference where the focus was children’s poetry. The ALEA/ACMI State Conference in Melbourne was a wonderful event, with participants able to choose a poetry workshop or keynote for every single session. Magic. I was lucky to be invited to the conference to present a keynote on the importance of pleasure in poetry, and to then give a workshop.
I began the workshop by giving each participants two stickynotes: a heart shaped one (on which I asked them to write something they liked about poetry, or a line of poetry they loved) and a down arrow shaped one. On this second I asked them to write the thing they liked least about poetry. Sadly, I think lots of people found this one easier. the stickynotes were then stuck on the whiteboard – the hearts on a Poet-Tree and the arrows on a rubbish bin.
I brought the stickynotes home, and, as I looked at them on my desk, knew I needed to use them for something. What better than a found poem? So, here we have it: a poem about what teachers DON’T like about poetry.
So Many Rules!
Rules
Rules
Rules
So many rules
and forms
and different types.
Curriculum restricts
prohibits
limits
making kids frustrated
And me too!
Structures
and restrictions
and rules.
Hard haiku
ridiculous rhyme
limitations of vocabulary.
Skill heavy
makes it hard to teach.
Takes time to read
to understand
to connect.
Sometimes I can’t relate
to the words
and I hate being told
what a poem means
when I think something different.
Writing in rhyme can be boring
I don’t know what to write about!
Even if I had the ideas
I don’t have the technical ability:
I am terrible at writing poetry!
Boys want to write
about snot
the toilet
disgusting food –
and that’s just not poetry to me.
Poetry can be sad
and dry
and it’s filled with
rules
rules
rules.
(Poem copyright Sally Murphy)
Sound negative? Actually, this was a really positive bunch of teachers, there to learn, to share because they recognised that poetry is important. Next week I’ll share a second poem – based on the things they liked about poetry. See you then.
In the meantime, this week’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Michelle at Today’s Little Ditty.
