Penny's Passion: Thinking Out Loud Thursday - Word Weapons

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - Word Weapons

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Thanks for joining me and Vanessa at X-tremely V for this week's linkup.  
X-tremely V

Has everyone recovered from losing an hour on Sunday?  Amazing what taking that one hour out of our lives can do to your schedule.  I feel like I've been trying to catch up all week.

I'm excited to share my post with you today.  My best friend, Linda, is a instructional coach and teaches middle school in the Kansas City area.  Someday we're going to write a book together (she's going to do all most of the writing and I'm going to offer moral support) -- but that a post for another day.  



Today I want to share a poem she wrote to her students.  She did a poetry unit in her class, and at the end of the unit, every student reads a poem they wrote.  At their poetry reading, bullying and painful experiences many of the students had faced in middle school were the topics of many poems.  Linda wrote this in response to their willingness to share their experiences with each other, and she wanted them to know that there is power in putting your experiences into words, especially if you share them with others.  

Linda's poem is a finalist in her school district's poetry contest.  She'll be reading it at a poetry reading mid-April where she'll find out how it places.  If I were a judge, it would definitely get first place!  Hope you enjoy it and share it with your children.

Without further ado, 

Word Weapons
A Message to My Students

For the students who wrote poems about the actions of bullies,

             the stealthy vipers lurking in spaces no adults venture;

For putting your pain into the spaces between the letters of your edited words;

For braving the smiling mouths which will later hurl sniggering weapons against you;

For sending out tendrils of empathy,

 hoping to cross the social chasm to reach a fellow soul;

Know that your words provide
            Power to the isolated,
            Solace to the desolate,
Hope to the lost,
            Encouragement to the despondent,

And nothing can destroy your words.



23 comments:

  1. Oh gosh no...I have not recovered from Spring Forward! I go to work around 6 a.m. so that means I am much more groggier (and grumpier) in the mornings! LOL! But I am glad it is Spring...it's my favorite of all the seasons! Thank you for sharing that lovely piece of prose too. I enjoyed reading it!

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  2. I won't recover from Spring Forward until it's time to Fall Back, lol! I'm not good with clock changes. I loved that poem! The last line is my favorite!

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  3. Yeah, time change has not worked well for me at all! At all! But let me talk about this poem---it is absolutely beautiful! Bravo to your friend Linda!

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  4. Tell me about it! I've been tired all week and you'd think it'd be getting a bit better by now.. but alas, no... lol

    Lovely to meet you by the way, I'm Lindsay. :)

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  5. What a great poem and very exciting to hear it made it to the finalist level! What a great accomplishment to be able to read it aloud at school!

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  6. This year the time change has hit me harder than ever before! Hoping that the weekend is the buffer for some adjustment.

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  7. That's a beautiful poem! Thank you for sharing her work.. (and no, this spring forward is rough on me!!)

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  8. What an amazing poem!! Your Linda sounds like an amazing woman!!

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  9. I'll recover from spring forward by the time the fall back rolls in, lol. Thanks for linking up at Thursday Favorite Things. Can't wait to see what you'll share next week!

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  10. That is an awesome poem. I love it! I think she has a really good chance of winning the poetry contest.

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  11. It's nice to relate with words scribed in poems. They sound more meaningful and relevant especially when you've had the same experience.

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  12. I have yet to recover :/ I need about another month or two :) Loved your poems !!

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  13. Spring forward is brutal... I agree with the common sentiment that whoever thought of it probably wasn't a parent. What a brutal week!

    Lovely poem.

    Thanks for sharing and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop.

    Wishing you a lovely weekend.
    xoxo

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  14. Have not recovered. at.all!!! It doesn't help that sickness hot our home that very weekend. Your bestie's poem is wonderful, heart felt and filled with truth! Thank you for sharing!

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  15. It's Friday and I'm STILL affected by losing an hour, lol! Congratulations to Linda on becoming a finalist! Best wishes for reaching first place!

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  16. My body is still adjusting to the hour changed, I can't fall asleep early. THat is a very powerful and inspiring poem. Good luck to the book that you and your friend will be writing.

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  17. We are still suffering from the time change! It stinks, lol. I still don't understand why we have to do it!

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  18. Thank you Penny for sharing your friend's poem. It is very beautiful.

    As for the book you are writing together, I wish you all the best.

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  19. This is outstanding on so many different levels. What a wonderfully positive way to teach, while at the same time communicating her own understanding, empathy and support!

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  20. Thank for the link up. I am going to have to come back next week and see what surprise there is.

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  21. That is one mighty poem! It's really nice to respond to the students feelings and let them know how powerful words are.

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  22. Such a beautiful poem, carries so much power and comfort. Your friend sounds like an awesome person and teacher

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