Sound Off Poetry

Welcome to Day 27 of Verselove. If you have written with us before, welcome back. If you are joining us for the first time, you are in the kind, capable hands of today’s host, so just read the prompt below and then, when you are ready, write in the comment section below. We do ask that if you write a poem today, in the spirit of reciprocity, you respond to three or more writers. For all the prompts and to learn more about Verselove, click here.

Our Host

Jessica Wiley lives in Conway, Arkansas and is a Special Education Inclusive Practices Literacy Teacher at Morrilton Intermediate School in Morrilton, Arkansas. She is an avid reader and a lover and a writer of poetry. When she retires, her dream is to become a librarian. In her free time, she is a part of Arkansas Hands & Voice and Community Connections, local nonprofits in her area. She is married with two children, a daughter and a son.

Inspiration

One of my flaws is that I am overly passionate about obvious things. Lately it’s been the lack of respect from school-aged children and “privileged drivers”. And if I can’t speak about it, I write about it. Today’s mentor poem, “Sound and Fury”, comes from Claudia Rankine (found here https://poets.org/poem/sound-and-fury ). On her feelings on white supremacy, she was quoted in The Vulture, a New York entertainment magazine, stating: “I thought about who wasn’t represented in my own work, and who I had little contact with in my own life. The answer was poor working-class white people”.

Process

Is there something you have heard or saw that has struck a nerve? For 30 seconds, make a “vent list”. After reading the mentor text, take this opportunity to unleash feelings effectively and draft a poem. There is no special format or specific type to follow. You can be serious or silly. Be whatever you need to be in this moment.

Consider using this prompt and mentor text as an exercise with your students in the classroom. Depending on the grade level, you can discuss current events or share a moment of reality. If students have difficulty generating ideas, have a brainstorming session or provide a series of ideas or topics you have already developed and let them choose. You can use this to teach your students how to effectively communicate and to express themselves. Writing is freedom of expression and it can be a healthy way to be acknowledged.

Jessica’s Poem

The last time I checked respect was given, not earned.
But teachers seem to be the only ones concerned.
Rudeness, back talking, and even assault,
“Not my child” the parent says, but who’s at fault?
How dare you make my child….Oh, the teachers!
Remember “The Golden Rule”, sounding like those preachers.
If you can just be quiet, or hey, even take a nap,
Just let me do my job, without feeling like a poor sap.
One more eye roll and a curse under their breaths,
Hopes, dreams, and wishes, just funeralize these deaths.
At the end of the day, I just want to feel like I matter,
There’s not enough money in the world to mask the screams that make glass shatter.

Your Turn

Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.