A few weeks ago I posted about the very cool experience of writing with the residents of Huger Mercy Living Center nearly 10 years ago. I had so much fun over my two years with these beautiful people that I wanted to take the project into a school environment. I spoke with a high school drama teacher, and she put me in touch with a middle school language arts teacher.
So, I found myself carrying an even larger bag of supplies into Montecito Community School. For two years, I hung out with the 6th graders. My first day in Ms. Bond’s room, I passed a table of five boys who were, in a word, spirited. I was assured they would be kept under control. No way… I wanted to play at their table!
The kids and I wrote on paper bags, paper plates, and construction paper. We played Exquisite Corpse. We wrote together and we wrote apart. She shared, and we withheld. I learned so much from them – and even though it’s ridiculously cliché – I know I took more away from that experience than they did.
After our first free writing exercise, I told the kids to wad up their colored paper and shoot it into the trashcan. I told them, “the only writing you waste is the writing you don’t do today.” – which you know, sounds pretty good. Funny how I forget about that all the time.
These 6th graders wanted to be reckless and fearless, and once they trusted me, they opened the barn door. We had 8 English Language Learners in this class. They wrote in Spanish and their classmates translated. My favorite table of havoc wreakers was the most prolific group in the class.
I think of them often. What trust looked like in their eyes. The weight of their faith. And their stolen irreverent laughter. And one - one stayed with me long after I left.
If I Were King
If I were king I would rule the whole wide world.
If I were a god I would control everything. If I could fly,
I would meet the stars. If I could have one wish,
I would wish for a star to own.
If I could, I would soar into the future.
If I were an angel I would watch over my family.
If I were a different person,
I would so love your puzzles.
-- Isaac
When I Was Alone
When I was lost (under neath my belt)
my stomach was a stone.
Sinking…
was the way
I felt.
And hollow
And alone.
-- Josephine
Survive
There’s no way I’ll fail the test today. There’s no way
I’m going to quit. There’s no way I’m stopping.
There’s no way I’m going to die. There’s no way I’ll
forget. There’s
no way I’ll ever go dark.
There’s no
way I’ll die. I’m going to survive.
There’s no way I’ll be a loser.
I will always be a leader.
There’s no way they will win. There’s no way I’ll
be forgotten. There’s no way
I’m going to stop writing.
There’s no way I’ll ever ever quit.
I will live.
-- Anonymous.
