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I'm a Poet and I Don't Know It


caldrail

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Many years ago, I met up for a game session with a bunch of guys, some of whom I knew well, others I didn't. One chap who was a friend of someone else and not known to me at all, interrupted the proceedings and said "Your mascara is running".

 

I was pretty mystified by that comment, but his leering expression made itself felt. I wasn't happy with that slur, and just to make the point, my friends seemed as mystified by his attitude as I was. The week after, as I was leaving, I noticed a book open beside him and enquired bluntly as to its purpose.

 

"Ahh... Poetry. I'm a poet..." He looked a little flustered as I grinned with relish at this symbol of unmanliness. "Its not all serious... I do some funny stuff... I... errr...."

 

Revenge is soooo sweet. He never came back. Serves him right. However, I wonder if there's a poet in each of us struggling to get out. Perhaps not in Swindon, since most of the local performers prefer yelling insults in the small hours, and poetic it isn't. A mate of mine in the music business, a local singer/songwriter (We'll call him TB), once told me how his poetic spirit once took hold.

 

He was walking through a well-to-do area, looking musically shabby of course, and heard the sound of the wind swishing through the tall trees along the side of the road. He was captivated by it, and stood there engrossed in its subtlety. A passing police car thought otherwise, and since policemen are not known for poetic leanings, TB was promptly called upon to explain why he was staring at the bedroom of an expensive house.

 

"No, officer, I'm not, I'm... err.... listening to the trees.... ummm.... The sound... Its.. you know..."

 

"Don't do it again Sir" The policemen rebuked him, "Now move along."

 

Some people just don't appreciate poetry. Actually I don't either. Still, people who claim to be artistes tend to survive better on the dole, and since I'm too old to claim rock superstardom at grass roots level (I don't live in a country mansion after all), I'm left with no recourse to claim that as a local poet, I'm a vital cultural resource. Unfortunately, that means I now have to prove I'm a poet. So here goes....

 

Poem of the Week

I wandered lonely as a local poet of cultural significance

That floats o'er hill and theatre

A woman smiles and offers me a chance

Of activities peculiar

Yobboes jeer and call me 'nance'

And ask why I won't bonk her

In serene contempt I retain my stance

And remind them of their failure

 

Ok. I 'll move along Officer...

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Aw c'mon, that was good!

 

One class this semester has the best set of chapters in the textbook, and includes in the food-themed chapter a poem by Pablo Neruda, "Ode to the potato." It's actually a great poem, showing pride for being an American (as in, of the Western Hemisphere), prideful of the fact that the humble and blind potato has conquered the hunger of the world. So for the question of the week, I ask my students to write a poem about a food they love. I reiterate that I'm not expecting greatness--after all, I pretty much suck at the art--but I'm looking for them to expand their wings. After all, these are intermediate-level students...their Spanish is getting better, and there are several native speakers in there, but there's not necessarily a confidence in their skills yet.

 

This year, I got some really outstanding works. I'm trying to figure out a way to pay tribute to them. At the beginning of this chapter, I had them bring their favorite recipes--be it a turkey sandwich or a full-on culinary delight. What they don't know (well, they'll know come Tuesday) is that they're getting a 'class cookbook'--their recipes in booklet form. I'm thinking should do the same thing for their poetry.

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LOL This semester I have 4 levels of courses: 2 are Intermediate Spanish, one is Beginning Spanish (aka 1st semester), a conversation/composition course, and the last is Advanced Beginner Spanish (aka 2nd semester). They're all grammar/application courses, so it's a lot of grammar, expanding vocabulary, etc. In the case of the intermediate courses, I don't really teach much grammar, but force the students to expand their usage. It's in one of the Intermediate courses that they had the food chapter.

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