who shifts in her seat crossing and uncrossing her legs.
Why did her mother bring her here?
It's just a bunch of old people reading boring poems.
She claps politely after every speaker,
wondering why the woman beside her doesn't get up.
Watching her out of the corner of her eye,
she sees the woman's hands crease and re-crease a folded paper.
What is this woman waiting for?
What's so hard about reading a silly poem?
Finally! The woman starts to get up, hesitates,
and stands up, excusing herself as she carefully walks past.
The woman looks worried as she smooths out her paper.
In a quiet voice she introduces herself and tells us this is her first time.
Clearing her throat, she smooths the paper again,
and begins to read her poem, her voice getting stronger as she continues.
As the woman finishes the poem,
the girl, who dismissed the idea of reading poetry, is changed.
The woman's voice made her listen,
listen harder than she'd ever listened to any words in her life.
As the woman walked back to her seat,
she kept her head down, but there was a smile on her face.
The girl moves her legs to let the woman
back to her seat. Their eyes meeting, she sees satisfaction,
and feels it herself.
April 17, 2009
Wow that is amazing! Beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteThanks also SO much for your encouragement with the read-a-thon!! It is really fun to do :) Thank you.
Thanks, Bethany! I'm enjoying the sidelines of the read-a-thon and will participate next year. I had this idea that I'd have to read for 24hrs straight, and I had a class to go to and a date with my hubby, and company... I did read this morning and am enjoying the cheerleading!
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