Found in a Book (Found Poem) #SOL15



Today was the first day of the Long Island Writing Project's Summer Institute, which I have the pleasure of co-facilitating. As is our tradition, we started our day with a read aloud (or "shared reading" as we call it) and then free writing. Participants read their responses and it is always amazing how one text brings up so many different ideas for all of us. The book we shared today was The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce. The participants' responses were so beautiful and poignant. I took words, phrases and lines from each participants response to create this found poem.

“Found in a Book”
By Kathleen Sokolowski

Found Poem Inspired by the Written Responses to
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Words taken from the writings of Barbara, Lauren, Lillian, Nicolette, Gina, Sally, and Regina
Books connect us-
Everyone’s story matters.
Lost in a book? No!
We’ve been found in a book.

Reading connects us all.  
Taps into what makes us human.
Something special in every genre.
Read them, share them, write them.

Can’t see the story for the words?
Rearrange yourselves!
Don’t whirl in the tornado of your own disaster
What kind of winds will we survive
to write our story again?
Believe in surviving the storm.
Isn’t that, after all, the point of stories?
Find your voice.
Everyone’s voice matters.
Write a new story.
Let go when need be, hold on when you can.
Get found in a book.
Everyone’s story matters.
We end the way we started.
Books connect us.

Comments

  1. RamonaJuly 7, 2015 at 12:15 AM

    Kathleen, this is beautiful! My favorite lines: "Let go when need be, hold on when you can. Get found in a book."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Donna SmithJuly 7, 2015 at 12:38 AM

    "Can’t see the story for the words?
    Rearrange yourselves!
    Don’t whirl in the tornado of your own disaster"
    Ha! Loved this...kind of like holding onto words you don't need or portions you've written, but are actually getting in the way of your story, or lines that could be in a better order...messing it up. Don't stay in the disaster! Rearrange, cut...whatever you have to do to calm it down, and have it make sense!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Terje July 7, 2015 at 7:40 AM

    This is a wonderful found poem. What a great start for your Institute. I like the phrase "get found in the book."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Linda BJuly 7, 2015 at 9:49 AM

    Lovely to use the words of your group in this way, Kathleen. This is something I've always done on the first day of school with my class. It's so special to see one's words in a poem! I like this particularly: "Don’t whirl in the tornado of your own disaster". Wise words!

    ReplyDelete
  5. JulieanneJuly 7, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    Stories and writing give us connections through the troubles and storms of our lives. I love how you "found" and connected these beautiful teachers' words to help them and us find ourselves in the words of others.

    ReplyDelete

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