MOD 6: Poetry by Kids

Bibliographic Data

Franco, Betsy. 2008. Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763634377

Summary

Real teens contribute poems showcasing the ups and downs of love.

Featured Poem

Raindrop Songs

This sounds like raindrop songs.

Me knocking on your back door

As you read coffee-cup obituaries

And we both find ourselves receding with

paper-cut assumptions.

When the stars fall

You proceed to follow,

For lately we look less like the American dream

And more like an American tradgedy.

We struggle to understand the sirens in a silent film,

When the subtitles are in a language that we do not speak.

Confusion in responsibility,

I will just stick to jazz.

Yes, jazz, and the way you lift your eyes up to greet mine

As you answer the door.

Zachary Boehler, age 17

Poem Connections

Read the featured poem in a discussion group. Then invite teens to choose a poem or even their favorite quotes to display. You’ll need a large wall space and post its. Have them write one word on each post it. This is a great activity to invite deeper reading both when selecting poetry to display and when reading the lines posted on the display.