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An Open Letter to My Students
by Natalie Jones-N. Jones, September 2009
-after "Theme for English B," Langston Hughes
Although on different sides of the same room:
you seated in desks,
me front and center -- at bird's eye view,
we share a certain perspective.
After all, these four walls are colorful.
These four walls are ours to share
through one school year
numbered 180 days in length.
Within this building on the west side of Jacksonville,
such a transient city, such an expansive city,
we've come from elsewhere to be here.
We've lived much life before being here.
But nonetheless, here we are.
In present tense, in present dress.
And I your elder (though not by much)
pause tonight
to ask you to consider:
what do you want from me?
I hope to hear some honesty. 01/03/2010 Author's Note: I wrote this for my 10th grade students to help them with their imitations of Hughes' "Theme for English B."
Posted on 01/03/2010
Copyright © 2010 Natalie Jones
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Michael Smith on 01/04/10 at 12:42 AM Certainly contains at least one instance of each of the elements [I see] in "Theme for English B". Very nice flow, Ms. Jones.
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| Posted by Vince Blake on 01/04/10 at 12:54 AM It will certainly be quite the task for any of them hoping to emulate you here. Excellent work. |
| Posted by Olivia Martin on 01/04/10 at 09:17 AM It is so nice to see a teacher attempting to connect with his/her students on this level. The banking method of education usually permits the teacher to know all, students know nothing -- and you've breached the void. Thank you for your words and your understanding. The poem is beautiful, and your students should consider themselves lucky! |
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