found poem | Thinking Through My Lens

Today I went in search of a found poem, a poem where words are borrowed and arranged to create something new, something fresh, something meaningful out of the words collected from others. I printed the article, The Power of Teaching Poetry: A Conversation Between Renee Watson and Linda Christensen from Rethinking Schools and as I read, I marked words and phrases that spoke to me. Later, I typed those words and phrases into a document and then started arranging, rearranging, repeating, excluding until I came up with a poem that says something that matters to me.

Many thanks to Amy over at Ethical ELA and #verselove for today’s prompt and the inspiration to find my own poem in my own way.

I Have it in my Bones: A Found Poem

Writing is not a competitive sport

Everyone has their own voice, different stories

Who have you touched with your hands?

What are the stories of the scars on your knee?

Our memories, the recipes, a space to enter

I have it in my bones

Poetry can be a container for emotions

We’re angry

We’re sad

We’re confused

All of me was welcome

My joy and my pain

My frustration, my questions

I weave poetry

A raft of poems

Eerie medley, location-notes, love calls

Whistles and grunts

Sounds that all melt into a liquid

I have it in my bones

I’m not perfect

Courage is contagious

Joy is resistance

Play with language

Eyes of poetry

Outrageous verbs

Repetition, listing, repeating

Writing is serious

It kind of explodes

Planting seeds, fanned the flames

Feel free

Wild and risky

Nurtured me

I have it in my bones

After being stranded indoors all day yesterday, I couldn’t wait to head out this morning between the raindrops for a neighborhood walk. As I walked I was thinking about the National Writing Project invitation to create a found poem to share this week. Only minutes into my walk I started to notice words and phrases, I collected them via my phone camera and compiled them into a found poem when I arrived home (only slightly dampened by the next round of showers).

When I showed it to my husband, he immediately asked, “How do you read this?” wondering if there was a right order to follow the words. I ask each reader to find their own path, read your own meaning into this text. And maybe, you’ll also consider creating your own found poem (with photos or not).