Above you can see my revised version of "When I Grow Up", posted the day after I originally posted it. Somehow, a tightrope poem felt like it should be a concrete poem. After you read the above version, read the original (below) and ask yourself, "Which do I like better?" I would love to hear your thoughts. If it is too small for you to see easily, please just click on the poem image and it will grow before your eyes!
When I Grow Up
I aspire
to walk on wire
point to point
toe by toe
across a cable
high in sky
I'll only have
one place to go
to and fro
up on my wire
a thin line written
on the air
when I grow up
I'll walk a tightrope
in the circus
if I dare.
© Amy LV
Over the past couple of weeks, tightropes been on my mind more than usual. Last week, on September 24th, French aerialist Didier Pasquette walked a wire between two 23 story buildings in downtown Buffalo. Our family did not attend this performance, but I watched it on WGRZ and was mightily impressed.
Yesterday afternoon, my mother took us all to the circus, and once more we had the chance to think about and watch high-wire walkers. This all reminds me of Mordicai Gerstein's book THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS, a book about high-wire artist Philippe Petit who truly did walk between the twin towers in New York City. This same Philippe Petit was a teacher to Didier Pasquette.
Students - what skills impress you in others and in yourself? Watching other people use their gifts wisely, watching them work hard, I admire their talents and think about which skills I would like to strengthen in myself. Writing from a place of awe and inspiration is a fabulous way to get started.
Tomorrow I will be back at my own home computer, a bit excited to play with the formats of today's and yesterday's poems. If you happen to be visiting later in the week, feel free to check out some formatting changes to these last two poems. I have some concrete ideas!
A big "Thank you!" to the Binghamton Area Reading Council with whom I had the pleasure to celebrate poetry yesterday morning. Much gratitude especially to Kristie Miner, fourth grade teacher and intermediate literacy coordinator in the Whitney Point Central Schools. Kristie will teach a workshop about Readers Theater at Literacy for All in Cambridge, MA this November and stayed in such close touch to ensure a cozy and inviting morning for all.
(Please click on COMMENTS below to share a thought.)
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