Read the poem and consider the invitation to comment below.
This poem is from A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems by Janet Wong. The poem comes from the section, “Chinese poems”.
Tea Ceremony
“This tea costs sixty dollars a pound,”
Grandfather announces, and grunts
as I begin to pour.
this is a signal
for Mother
to look at my free hand,
a glance that lasts
long enough to scold:
Two hands!
Like a puppet
I lift my left hand,
answering her silent command
to hold the lid down,
while my right hand
tips the teapot
toward Grandfather
in a slow, deep bow.
Two hands!
I feel all eyes watching
as I cradle
the old heat-cracked cup
in soft hands of respect,
holding it out to Grandfather
like an offering
to the gods.
*******************************************************
What does it mean to show respect to your elders in your family?
Posted on on January 31st, 2010 in
Poetry by Janet Wong |
28 Comments »
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This poem is from A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems by Janet Wong. The poem comes from the section, “American poems”.
Which?
Two dresses hang
side by side
on the sale rack,
the tag of one so worn
it seems the price
was not believed,
but looked at, at least twice,
by many who might buy.
It is real: this
black velvet gown
overgrown with
lush, bright flowers
is cheap, dirt cheap,
even cheaper than
the simple chambray dress
some careless hand
has pressed up against its back,
the white plastic hanger
crushing one velvet flower.
White one is you?
Wear this plain blue frock
twice a week and feel safe,
no one will talk;
but wear the other,
with its strange power
that makes you think
the boys will swoon,
and a second time
a season
is too soon.
*****************************************************
What garment do you wear that gives you power? Why do you think it does?
Posted on on January 31st, 2010 in
Poetry by Janet Wong |
27 Comments »
Read the poem and consider the invitation to comment below.
This poem is from A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems by Janet Wong. The poem comes from the section, “Chinese poems”.
Albert J. Bell
Forty years of friendship
with my grandfather,
and still Uncle All cannot eat
with chopsticks.
Forty years of friendship
with Uncle Al,
and still my grandfather forgets
to offer him a fork.
*****************************************************
How well do you know your friends – what they like and do not like. How do you honor those preferences?
Posted on on January 31st, 2010 in
Poetry by Janet Wong, Uncategorized |
29 Comments »
Read the poem and consider the invitation to comment below.
This poem is from A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems by Janet Wong. The poem comes from the section, “American poems”.
Face It
My nose belongs
To Guangdong, China—
short and round, a Jang family nose.
My eyes belong
To Alsace, France—
wide like Grandmother Hemmerling’s.
But my mouth, my big-talking mouth, belongs
to me, alone.
What is your family background? How does it show in your face?
Posted on on January 31st, 2010 in
Poetry by Janet Wong |
28 Comments »
Read the poem and consider the invitation to comment below.
Ask a Friend
By Janet Wong
From: Behind the Wheel: Poems About Driving
You don’t always need
to go it alone.
Ask a friend
to give you a ride,
to help you out,
to get you home.
When you’ve found some better times,
you won’t forget, you’ll pay him back.
Let your friends be good to you.
Go along for the ride,
face in the wind.
***************************************************
How do you help your friends and how do they help you?
Posted on on January 25th, 2010 in
Poetry by Janet Wong |
5 Comments »
Read the poem and consider the invitation to comment below.
This poem is from A Suitcase of Seaweed and Other Poems by Janet Wong. The poem comes from the section, “American poems”.
Quitter
Coach calls me a quitter.
He mutters it under his breath
loud enough for me to hear,
but quiet enough
so no one knows
when I prove him wrong.
***************************************************
How have you ever wanted to quit? What happened?
Posted on on September 26th, 2009 in
Poetry by Janet Wong |
57 Comments »
In their dreams
my friends can fly.
They flap their arms
and soar like hawks.
I’ve never flown
except in planes
I think I would be terrified
to find the ground lost
under me.
I like to go to sleep at nine,
curled up round
in my safe bed,
dreaming soft and fuzzy
things–
goose down dreams
cradling
my head.
“Flying” from Night Garden: Poems from the World of Dreams by Janet Wong 2000
Do you ever fly in your dreams? Have you ever flown? Share your thinking about “Flying”! Write a poem or response in the comment section.
Posted on on September 26th, 2009 in
Poetry by Janet Wong |
4 Comments »
Crystals
1. Crystals grow really slow.
2. Crystals are clear.
3. Crystals are different colors.
4. Crystals are different shapes.
5. Crystals are different sizes.
6. Crystals are hard to find.
7. Crystals can be found on rocks.
8. Crystals are a type of rock.
9. Crystals are worth money.
10. Crystals come from volcanoes.
11. Crystals look like ice.
12. Crystals are a type of quartz.
13. Crystals look like a diamond.
14. Crystals are formed from solid salt.
15. Crystals are on jewelry.
16. Crystals can be found in meteorites.
17. Crystals can be found in Arizona.
By Cody
Posted on on May 29th, 2009 in
Student-Student Pages |
1 Comment »
Summer is cool
Summer is fun.
Summer is great
We’re out of school.
You scream for joy.
It’s hot and finally.
At night we wish
That summer
Will never end!
Posted on on May 27th, 2009 in
Student-Student Pages |
2 Comments »
Inner tubing!
Inner tubing, inner tubing
Its time to go inner tubing
The water goes splash, splash
In your face,
you start to Scream and yell for joy,
You try not to fall off but… SPLASH
You go flying off the inner tube!!
Posted on on May 27th, 2009 in
Student-Student Pages, Uncategorized |
4 Comments »