Poetry for the heart

Posted on by

0


So all of my students have been working on poetry units in my classes. FYI teachers: poetry is the perfect way to end the school year. The amount of engagement from my freshmen and sophomores is amazing. Plus, it is easy! We are reading poems, analyzing them, discussing them, learning about voice and tone, using TPCASTT. Then we write poems emulating the experts. So my students do not feel like I am forcing them to write poems all alone, and to show as models when needed, I have been writing my own poems as well. Now, I am no poet what-so-ever, but I am trying! Here goes a few:

“Where I’m From”

I am from the red steps
from where my grandparents once happily lived.
I am from the concrete where our apartment building is built.
(Dirty, crowded,
the hustle and bustle.)
I am from the Bodega,
the Puerto Rican flag
that sings with the wind
and party’s on along with my people.

I’m from pernil and Barbies,
from Charnette, Charlie and Carlos.
I’m from the happy
and the fighters.
From Salsa and Old School Hiphop
I’m from Hail Mary Full of Grace
at a communion
with the prayers I have since forgotten.

I’m from Chickie and Lucia,
Farina and Bustello.
From the sudden sickness
that took my grandmother,
the tears I weep to show how I miss.

Up in my closet is a chest
albums of pictures,
happy days and innocence
to fade with reality of life.
I am from those moments–
Through thick and thin–
The people of my family tree.

“The Life of an English Teacher”

The front of the classroom is like a stage,
Actors, musicians, singers,
Lights, camera, action,
The show must go on.

Standing in front of 34 fresh faces,
Waiting, impatiently for you to feed them knowledge,
But what knowledge?
You are learning as you go,
Taking it day-by-day.

Theme, metaphor, imagery,
Shakespeare, Steinbeck,
Holden Caulfield.
But what about commas,
Sentence-structure,
Argumentative writing?
So much to do, so little time.

Your head full of doubts…
Will they like me?
Will they hate me?
Will they learn from me?
Learn to read?
Learn to write?
Learn to mature?

Years later, walking down a crowded street,
A stranger stops you,
“You were my English teacher!”
A smile comes across your face.

XOXO Lizette

My top workout songs (right now)

Posted on by

2

20130509-171908.jpg

I LOVE dance music. When I am in a club and a good beat comes on, or just my favorite David Guetta song – watch out! I will dance, jump and sing like there is no tomorrow. I finally splurged a bit and bought myself an Ipod shuffle (in pink :) ) so that I could start running and working out more; and do more five mile walks like I did in Prospect Park the other day. I decided to download some new upbeat and fast tempo songs to get me pumped, and I thought well there is nothing that gets my heart pumped like dance music. Here are my top ten (right now):

  1. Clarity – Zedd (feat. Foxes)
  2. Alive – Krewella
  3. Sweet Nothing – Calvin Harris (feat. Florence Welch)
  4. Can’t Stop Me – Afrojack & Shermanology
  5. Beam Me Up – Cazzette
  6. Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia
  7. Fall into the Sky – Zedd & Lucky Date (feat. Ellie Golding)
  8. Play Hard – David Guetta (feat. Ne-Yo & Akon)
  9. We Found Love – Calvin Harris & Rihanna
  10. Satisfaction – Benny Benassi & The Biz … (An oldie but a goodie)

What are your favorite workout songs? :)

Oh and do not forget…

YES

XOXO Lizette