Reflections on the Teche

Last week I had the privilege of leading a writing workshop for a class of ninth grade girls at the Academy of Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. The school is located near a pasture of horses and grove of live oaks trees. The drive itself felt sacred even though I was nervous. I have years of experience teaching elementary kids, high school is a horse of a different color. But once I got started and looked into the sweet, kind, and welcoming faces of these girls and their teacher, I felt relaxed and calm.

Using my book Were You There? A Biography of Emma Wakefield Paillet, I told portions of Emma’s story and presented a few poems. We discussed poetic elements.

I felt like found poetry would be an accessible form to share because it is less intimidating than a blank page. What was so exciting for me was each girl wrote a unique poem with a different voice even though the text was the same.

It was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, so I pulled a speech that was not as well known as the “I Have a Dream” speech. We read “How Long? Not Long” from the end of the Selma march.

Today I am sharing four of the students’ poems that they gave me permission to publish.

We Will See
by Alana

We will see
We the free-loving people
will one day see the victory
rested over their dead bodies
and where is our dignity?
where is our humanity?
when will we see?
how long?
not long
we will one day see
that will be the day of man as man
and we will all be free
We will see

Electrify our hearts for the understanding of friendship
by Zelie

When the powerful understanding 
of friendship itself comes into our lives,
and the universe wants to see us
wounded,
When society fears to live in the truth
of the dim unknown,
and when we may no longer have that passionate star that shines before us,
Let us become electrified by the majestic
face of friendship
and the confrontation of good 
and evil.
Face the danger.
Look it in the eye
and keep marching on because,
though we are tired,
our souls and hearts are rested.


We Have Walked
by Anna 

We have walked
through desolate valleys
across trying hills.

We have walked
on meandering highways
and on rocky byways.

We have walked.

“Well, aren’t you tired?”

We have walked
and our feet are tired.

We have walked 
but our souls are rested.

We have walked. 

Man as Man
by Kaylyn

My dear friends,
who have assembled here
from all over the world,

our bodies are tired

but as I stand before you
we can say,
our feet are tired,
but our souls are rested.

They told us we wouldn’t get here.

Out of this struggle,
a new idea,
more powerful than guns
was born.

It witnessed the whole community of Negroes
facing terror
and heroic courage
but, without the vote,
it was dignity
without strength.

Every race
good
and evil
generated the massive power
to turn the whole nation
to a new course.

We must come to see
not of the white man,
not of the black man,

man
as
man.