Sunday, March 12, 2017

#SOLC17 Earliest Memories 12/31

2017 is the tenth year of the Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers, The goal is to write and post a "slice of life" story every day during the month of March. My seventh graders are also participating in a slimmed down version of the challenge, writing 10 slices during the month.

Slice of Life: Earliest Memories


It's a fine line
Between memory and story.
Do I remember these events as they happened or
Do I remember hearing them brought to life in the retelling?

Our second house
Bits and pieces of thoughts and moments:
The large rock in the front yard
Perfect for climbing and sitting.
The backyards connecting across the wild
Untamed marshy area in between.

There were trees.

A pussy willow. Soft grey buds that
Stayed around if you cut them.

A whole circle of trees
Bending low
Interlocking
A perfect house for witches.
As we took turns capturing, confining each other
Was it more fun to chase or to hide?

Endless moments outside,
But the inside

Fades away.


Just started a new book club group, and today we discussed the powerful Brown Girl Dreaming  by Jacqueline Woodson [Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Winner, National Book Award Winner]. A must read. Thinking about memories and memoirs in poetry.

(Click here to read my previous Slice of Life Challenge posts.)

5 comments:

  1. Interesting how you explore the link between memories and stories here. All those bits and pieces of life that you have woven together in this poem hint at something bigger. I am left with an impression of your childhood without you actually telling a story. Just lovely!

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  2. Love this picture you painted. You have a beautiful way with words- thanks for sharing!

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  3. I've often wondered if I'm actually remembering or if I am weaving stories of others into my memories. Enjoyed this poem as memoir. I love Brown Girl Dreaming and use it as one of many examples when I teach memoir.

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  4. I really like the language in the poem! Minds can be interesting when they mix together what happened with something else related.

    (hannanabanana, hannahshappenings.net)

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  5. I, too, have used Jacqueline Woodson, as a mentor for poetry. The language you used to share your memories is magical. Thanks for slicing.

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