Monday, December 14, 2020

Poem - The Christmas Tree

This is day 3 of the  December Open Write with Dr. Sarah Donovan's Ethical ELA. Today's inspiration was offered by Glenda Funk, and introduced poetry by Don Mee Choi. Here is the challenge that Glenda Funk proposed:

Today I’d like us to think of ourselves as translators and find inspiration in the belief we, like Choi, can “witness and resist” through translation. In DMZ Colony Choi gives voice to orphans, political prisoners, and other survivors of war. We can choose to “translate” what we witness in our world. I took my inspiration both from reading some of Choi’s poetry I found online and from the recent debate over a local high school mascot.

  • Choose a subject for translation
  • Find inspiration in an image or text.
  • Think of yourself as a translator, a witness, a reporter
  • Compose and share your poem.


I really liked the idea of writing poetry from the perspective of a translator - to me, with this point of view, I am both stepping back from the topic and getting closer. However, truth be told, I simply wasn't up to attempting a 'serious' poem - I decided to go much lighter, channeling the voice of my favorite English-language learner, who translates and narrates the world for me these days . . . my two year old granddaughter.


The Christmas Tree

tree nana see living room

kiss-miss touch gentle

lights on see

off on off on off on no more

what’s this one

angel see take off see

hook see careful hurt hook

hold on table put here here

what’s this one

snowman 

red hat nose stick

what’s this one

bell ring ring ring

beads beads no eat

what’s this one

star gentle glass break 

no break nana

nother one nana

person paper person

i like paper person 

see big angel up high

small angel see

nother one nother one nother one nana

angel angel angel i see angel



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