Teen Lit!

Every April is Poetry Month. For a whole month, we celebrate and learn to appreciate this written art form. I’ve been a poetry writer since high school: “Believe in dreams/Believe in song/Believe in screams/That make you strong…” and I’ve never lost sight of how a good poem can sound – like a fine breath of air along the rim of one’s ear… ahhh!
 
For years, I’ve tried to incorporate such appreciation into teen programming, but somehow could never quite garner the interest. And I understand. Some teens are motivated by action and it’s very hard to find the right path to converge both action AND words. But I always try. And this time, I think I succeeded in giving voice to the hidden talent many of these “action” teens have. It is a whole lot better than clicking my heels together a few times and hoping for the best. No, I found an easier way to do it.
 
The program was simple enough: 25% my time, 75% all theirs (incentive!). I told the teens they needed to humor me for a moment and to write one line of no less than three words. “Just string together a conscious thought, no profanity, no racial slurs.” They could do it on the laptop, which they would get to use afterwards, and send it to me via my email, Facebook or cell phone.
 
Now of course, some teens did not believe they could do this; only one refused and walked away (he’s a hard core gamer). But the rest stayed and protested as they might, they wrote and sent me something in one way shape or form (most prefered to just blurt it outloud!)
 
I was excited to recieve them, not sure of what I would find in my email. Nevertheless, I felt privileged to find out what exactly they had on their minds. When I went over their writings, I knew it came from the heart. It exposed the author within, full of controversy and pathos. Well that... and a lot of humor! Those few lines (and remember, I only wanted one sentence no more than three words!) told me there are some deep thinking teens that I have yet to know better.  
 
I was definitely surprised that their internal feelings showed - though a few were a little subdued. I had allowed those flood gates to open, and they were more than happy to let their inner thoughts flow out to be published on a grand scale. I gave them a voice, just as they have given me mine.
 
C'est la vie!  
 
P.S. I did not change the grammar. They are at their rawest.
 
I present the teen authors for Palm Desert Library, April 2011:
 
Don’t talk to strangers unless they give you candy; the good kind not the distasteful kind.
Allan M.
 
Say What You Say… Do What You Do… No Matter How You Say it The World Will Try To Change You The Only Way They Will Get To Change You Is If You Let The Critical Coments Go To Your Head so Keep Your Head High and Ignor Those Negative Coments
Manuel L.
 
The Spellcaster
there once was a limerick master
who was a spellcaster
he got in a fight
and with all is might
he got turned into a hamster
Michael H.
 
Do life right cause there are no more lives like in games.
Anonymous
 
roses are red villens are blue miss.sue is super cool
Ashley A.
 
rainbows and unicorns
almost everyone hates country but me
James W.
 
A rainy day can only help you grow your roots
Christian H.
 
blah blah blah
This is a sentance
-the end
Kamin M.
  
Until next time,
 
Miss Sue