About Hands on Stanzas

Hands on Stanzas, the educational outreach program of the Poetry Center of Chicago places professional, teaching Poets in residence at Chicago Public Schools across the city. Poets teach the reading, discussion, and writing of poetry to 3 classes over the course of 20 classroom visits, typically from October through April. Students improve their reading, writing, and public speaking skills, and participating teachers report improved motivation and academic confidence. You can contact Cassie Sparkman, Director of the Hands on Stanzas program, by phone: 312.629.1665 or by email: csparkman(at)poetrycenter.org for more information.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Inspirations of Haki Madhubuti

Haki Madhubuti's poem, "Is Truth Liberating" generated much thoughts in the minds of the sixth and the seventh period classes last week. Students reactions were silly (why girls lie and wear hair pieces) to the profound (why the government lies). Here are a few samples of what they expounded on.

Why Lie?
Denise M.
(6th Period)

Why lie and tell me you love me
and you wanna be in my heart
and all you every do is tear it apart
Why Why Lie?
Why lie and tell your child his/heart
father is dead
when he never loved you or cared?

Truth is Over Rated
Tracy N. (8th Period)

Telling the truth isn't always a good th ing.
If I'm your friend it's my job to relieve you from the lies
of others.
I try not to let you get hurt but by telling you the truth am I hurting you?
People say that the truth is liberating.
If so, why don't people want to hear it?
Others filling your head with lies and they're the backstabbers
but you wanna be their friends.
I'm telling the truth but it seems like all I"m doing is
turning you against me.
To avoid hurting the lives of others I shall be.
Truth is just not what people wanna hear.
Truth is over rated.

The Truth
Gifted M.

They say truth will set you free
The truth will use you.
The truth will also abuse you
The truth will help you hide
The truth will also show your true insides
The truth can be your book of your life
The truth will read you out all night
The truth will break your heart
The truth will tear you apart
The truth is a clever mishave
The truth that takes you back and forth to a flash
When someone say they love you, is it the truth?
When someone say they place no one above u, is that the truth?
The truth can deliberate
The truth helps you help you appreciate
So do the truth really set you free?
Do the truth hurt?
Is the truth worth?
Is the truth worth the pain?
Is the truth worth the game?
Is the truth, the truth?

Please check back weekly to read more interesting poems by the students of Mr. Ealy's Classes - at South Shore School of Entrepreneurship.

Pam Osbey
Artist-In-Resident
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