I have the privilege to get to know people through reading with them
I am always impressed and rewarded by the many ideas brought to me in our shared reading.
Just recently I was introduced to a poem by a 6th grader—she made the connection of
this poem to the many ideas embedded in the book we were reading together.
Poems give words to thoughts and feeling and a magical synergy happens when a poem is read in tandem with a book. As an experiment, try and pair a poem with what you are currently reading and see if you can find a connection. The worst thing that can happen is that you will end up reading more poetry.
Read on its own, this poem stands on its own.
Greener Grass, Erin Hanson
What if grass is greener on the other side,
Because it’s always raining there,
Where the ones who never fail to give,
Hardly have enough to spare,
Where the people with the broadest smiles,
Have pillows filled with tears,
And the bravest ones you’ve ever known,
Are crippled by their fears,
It’s filled with lonely people,
But they’re never seen alone,
Where those that lack real shelter,
Make you feel the most at home,
Maybe their grass looks greener,
Because they’ve painted on its hue,
Just remember from the other side,
Your grass looks greener too.
