Say What?

This opposite poem almost didn't survive my messy office! All creative people are messy, right?

I visited Salk Elementary School here in Mesa and talked to all the fourth graders about writing poetry. It was so much fun. Their teacher, Mr. Self, is a writer himself and these kids know their stuff. I wish I could have had Mr. Self in 4th grade.

We wrote a poem together that I promised to post. Then, oops, I put it in a safe place. Yikes. When I went to post it, it wasn’t in any of my usual safe places. I turned my office upside down. No poem. I was sure it was gone forever. I even wrote to Mr. Self to see if I’d left behind in the classroom.  I was sick over disappointing the students and losing the poem.

When I visit elementary schools, I don’t talk about my steamy romantic books for teens. I share my goofy kids’ poems, and we write an opposite poem together. I’m having fun sharing them with you.

So, I finally cleaned up my office--that is always creatively messy--and I found the poem!!! I was so excited. So today, I get to share it with you, along with these beautiful posters the students made to welcome me.

Say What?

What’s the opposite
of I don’t know?
That’s in my brain
when I stir my cocoa.
As the marshmellows melt
and with my tongue I felt
the warm sweet goo
that I want to chew,
a light goes on
and wisdom starts to dawn:
When I don’t know,
I can look, learn, and grow.