Every language has its beauty
In history, in story, and song.
Every culture enriches the world
In which we all belong.
from No (More) Forbidden Languages Venette Cook
Dear Readers,
Poetry can open doors and close doors between us. Poetry can open doors between our hearts and our minds, between our cultures. You do not need to wait to be fluent in English. Enjoy poems every day and express yourself in every way.
Students:
Are you learning English by yourself online? Are you learning English with a class and a teacher? I wish you much success in learning. Please enjoy learning with these poems. You can read, listen, and learn new ideas and vocabulary. You can repeat or record the poems. Maybe you will write a poem, a story, or have a conversation about these poems.
Teachers:
You can use these poems with your students in class or as independent assignments. Some of my poems are light and playful with language and rhythm (Sitting Here, Sitting There or What’s in This Soup?). Other poems introduce heavier themes to discuss and learn about, such as bullying, gender equity, language equity, and justice.
These poems are dedicated to my beautiful students and my beautiful teachers, past, present, and future all over our beautiful world.