WomanWyrds

Found Poetry

Some time ago, I assigned my students the task of writing a found poem. I was most interested to see what they would come up with. I very much liked the one created by Taylor, in grade nine, and have asked his permission to post it here. He has kindly assented. Here it is, for your enjoyment.

Found Poem

by Taylor C.

The God Whispers of Han Qing-jao

At last,
A few weeks to her hundredth year
Han Qing-jao was found curled up in her father’s room.

The exact spot her father sat in to perform his labors;
Murmuring,
Muttering,
Inching her hands across her body
As if tracing lines in her flesh.

The holy woman’s disciples gathered
Ten at time,
To understand her muttering,
Setting down the words as best they understood them.

“Mother.”
“Father.”
“Did I do it right?”

Original Citation:

From Xenocide, by Orson Scott Card (pg. 592)

At last, only a few weeks after she completed her hundredth year, Han Qing-jao was found curled up on the floor of her father’s room. Some said that it was the exact spot where her father always sat when he performed his labors; it was hard to be sure, since all the furniture of the house had been removed long before. The holy woman was not dead when they found her. She lay still for several days, murmuring, muttering, inching her hands across her own body as if she were tracing lines in her flesh. Her disciples took turns, ten at a time, listening to her, trying to understand her muttering, setting down the words as best they understood them. They were written in the book called The God Whispers of Han Qing-jao.
Most important of all her words were these, at the very end. “Mother,” she
whispered. “Father. Did I do it right?”

posted by Heather Cardin @ 1:11 PM