We read Ada Limon’s “How to Triumph like a Girl” in Ms. Shah’s class today. We watched her read it and discussed how the details helped us see that the speaker wanted to view herself and strong and powerful like the racehorses. The students had beautiful insights about the way the poem was a way of subverting stereotypes–how by imagining herself as a female racehorse she was challenging the way some people might think about girls.
Parrot
Parrot
–Heer
I’m a parrot flying free
in the trees
in the wind
I feel juicy
fruits in my mouth
pleasing me
talking day and night
as I wish
warm and cozy
as a blanket
in my home
safe and sound like
a home. If I wish
I will fly free
to the world
discovering lands
places everywhere
I may or may not
come back home
but if I do
hello and if no, sorry
dear owner.
Cats
–Shreya
I like the cats best,
how they are so chill and
calm, yet quite active
I like their sharp claws, sharp like
knives, how they can threaten you with them.
It’s like when I scratch my
brother for being annoying.
But I love their soft, cuddly,
fur warm as a blanket.
I love all the cat colors.
But most people don’t, black
cats are considered unlucky
and a bad apple in the basket.
But anyways, I relate to how some
cats get startled and hide when
they hear loud noises
like thunder.
