'even as life went sour' : Food For Thought

‘even as life went sour’ : Food For Thought

Li-Young Lee’s poem, From Blossoms allows for exploration with food as cultural touchstone and a source for memory. Some examples of student work are below. Lesson Note: ‘John S. Allen’s The Omnivorous Mind is an examination of the cultural and biological truths revealed by our evolving relationship with food. From the diets of our earliest ancestors, to cooking’s role in the evolution of the human brain, to the preoccupations of contemporary foodies, Allen’s take on how and what we eat is consistently revelatory.’-Harvard University Blog, 2012.

Mr. Telles 9th Grade, 1st Period

The Lemon and The Defender Jaylene A.

you defended me as a child
-even as life went sour
you stood up for me
-even when life got bitter
you chose me
-then life got sweeter
you decided to pay attention to me
-even when life was at it’s sweetest
soon, everything came to a crashing halt
-yet, you still left an impression
I still look up to you; admire you
-because you are always here, even if you’re gone

Untitled Jazmine C.

Dozens of different laughters
fill the air.
Some loud and low pitched.
Others somewhere in between.
We quiet down and bite down.
On the crunchy,
cheesy, gooey,
tacos my grandmother was so
great at making
with beans smothered inside
and bits of chicken.
Oh, how I wish to taste those,
crunchy, cheesey, gooey,
tacos my grandmother was so
great at making.

Mr. Telles 9th Grade, 5th Period

Untitled Kyla G.

Greens you memory hog!
From the stem of your plant,
to your root in the dirt
she would buy in bulk
Maybe by the pound

Your color just as
rich and dark as hers
Reminding how well seasoned
you were; and her attitude
just as flavorful
Greens you memory hog!

Michigan Cherries Cecelia T.

the wind rushes through my hair
and it russles through the trees
the sacred trees, the cherry trees
distinguished by the pops of red.

lavender fills the air and
all the sweet corn has been picked
the lazy summer fruit reminds you
that summer is ending in the sweetest way.